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“RECOGNIZING PATRICIA ANDRADE IN HONOR OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH” mentioning the U.S. Dept of State was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E280 on March 7, 2017.
The State Department is responsibly for international relations with a budget of more than $50 billion. Tenure at the State Dept. is increasingly tenuous and it's seen as an extension of the President's will, ambitions and flaws.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING PATRICIA ANDRADE IN HONOR OF WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH
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HON. MARIO DIAZ-BALART
of florida
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, in recognition of Women's History Month, I rise today to honor Patricia Andrade, an activist and advocate for victims of Venezuela's oppressive regime.
Ms. Andrade has been recognized as a tireless advocate for Venezuelan exiles arriving in South Florida. After witnessing waves of Venezuelans fleeing persecution, Ms. Andrade founded the non-profit organization Venezuela Awareness. This organization has identified the needs of families fleeing persecution and worked to address them. This includes finding living arrangements, arranging for daily needs, and securing legal assistance.
One of the initiatives of Venezuela Awareness is called Raices Venezolanas, Venezuelan Roots. This program gives donated goods to displaced Venezuelan families. By involving other families, whether of Venezuelan origin or not, this initiative creates a sense of community involvement in these families' lives.
Currently, Ms. Andrade serves as Human Rights Director for Venezuela Awareness and issues annual reports detailing the human rights violations of the Venezuelan government. Her work on human rights abuses in Venezuela has been used by the Department of State, and her advocacy has allowed some cases to be presented to the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in Costa Rica. My office trusts her information and relies on her to keep us abreast of grave human rights violations under the Chavez and Maduro regimes.
Mr. Speaker, I am honored to know Ms. Andrade and to recognize her remarkable work for Venezuelan exiles and for the State of Florida. Her tireless advocacy on behalf of those without many resources is admirable and has made a real impact on many. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this remarkable woman.
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