AOC and Allies Plan Visits to Latin American Nations with Left-leaning Leadership
A group of progressive Democrat lawmakers, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, will be traveling to South America to visit Brazil, Chile, and Colombia. The purpose of the trip is to meet with officials and civil society groups and to work towards a realignment of the United States’ relationship with Latin America. The trip is sponsored by a Washington-based progressive advocacy group and will not use taxpayer funds. Many activists and political organizations believe that President Joe Biden’s election would help reset relations with Latin America, but they criticize him for maintaining some of former President Donald Trump’s immigration measures and punitive measures against Cuba. The progressive critics also say that Biden looked the other way on human rights abuses in favor of U.S. economic and trade interests. The countries being visited by the lawmakers are experiencing a leftist wave, with Brazil electing a far-left president, Chile transitioning to democracy, and Colombia electing a president who is not a member of pro-U.S. parties. Discussions during the trip will focus on democracy, environmental protection, and reconciliation projects. Among the participants are Rep. Joaquin Castro and Rep. Nydia Velázquez.
