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Major Issues
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Latin America and the
Caribbean
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Other Foreign Policy Efforts
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Latin America and the
Caribbean
Latin America is a region of breathtaking
beauty, rich biological diversity, and an extraordinarily diverse
and talented population. Yet tens of millions of Latin Americans
live in miserable conditions on less than $3 per day. Many become
illegal immigrants in the U.S. Others struggle daily with
unemployment, discrimination, crime and injustice.
The U.S. and Latin America have many shared
interests that range from trade and tourism to human rights and the
environment. But despite sharing deep cultural and ethnic ties, for
the past two decades the United States has paid little attention to
Latin America. I have long believed that our country should do far
more to strengthen relations with our neighbors in the Western
Hemisphere. |
The U.S.-Colombian
relationship is complex, and there is much we can do to help
Colombia. But Colombia needs to do much more to uphold human
rights and the rule of law. I
wrote the legislation which imposes human rights conditions
on U.S. aid to the Colombian military, as well as conditions
on the aerial fumigation of coca. I have also worked to
increase funding for alternative development assistance to
Colombia, which helps poor farmers move out of coca
cultivation and into other types of agricultural production.
I have also worked to protect assistance to the 2
million Colombians who have been
displaced from their homes as a result of the conflict.
And I have
sponsored an amendment each year to
provide funds to help protect Colombia's tropical forests
and indigenous communities.
I have long believed that our nation's
policy toward Cuba is outdated and my trip to Cuba in 1999
further strengthened these beliefs. The way to encourage
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Sen. Leahy has traveled to many places around the
world, speaking with political leaders and
dignitaries, and learning about the culture of the
people who have hosted him, such as these people
living in South America. |
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democratic reforms and respect for
human rights in Cuba is not through isolation, but through
the overdue normalization of our relationship. One would
think that after 45 years, with Castro still in power, the
United States would try another approach toward Cuba. Our
policies and sanctions are no longer warranted and only hurt
the Cuban people. Despite opposition from the current
Administration, I will continue to look for ways to finally
bring the people of our two countries together.
Beyond these countries, in recent
years I have supported legislation to prevent further cuts
in U.S. assistance to Central America. I wrote legislation
to create the Amazon Basin Conservation Initiative, which
will provide funds to support rainforest conservation
efforts in the key countries of the Amazon. I wrote
legislation to provide forensic assistance to organizations
that work to exhume and identify the remains of people who
were killed during the conflicts in Argentina, Peru and
Guatemala. I wrote legislation to support investigations and
prosecutions of organized crime and corruption in Central
America. I also wrote the amendments to condition aid to the
Guatemalan and Bolivian militaries on improvements in human
rights. |
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