I recognize your assistance and relationship, and I applaud your guts of conviction to speak the Visit this link fact to power even when it is hard. These countries that chose to avoid ballot or voted against the resolution at the OAS regarding the scenario in Venezuela, I desire you to understand that your choice only enhances oppression and tyranny in the Americas.
It is my.
hope that you will reconsider how your vote on these type of problems in the future. Ultimately, we all have an obligation to actively safeguard freedom in the Americas, but that can only require really difficult options. Mr. Sires. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for interacting on this hearing, and I desire to thank the witnesses for being here today. Thank you very much. The Caribbean is often referred to as America's 3rd border and I agree with this description. With almost 45 million people incorporating 16 independent countries and 14 overseas areas, the Caribbean is a diverse region that consists of a few of the hemisphere's richest.
and poorest nations. It is a region of fantastic economic and cultural, political and security ties to the United States. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is characterized by substantial economic linkages, considerable security cooperation, and continued U.S. Over the previous 3 years, the administration has put forth a new effort supporting energy diversification and clean, sustainable energy tasks to enhance the area's energy security and to help it move far from its dependence on oil from Venezuela. Venezuela, which has long subsidized energy expenses to lots of Latin American and Caribbean countries, need to turn inward to rescue itself from financial and political collapse. Amidst these unpleasant times we should work.
with our Caribbean partners to diversify energy sources, strengthen their economies, and build upon a shared security interest. On the legal front, last month your home authorized H (How to finance a private car sale).R. What does ear stand for in finance. This act is created to increase engagement with the Caribbean that needs the Secretary of State to send a multiyear plan to Congress for U.S. engagement with the Caribbean regions and upgrade on its U.S. diplomatic effort to engage the eastern Caribbean countries. As an international power, the United States deals with challenges and dangers from every corner of the world. Nevertheless, it is essential that we remain taken part in the Western Hemisphere and not lose sight of our interests so close to home. I eagerly anticipate speaking with our witnesses on how the U.S. efforts in the Caribbean can enhance and how America can continue to strengthen its partnership with our Caribbean next-door neighbors. Mr. Duncan. I will thank the ranking member, and I will just state I do not understand how lots of other members we are going to have today. We have adjourned for the August recess break and we wished to continue. Understanding that we were going to adjourn, we wanted to continue with this hearing because that is how crucial it is to the ranking member and myself, so do not think because no other members show up that it isn't an important problem to the committee and to the subcommittee. And I look forward to hearing from the witnesses who are effectively known to the.
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committee so their bios are available to us, and I will acknowledge Eric Farnsworth for 5 minutes. ERIC FARNSWORTH, VICE PRESIDENT, COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS AND AMERICAS SOCIETY Mr. Farnsworth. Well, Mr. Chairman, thank you very much for continuing with the hearing on such an important subject. Thank you for your leadership in general on these problems along with the Caribbean specifically, and Mr. Ranking Member, you also. It is truly important to have a bipartisan voice on these issues and we note that. We take fulfillment in that and thank you for that leadership, and we ask Learn more here that that would continue in some way offered the significance of the problems at hand. The United States does have tactical issues.
in the Caribbean Basin and we don't typically speak about it because way, but in my view they are tactical, from assistance for democratic organizations-- some of which are rather fragile; some of which are strong and enduring-- we have security interests including drug trafficking, counterterrorism, the fight versus monetary criminal activities, clearly migration and humanitarian concerns, energy, the environment, economic advancement; it is a really large range of issues to which the United States has interest. Mr. Sires. Thank you. Mr. Chairman. Mr. Duncan. The Chair will now go to Mr. Yoho from Florida. Mr. Yoho. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate you putting this together, and I desire to thank you for putting the pivot on our neighbors in the Caribbean. As you have stated which we have actually seen, and it is not simply this administration, it is most likely over the last 20 or 30 years where we have taken our eye off the ball in the Caribbean. When we have nation states that near us with like cultures, you know, we value the exact same things, our family values, things like that, that near us, and we take the eye off of that we begin losing our competitiveness and we have seen that.
And it is so essential down because location and we desire people, you understand, top is to be safe and secure because location. And with the disputes going on worldwide we don't want them to attack in that area and unfortunately, free cruise timeshare presentation we are beginning to see that. And I believe one of the greatest things is President Maduro, after Chavez, seeing what is going on in Venezuela. And we have actually seen in the past, when you have self-appointed totalitarians that concern power and when they fall there is a vacuum filled. We have seen that worldwide.