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The Republican congressman Carlos A. Giménez warned this Tuesday that socialism should not "take root" in the United States, and attributed the growing youth support for that ideology to a "concerted indoctrination" by the left in schools.
"I don't need a textbook to understand the dangers of socialism: I lived through them," stated Giménez, the only member of Congress born in Cuba.
"As a Cuban American, I know exactly where the path of radicalism leads. It does not lead to progress; it leads to struggle."
His words came in response to a Fox News survey that revealed that 53% of voters under 30 years old view it positively that the United States moves away from capitalism and advances towards socialism.
The same survey recorded that overall support for socialism among all voters reached a record 38%, compared to 32% in 2022 and 18% in 2010.
Giménez, who emigrated from Cuba at the age of six after the Castro revolution of 1959, was emphatic: "The only ones who truly enjoy communism and socialism are those who have never lived under that system."
As evidence, he cited his conversations with ambassadors from countries of the former Soviet bloc in Eastern Europe, whom he described as "fervent anti-communists" precisely because they had experienced the system firsthand.
The congressman summed up the promise of communism this way: "The only promise of communism is that everyone will be equal. Yes, everyone is equal. Everyone is equally miserable."
He added that under that system, "quality of life is destroyed, there is oppression, repression of freedom of expression, and political prisoners. Anyone who wanted to live under that system has never lived under that system."
Giménez represents Florida's 28th district and has been a steady voice against socialism since he won his seat in Congress in 2020, when he stated, "the principles of socialism and communism are rejected in this community."
In recent months, he has intensified his activism against the Cuban regime. In February, he referred to the Havana dictatorship as a “pathetic dictatorship that must be completely wiped out” and relegated to the dustbin of history.
In March, he predicted the imminent collapse of the Díaz-Canel regime, attributing Cuba's economic crisis to "the regime's mismanagement and socialism," and in April he insisted that Cuba must be a friend of the United States after visiting the Guantanamo naval base for the first time in 64 years.
Despite the record support for socialism among young people, the Fox News survey also showed that 61% of voters overall still view socialism as a negative concept, with majorities among Republicans (78%), conservatives (75%), and those over 65 years old (75%).
"We cannot allow these failed ideologies to take root in our country," concluded Giménez, whose stance aligns with the support for the Trump administration's maximum pressure policies against Havana, which include economic sanctions and an oil embargo.
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