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Miami, FL — U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) issued the following statement regarding the U.S. State Department’s annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices: 
 
“Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked and bloody invasion of Ukraine put the horrors of human rights abuse on full display. Under Putin’s direction, Russian forces have committed countless war crimes and murdered thousands of innocent civilians. Inside Russia, Putin continues his merciless crackdown on political opponents and members of civil society. Dissenting voices, such as Alexei Navalny and Vladimir Kara-Murza, are silenced by brutal and unjust means. 
 
“As Putin’s assault on Ukraine continues, a regime even more dangerous is watching closely: the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP’s refusal to condemn Putin’s invasion is not surprising, given its persecution of various ethnic and religious groups, crackdown on civil society, and international bullying. Beijing continues to obliterate Hong Kong’s basic freedoms, denies Tibetans their culture and religion, punishes Falun Gong practitioners, and is committing genocide against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. 
 
“Mass internment, forced sterilization, and slave labor are just a few of the long list of crimes that the CCP commits against the Uyghur people. And while our nation took an important step with the enactment of my Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, more must be done to ensure it is effectively implemented. Finally, the United States should condemn the CCP’s misuse of COVID-19 as an excuse to turn cities like Shanghai into prisons for millions of innocent citizens, depriving them of food, basic necessities, and freedom of movement.
 
“The United States must remain adamant in the defense of human rights and do more to demand accountability following the unjustified attacks and murders of Mexican reporters. As tyrants in our hemisphere maintain their illegitimate grip on power by subjecting their citizens to unimaginable hardships, the U.S. must reaffirm its unwavering support for the victims and not the oppressors. The dictatorships in Havana, Caracas, and Managua have maintained their posture of repressing, censuring, detaining, jailing, and forcing into exile those who oppose their despotic rule.
 
“This year’s report highlights the cruelty these regimes impose on their citizens. Such instability is not just a moral tragedy, it also presents major national security risks. The United States has an important role to play as a beacon of strength and freedom for the rest of the world.”