Message to the Senate Transmitting the United States-Colombia Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance

To the Senate of the United States:

With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance between the United States of America and the Republic of Colombia, together with a related exchange of notes, signed at Washington on August 20, 1980.

I transmit also, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the treaty.

The treaty is one of a series of modern mutual assistance treaties being negotiated by the United States. The treaty is self-executing and utilizes existing statutory authority.

The new treaty provides for a broad range of cooperation in criminal matters. Mutual assistance available under the treaty includes: (1) executing requests relating to criminal matters; (2) taking of testimony or statements of persons; (3) effecting the production, preservation, and authentication of documents, records, or articles of evidence; (4) returning to the requesting Party any objects, articles, or other property or assets belonging to it or obtained by an accused through offenses; (5) serving judicial documents, writs, summonses, records of judicial verdicts, and court judgments or decisions; (6) effecting the appearance of a witness or expert before a court of the requesting Party; (7) locating persons; and (8) providing judicial records, evidence, and information.

I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to the treaty and give its advice and consent to ratification.

RONALD REAGAN

The White House,

June 11, 1981.