Yesterday Republican Senator Marco Rubio took to the Senate floor to address the ongoing crisis in Venezuela and to push back against Democratic Senator Tom Harkin's praise of Cuba after visiting the country and touting its healthcare system.
First Rubio took on Harkin, who is the chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. He spent last week touring Cuban healthcare facilities and right on cue, came back to the United States to spout communist propaganda about the system. Harkin claims Cuba has a lower infant mortality rate than the U.S. and says Cubans have a longer lifespan, failing to point out the information he received about the system in Cuba comes only from dishonest Cuban regime officials. The truth about Cuba's horrid healthcare conditions were detailed in the March 2010 edition of Townhall Magazine. Humberto Fontova has also done extensive work exposing lies about Cuba's health system, which you can read about here.
Liberals pushing for free health care often cite Fidel Castro's fiefdom as evidence of how to do it right. Problem is, foreign leaders, celebrities, patients and media are shown only the good stuff that is maintained for PR purposes and for the Cuban elite.
After annihilating the argument that the Cuban system is one the United States should emulate, Rubio took on Hugo Chavez protege and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for ongoing violence against protestors. How are the two related? The Castro regime is playing a large role in helping Maduro perpetrate violence against Venezuelan protestors. Rubio pointed out Cuban tactics, like shooting protestors in the head and killing them, are being used in Venezuela.
President Obama has refused to issue a direct statement condemning the Castro/Maduro violence in Venezuela. You can read more about why that is, here.
