[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 50 (Thursday, March 21, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H1303-H1304]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC INSTABILITY IN AFRICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Virgin Islands (Ms. Plaskett) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. PLASKETT. Mr. Speaker, the time for dawdling, procrastinating, 
and pointless disputes has long expired.
  This body has become consumed with self-serving ambition and such a 
manufactured divide that we have forgotten

[[Page H1304]]

that this Nation has and must continue to be a global defender of 
freedom and democracy.
  Our failure to fulfill this vital role and turn a blind eye to 
systemic injustices around the world, particularly in the African 
Continent and the Caribbean region, is not only unethical, but it is 
un-American. It also has legal ramifications, not just for the people, 
economy, and stability of those nations, but lethal ramifications for 
our own safety and national security.
  The African Continent and the Caribbean region have long suffered 
from a legacy of slavery and colonialism, symptoms of which have led 
many of these countries to be volatile and prone to political and 
economic instability.
  For example, Haiti had to pay France for its freedom. After winning a 
revolution, they had imposed on them a debt to the French Government 
for that freedom, for the lost revenues of slavery, if you can believe 
that.

                              {time}  1045

  They have had to pay literally $28 billion to France. Literally, as 
my 14 year old would say, literally.
  Mr. Speaker, 40 percent of the Nation's economy went to debt 
services. The precarious state of these nations has positioned them to 
be prime targets for foreign influence. Now U.S. adversaries, such as 
China and Russia have been proliferating throughout the African 
Continent and China, particularly in the Caribbean Basin, exploiting 
those vulnerabilities for profit and to expand strategic interests.
  The Chinese multinational Huawei has constructed roughly 70 percent 
of Africa's information technology infrastructure and continues to make 
similar investments in the Caribbean Basin in its Belt and Road 
Initiative. Over 10 nations have signed agreements to open their 
borders up to Chinese influence.
  Russia has bolstered its ties and influence as well, primarily 
through mercenary groups such as the Wagner Group. Between 2015 and 
2019, Moscow signed 19 military collaboration agreements with African 
Governments.
  By exploiting the instability of those nations, Russia has 
established African reliance on military to secure access to resources, 
extracting minerals, such as cobalt, gold, and uranium from the 
continent.
  Furthermore, Russia and China's involvement undermines the 
continent's democratic aspirations, driving conflict, worsening human 
rights abuses, and spurring growing militarization in governance: Niger 
in 2023, Mali in 2022, Sudan in 2021, Guinea in 2023, Burkina Faso in 
2024. These were all coups in the last few years, displacing 
democratically elected governments with military juntas.
  For years, the world has witnessed the Republic of Haiti face a 
profound political, security, and humanitarian crisis. The severity of 
the situation has far surpassed the usefulness of words.
  We are operating on borrowed time. Our hands-off and apathetic 
approach to Haiti is an affront to our values. Following President 
Jovenel Moise's assassination, gangs seized complete control, creating 
a humanitarian catastrophe.
  Since February, 15,000 people have been displaced adding to the 
362,000 already internally displaced in the country. The hunger crisis 
worsens as armed groups block food supply routes.
  The approval of the State Department's funding request to support a 
Kenya-led multinational security support mission to Haiti is critical, 
as it will train and bolster the Haitian National Police, align with 
U.S. national security interests, and showcase decisive leadership.
  Blocking $40 million in aid by GOP leadership, despite the risk of a 
worsening humanitarian crisis and potential migration surge is 
unacceptable. Without the release of those funds, our borders will be 
overrun, and people will die. We must do better.

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