Ossoff has a responsible view on Venezuela that critics are trying to tarnish
Re: “Ossoff needs to take a harder line on Venezuela, but he hasn’t so far,” by state Sen. Jason Anavitarte, Jan. 20, general election polls show Georgia U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff ahead of all the Republican primary contenders.
Anavitarte’s guest opinion column is no surprise as the election year ramps up. It’s clearly an attempt to slowly chip away at those leads.
The piece again evokes the name of a victim of a tragic murder, Laken Riley, for political gain. The murderer was brought to justice. Ossoff voted for the federal legislation that is her namesake.
To attempt to draw links between her tragic death and the senator is irresponsible.
The guest column tries to connect fentanyl to Venezuela. Fentanyl does not come from Venezuela. This statement is a boilerplate, right-wing talking point with no corroborating evidence.
Blasting these talking points in the media is irresponsible and insulting to the conservative voters who still believe in the importance of facts.
Maduro is out, but his regime still stands
The piece goes on to criticize Ossoff’s position on Venezuela, a position supported by more than a few Republican members of Congress, and including some in the MAGA base who are tired of international entanglements.
It also demonstrates that Ossoff understands the complicated history of American intervention in Latin America. The idea that we can do whatever we want in Latin America because we’re powerful is a terrifying thought.
It’s the same rationale used by a perpetrator of sexual assault. We should not just do whatever we want because we’re powerful.
No one is arguing that President Nicolas Maduro is good for Venezuela. Venezuela holds a special place in my heart, and I hope removing him improves the conditions there, but I fear this move is only meant to benefit a few.
Maduro’s repressive regime is still in power, and things basically remain the same. The only significant change so far is the massive amounts of oil we’ve confiscated and sold. No one is sure who this will ultimately benefit.
It is clear that Trump didn’t arrest Maduro for Venezuela and its people. His policy since taking office has been to strip protections from Venezuelan refugees and legal immigrants and deport them back to Venezuela.
Conservatives should be embracing TPS for Venezuelans
Embracing the Venezuelan diaspora seemed an amazing opportunity for a conservative administration to demonstrate a commitment against oppressive Communist regimes and for the victims of these regimes. Quite the opposite has happened, with the administration ending Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelans.
The administration began detaining Venezuelans that entered legally and attending scheduled immigration court hearings to seek asylum. Many of these people were deported right back to the regime that persecuted them.
Anavitarte chose to use the name of a victim of tragic murder for political gain — instead of calling on his own party, which is in power — to support the Venezuelan people both here and in their home country and to push for transparency and accountability in regards to this administration’s involvement in Venezuela.
As Republicans continue to lose races around the country because of the unpopular policies of the current administration, they would be smart to use their power to enforce checks and balances on the executive branch.
Ossoff is an honest leader with an unimpeachable record. He is a family man and he loves this state. He understands the oath of office and will work hard for all Georgians, even those who did not vote for him.
Giovanni Diaz is an immigration attorney at Diaz & Gaeta Law, a fully bilingual law firm founded by two friends, activists and sons of immigrants with extensive knowledge of immigration law, personal injury and criminal defense. He also serves as a board member for the GALEO Impact Fund.
