http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/fl-venezuela-oped1005-20121006,0,4073510.story

Venezuelans have chance at democracy, human rights

By Ileana Ros-Lehtinen

Since 1998, Hugo Chavez has ruled over Venezuela with an authoritarian style similar to that of his Cuban counterparts. He has implemented radical political and legislative changes that have been accompanied by an increase in the deterioration of democratic institutions and of basic human rights for the Venezuelan people.

Therefore, the upcoming presidential election on Sunday is arguably the most pivotal in recent memory for Venezuela, as opposition candidate, Henrique Capriles, is rising in the polls against the corrupt Chavez political machine. The lead-up to this election will be closely monitored and examined to determine if they are fair and transparent and the voices of the Venezuelan people is heard.

In 2010, the Venezuelan people came out to vote in record breaking numbers and I anticipate the same will occur again as the people are no longer frightened by Chavez or his cronies. The opposition has been able to build from the momentum of the 2010 parliamentary elections and remain unified behind one candidate.

Chavez might be able to control the media outlets, influence the National Electoral Council, and corrupt the electoral system for political gain, but he cannot control the overwhelming power of the Venezuelan people who seek fundamental human rights and a true democracy.

Over the last decade, we have seen a steady tightening on freedom and basic human rights by the Chavez regime and a harsh crackdown on political opposition. Freedom of speech does not exist, as radio and television stations are harassed, threatened, and even temporarily shut down because of their criticism of the Chavez establishment.

This year's U.S. State Department's Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 2011 stated, with respect to Venezuela, that "the principal human rights abuses reported during the year included government actions to impede freedom of expression and criminalize dissent."

Non-governmental organizations and the independent media have reported cases of unlawful killings, torture, and the unjust incarceration of political dissidents by the Chavez regime. In July, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reached a decision that the Chavez regime had violated the human rights of Mr. Raul Diaz Peña, during Mr. Diaz Peña's incarceration in a Venezuelan gulag.

As we get closer to Election Day, Chavez continues to encourage these unlawful actions by calling for civil unrest if he loses the elections and urging escalating violence in the streets.

Chavez-backed groups continue wreaking havoc and bloodshed at opposition rallies to instill fear and intimidate Venezuelans against voting in the upcoming election. Chavez's Defense Minister General Henry Rangel, who was added to the U.S. Treasury Department drug trafficking sanctions list in 2008, stated that the military was "wedded to socialist political project," inferring that the military and Chavez sympathizers would not support a democratic change in Venezuela.

Furthermore, a recently released report detailed plans by Chavez to surround the presidential palace with military personnel should he lose the election, and the concern of voter fraud continues to hover over Election Day. These aggressive actions by Chavez and his proxies are intended to keep control over the country no matter what the results of the elections are.

Over the last 14 years, the Chavez regime has not acted in the best interest of the Venezuelan people and has undermined U.S. foreign policy objectives abroad. This election will play a crucial role in the future of the distressed country and I urge all Venezuelans to vote on Election Day.

The United States and democratic nations must continue to stand with the Venezuelan people in their struggle to elect their next leader in a democratic and transparent manner. Any acts of violence, political unrest, or intimidation must not be tolerated and any promotion of these illicit activities should be condemned by the U.S. State Department, OAS, and other international institutions. Responsible nations are closely following the developments in Venezuela to ensure that the democratic process is respected and protected.

Stop helping the UN help Iran

No more bankrolling UN corruption, abuses and other outrages that aid Iran and other rogue regimes. Instead of the UN allowing Iran and its cronies to wield power in numerous UN bodies, which they use to protect themselves and advance their dangerous agendas, the U.S. and other responsible nations should use our strongest leverage —our funding — to stop the madness.

By Ileana Ros-Lehtinen | Sep.26, 2012 | 10:53 PM

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/stop-helping-the-un-help-iran-1.466855

The Iranian regime told the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) last week that Iran will not suspend uranium enrichment and other activities that could be used for a nuclear weapons capability. Another Iranian official admitted that Tehran has repeatedly lied about its nuclear activities to the IAEA.  And a recent IAEA report shows that Iran continues to obstruct investigations into its nuclear program, while doubling the number of centrifuges enriching uranium that can be used for nuclear weapons.

