Mack to attend Summit of the Americas
WASHINGTON Congressman Connie Mack (FL-14), the Ranking Republican on the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere in the U.S. House of Representatives, will attend the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago this weekend as part of a congressional delegation to discuss issues affecting the Western Hemisphere, including energy, security, democracy and prosperity.
“I look forward to having open and productive discussions with various heads of state and other leaders about the pressing issues facing our hemisphere and the United States’ relationship with other Western Hemisphere countries at the summit,” Mack said in a prepared statement.
“The summit comes at a particularly important time,” he continued. “The United States and, indeed, all countries in our hemisphere, must continue to find ways to strengthen our economies and to promote freedom and free markets. The United States needs to do more to promote free trade with our allies in Latin America, including Panama and Colombia. Enacting free trade agreements with these countries will help to boost the freedom, security and prosperity of the entire region and level the playing field for American businesses.”
Mack went on to say, “While at the summit, I also hope all of the participants will have an open and honest dialogue about freedom and human rights in the Western Hemisphere. In particular, it is imperative to discuss protecting minorities, such as the Jewish community in Venezuela, who are now being targeted by their governments. Additionally, some leaders, like Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Bolivian President Evo Morales, continue to destroy individual freedoms and silence opposition at an alarming rate, and I would hope the Summit will also address these critical issues.
“Finally, I hope we address the issue of how to combat the growing drug trafficking problem in the hemisphere and how to eliminate the destructive influence of terrorist organizations like the FARC in Latin America. I’m honored to be a part of the Summit this weekend and hope we can move forward on some of these vital issues.”