Committee News

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Share/Bookmark

Ros-Lehtinen to Deliver Latin America Policy Address at Inter-American Press Association Executive Meeting

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, on Friday will deliver an address on U.S. policy in Latin America during a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Inter-American Press Association (IAPA). Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“Under the distinguished leadership of Alejandro Aguirre, the IAPA continues to be an indispensable defender of freedom of expression and freedom of the press in the Americas.

“The elimination of independent media and silencing of all critics is sadly becoming par for the course throughout many of the ALBA countries, particularly in Venezuela where Chavez is desperate to keep hidden the devastation caused by his anti-democratic policies.

“The situation is no better in Nicaragua where Daniel Ortega is following in Chavez’s footsteps to wipe out any semblance of freedom of the press.

“And in Cuba, where the last vestiges of a free and independent media were eradicated decades ago, anyone who dares to speak up against the tyrants is callously thrown into the regime’s dungeons.

“Colombia’s commitment to all tenets of democracy, however, stands in stark contrast to the region’s tyrants. Through its ongoing triumphs against internal threats, Colombia is creating a more secure, more democratic society in which press freedom may flourish.

“By protecting democracy, promoting prosperity, and confronting the perils of drug trafficking and organized crime in the region, the United States and our democratic allies like Colombia represent hope for all those in Latin America clamoring for freedom.”

#####