Despite these dangerous Iranian activities, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was welcomed at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday to spew out another anti-America, anti-Israel, anti-Semitic tirade.  Already, during a UN High Level meeting on Rule of Law that Tehran was invited to, Ahmadinejad called for Israel’s elimination.

But that’s only one way the UN benefits Iran. Iran’s allies, China and Russia, use their perches on the UN Security Council to delay, water down, and prevent pressure on the Iranian regime.  The UN also allows Iran and its cronies to wield power in numerous UN bodies, which they use to protect themselves and advance their dangerous agendas.  

The list of Iran’s roles in the UN is long. Despite the fact that it stones women to death for “adultery,” Iran is on the board of the UN Commission on the Status of Women. Iran was most recently named to serve on a committee to negotiate a UN arms trade treaty, and has served as Vice Chair of the UN’s Disarmament Commission, despite its pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and missiles.

But it gets worse: Iran actually benefits materially from its involvement in UN bodies. A 2009 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that the IAEA has provided tens of millions of dollars in technical assistance to Iran and other rogue regimes. The IAEA, which on the one hand is supposed to document Iran’s illicit nuclear activities, is using the other hand to provide aid that can advance Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

The GAO found that the IAEA “does not attempt to exclude countries on the basis of their status as U.S.-designated state sponsors of terrorism or other political considerations” and that “there are no good countries and there are no bad countries” when it comes to the IAEA’s provision of technical cooperation. In short, as the IAEA noted, “given the limited information available on [technical cooperation] projects and the dual-use nature of some nuclear technologies and expertise, we do not believe [the State Department] can assert with complete confidence that [such] assistance has not advanced [weapons of mass destruction] programs in U.S.-designated state sponsors of terrorism.”

Contributions to the IAEA should not be used to support assistance to countries that support extremists and are in breach of non-proliferation treaties and resolutions. Legislation I have introduced seeks to stop this absurdity.

But UN complicity in aiding and abetting pariah states such as Iran doesn’t stop there.  Most recently, it was revealed that the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization provided computers and other sensitive technology to Iran and North Korea. This UN entity - entrusted with protecting intellectual property rights (IPR) - shared U.S. equipment and technology without authorization to regimes where respect for IPR is non-existent.

The fundamental problem with the UN is that those who are calling the shots don’t have to pay the bills. Most UN member nations pay next to nothing yet are empowered by the UN bureaucracy to further their nefarious agendas. So long as the U.S. and other responsible nations keep sending their assessed contributions to the UN, no questions asked, there is zero incentive for reform.   

By contrast, switching to an all-voluntary funding structure would prevent contributions to the UN from supporting initiatives that undermine peace and security and run counter to core democratic values.  
UN entities funded primarily by voluntary contributions usually conduct more responsible and effective operations.

As Catherine Bertini, a former UN Under-Secretary-General for Management, and director of the UN's World Food Program (WFP), said, “Voluntary funding creates an entirely different atmosphere at WFP than at the UN.  At WFP, every staff member knows that we have to be as efficient, accountable, transparent, and results-oriented as possible.  If we are not, donor governments can take their funding elsewhere.”

No more bankrolling UN corruption, abuses, and other outrages that aid Iran and other rogue regimes.  It is long-past time for the U.S. and other responsible nations to use our strongest leverage—our funding—to stop the madness.  

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R) is the U.S. Representative for Florida's 18th congressional district and has been Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee since 2011. 

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs will hold a hearing Wednesday, September 12 titled “Beijing as an Emerging Power in the South China Sea.”  China’s aggressive policies, increased naval activity, and ongoing territorial disputes in the South China Sea are not only affecting the region but having foreign policy implications worldwide.  The Committee will examine current U.S. policy concerning the South China Sea as well as China’s actions to expand and project its influence throughout the Pacific. 

The Committee will also markup H.R. 6313, to promote peaceful and collaborative resolution of maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea and its environs and other maritime areas adjacent to the East Asian mainland.

Where:                           

2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Witnesses:

Ms. Bonnie Glaser

Senior Fellow

Freeman Chair in China Studies

Center for Strategic and International Studies 

Mr. Peter Brookes

Senior Fellow

National Security Affairs

The Heritage Foundation

(Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs) 

Richard Cronin, Ph.D.

