By NAN Staff Writer
News Americas, WASHINGTON, D.C., Thurs. Jan 7, 2021: One by one, the handful of Caribbean American US Congressmembers on Wednesday afternoon began denouncing the horrific and historic invasion of the US Capitol by Donald Trump supporters as Congress was in session to sign off on President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory ahead of Inauguration Day.
All put the blame squarely on Donald Trump with Caribbean born Congressman Adriano Espaillat calling it “thuggery.”
“Donald Trump is responsible for this. #TrumpThugs,” the Dominican Republic-born New York City lawmaker tweeted, while adding that “the safety of members of Congress has now been put at risk as a direct result of Trump’s lies about this election and the GOP’s complicity in upending the fabric of our democracy.”
“This is unprecedented and utterly shameful,” said Congressman Espaillat while also pointing to the double standard of justice in America. He said that if the protestors who invaded congress “were Black or Brown, they would have been slaughtered.”
And he called it abhorrent that many were peacefully moved off stairs with no handcuffs in sight.
Caribbean American Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of Brooklyn, NY, also blamed Trump for the historic violence while revealing that she and her staff were forced to shelter in place but were safe.
“This is domestic terrorism. Period, full stop,” she added on Twitter.
Puerto-Rico-born US Congresswoman, Nydia Velazquez, also denounced the violence while also revealing that said she and her staff had to shelter in place at the Capitol.
“Today, America’s highest ideals were shattered by a President who incited an act of domestic terrorism,” said the Congressmember. Like rep. Espaillat, she also pointed to the disparity of justice in America. “And let’s speak the truth – this would have been a much different response if the majority of people protesting and rioting were black and brown,” she said. “Everyone who broke the law today needs to be arrested.”
Trinidad roots Congressmember Steven Alexzander Horsford of Nevada also blamed Donald Trump for encouraging the “insurrection against our government and duly-elected leaders.”
“We cannot allow another day to pass without accountability for the harm this President has caused,” he said. “President Trump must be impeached and removed from office.”
Cuban-born Congressman Albio Sires said he is sickened by the events.
“The world was watching as a sitting American president attempted to takedown democracy by inciting chaos and violence, because he cannot accept that he lost an election,” said the New Jersey Congressman. “There must be legal consequences for what happened today.”
Even Republican congressman and Cuban American Marco Rubio denounced the violence. “There is nothing patriotic about what is occurring on Capitol Hill. This is 3rd world style anti-American anarchy,” he tweeted.
And Cuban American Congressman Anthony Gonzalez, a Republican of Ohio tweeted: “I condemn these violent mobs in the strongest terms. The peaceful transition of power is essential to our democracy no matter how difficult it is and we all must honor this sacred tradition. Please pray for our country.”
