Natalie Gonnella
While most of Washington has turned a blind eye to the oppressive policies of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, over the past week several Florida Republicans have made a point to (again) voice their concerns of his regime.
From the recognition of hunger strikes in support of Venezuelan political prisoners, to continued outcry over Chavez's cozy relationship with Iran, Florida officials have boldly called on their peers (and the President) to pay attention:
In support of students challenging the regime's imprisonment of political dissidents, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ileana Ros-Lehtinen issued the following statement this week:
It is deeply disturbing that once again the iron grip of the Caracas tyranny has driven the people of Venezuela to take such severe measures to be heard. Some of these students have reportedly deprived themselves of food for weeks now in peaceful protest against the actions of the Hugo Chavez dictatorship. The commitment of the people of Venezuela to speak out and stand up against Chavez’s relentless attack on fundamental freedoms symbolizes their irrepressible desire to determine their own future. We must not let their courageous efforts in pursuit of a better tomorrow go unrecognized.
During his speech at CPAC, Representative Connie Mack devoted a large portion of his remarks to draw attention to the tyranny of Chavez's presidency:
My own assignment will be to focus on a clear and present danger rising in our own hemisphere. A danger that expands its strength and reach every day. A danger that this administration, like previous administrations, has not fully understood. I am talking about Hugo Chavez and his campaign to destroy freedom and democracy throughout Latin America. For too long American administrations have thought of Chavez as the Clown King of Caracas. A bouncing buffoon, gesturing Evita-like from a balcony, entertaining throngs so he could rob them. But there’s nothing funny about him. Oppression, aggression, terrorism, and drugs: these are the tools of a ‘thugocrat.’ These are the weapons of Hugo Chavez. With them, Hugo Chavez is making himself the Osama bin Laden and the Ahmadinejad of the Western Hemisphere. Like bin Laden, for reasons known only to him, he has declared the United States to be his mortal enemy. Like Ahmadinejad, he has at his disposal the rights, privileges, and resources of a state. A very, very wealthy state. And so, years ago, Chavez launched a silent war on America and all that America stands for. The world of freedom. The world of democracy. The world of enterprise. The world of law. He is against that world. We are for it. We must act to preserve, protect, and defend it.
Later in the week, while chairing a hearing focused on US policy in Latin America ("Does the U.S. have a Policy toward Latin America? Assessing the Impact to U.S. Interests and Allies"), Mack added that:
Current U.S. policies are weakening Honduran governance and democracy, negatively impacting the Central American region, and harming U.S. interests. Regarding Venezuela: Hugo Chavez is in violation of U.S. sanctions on Iran, actively supporting terrorist organizations, working directly counter to democracy and freedom in Venezuela and the region, and aggressively opposing U.S. interests. We need to stand with the Venezuelan people who are fighting daily for their freedom and make it clear to Chavez, that like other dictators around the world, that he does not get a free ride. One place to start is the Keystone XL pipeline. Exports of Venezuelan heavy crude to the U.S. are Chavez’s main source of income. Without them, he may have to learn to be more responsive to the needs of Venezuelans. The State Department must approve the Presidential Permit for the pipeline as soon as possible to cut our reliance on Venezuelan oil.
Senator Marco Rubio made subtle reference to the ongoing struggles in countries like Venezuela and Cuba in his comments on Egypt:
This is an opportunity for the Egyptian people to chart a new, more hopeful and democratic future. Today’s events should hearten those struggling for greater freedom and respect for human rights in our own Hemisphere
With a renewed focus on human rights and democracy amid the current unrest in the Middle East, US policymakers must not forget about oppressors like Hugo Chavez. As former Bush Administration official Mike Magan said in a blog post this week:
The West must be mindful of what Iran is doing in Latin America...[and of] undemocratic leaders in South America - leaders who are more interested in posturing against the United States and embracing failed social policies of the past to the detriment of their own people.
Hopefully the rest of Congress will take notice.
Comments