Sen. Rick Scott: Floridians have a chance to stand up for democracy | Opinion

Never before in our nation’s history have we seen a more significant and coordinated effort to advance the socialist agenda. Just a few years ago, these views were represented by fringe groups with limited political clout.

Today, they are anchored within the Democratic Party, ingrained by academia, and legitimized by the media. Floridians know all too well the direct impact of the poverty and misery caused by socialism.

We have seen the threat play out in the lives of countless Floridians who found refuge from socialism and the freedom to pursue their dreams in our state.

Sadly, in Colombia, a leftist president threatens the institutional foundation of the country and the pillars of its successful free-market economy.

In Venezuela, a country blessed with abundant natural resources, the dictatorship continues outlawing opposition and systematically violating human rights, leading to the financial destruction of a once prosperous nation.

Cuba, the most dramatic example: once a thriving free-market economy, with its currency on par with the U.S. dollar, now lies in complete ruin after 66 years of collectivist rule.

In Nicaragua, anyone who dares to raise their voice against the regime ends up like in Cuba and Venezuela: imprisoned or dead. There is no other way to look at it; socialism is destruction, poverty, oppression, and death.

Throughout my time as the governor of Florida and since my first day as a U.S. Senator, I’ve been constantly sounding the alarm on how the modern-day socialist agenda is a genuine threat to the Western world. Biden and the Democrats have had plenty of opportunities to act, but they have remained shamefully silent.

During my recent visit to Miami, I stood with freedom fighters and victims of the Castro regime, demanding accountability and justice as Victor Manuel Rocha, a spy for the Castro regime, pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as a foreign agent in the U.S. I called for the immediate release of Jose Daniel Ferrer, as we heard from his family that is in critical condition at the hands of the illegitimate Cuban regime.

We witnessed just three weeks ago as Cubans in Santiago took to the streets and how, again, the dictatorship limited internet access.

And where was Joe Biden and the Democrats? Why weren’t they rallying the international community for condemnations or using available technology to break through the information blockade?

Since my first day in the U.S. Senate, I have tirelessly fought to defend freedom and democracy in LATAM and protect the United States’ national security. I have led my colleagues in calling on President Biden to join our fight. Not only did Biden double down on his abandonment of Latin America, but he has also refused to meet with us or listen to what these freedom fighters are going through.

I’ve introduced the DEMOCRACIA Act, legislation to hold the illegitimate Cuban regime accountable with severe sanctions and actions in support of the cause of freedom, including options to provide unrestricted internet to the island.

The Biden administration has allowed dictators to destabilize the region, spread socialism, and allow Iran, Russia and Communist China to expand their influence throughout our hemisphere.

Biden has lifted sanctions on Venezuela and Cuba in the last five years. We’ve seen our hemisphere becoming a more dangerous place because of Joe Biden’s weakness, and we know that our adversaries are using Biden’s appeasement to undermine America’s regional security interests.

Joe Biden has not only failed Americans, but he has also failed the region. In a world where freedom hangs by a thread, this administration should have led every freedom-loving nation in defense of human rights and democracy, and there shouldn’t be room for appeasement.

It is time to take the threat of socialism seriously. As Americans, we have a great responsibility this November.

We must elect leaders who defend the values that represent us and demonstrate support for the countries in our hemisphere fighting to get rid of socialism. Those who have refused to stand up for freedom will get the message loud and clear at the ballot box.

Rick Scott, a Republican, is a former governor of Florida who currently serves in the U.S. Senate. He is seeking reelection in 2024.