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Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee’s Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues, joined with Senators David Perdue (R-GA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Cory Gardner (R-CO), Ed Markey (D-MA), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ) to urge President Obama to collaborate with the international community to ensure the Haitian people have the ability to freely and fairly elect their leaders.
 
In a letter to President Obama, the senators highlighted the assistance the United States provided the Haitian government to rebuild the country after the devastating earthquake in 2010. Due to corruption and a lack of good governance, the Haitian government is long-overdue for free and fair elections. As parliamentary and presidential elections near, there are serious concerns about whether these elections will be inclusive and transparent.
 
“The United States has invested almost four billion dollars in relief aid in Haiti since the devastating 2010 earthquake,” wrote the senators in a letter to President Obama. “If long-term political and economic stability are to be achieved, it is imperative that the United States work with Haitian officials to promote good governance, uphold democratic values, and ensure that the Haitian people have the ability to freely select their own leaders.
 
“We request that your administration join with the Organization of American States and other international organizations to support electoral monitoring and observation in Haiti,” the senators continued. “We also request a detailed update about what your administration is doing to promote free and fair elections in Haiti.”
 
A PDF of the letter is available here.