Latin America
Related: About this forumRomney and Ryan Get Tough on Venezuela and Cuba
Romney and Ryan Get Tough on Venezuela and Cuba
Author: John Lake Published: Sep 23, 2012 at 4:58 pm
The Republican team of Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan has revealed a get tough policy against the Venezuelan and Cuban governments. On Tuesday, September 18, Romney criticized the Obama administration for the Democratic policy that Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez poses little threat to the United States. Romney then made a quick segue from Venezuela to Hezbollah, terrorism, and Iran. He called the Latin American socialist country a surrogate and proxy for Iran, adding that Venezuela, "Would...have access to weapons that could be used against us. On Wednesday, September 19, the Republican National Committee distributed a video of Obama and Chavez shaking hands in 2009 at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago for use in the anti-Obama campaign.
While it is true that Obama told a Miami talk show host in mid-September that Venezuela poses no serious threat to the national security of the United States, we keep in mind Obamas consistent approach to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, that we dont aid Chavez in portraying himself as a major player in anti-American posturing. Washington consistently avoids confrontational stances in dealing with Venezuela. Democrats agree that Caracas and Washington are not in conflict. Earlier disagreements have diminished, and we have an understanding as to the avoidance of meddling in one anothers elections.
Today,vice presidentiial candidate Rep. Paul Ryan spoke to an assembly of anti-Castro voters in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood. Ryan assailed President Obama for appeasement of the Cuban government. Prior to 2007, Ryan was known as a free trader. He opposed all sanctions against any nation, anywhere in the world, including Cuba. Since 2007, Ryan has made statements while in Congress mentioning the "brutal realities" of the Castros. He feels that trade with Cuba would be neither free nor fair. The Cuban people would not benefit, only the oppressive Cuban government would gain. In 2007, he opposed efforts to end funding for the Cuba democracy programs. He went on to withdraw his name from a bill which would have allowed unrestricted travel between the United States and Cuba,
Let me tell you this, in a Mitt Romney administration we will not keep practicing this policy of appeasement, we will be tough on this brutal dictator, all it has done is reward more despotism. We will help those pro-democracy groups; we will be tough on Castro, tough on Chavez.. And its because we know thats the right policy for our country.
More:
http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/romney-and-ryan-get-tough-on/
WCGreen
(45,558 posts)in it is this need to demonize small countries in the western hemisphere are dangers to America.
Seriously, why are we still treating Cuba like it is still a bastion of Marxists hell bent on over taking the world. Last I looked, their largest benefactor,Soviet Russia, has a totally different agenda that clearly doesn't include CUBA.
And by trying to isolate Venezuela, don't they realize this sets up a perfect opportunity for China.
What is the point.
newfie11
(8,159 posts)San Salvador and Chile had their own elected governments until WE decided the dreaded marxist philosophy was going to take over the whole of South America. Then ya know it might spread to America. Our CIA was only so kind to help brutally disrupt their the lives of innocents for political change,just as they did in Honduras. These countries were set back many years.
Venezuela and Cuba managed to keep out of our grasp and this is something America just can't get over.
It is no wonder Chavez and Castro are paranoid about America.
I am becoming very disillusioned in my country as I study history. We have not been good neighbors at all.