Director

Southeast Asia Program

Stimson Center

I. EXPECTED COMMITTEE ACTIVITY ON THE FLOOR

• H.R. 1410 – Vietnam Human Rights Act of 2011

• H.R. 1464 – North Korean Refugee Adoption Act of 2011

• H.Res. 177 – Expressing support for internal rebuilding, resettlement, and reconciliation within Sri Lanka that are necessary to ensure a lasting peace

• H.Res. 484 –  Calling on the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to respect basic human rights and cease abusing vague national security provisions such as articles 79 and 88 of the Vietnamese penal code which are often the pretext to arrest and detain citizens who peacefully advocate for religious and political freedom

• S. Con. Res. 17 - Expressing the sense of Congress that Taiwan should be accorded observer status in the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

II. COMMITTEE HEARING and MARKUP SCHEDULE

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

FULL Committee Hearing & Markup: “Beijing as an Emerging Power in the South China Sea”

10:00 a.m. in Room 2172 RHOB, U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Chairman  

Witnesses:

• Ms. Bonnie Glaser, Senior Fellow, Freeman Chair in China Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies
• Mr. Peter Brookes, Senior Fellow, National Security Affairs, The Heritage Foundation (Former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Affairs)
• Richard Cronin, Ph.D., Director, Southeast Asia Program, Stimson Center

Mark-up of:

• H.R. 6313 - To promote peaceful and collaborative resolution of maritime territorial disputes in the South China Sea and its environs and other maritime areas adjacent to the East Asian mainland.

Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations & Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights Joint Hearing: “Organ Harvesting of Religious and Political Dissidents by the Chinese Communist Party”

2:00 p.m. in Room 2172 RHOB, U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, Chairman, U.S. Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Chairman

Witnesses:

Panel I

• The Honorable Michael Posner (Invited), Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, U.S. Department of State

Panel II

• Damon Noto, M.D., Spokesman, Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting
• Gabriel Danovitch, M.D., Professor of Medicine, UCLA Medical School
• Charles Lee, M.D., Spokesman and Public Relations Director, Global Service Center for Quitting the Chinese Communist Party

Thursday, September 13, 2012

 Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Hearing: “Combating the Haqqani Terrorist Network”

2:00 p.m. in Room 2172 RHOB, U.S. Rep. Edward R. Royce, Chairman

Panel I

• The Honorable Daniel Benjamin (Invited), Ambassador-at-Large, Coordinator for Counterterrorism, Bureau of Counterterrorism, U.S. Department of State

Panel II

• Ms. Lisa Curtis, Senior Research Fellow, Asian Studies Center, The Heritage Foundation
• Mr. Jeffrey Dressler, Senior Research Analyst, Institute for the Study of War

Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Hearing: “Conditions at Camp Liberty: U.S. and Iraqi Failures”

3:00 p.m. in Room 2255 RHOB, U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, Chairman

Witnesses:

Panel I

•  The Honorable Daniel Fried (Invited), Special Advisor on Ashraf, U.S. Department of State

Panel II

• The Honorable Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Jr., Chairman, The Stimson Center

Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights Hearing: “Assessing U.S. Policy on Peacekeeping Operations in Africa”

3:00 p.m. in Room 2200 RHOB, U.S. Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Chairman

Witnesses:

• The Honorable Johnnie Carson, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State
• The Honorable Esther Brimmer, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, U.S. Department of State  

Hearings held in Room 2172 of the Rayburn H.O.B. are available via live video through the Committee’s website at: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/

WASHINGTON- Today Congressman Connie Mack (FL-14), Chairman of the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, introduced bipartisan legislation with Ranking Member Eliot Engel (NY-17) condemning the conditions of democracy and human rights in Ecuador and expressing concern over Ecuador’s business and security practices. The Mack/Engel legislation, H.Res. 745, represents Congress’ resistance to renew the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA).

“For years, and without consequences, Rafael Correa has used his elected position to trample on human rights and trample on democracy in Ecuador," Mack said. "Today, we set the record straight and remind tyrants like Rafael Correa that actions have consequences. We cannot afford to sit idly by while power-hungry thugocrats dismantle their country’s democratic institutions, attack the press, and violate basic human rights.”

“Preferences from the United States, including trade benefits, should not be utilized to bolster anti-democratic leaders. I hope that Congress recognizes the truth about Rafael Correa and declines the renewal of the U.S. trade preference program until democratic standards of freedom and security are restored in Ecuador.”

