Congresswoman Salazar Blasts State Department on President Biden's Latin American Policy

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This week, Representative María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) questioned Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Brian Nichols, during a House Foreign Affairs Committee. Rep. Salazar rebuked Nichols and the State Department for their failure to hold dictators and communist regimes accountable throughout the hemisphere.

During her remarks, Rep. Salazar also condemned the Administration for failing to make Latin America a priority and pressed the State Department on their policy towards four countries in particular: Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia.

You can watch the full clip of Rep. Salazar's remarks here or read the full transcript below:

OPENING:

"I believe that Latin America is not a priority for this administration.

Unfortunately, the empirical evidence shows that, as a result, we are losing our influence in this hemisphere.

China and Russia are pillaging Latin America while we are asleep.

Let me talk to you about three different countries I’m interested in.

ON CUBA:

Cuba. For four months, I have been asking the Biden Administration and the State Department for one thing:

Internet connectivity to the island.

Your Deputy promised to brief me personally on the progress the State Department has been making on bringing connectivity to Cuba.

And that meeting has not happened.

So my question to you, sir…

Have you done your due diligence with the companies that can provide the technology to Cuba? There are two companies that we can talk to.

Have you done your due diligence?

There is no willingness to bring connectivity to the island of Cuba. Are you aware of that, sir?

ON MEXICO:

On Thursday, President AMLO is going to be welcomed to Washington.

And I'm sure you remember that Lopez-Obrador received Diaz-Canel as king.

Not even Castro was received like that in Mexican soil.

There is a report from your State Department that says Mexico is profiting from the human trafficking and forced labor of Cuban doctors on Mexican soil.

That violates the USMCA, the free-trade agreement between Mexico and the United States.

Are you going to ask the Biden Administration to ask AMLO about these two atrocities?

ON COLOMBIA:

President Biden's top advisor, Juan Gonzalez, said that Mr. Biden 'no tiene idea quien es Gustavo Petro.'

He has no idea who Gustavo Petro is.

I'm going to tell you who he is.

He's a thief, he's a socialist, he's a Marxist, he's a terrorist, and he's leading the polls of Colombia.

Do you share my opinion of Petro? What does the State Department think of Petro?

You want the best for the Colombian people, you don't want a Marxist in power, do you? Someone who is undermining the Colombian democracy?

ON VENEZUELA:

The Biden Administration has eliminated the role of the special envoy.

It has not nominated a single political appointee for Venezuela, and has not met with Juan Guido.

Is the Biden Administration or the State Department planning on throwing the legitimate President of Venezuela under the bus?

Are you planning to recognize the Maduro regime?"

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