Washington, DC, August 17, 2005 – Today, Congressman José E. Serrano issued the following statement on Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld’s baseless assertion that Cuba and Venezuela have been involved in “unhelpful ways” in the recent turmoil in Bolivia.

“Secretary Rumsfeld is following the careless and dangerous line that this administration has always held on Cuba, though now they have added Venezuela to their equation” said Congressman Serrano. “For the past five decades we blamed Cuba every time impoverished people in Latin America were upset with their government and did something about it.  Now the formula is that Cuba and Venezuela are to blame.

“When will we realize that it is these people’s unmet needs at the root of their discontent, and not the agitation of other nations? The real causes of these uprisings are problems like hunger, lack of employment and inadequate educational opportunities. If this administration is serious about stemming discontent in Latin America and around the world, the solution is to respect our Latin American neighbors and to provide social and economic aid to the people. The administration’s ‘solution’ of blanket condemnations and skewed trade agreements will never work.

Congressman Serrano said: “The truth of the matter is that the Bush Administration is unhappy that the people of Venezuela democratically elected a president who does not pledge full allegiance to American interests. Therefore they cannot resist attacking President Hugo Chavez every chance they get and blaming him for every development in the region that they dislike. Again, it is time for these false statements and innuendos to stop.”

Cubadebate

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