Nicaraguan Dictator Daniel Ortega’s recent announcement that the Central American nation will not hold future presidential elections has sparked pushback from Florida lawmakers across both sides of the aisle.
Reps. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-Fla.), and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) recently spoke with The Floridian to emphasize their condemnation of the anti-democratic effort by the Ortega-Murillo regime.
Castor Believes The Move "Will Enflame People"
Congresswoman Castor called the authoritarian tactic “very concerning,” urging that the Trump administration and lawmakers on both sides should “be on alert and calling it out.”
“All across the Western Hemisphere, things are quite dicey for the people. I worry about the people of Venezuela, I worry about the people of Cuba, and this now will enflame people across the Western Hemisphere even more,” the Tampa Democrat affirmed.
“I’d like to see us working with our allies to call this out and address it,” she added, comparing Ortega to Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Diaz-Balart Calls Ortega's Tactic "A Moment Of Transparency"
Rep. Diaz-Balart stated that the Nicaraguan leader’s announcement was “a moment of clarity and transparency,” arguing that “the election would’ve been a sham.”
“It just tells you how brazen he is and how dangerous he is. He obviously feels that he is above any reproach, above the law. On the other side, I think he’s made it very clear what we’ve known, and I think that’s something that I don’t believe this administration will take kindly to,” Congressman Diaz-Balart asserted.
Salazar Affirms Nicaraguan Intervention is Imminent
“He has made such a serious mistake because now more than ever we understand that he can not stay in power,” Congresswoman Elvira Salazar stated, arguing that the Western Hemisphere is in a new era, especially after the U.S.’s involvement in Venezuela.
“I have no doubt the Trump administration is going to clean up this Hemisphere from bad actors,” the Miami representative said, claiming that after Cuba, the U.S. will set on Nicaraguan intervention.
“What do you mean that you are not going to give free and fair elections? So that means that you officially are declaring yourself a dictator. This is not part of the 21st Century. That’s old-fashioned,” the Cuban-American Congresswoman affirmed.
