by Richard Kohn, Ph.D.
I have been writing to US Senators Ben Cardin and Chris Van Hollen about ending sanctions on Nicaragua for several years. They have never responded at all. But recently Senator Cardin co-sponsored a bill that does just the opposite of what I asked. The RENACER Act is aimed at further ramping up sanctions and destabilization campaigns in Nicaragua. This horrendous bill will harm the Nicaraguan people by targeting their economy. One of the aspects of dictatorial repression that they cite is that some media outlets in Nicaragua “support” the government. Imagine if in order to consider the US a “democracy” we had to ban all corporate media that supports our government.
I wrote to them again and got no response, and I also wrote to Greenbelt Mayor Colin Byrd because I knew he was planning to run against Van Hollen for US Senate in 2022. Within minutes Mayor Byrd responded asking if he could call me, and once he got my phone number he did. He already had an understanding of the region, and after our conversation he posted this tweet. Read the whole thread. I’m ready for a more responsible and responsive senator. How about you?
Rick Kohn, a FoLA member, is a Professor of Animal Science at the University of Maryland.
Friends of Latin America 