Hearing of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere of the House Committee of the Foreign Affairs - U.S. Policy Toward the Americas in 2010 and Beyond

Statement

Last April, at the Summit of the Americas, U.S. -- Latin American relations began
to change for the better. I was in Trinidad as President Obama pledged an "equal
partnership" and "engagement based on mutual respect, common interests and shared
values." In June, I saw a renewed U.S. commitment to multilateralism when I joined
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in San Pedro Sula, Honduras for the General Assembly
of the Organization of American States (OAS).
Secretary Clinton's trip to Latin America last week certainly is an excellent start
to the year. And, I hope that in 2010, the Obama Administration will build on the
momentum from its first year in office. I would like to briefly share some thoughts on the
direction that I think U.S. policy should take in a number of key areas:
First, we must work diligently to help Haiti move from crisis to recovery. The
Obama Administration has done an outstanding job in responding to the catastrophic
earthquake that hit Haiti on January 12. I saw the devastation and our relief efforts firsthand
when I visited the country on Friday. As we look ahead, we must reassure the
Haitian people that we will be there for the long term. The Donors' Conference on March
31 will be a key step in demonstrating the U.S. commitment to the Haitian people.
Our hearts also go out to the people of Chile who suffered a tragic earthquake on
February 27. We in Congress stand ready to help our Chilean friends as they move
towards reconstruction.
Second, in 2010, I hope we can take a fresh look at our counternarcotics policies
both here at home and throughout the region. Billions of U.S. taxpayer dollars have been
spent over the years in combating the drug trade. Unfortunately, the positive results are
few and far between. In December, the House of Representatives unanimously passed the
bipartisan Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Act of 2009 (H.R. 2134) that I
authored with Ranking Member Mack. This bill would provide a long-needed reassessment
of our counternarcotics efforts.
I am a strong supporter of our security initiatives in the hemisphere. But, I believe
we must have a more holistic approach to our counternarcotics strategy that can
withstand the so-called "balloon effect" that results from pressure in one region causing
the drug trade to move to another region.
When I first became Chairman of this Subcommittee, I traveled to Trinidad and
Tobago where Prime Minister Manning told me that his calls for just a small amount of
security assistance from the Bush Administration were repeatedly ignored. Fortunately,
this is no longer the case. I am pleased that the Obama Administration is offering security
assistance to the Caribbean through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). This
week, I am sending a letter to the Appropriations Committee, along with Ranking
Member Mack and several members of this Subcommittee, urging full funding of
President Obama's $79 million CBSI request.
Third, I am increasingly concerned about the closing of democratic space in the
Americas. Just two weeks ago, the OAS's independent Inter-American Commission on
Human Rights (IACHR) criticized Venezuela for its deteriorating human rights situation.
In the coming year, I would like to see the OAS Permanent Council be more vocal in
speaking out about the closing of democratic space in the region.
On a more positive note, Colombia's constitutional court recently voted to bar
Colombians from voting on a referendum to lift the ban on third presidential terms. This
decision by the court and President Alvaro Uribe's respect for the court's ruling is proof
of the country's strong institutions and adherence to the rule of law. It should serve as an
example to all of us.
Fourth, I am pleased to see steps by the U.S. and several countries in the
hemisphere to reach out to Honduran President Pepe Lobo. Resuming our foreign
assistance to Honduras and working closely with the Lobo administration is crucial. But,
the inter-American community must also ensure that steps are taken to implement key
pieces of the Tegucigalpa/San Jose accord. This includes the establishment of a robust
Truth Commission to investigate events from last year. Finally, we must continue to
closely monitor the increasingly worrisome human rights situation in Honduras. The
recent murders of three Hondurans who were active in their resistance to the coup or
related to activists must not go unnoticed.
Fifth, we must continue to keep an eye on Iran's expanded presence in the
Western Hemisphere. I was deeply disappointed when Brazilian President Lula da Silva
recently hosted Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Brasilia. And, I am
concerned by Brazil's lack of interest in new U.N. sanctions against Iran. Brazil is a
rapidly modernizing country which wants to gain a permanent seat on the U.N. Security
Council. But, its failure to take Iran's nuclear program seriously is impeding its rise as a
global leader.
Sixth, I would urge the Obama Administration to focus on El Salvador and
Paraguay. It may seem odd that I single out these two small countries, but they are key
partners who want to have strong relations with the United States.
I attended the inauguration of Salvadoran President Mauricio Funes in June. He is
the first president from the FMLN since the country signed its peace accords in 1992.
Funes, who was in Washington meeting with President Obama this week, faces
opposition in his country from both the far right and the far left.
In Paraguay, the second poorest country in South America, President Fernando
Lugo is the first president not elected from the Colorado party in 60 years.
Both presidents want to have close ties with us, and we must continue to nurture
these important relationships. In the case of Paraguay, last year, I introduced the U.S.
Paraguay Partnership Act (H.R. 1837) which would add the country to the Andean Trade
Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA).
Finally, on a more personal note, I am extremely concerned about the
imprisonment of USAID contractor Alan Gross in Cuba. I understand that Mr. Gross's
health has been on the decline while in detention, and he has lost over 50 pounds.
Clearly, his release needs to remain a top priority.
I hope today's hearing will help create a framework for the Obama
Administration to build on its successful first year in the Americas through a number of
key, concrete actions.
We all look forward to hearing the testimony of our excellent new Assistant
Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Arturo Valenzuela, as well as our
private witnesses.

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