Special Central American Assistance Act of 1979

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Special Central American Assistance Act of 1979
Great Seal of the United States
Long titleAn Act to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to authorize assistance in support of peaceful and democratic processes of development in Central America.
NicknamesSpecial Central American and Caribbean Assistance Act of 1979
Enacted bythe 96th United States Congress
EffectiveMay 31, 1980
Citations
Public law96-257
Statutes at Large94 Stat. 422
Codification
Acts amendedForeign Assistance Act of 1961
Titles amended22 U.S.C.: Foreign Relations and Intercourse
U.S.C. sections amended
Legislative history

Special Central American Assistance Act of 1979 was a United States federal statute established by the 96th United States Congress amending the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.[1] The Caribbean Basin statute appropriated conditions for cultivating civility, democratization, human rights, and non-interventionism in Central America.[2] The Act of Congress endorsed the Organization of American States embodied by Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The international organization would serve to exemplify multilateralism in pursuance of denouncing left-wing terrorism, political violence, and third world socialism.

During the final months of 1979, the Carter Administration issued affirmative statements to the 96th United States Congress endorsing the proposed Central American assistance legislation providing additional foreign and monetary aid for the affliction of civil disorder in the Americas region.[3][4][5] The H.R. 6081 bill was enacted into law by the 39th President of the United States Jimmy Carter on May 31, 1980.[6][7]

Declaration of the Act[edit]

The United States statute's articulation was a consistent Act bolstering the Carter Administration's foreign policy with a prominent emphasis regarding international human rights law during the New Cold War.[8]

The 96th congressional session penned the United States public law 96-257 as three sections citing the amendment and purpose of the Act with section five hundred and thirty-six conveyed as eleven subsections entitled Central American Economic Support.

Special Central American Assistance Act of 1979 - 94 Stat. 422 § I
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 Amendment - 94 Stat. 422 § II
Central American Economic Support - 94 Stat. 422-424 § DXXXVI
(b) Appropriation authorization
(c) Human rights violations
◇ Human rights in Costa Rica
◇ Human rights in El Salvador
◇ Human rights in Guatemala
◇ Human rights in Honduras
◇ Human rights in Nicaragua
◇ Panama Truth Commission
(d) Presidential encouragement of human rights
(e) Nicaragua acknowledgment or adherence of internationally recognized Universal Declaration of Human Rights
(f) Report to congressional committees
(g) Certification of nonterrorism; Transmittal to the Speaker of the House and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations
(h) U.S. support of Organization of American States members against terrorism
(i) Funds available for National Agrarian University of Nicaragua and National Autonomous University of Nicaragua
(j) Loan funds for private sector use and local currency loan programs
(k) Assistance conditions and termination
◇ Free and open elections
◇ Loan funds and United States goods or services purchase
◇ United States President reports to Congress

Human Rights Practices and United States International Relations[edit]

Further information: Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen and Habeas corpus

The Foreign Assistance Act of 1974 described the terms of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights as defined;

The International Security Assistance and Arms Exports Control Act of 1976 acknowledge the international obligations of human rights as endorsed by Title III - General Limitations of the Act passed by the 94th United States Congress. The section amended the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 declaring United States human rights objectives as defined;

Foreign policy of the United States is to foster increased observance of internationally recognized human rights by all countries
Security assistance nullified for any country where the government engages in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights
Coordinator for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs establish within United States Department of State
Continuous observation and review of human rights and humanitarian affairs with an inclusion concerning coordination of United States foreign policy
Prohibition against discrimination
Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms without distinction of language, race, religion, or sex
Prohibition of assistance to countries granting sanctuary to international terrorists
Assistance terminated to any government granting sanctuary from prosecution whereas an act has been committed regarding a gross violation of internationally recognized human rights or international terrorism

The International Development and Food Assistance Act of 1977 mandated annual reports better known as Country Reports on Human Rights Practices.[9][10] The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor published the human rights reports providing insight concerning global humanitarian affairs for countries receiving United States economic security and national security support as authorized by the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.[11]

Associated United States Federal Statutes[edit]

United States public laws relative to the Special Central American Assistance Act of 1979 subsequently under the auspices of the International Security and Development Cooperation Act. The United States statutes were endorsed to encourage harmonious international relations with Latin America.

Date of Enactment Public Law Number Statute Citation Legislative Bill U.S. Presidential Administration
August 14, 1979 P.L. 96-53 93 Stat. 359 H.R. 3324 Jimmy Carter
December 16, 1980 P.L. 96-533 94 Stat. 3131 H.R. 6942 Jimmy Carter
December 29, 1981 P.L. 97-113 95 Stat. 1519 S. 1196 Ronald Reagan
August 10, 1982 P.L. 97-233 96 Stat. 260 H.J.Res. 494 Ronald Reagan
July 15, 1983 P.L. 98-53 97 Stat. 287 H.R. 1271 Ronald Reagan
August 8, 1985 P.L. 99-83 99 Stat. 190 S. 960 Ronald Reagan

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "John F. Kennedy ~ Executive Order 10973 - Administration of Foreign Assistance and Related Functions". The American Presidency Project ~ John Woolley and Gerhard Peters. University of California - Santa Barbara. November 3, 1961.
  2. ^ "Central America, 1977-1980" [Milestones: 1977-1980]. Office of the Historian - Foreign Service Institute. United States Department of State.
  3. ^ Brzezinski, Zbigniew (October 10, 1979). "Memorandum From the President's Assistant for National Security Affairs (Brzezinski) to Secretary of State Vance, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (McIntyre), and the Director of the International Development Cooperation Agency (Ehrlich)" [Foreign Relations of the United States 1977–1980; Volume XV; Central America, 1977-1980]. Office of the Historian - Foreign Service Institute. Washington, D.C.: United States Department of State.
  4. ^ Carter, Jimmy (November 9, 1979). "United States Assistance to Central America and the Caribbean Message to the Congress Transmitting Proposed Legislation". The American Presidency Project ~ John Woolley and Gerhard Peters. University of California, Santa Barbara.
  5. ^ Carter, Jimmy E. (November 9, 1979). "Jimmy Carter - United States Assistance to Central America and the Caribbean ~ Message to the Congress Transmitting Proposed Legislation, November 9, 1979". Internet Archive. U.S. National Archives & Records Administration. pp. 2103–2104.
  6. ^ Carter, Jimmy (May 31, 1980). "Special Central American Assistance Act of 1979 Statement on Signing H.R. 6081 into Law". The American Presidency Project ~ John Woolley and Gerhard Peters. University of California, Santa Barbara.
  7. ^ Carter, Jimmy E. (May 31, 1980). "Jimmy Carter - Special Central American Assistance Act of 1979, May 31, 1980". Internet Archive. U.S. National Archives & Records Administration. p. 1017.
  8. ^ "Carter and Human Rights, 1977–1981" [Milestones: 1977–1980]. Office of the Historian - Foreign Service Institute. United States Department of State.
  9. ^ "H.R. 6714 ~ International Development and Food Assistance Act of 1977". P.L. 95-88 ~ 91 Stat. 533. Congress.gov. April 28, 1977.
  10. ^ "International Development and Food Assistance Act of 1977 ~ P.L. 95-88" (PDF). 91 Stat. 533 ~ House Bill 6714. United States Government Publishing Office. August 3, 1977.
  11. ^ "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices Publication History". The Online Books Page. University of Pennsylvania.

Further reading[edit]

External links[edit]

Historical video archive[edit]

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