Three Resolutions to be presented to the DPCA by DA Guatemala (1) Resolution on Central American Immigration in 2021, (2) RESOLUTION ON POLARIZATION OF THE ELECTORATE and (3) RESOLUTION ON INSURRECTION

Read each resolution below

Resolution on Central American Immigration in 2021

Proposed by: John Chudy (DA Guatemala). 

WHEREAS the Trump Administration over its four years implemented almost 400 anti-immigrant measures ranging from the mild of simply raising the costs of visa applications to the inhumane such as its Zero Tolerance policy that separated 2,700 children from their parents with over 540 children with no trace of their parents[1]; and

WHEREAS, the vast majority of irregular migrants originate from Central America and mainly from the Northern Triangle countries of El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala; and

WHEREAS the dimensions of the immigration phenomenon can be understood by observing that the Northern Triangle nations together accounted for 71% of all apprehensions at the US-Mexico border in 2019 and that the 607,774 apprehensions from these three countries outnumbered the total from Mexico (166,458) even though their combined population (32.6 million) is only a quarter of Mexico’s (129.2 million)[2]; and

WHEREAS deportations continue high with over 43,000 Guatemalans returned during 2020 compared with the record of 105,000 in 2019, due to pressing need and growing poverty the majority of deportees intend to return to the USA[3]; and

WHEREAS Latin America generally is experiencing an economic decline of greater than 7% due to covid-19, the added trauma of Hurricanes Eta and Iota in November 2020, provoked lost employment in the formal sector hitting Northern Triangle countries hardest, and forcing, in Guatemala alone for example, 60% of the working population into informal economic activities and increasing to 25,000 the number of children suffering from acute malnutrition compared with 15,300 in 2019[4]; and

WHEREAS in Guatemala alone, crop losses due to Hurricanes Eta and Iota total more than $159 million[5] affecting more than 200,000 families and losses for the greater Central America region reaching more than $7 billion and most not insured; and

WHEREAS Hurricanes Eta and Iota directly affected over four million people in Northern Triangle countries, with tens of thousands in Honduras and 133,000 in Guatemala [6] displaced and housed in shelters with no home to return to, many will migrate north[7]; and

WHEREAS the decades-old phenomenon of children forced out of homes and communities has evolved from them migrating to Northern Triangle capitals in search of street survival to migrating to the USA as unaccompanied minors with over 18,000 arriving at the U.S. southern border just between October 2020 and March 2021[8], and

WHEREAS the incoming Biden Administration is familiar with the historical profile of Northern Triangle countries including the persistent poverty as well as the pervasive corruption and human rights violations of regional governments coupled with recent worsening of prospects for people in the region due to the pandemic and hurricanes[9];

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that the Democratic Party Committee Abroad through its members on the Democratic National Committee request the Biden Administration to implement the following: (1) Create a family reunification committee that includes allowing any deported family members to return to the USA while their family members are being located; (2) Prioritize the deportation of undocumented migrants to begin with those with serious criminal charges; (3) Make incremental improvements to the 1996 Immigration Law should comprehensive immigration reform not be possible, i.e., if the Senate remains majority Republican; (4) Create and lead a regional effort to strengthen Northern Triangle governance, democratic institutions, general security and the fight against corruption that engages both regional governments and civil groups that are fighting corruption and building democratic institutions, (5) Raise awareness and structure appropriate response programs throughout the Northern Triangle region about street children who for decades have survived locally and now choose to migrate north, and finally; (6) provide DACA  persons permanent citizenship status once and for all.

Resolution on Strengthening Democratic Institutions in the United States of America

Drafted by Vincent S. D’Agati (DA Guatemala)

February 28, 2021

WHEREAS: Democrats Abroad is pleased that the House of Representative’s investigation will be looking into the events that brought about the insurrection that took place at our Nation’s capital on January 6, 2021. There are numerous, underlying causes that are leading toward the disruption of democratic institutions in the U.S.A.

WHEREAS: Over the past decade many brilliant historians, consumer advocates, economists and journalists have identified these causes, our leaders have yet to assimilate this information and develop a comprehensive strategy to address these causes effectively.

