Mike Lee, Marco Rubio speak out against OAS, funding ‘cultural imperialism’ in Central and South America
The Organization of American States (OAS) is funding “cultural imperialism” related to abortion and marriage in Central and South America, according to Senators Mike Lee, R-UT, and Marco Rubio, R-FL, in a new letter to the State Department.
“We have concerns that [OAS]—to which the U.S. is the largest donor—is misusing its resources and influence in the region,” the statement reads, noting that Central and South American officials have told them “that their own national sovereignty is threatened by what they view as ‘cultural imperialism imposed by an organization that is seemingly more concerned with pushing an ideological agenda than respecting the local rule of law.’”
“U.S. democracy aid and foreign assistance should not be utilized to compromise the laws enacted by a nation’s democratically elected leaders,” they continued, noting that there have also been “cases of judicial over-reach by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, often subverting laws on matters pertaining to issues like abortion and marriage.”
Caricature by donkeyhotey, donkeyhotey.wordpress.com
This “legally unfounded agenda” would “not be tolerated” in the United States, Lee and Rubio wrote.
An example given was the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ imposition of in-vitro fertilization on Costa Rica. The Court undermined Costa Rica’s constitutional system by overturning a decision from the Constitutional Tribunal of Costa Rica banning the practice, which often destroys unwanted human embryos, and validating an unconstitutional presidential decree about it.
“Whatever one’s views about IVF, there is no justification for an international entity to impose its views on this issue on Costa Rica,” Lee and Cruz wrote.
The United States provided 41.7 percent of OAS’s 2015 budget.
Rubio and Lee call for the State Department to detail “how the United States is working to implement this Agenda” and provide “budget justifications.”
OAS has come under fire before for promoting homosexual ideology and pressuring Paraguay and other Latin American countries to liberalize their abortion laws.
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