WASHINGTON, D.C. – In case you missed it, Senator Rick Scott wrote an op-ed for the Miami Herald and el Nuevo Herald on why the United States must stand up for freedom, democracy and human rights throughout Latin America to protect America’s families, national security and economic stability.

In the op-ed, Senator Rick Scott wrote, “During the State of Union address, President Trump recognized the president of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, and later received him at the White House as a head of state. It was a significant moment in today’s hyper-partisan Washington to see near universal, bipartisan support for Guaidó.

It also underscored the commitment to a future Latin America not plagued by despots like Nicolas Maduro, Raul Castro or Daniel Ortega. For those of us who advocate the importance of Latin America to U.S. national-security interests, it renews our hope that the region may finally be prioritized in our foreign-policy agenda.

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The crises we face across Latin America may seem like isolated, parochial conflicts in a faraway place, but the reality is that these crises reach our shores eventually. They always do. Each time there is political, social or economic instability, a natural disaster or rising dictatorship in the region, the movement of immigrants from any given crisis puts a strain on our immigration system and resources. There also are the devastating impacts on affected families.

It’s a geopolitical reality that requires, from a simple cost-benefit analysis, a greater commitment to the stability of the region.

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We must be clear-eyed about the threats and understand their origin as well as their effect on the flow of migrants to our border, of drugs into our country and the rising influence of anti-American actors in the hemisphere. The degree to which our foreign policy truly reflects a commitment to freedom, democracy and human rights in the region will have a direct impact on our stability at home.”

Read the full op-ed in the Miami Herald HERE.

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