It is not every day that a US Congressional delegation travels to Latin America to learn and hear what is happening with the new progressive governments in the region. Five congressmembers: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Joaquín Castro (D-TX), Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), Greg Casar (D-TX), and Maxwell Frost (D-FL) -- all of Latino origins and speaking Spanish--, they toured Colombia, Brazil and Chile.
“US foreign policy has too often contributed to instability in Latin America; when what we should do is protect democracy, instead of supporting coups d'état. And we should create peace and prosperity throughout the Western Hemisphere, rather than repeating the Cold War,” said Congressman Greg Casar. “Now is the time to talk about our history, to fight the climate crisis together and to invest in lasting peace. This is why
I join this delegation that will travel to Brazil, Colombia, and Chile to meet, listen and learn from our counterparts and chart a new path forward.”
On our radio program,
Mesa de Barrio, we spoke with Alexander Main, Director of International Policy at the Center for Economics and Policy Research (CEPR), a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC that facilitated and organized the trip of the Congressmembers.