Roger F. Noriega
Assistant U.S. Secretary of State
Roger F. Noriega has served as the Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs since July 2003. The following is excerpted from June 24, 2004, testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs.I appear before you today at a critical moment for Venezuela. For years one of Latin America’s most stable democracies, Venezuela today is at a crossroads. Deepening polarization over the past three years has placed enormous strains on the country’s democratic institutions. Amid these challenges, the Venezuelan people have shown an unshakable…
