Salazar Confronts Biden Administration Officials on Latin American Socialist Antisemitism
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairwoman María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) questioned the Biden Administration on Israel about the open antisemitism displayed by leaders of several Latin American countries. Sadly, the Cuban regime recently met with Hamas, Colombian President Petro made antisemitic remarks, Honduras and Chile recalled their ambassadors to Israel, and Bolivia broke relations with Israel.
As the Biden Administration continues to pander to left-wing governments across Latin America, we are now seeing the consequences of fraternizing with those who display open hostility and antipathy toward Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Meanwhile, Hamas has opened relations with the same Cuban regime the Biden government is trying to appease.
“President Biden’s State Department is totally unaware of and unwilling to respond to the rampant antisemitism several leaders of important Latin American countries have spewed over the last month,” said Chairwoman Salazar. “How can we appropriately defend our ally abroad if we don’t fight for them right in our backyard?”
In a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing titled “Friend and Ally: U.S. Support for Israel After Hamas’ Barbaric Attack,” Chairwoman Salazar used the opportunity to confront the Biden Administration about the actions of certain governments in Latin America, including recent decisions by several countries to slander and threaten diplomatic relations with the state of Israel.
Salazar began her questioning by confronting Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Near East Affairs Barbara Leaf on the Cuban regime’s eagerness to meet with anti-Israel terrorist groups in the Middle East, including Hamas and Hezbollah. The Assistant Secretary was totally unaware of the meeting between Cuban officials and Hamas and had no response to Chairwoman Salazar’s concern over conversations to remove Cuba from the State Sponsors of Terrorism List.
Chairwoman Salazar emphatically reminded the Administration that Cuba is actively working against our national security interests by sponsoring terror abroad. Her landmark legislation, the FORCE Act, would keep Cuba on the list of State Sponsors of Terrorism until freedom and democracy are re-established on the island.
Salazar also questioned Assistant Secretary Leaf on Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s open antisemitism on social media and the international stage. Unfortunately, this was also a development that Leaf was completely unaware of.
Aside from recalling the Colombian Ambassador to Israel, President Petro has openly compared the Israelis to the Nazis while accusing them of planning a “second Holocaust” against the Palestinians. Petro’s antisemitism did not begin on October 7, 2023. He retweeted a comment referring to someone as a ‘disgusting Jew’ in 2014.
Other Latin American countries who followed suit to recall their ambassadors from Israel include Honduras and Chile. Bolivia went as far as suspending relations with Israel entirely.
Salazar ended her questioning by openly calling for the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs to reevaluate their relationship with these countries, with Colombia topping the list.
As a representative for South Florida in the House of Representatives, Salazar is a leading member on U.S.-Israel policy and is concerned about the growing antisemitism in the United States and abroad.
To watch Chairwoman Salazar’s remarks, click HERE.
For more details about the hearing, click HERE.
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