WHEREAS: a sample of such authors is as follows:

• Ralph Nader, Consumer Advocate, The Seventeen Solutions: New Ideas for Our American Future
• Thomas L. Friedman, N.Y. Times Journalist, Hot, Flat and Crowded 2.0: Why We Need a Green Revolution – and How it Can Renew America
• Nancy Maclean, Professor of History, Duke University, Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right’s Stealth Plan for America
• Garry Kasparov, World renowned Russian Chess Player, Winter is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped.
• James Wiggins, Historian, From Democracy to Dictatorship

WHEREAS: These individuals have researched and analyzed the root causes of the deterioration of our democratic form of government.

WHEREAS:  It is not simply a matter of passing legislation to fix one or two of such root causes;

WHEREAS: It would serve the nation well if a Presidential Advisory Commission was formed to create an effective strategy to address these root causes in a comprehensive manner.

NOW BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that Democrats Abroad calls upon U.S. Chief of Staff – Ron Klain to form a Presidential Advisory Commission with the following individuals for the purpose of creating an effective strategy to address the root causes that are weakening our democratic institutions across the nation:

• Ralph Nader
• Thomas L. Friedman
• Nancy
• Garry Kasparov
• James Wiggins

To that end, Democrats Abroad will enlist 100 of its members form various countries to send 100 Tweets requesting Ron Klain on March ??, 2021 to form this Presidential Advisory Commission.

RESOLUTION ON POLARIZATION OF THE ELECTORATE

Proposed by Mary Lou Ridinger (DA Guatemala)

WHEREAS Democrats Abroad is concerned about the polarization of the electorate in the United States of America as evidenced by the 2020 presidential election and believes that steps should be taken to bring about better communication among voters; and

Whereas we advocate that better communication among voters will strengthen our democracy; and           

Whereas recent studies show that 38% of Americans do not prefer democracy as their form of government, an effort should be made at the community level to encourage the teaching of civics to promote better communication among voters; and

Whereas democracy should be promoted from the bottom up and not from the top down, the teaching of civics should come with an economic incentive offered at the community level to encourage participation; and

Whereas the United States of America was founded during the Age of Enlightenment and the founders believed that though science, the people could be led to value reason; and

Whereas the logic of polarization is an endless loop of belief that to appeal to a more polarized public, political institutions and political actors behave in more polarized ways and as political institutions and political actors become more polarized, they further polarize the public, setting off a feedback cycle[10] and

Whereas fifty percent of Trump voters are hindered by reality distortion syndrome and don't believe in science and are receiving most of their news and forming their political opinions through either religious leaders or conspiracy theories promoted by social media or through organizations promoting racial hatred, they would benefit from the teaching with an economic incentive that would offer future employment in local infrastructure projects.

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED that Democrats Abroad supports any effort by the Biden Administration through the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Labor to establish a joint task force to promote and teach civics through community job training programs.

[1] Prensa Libre, Guatemala, 22 de octubre de 2020, Biden ve “criminal” la separación de familias migrantes y Trump la defiende

[2] Pew Research Center, November 1, 2019, What’s Happening at the US-Mexico
Border in Five Charts

[3] Prensa Libre, Guatemala, 30 de diciembre de 2020, Llega último vuelo de deportados del 2020

[4] Prensa Libre, Guatemala, 26 de diciembre de 2020, Lucha contra pobreza retrocedió 13 años

[5] Prensa Libre, Guatemala, 28 de diciembre de 2020, Q650 milliones require país para reconstrucción

[6] Prensa Libre, Guatemala, 24 de diciembre de 2020, Más de 133 mil pasarán navidad en albergues

[7] New York Times International Weekly, Calamidad podría causar mígración (Prensa Libre , 13 de diciembre de 2020)

[8] Sergio Morales, “Crece detención de menores y familias en la frontera sur,” Prensa Libre, Guatemala, 16 de marzo de 2021, https://www.prensalibre.com/guatemala/migrantes/repunta-migracion-hacia-ee-uu-de-menores-no-acompanados-y-familias-guatemaltecas/

[9]  Dan Restrepo, Central Americans Are Fleeing Bad Governments, Foreign Affairs, March 5, 2021

[10] Klein, Ezra, 2020, “Why We’re Polarized,” Simon and Schuster, p. xix