Initial participants of the Andean Trade Promotion Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA) included Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador.  In 2008, Bolivia was suspended from the program due to its failure to meet eligibility criteria, and since that time, Peru and Colombia have been dropped from the list of beneficiaries following approval of FreeTrade Agreements with the United States. Congress must make a decision to renew trade benefits for Ecuador before the program expires on July 31st, 2013.
Original cosponsors include: Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), David Rivera (R-FL), Dan Burton (R-IN), Gregg Harper (R-MS), Jean Schmidt (R-OH)

I. EXPECTED COMMITTEE ACTIVITY ON THE FLOOR

• H.R. 1905 - House Amendment to Senate Amendment to Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012

II. COMMITTEE HEARING and MARKUP SCHEDULE

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

 Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights Hearing: “Seeking Freedom for American Trapped in Bolivian Prison”

2:30 p.m. in Room 2172 RHOB, U.S. Rep. Christopher H. Smith, Chairman                                                                 

Witnesses:

• Mr. Yimy Montaño Villgomez, Attorney for Jacob Ostreicher
• Mr. Jerjes Justiniano Atalá, Attorney for Jacob Ostreicher
• Ms. Miriam Unga,  Wife of Jacob Ostreicher
• Ms. Chaya Gitty Weinberger, Daughter of Jacob Ostreicher
• Mr. Steve Moore, Special Agent (Retired), Federal Bureau of Investigations

Thursday, August 2, 2012

 Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade Hearing: “The State Department's Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications: Mission, Operations and Impact”

2:00 p.m. in Room 2172 RHOB, U.S. Rep. Edward R. Royce, Chairman                                                                 

Witnesses:

•  The Honorable Alberto Fernandez, Coordinator, Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications, U.S. Department of State

Hearings held in Room 2172 of the Rayburn H.O.B. are available via live video through the Committee’s website at: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/

#####

House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) today issued her Gold Medal Award for ‘Most Ludicrous Statement Taken Seriously by the Press’ to Raul Castro, for his recent comments claiming that he would like to sit down for talks with the U.S. in order to improve relations between the U.S. and Cuba.
 
“Raul Castro, who learned the arts of deception and manipulation from one of the greatest of all time – his brother Fidel – took a big chance this week trying to get people to believe his outlandish claim that he wants to improve relations with the United States.  In a gold medal performance, he was actually able to get the press to take him seriously,” Ros-Lehtinen said.
 
“We all know that the Castro regime has zero intention of ever allowing free elections, permitting opposition political parties, ceasing its abuse of dissidents, or abandoning its espionage campaign against the United States or its partnerships with U.S. enemies like Iran,” she added.  “But for getting the press to go along with his ludicrous claim, Raul gets the gold.”

Washington, Jul 26 - The Olympics kick-off tomorrow in London. A lot of attention has been focused on the opening ceremonies – will the IOC allow a minute of silence to recognize the 11 Israeli victims of terrorism on the 40th anniversary of the Munich Games? I’ll always remember Jim McKay’s agonizing "they are all gone" announcement… Everyone thinks a minute of silence is more than appropriate – but it likely won’t happen, as the IOC has consistently resisted, fearing an Arab boycott.

But there is another "boycott" that has caught my attention. Word comes that Iran’s judo champion is sick. Really sick. Too sick to travel to the Olympic Games. Turns out that the Iranian would likely have had to face an Israeli in his quest to medal.

Maybe he really did come down with a "critical digestive system infection" – sounds serious. But in 2004 and 2008, Iranian Olympic athletes had injuries that forced them to withdraw (they would have likely faced Israelis). And last year, the Iranian judo champion admitting to throwing matches: "If I won, I would have had to compete with an Israeli athlete." In other words, he was afraid of losing to an Israeli. This "athlete," of course, is just a cog in corrupt regime. The Iranian sports minister said "not competing with Zionist athletes is one of the values and sources of pride of the Iranian people and its athletes."

It is often written that countries are personified by their sports teams. A few weeks ago, the European financial crisis played out on a soccer field when indebted Greece played taskmaster Germany. The German bankers won. Here, the judo case is revealing for what it says about the leaders in Tehran: cowards.