Salazar Introduces the Americas Act

Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) has introduced the Americas Act during a press conference held alongside New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D) on Capitol Hill. Both lawmakers expressed their intention to expand commerce and investment with allies in the Western Hemisphere while also countering the influence of the Chinese Communist Party in Latin America and the Caribbean.

In a previous press conference held alongside New York Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D), Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R), and Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet (D), the lawmakers shared that the bill would create a permanent partnership of Western Hemisphere countries to facilitate increased trade, job creation, and development while promoting prosperity and stability in our region. Moreover, the Act seeks to unite democracies in the Western Hemisphere through trade and shared commitment to free enterprise.

In an exclusive interview with The Floridian, Rep. Salazar was asked how the United States would approach countries like Colombia and Brazil where communist sentiment is on the rise. Rep. Salazar responded that those countries would receive incentives to “follow the rule of law and to follow Democracy, and to respect Democratic institutions.” If they don’t abide by that, she shared that “if they don’t want to join the Americas Act, they’re expelled.”

“The rules are very clear," said Salazar.

“My dream is for every single Latin American country to join Mexico. You know what that means? That is the big prize when it comes to international trade, to be able to have the United States market for you with no tariffs,” she explained.

When questioned about the possibility of Venezuela joining the Americas Act under the Maduro regime, Rep. Salazar clarified that what "Venezuela needs to do is to open up the democratic game and allow for free and fair elections with international observers and allow for María Corina Machado to run as a presidential contender. That's the very beginning."

The Americas Act is an initiative to strengthen the U.S.’s alliance with democratic allies in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America by supporting businesses in the region. As well, it seeks to grow the American economy, get businesses out of China, address concerns related to the cartels and criminal groups, improve regional economic security, and reduce the influx of migration.