Asked about cooperation between Iran and Latin American countries, Congressman Burton said, "We don't want to interfere in the internal affairs of these other countries, but if a nuclear program continues to be developed in Iran, and if they start working with people who want to revolutionize and change the democratic institutions of Central and South America, then the United States cannot sit idly by and let that happen." Referring to collaboration between Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran in particular, the Republican from Indiana said, "The free world is not going to sit by and allow their freedoms and their liberties to be endangered by a cabal being created by them."
Congressman Burton, whose interview aired today during VOA's Spanish language radio program Enfoque Andino (Andean Focus), said that an Iranian partnership with leftist governments in Central and South America "endangers not only the United States and our security, but the whole world."
The interview with Representative Burton will also be broadcast on television Friday during VOA's weekly current affairs television program, Foro Interamericano (Inter-American Forum), and VOA's weekday news program for Latin America, Desde Washington (From Washington), which features news briefs on the top stories of the day. Additional information and programming can be found at: http://www.VOANews.com/Spanish/.
The Voice of America, which first went on the air in 1942, is a multimedia international broadcasting service funded by the U.S. government through the Broadcasting Board of Governors. VOA broadcasts more than 1,000 hours of news, information, educational, and cultural programming every week to an estimated worldwide audience of more than 100 million people. Programs are produced in 44 languages.
For more information, contact the Office of Public Affairs at (202) 203-4959, or by e-mail to publicaffairs@voa.gov.