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English/Español: Rubio, Scott, and Colleagues Urge Biden Admin to Invite Venezuelan Interim President Guaidó to Summit of the Americas
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling on him to invite Juan Guaidó, the democratically-elected President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, to attend the Summit of the Americas, which the United States will host in Los Angeles the week of June 6-10, 2022.
In the letter, the lawmakers also called on President Biden to prohibit representatives from the illegitimate regimes of Miguel Díaz-Canel in Cuba, Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua from attending the Summit. Additionally, the lawmakers urged President Biden to support the passage of the bicameral, bipartisan Banning Operations and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian Regime (BOLIVAR) Act, which would prohibit federal agencies from doing business with anyone that supports the oppressive Maduro regime. The letter comes amid disturbing reports that the Biden Administration is continuing to follow a dangerous policy of appeasement and will meet with members of the Cuban regime this week.
U.S. Representatives Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Carlos Giménez (R-FL), and Mike Waltz (R-FL) also signed the letter.
The full text of the letter is below.
Dear President Biden:
As you announced earlier this year, the United States will host the ninth Summit of the Americas in Los Angeles, California during the week of June 6-10, 2022. This will be the first Summit of the Americas hosted in the United States since the very first Summit in 1994, which was held in Miami, Florida.
Unfortunately, in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, we are seeing our enemies like Communist China, Russia and Iran stepping in and propping up totalitarian leaders in their effort to destabilize the region. America needs to be a leading voice for freedom, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and good governance in our hemisphere. Having spent years representing Floridians and the millions of Hispanic-Americans who call the Sunshine State home, we fully understand the importance of this Summit in achieving that goal.
That’s why, today, we write to urge that you invite Juan Guaidó, the democratically-elected President of the National Assembly of Venezuela, to attend the Summit. President Guaidó is the legitimate, democratically elected leader of Venezuela and he represents the interests of freedom-loving Venezuelans who are fed up with Nicolás Maduro’s tyranny, oppression and genocide. President Guaidó and representatives of his government deserve a seat at the Summit, while dictator Maduro certainly does not.
It is critically important that we do not allow the Summit to legitimize the tyrants in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The United States must prohibit representatives from the illegitimate regimes of Miguel Díaz-Canel in Cuba, Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela and Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua from attending the Summit. These men are dictators who are starving their own people, jailing political dissidents and cracking down on peaceful protests. Welcoming these evil and illegitimate leaders, or the representatives of their sham governments, to the United States would be nothing short of gross appeasement that hurts the movements for freedom and democracy in these nations.
We have been very outspoken about the threats posed to the United States and our fellow democratic nations by totalitarian and corrupt enemies, like Maduro, Ortega and the illegitimate communist regime in Cuba – and the horrific human rights abuses occurring at their direction. These regimes have failed to uphold the basic principles of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, and have forfeited a position at the Summit.
During the Summit, we urge you to highlight the fights of democracy activists like José Daniel Ferrer, who has been unjustly imprisoned and tortured by thugs in Cuba for almost nine months, while artists, musicians and even children were imprisoned following the July 11 protests. Further, we believe that the United States should use the Summit to highlight how adversaries, like Russia, Communist China and Iran, support and collaborate with these gross regimes to destabilize the region, promote socialism and bolster Marxist-terrorist groups like FARC.
Finally, ahead of the Summit, we urge you to support the passage of the Banning Operations and Leases with the Illegitimate Venezuelan Authoritarian Regime (BOLIVAR) Act, which would prohibit federal agencies from doing business with anyone that supports the oppressive Maduro regime. Under no circumstances should we lift sanctions on Maduro or his thugs, and there is no world in which it makes sense to purchase Venezuelan oil. The BOLIVAR Act, led by Senator Scott and Congressman Waltz, is a bicameral, bipartisan bill that was unanimously approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee in March 2021. This good bill deserves your full support, and signing it into law ahead of the Summit would send a strong message of American leadership.
We must be clear and unapologetic in standing up to the thugs who are oppressing the people of Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba. Within all applicable rules and regulations, we encourage you to use this unique opportunity to strongly show America’s unwavering support for freedom and democracy across the Western Hemisphere.
Sincerely,
RUBIO, SCOTT Y COLEGAS INSTAN AL PRESIDENTE BIDEN A INVITAR AL PRESIDENTE INTERINO DE VENEZUELA GUAIDÓ A LA CUMBRE DE LAS AMÉRICAS
Washington, D.C. — Los senadores estadounidenses Marco Rubio (R-FL) y Rick Scott (R-FL) enviaron una carta al presidente Joe Biden instándolo a invitar a Juan Guaidó, el presidente elegido democráticamente por la Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela, a asistir a la Cumbre de las Américas, organizada por los Estados Unidos, que se llevará a cabo en Los Ángeles la semana del 6 al 10 de junio del 2022.
