Marking 60 Years Since 'La Revolución de Abril,' Rep. Adriano Espaillat to Reintroduce Historic Legislation Named in Spanish

NEW YORK, NY - Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) will reintroduce his bill later this month urging the creation of a commission to study interventions and occupations of the United States and develop proposals for the repair and reconciliation to the people of the Dominican Republic and other Latin American and Caribbean countries as these misguided interventions led to generations of turmoil and civil conflict.

During the 20th century, the U.S. conducted a series of military interventions and operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, contributing to great harms in numerous countries, including coups, regime collapses, civil wars, and mass casualties. In the decades since these historical occupations occurred, the U.S. has gained a clearer picture of how these misguided military operations have negatively impacted the collective psyche of Caribbean and Latin American countries and spurred anti-U.S. sentiment amongst our neighbors. Studies also show these military operations have resulted in generational trauma and mass migration into the U.S. Fortunately, this new bill provides the U.S. with an important opportunity to formally apologize for these missteps in the region.

The Commission on the United States Occupations in the Americas Act will establish a Commission responsible for studying and identifying the lasting effects of the United States' 20th century military occupations in Latin America and the Caribbean. The Commission would also provide recommendations on whether a formal U.S. apology to each previously occupied nation is warranted, in addition to considering any potential remedies for wrongs and injuries caused by the U.S. during the following occupations:

1. First Occupation of Nicaragua (1909 - 1925)
2. First Occupation of Mexico (1914)
3. Second Occupation of Mexico (1916 - 1917)
4. First Occupation of the Dominican Republic (1916 - 1924)
5. Second Occupation of Nicaragua (1927- 1933)
6. Guatemala Air Occupation (1954)
7. Second Occupation of the Dominican Republic (1965- 1966)
8. Grenada Occupation (1983)
9. Panama Occupation (1989)
10. Any other unlawful occupations in the region identified by the Commission.

Only by directly confronting the United States' difficult history in this region, and apologizing for our missteps, can our nation work towards repairing our relationship with the many Latin American and Caribbean nations we have harmed and pursue future policy solutions that uplift our region and make up for our historical wrongdoings.

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Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his fifth term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government's vital activities and serves as Ranking Member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of the committee during the 119th Congress. He is Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), and serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.

Media inquiries: Candace Person at Candace.Person@mail.house.gov