I acknowledge your support and relationship, and I commend your courage of conviction to speak the reality to power even when it is tough. These nations that chose to avoid voting or voted versus the resolution at the OAS concerning the circumstance in Venezuela, I want you to know that your decision only enhances oppression and tyranny in the Americas.
It is my.
hope that you will reassess how your vote on these type of concerns in the future. Eventually, we all have a responsibility to actively safeguard liberty in the Americas, however that can only require really tough choices. Mr. Sires. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for interacting on this hearing, and I want to thank the witnesses for being here today. Thank you very much. The Caribbean is frequently explained as America's third border and I concur with this description. With nearly 45 million people incorporating 16 independent countries and 14 overseas areas, the Caribbean is a varied region that includes some of the hemisphere's wealthiest.
and poorest nations. It is a region of terrific economic and cultural, political and security ties to the United States. The U.S.-Caribbean relationship is defined by substantial financial linkages, significant security cooperation, and continued U.S. Over the past 3 years, the administration has put forth a brand-new effort supporting energy diversification and tidy, sustainable energy tasks to improve the area's energy security and to help it move away from its dependence on oil from Venezuela. Venezuela, which has long subsidized energy expenses to many Latin American and Caribbean nations, should turn inward to save itself from economic and political collapse. In the middle of these uncomfortable times we must work.
with our Caribbean partners to diversify energy sources, enhance their economies, and build on a shared security interest. On the legislative front, last month the Home authorized wesley financial group reviews H (How to finance a second home).R. How to finance a second home. This act is designed to increase engagement with the Caribbean that needs the Secretary of State to send a multiyear strategy to Congress for U.S. engagement with the Caribbean areas and update on its U.S. diplomatic effort to engage the eastern Caribbean nations. As a worldwide power, the United States deals with obstacles and hazards from every corner of the world. However, it is vital that we stay engaged in the Western Hemisphere and not lose sight of our interests so close to house. I anticipate hearing from our witnesses on how the U.S. efforts in the Caribbean can improve and how America can continue to strengthen its partnership with our Caribbean next-door neighbors. Mr. Duncan. I will thank the ranking member, and I will just say I do not understand how many other members we are going to have today. We have actually adjourned for the August recess break and we desired to continue. Knowing that we were going to adjourn, we wanted to continue with this hearing because that is how essential it is to the ranking member and myself, so do not think due to the fact that no other members appear that it isn't an important problem to the committee and to the subcommittee. And I eagerly anticipate hearing from the witnesses who are very well known to the.
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committee so their bios are readily available to us, and I will recognize Eric Farnsworth for 5 minutes. ERIC FARNSWORTH, VICE PRESIDENT, COUNCIL OF THE AMERICAS AND AMERICAS SOCIETY Mr. Farnsworth. Well, Mr. Chairman, thank you quite for continuing with the hearing on such a vital topic. Thank you for your management overall on these problems along with the Caribbean particularly, and Mr. Ranking Member, you as well. It is actually crucial to have a bipartisan voice on these issues and we note that. We take fulfillment in that and thank you for that management, and we ask that that would continue in some way given the importance of the problems at hand. The United States does have tactical problems.
in the Caribbean Basin and we don't frequently speak about it in that way, however in my view they are tactical, from support for democratic organizations-- a few of which are rather delicate; some of which are strong and enduring-- we have security interests consisting of drug trafficking, counterterrorism, the fight against financial crimes, undoubtedly migration and humanitarian issues, energy, the environment, financial advancement; it is an extremely vast array of problems to which the United States has interest. Mr. Sires. Thank right to use timeshare you. Mr. Chairman. Mr. Duncan. The Chair will now go to Mr. Yoho from Florida. Mr. Yoho. Mr. Chairman, I value you putting this together, and I want to thank you for putting the pivot on our next-door neighbors in the Caribbean. As you have actually specified which we have seen, and it is not http://shanemmod487.simplesite.com/452919468 simply this administration, it is most likely over the last 20 or thirty years where we have taken our eye off the ball in the Caribbean. When we have country states that near to us with like cultures, you know, we value the same things, our household values, things like that, that near to us, and we take the eye off of that we begin losing our competitiveness and we have actually seen that.
And it is so essential down because area and we want individuals, you understand, top is to be secure because location. And with the disputes going on in the world we do not want them to get into in that area and sadly, we are starting to see that. And I think among the greatest things is President Maduro, after Chavez, seeing what is going on in Venezuela. And we have seen in the past, when you have self-appointed totalitarians that concern power and when they fall there is a vacuum filled. We have seen that worldwide.