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Witness warns of 'virus called socialism,' cites Venezuela and Cuba
Summary
A witness at a House Committee on Natural Resources roundtable warned that what she characterized as 'socialism' is infiltrating U.S. institutions, citing Venezuela's economic decline and introducing Cuban dissident Jose Daniel Ferrer as an example of repression.
A witness at the House Committee on Natural Resources roundtable warned that the Democratic Party has been "infiltrated by this virus called socialism," which she equated with "Marxism" and "communism," and said such forces use democratic institutions to gain control of public systems. She said this threat affects health care, elections, education and culture and urged political engagement to counter it.
The witness drew on her experience as a news reporter and pointed to Venezuela as an example, saying the country once exported about "3,000,000 barrels a day" and now exports "less than 700,000," attributing the decline to Hugo Chávez's promises and subsequent policies. She introduced Jose Daniel Ferrer, described him as a prominent opposition leader who was arrested repeatedly and spent "a grand total of 15 years in prison," and said he had experienced torture and hunger strikes. "Nobody knows better the horrors of communism," she said of Ferrer.
