Mack Blasts Chavez and Castro Brothers and Calls for Greater Freedom of the Press in Latin America

From his perch on the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, the ranking Republican on the committee, continued to blast Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez and the Castro brothers today.

As a congressman in the United States, it is hard for me to imagine living without the freedom to speak freely and express my individual beliefs and those of my constituents, said Mack. Freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy. The establishment of a free press, one that provides oversight of government activity by disseminating information to citizens, is essential to a functioning democratic society."

Mack attacked the Venezuelan government for the prosecution of Dr. Guillermo Zuloaga, the president of Globovision, a television news station that the Chavez regime accuses of spreading misinformation .

Last Friday, the president of Globovision, a well-known opposition television station, was issued an arrest warrant for trumped-up charges generated after a 2009 raid of his residence, said Mack. The government of Venezuela does not stop arresting individuals who express contrary opinions; rather, it works tirelessly to eliminate these opinions entirely."

Venezuela was not the only country that Mack focused his criticism on. Less than 90 miles off the coast of my home state of Florida, the people of Cuba lack these basic rights and continue to suffer under the iron-fisted regime of the Castro brothers, said Mack. As we speak, Alan Gross, a U.S. citizen, is being held without charges at a high-security Cuban prison where he has been for over six months. His only crime: providing Internet access to the Jewish community living on the isolated island."

Mack expressed hope that new technologies would help lead to greater freedoms in Latin America.

I would also like to discuss the role of new media in the effort to ensure continued access to free media sources, said Mack. When I hear of the courageous bloggers in Cuba who, against all odds, continue to tell their story to the outside world, I am confident that technological innovation has the power to stifle government efforts to intimidate and shut out opposition."