LATINO
NEWS BITES
RUBIO COMMENDS PANAMA’S
RESPONSE TO VENEZUELA
CRISIS DURING VISIT WITH
FOREIGN MINISTER
A NEW STUDY BY THE
PEW RESEARCH CENTER
SHOWS NEARLY ONE IN FIVE
FLORIDIANS
19.5 PERCENT –– IS FOREIGN BORN.
U.S. Senator Marco Rubio
(R-FL) met with Foreign
Minister of Panama Francisco
Álvarez de Soto on Tuesday
evening to discuss the ongoing
political crisis in Venezuela, its
negative consequences for the
hemisphere, and Panama’s
efforts to ensure that inclusive
organizations, such as the
Organization of American
States, continue to be the
hemisphere’s main forum to
address issues of regional
interest.
Rubio and Álvarez de Soto
discussed their shared
concern over the violence
plaguing Venezuela, as well
as the need for Panama to
continue on a democratic path
where government institutions
operate without political
interference.
“I commend the Panamanian
government for courageously
standing with the people
of Venezuela, for the InterAmerican Democratic
Charter, and against
the brutal repression of
peaceful demonstrators in
Venezuela,” Rubio said.
“For over two months, tens
of thousands of Venezuelans
have risked their lives to
demand a more democratic
and hopeful future for their
country. President Maduro has
met their legitimate demands
with bullets, torture and unjust
incarcerations.
“Venezuela has become an
authoritarian military regime
right before our eyes, but
shamefully, most countries
in the region have chosen to
either look the other way or to
gloss over the brutality inflicted
by the Maduro regime on the
Venezuelan people,” Rubio
added. “The United States’
support is important, and
I am proud that Panama
has taken a strong interest
and leadership role to find a
legitimately inclusive solution
to the political crisis affecting
Venezuela.”
The study released
by Pew’s Hispanic
Trends Project used the
Census Bureau’s 2012
American Community
Survey as the basis for
its findings.
Pew found that about
3.8 million of Florida’s
19.3 million residents
were born outside of
the country.
Only California, New
York and New Jersey
recorded a higher
percentage of foreign
born residents.
That is a 41 percent
increase from 2000
when 2.7 million
Floridians were found
to be foreign born.
The most common
birthplace among
the foreign born
population is the
Caribbean followed
by South America, the
study found.