Albio Sires: “I would like to thank Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and all the staff for their support in promoting democratic…”

“I would like to thank Chairman Royce, Ranking Member Engel, and all the staff for their support in promoting democratic values around the world and in their efforts to bring this resolution to the floor. I also want to thank my good friend Ileana Ros-Lehtinen for serving as the Republican lead on this legislation. I also want to recognize the leadership of my colleague, Chairman Jeff Duncan, on this issue. Freedom of expression is the key to a thriving democracy. It is the number one tool to hold people and governments accountable for their actions. In recent years, many organizations dedicated to freedom of speech and advancing civil societies have been trying to bring attention to the deterioration of press freedom in parts of the Western Hemisphere, specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean. Cuba has consistently been characterized as having one of the most repressive media environments in the world, with the Castro brothers controlling all aspects of the print and electronic media. Venezuela and Ecuador have harassed and fined the media, shut down press operations, and even physically attacked journalists who were trying to expose the state-sponsored crackdown against peaceful political dissenters. In other countries, such as Mexico and Honduras, an increase in drug- related violence and worsening security situations have created a culture of impunity, allowing violence against journalists and the press to go unpunished.…”