[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11166]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              AFRO-LATINOS

  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, I rise today to bring attention to the 
situation of Afro-Latinos throughout Latin America, in the hopes that 
we can encourage more action on this issue. From Colombia to Brazil to 
the Dominican Republic to Ecuador, persons of African descent continue 
to experience racial discrimination and remain among the poorest and 
most marginal-
ized groups in the entire region. While recent positive steps have been 
taken in some areas--for example, giving land titles to Afro-Colombians 
and passing explicit anti-discrimination legislation in Brazil--much 
work still needs to be done to ensure that this is the beginning of an 
ongoing process of reform, not the end.
  In places where civil conflict has taken hold, Afro-Latinos are much 
more likely to become victims of violence or refugees in their own 
countries. In many areas, Afro-Latinos are also subject to aggression 
by local police forces at far greater rates than those perceived to be 
white. Access to health services is another serious concern, and recent 
studies have shown that Afro-Latino communities are at greater risk of 
contracting HIV/AIDS.
  In the last Congress, there was not one mention in the Senate of the 
millions of Afro-Latinos who continue to experience this widespread 
discrimination and socioeconomic marginaliza-
tion. Now is the time for more action on this issue, not less. Emerging 
civil society groups are growing stronger throughout many countries in 
Latin America, and this growth should be encouraged as it presents 
important opportunities for partnerships and collaboration. I look 
forward to working with my colleagues in the Senate and House on this 
critical concern in the coming months, and I believe that together we 
can and will make a difference.

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