Political and Economic Instability in Africa and the Caribbean

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

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 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.

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.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source