Peter Deutsch: “I had the honor and distinction of being able to travel to Nicaragua as an observer for the elections, and it was an…”

“I had the honor and distinction of being able to travel to Nicaragua as an observer for the elections, and it was an experience that will have an impact on me for the rest of my life, to see the level of commitment, in terms of democratic process, in a country which was just described as a poor country in economics but not in spirit or in hope. In our country, our turnout for elections is arguably only about 30 percent, if we include unregistered voters. Nicaragua's turnout in the election was anywhere between 85 and 90 percent of eligible voters--85 to 90 percent. And in part of the country people literally had to walk a day to vote. Over 50 percent of the country really does not have electricity, does not have a road system, by any comparison to anything in the United States, where people literally had to walk a day to vote, a day in one direction or several, 8, 10, 12, 14 hours in one direction, 14 hours in another direction. And they did it. As has been described, Mr. Speaker, we are living in really a golden age of democracy in the Western Hemisphere, an age that seemed unprecedented or impossible a decade or two ago. Nicaragua is a shining example of that success.”