En la carta, los congresistas también hicieron un llamado al Presidente Biden para que prohíba la asistencia a la Cumbre a representantes de los regímenes ilegítimos de Miguel Díaz-Canel en Cuba, Nicolás Maduro en Venezuela y Daniel Ortega en Nicaragua. También instaron al Presidente Biden a apoyar la aprobación de la ley bicameral y bipartidista de Prohibición de Operaciones y Arrendamientos con el Régimen Autoritario Ilegítimo de Venezuela (BOLÍVAR, por sus siglas en inglés), que prohibiría a las agencias federales hacer negocios con cualquier persona que apoye al régimen opresivo de Maduro. La carta surge en medio de informes inquietantes que la administración Biden continúa con sus peligrosas políticas de apaciguamiento y se reunirá con miembros del régimen cubano esta semana.
Los representantes Mario Díaz-Balart (R-FL), María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Carlos Giménez (R-FL) y Mike Waltz (R-FL) también firmaron la carta.
El texto de la carta completa en español está abajo.
Estimado Presidente Biden:
Como anunció a principios de este año, Estados Unidos será el anfitrión de la Novena Cumbre de las Américas en Los Ángeles, California, durante la semana del 6 al 10 de Junio de 2022. Esta será la primera Cumbre de las Américas organizada por los Estados Unidos desde la Cumbre en 1994, que se llevó a cabo en Miami, Florida.
Desafortunadamente, en Cuba, Venezuela y Nicaragua, estamos viendo a nuestros enemigos como la China comunista, Rusia e Irán interviniendo y apoyando a líderes totalitarios en su esfuerzo por desestabilizar la región. Estados Unidos debe ser una voz líder en defensa de la libertad, la democracia, el estado de derecho, los derechos humanos y el buen gobierno en nuestro hemisferio. Habiendo pasado años representando a los floridanos y a los millones de hispanoamericanos que llaman hogar al Estado del Sol, entendemos completamente la importancia de esta Cumbre para lograr ese objetivo.
Por eso, hoy le escribimos para exhortarle invitar a Juan Guaidó, el Presidente democráticamente electo por la Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela, a asistir a la Cumbre. El Presidente Guaidó es el líder legítimo de Venezuela y representa los intereses de los venezolanos amantes de la libertad que están hartos de la tiranía, la opresión y el genocidio de Nicolás Maduro. Solo el Presidente Guaidó y representantes de su gobierno merecen un asiento en la Cumbre.
Es de vital importancia que no permitamos que la Cumbre legitime a los tiranos en Cuba, Venezuela y Nicaragua. Estados Unidos debe prohibir que representantes de los regímenes ilegítimos de Miguel Díaz-Canel en Cuba, Nicolás Maduro en Venezuela y Daniel Ortega en Nicaragua asistan a la Cumbre. Estos hombres son dictadores que matan de hambre a su propio pueblo, encarcelan a los disidentes políticos y reprimen las protestas pacíficas. Dar la bienvenida a estos líderes malvados e ilegítimos, o a los representantes de sus falsos gobiernos, sería para los Estados Unidos nada menos que un gran apaciguamiento que perjudica a los movimientos por la libertad y la democracia en estas naciones.
Hemos sido increíblemente francos sobre las amenazas que los enemigos totalitarios y corruptos, como Maduro, Ortega y el régimen comunista ilegítimo de Cuba, representan para los Estados Unidos y nuestras naciones democráticas amigas, y los horribles abusos contra los derechos humanos que ocurren bajo su dirección.
Durante la Cumbre, los instamos a resaltar las luchas de los activistas por la democracia como José Daniel Ferrer, quien ha sido injustamente encarcelado y torturado por los matones de Díaz-Canel en Cuba durante casi nueve meses. Además, Estados Unidos debería usar la Cumbre para resaltar cómo los adversarios, como Rusia, la China comunista e Irán, apoyan y colaboran con estos regímenes burdos para desestabilizar el régimen, promover el socialismo y reforzar grupos terroristas como las FARC.
Finalmente, antes de la Cumbre, le instamos a apoyar la aprobación de la Ley de Prohibición de Operaciones y Arrendamientos con el Régimen Autoritario Ilegítimo de Venezuela (BOLÍVAR), que prohibiría a las agencias federales hacer negocios con cualquier persona que apoye al régimen opresivo de Maduro. Bajo ninguna circunstancia debemos levantar las sanciones a Maduro o sus matones, y no existe un mundo en el que tenga sentido comprar petróleo venezolano. La Ley BOLIVAR, liderada por el Senador Scott y el Congresista Waltz, es un proyecto de ley bicameral y bipartidista que fue aprobado por unanimidad por el Comité de Asuntos Gubernamentales y Seguridad Nacional del Senado en Marzo de 2021. Este buen proyecto de ley merece su pleno apoyo, y promulgarlo antes de la Cumbre enviaría un fuerte mensaje de apoyo y liderazgo estadounidense.
Debemos ser claros e inequívocos al enfrentarnos a los matones que están oprimiendo a los pueblos de Venezuela, Nicaragua y Cuba. Esperamos que aproveche esta oportunidad única para mostrar con firmeza el apoyo inquebrantable de Estados Unidos a la libertad y la democracia en todo el hemisferio occidental.
Sinceramente,