On March 10, the Senate passed, by unanimous consent, a resolution (S. Res. 178) expressing the sympathy of the Senate to the families of women and girls murdered in Guatemala, and encouraging the United States to work with Guatemala to bring an end to these crimes. The House passed a similar resolution on May 1 (see The Source, 5/4/07).
Sponsored by Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), the resolution contains a number of findings, including:
The resolution expresses Congress’ “sincerest condolences and deepest sympathy to the families of women and girls murdered in Guatemala and recognizes their courageous struggle in seeking justice for the victims; expresses the solidarity of the people of the United States with the people of Guatemala in the face of these tragic and senseless acts; and…urges the government of Guatemala to recognize domestic violence and sexual harassment as criminal acts and to provide the resources and commitment necessary to adequately enforce justice for crimes against women.”