Ros-Lehtinen Comments on Ahmadinejad's First "Tour of Tyrants' Stop

Statement

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement on Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's visit to Venezuela, the first stop on his Latin American "tour of tyrants,' which will also take him to Nicaragua, Cuba, and Ecuador:

"In the ceremony welcoming him to Venezuela, Ahmadinejad joined Hugo Chavez in spewing anti-American rhetoric and used his visit to showcase the Iranian-Venezuelan economic alliance and energy cooperation, which undermine U.S. national security interests. The scene left no doubt that rallying dictators against the United States is the central agenda item of Ahmadinejad's trip to the region.

"Tomorrow, Chavez and Ahmadinejad will make their way to Nicaragua, the next stop of Ahmadinejad's tour, to attend the farcical inaugural ceremony of fellow pariah Daniel Ortega. Their appearance will be a celebration of Ortega's work to tear down democracy in Nicaragua at the expense of the Nicaraguan people.

"The growing alliances between Iran and anti-American dictatorships in the Western Hemisphere pose a serious threat to democracy and stability in the region. The recent revelation that the Consul General at Venezuela's Miami office was engaged in illicit activities with the Iranian regime shows that these ties are active and growing."

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