Hearing of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee - Oversight of the State Department and Agency for International Development Funding Priorities for the Western Hemisphere

Hearing

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, made the following statement at a Western Hemisphere Subcommittee hearing entitled, "Oversight of the State Department and Agency for International Development Funding Priorities for the Western Hemisphere." Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

"As we scrutinize the FY16 budget proposal for the Western Hemisphere, we must fully analyze how we are advancing U.S. interests in the region. While the administration may condemn human rights violations, attacks on the press, and biased judicial systems, it still continues to placate to rogue regimes in the Hemisphere who face zero consequences.

In Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega is running for a third term after pushing through constitutional changes to allow consecutive re-elections in violation of the Nicaraguan Constitution. Ortega is using the facade of the canal project to be able to fund money to his own pockets and possibly expropriate lands along the canal. In December, the Nicaraguan people who live along the canal protested the project and were met with repression and violence at the hands of the Ortega regime.

Ecuador's Rafael Correa and Bolivia's Evo Morales are already in their third terms after manipulating the legislatures and rewriting the constitution and election laws in their countries for their own political agenda. At the same time, Correa and Morales have kicked out USAID in their countries, causing USAID to be timid in closed societies throughout the Hemisphere and hurting its mission. Argentina's Cristina Kirchner is currently being investigated for her possible involvement in covering up Iran's role in the 1994 AMIA bombing even as more questions arise surrounding the murder of Alberto Nisman. And in Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro has run the economy almost completely into the ground while quashing dissent and violating the human rights of the Venezuelan people on a daily basis. Although Maduro and his thugs have finally been sanctioned by the administration, it only occurred because this committee and Congress strongly pushed for those punitive actions to be taken.

The common theme in all of these countries -- other than the greed and corruption and thirst for power -- is the manner in which these leaders have stayed in control and suppressed civil society. It is a playbook learned from Cuba -- the same Cuba with which the President has reversed decades of US policy and given away almost all of our leverage in return for nothing. Dictators in the region have learned from and studied the methods of the Castro brothers. They've learned how to control the media and silence the opposition and they've learned how to impose their will by instilling fear in people. They've learned that elections -- even corrupt and illegitimate elections -- are often enough to appease the international community and for critics to look the other way, knowing that once they're in power they can just change the rules of the game without consequences.

They know that the Organization of American States, despite its Inter-American Democratic Charter, will do nothing to hold them accountable. And they know that the Obama administration will continue trying to appease and engage, hoping that if they keep playing nice then maybe these tyrants will stop taking advantage of them. People in Latin America are crying out for the United States to finally stand up and say loudly and clearly that we know that leaders are manipulating the democratic process and are repressing fundamental human rights. And they want us to do everything in our power to hold those leaders accountable.

As we examine the budget, I am concerned that it does not reflect those priorities. Democracy and governance programs in Latin America are always on the chopping block when funds are needed at State and USAID -- and this is unacceptable. In Central America, I question whether or not our embassies and host countries are prepared to handle such a large increase of funding from one fiscal year to another. In Cuba, I am concerned that the $20 million dollars requested by the administration will be undermined by the misguided normalization talks and the implementation of these democracy programs may be in jeopardy due to the demands from Havana. In Venezuela, which is desperately and increasing in need of assistance, I am concerned that the administration has not requested more resources to help civil society. In Haiti, with elections around the corner, I do not understand why we cut INCLE funds in half when so much assistance is needed for the Haitian National Police as we gear up for the upcoming elections.

We must ensure that we are funding priorities and addressing the root causes of problems throughout the Hemisphere on the governance and security fronts. Drug trafficking is a key piece of terrorist financing and we must have reliable partners who with we can work to disrupt narco-terror networks and transnational criminal groups. The administration must work harder to hold bad actors responsible, whether that is through increased pressure at international organizations, through bilateral relations, or additional sanctions and blocking of assets. And we should be stepping up our democracy and governance programs in response to regional challenges -- rather than withdrawing when the going gets tough."

Source