A group of progressive lawmakers is headed to Uruguay to huddle with like-minded parliamentarians from across the Western Hemisphere — and they’re bringing four of their soon-to-be colleagues along for the ride. Three democratic socialists who won in major House primaries this year — New York Assemblymember Claire Valdez, organizer Darializa Avila Chevalier and Pennsylvania state Rep. Chris Rabb — are joining a leftist confab known as the Panamerican Congress as “special guests” of a congressional delegation led by Reps. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.). New Jersey House candidate Adam Hamawy, who is not a member of the Democratic Socialists of America but has embraced similar causes, is also taking part in the trip. The trip underscores these incoming members’ ambitions. These soon-to-be House members want to wade into thorny geopolitical issues in addition to domestic issues like affordability and the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. The pilgrimage to the Rio de la Plata also shows just how much Latin America will be a priority for these members as they legislate. “We need a foreign policy built on international solidarity and cooperation — not imperialism, war and extraction,” Valdez told Playbook. “The threats we face, from climate change to mass displacement to the rise of fascism, don’t stop at borders, and neither can our response.” Valdez added she was looking forward to discussing “how we build a future of peace, stability and dignity” with the other attendees. The conference organizers agree. They say it’s an “indispensable opportunity to forge fresh leadership” having these incoming members join the conversation in Montevideo. “These inspiring leaders won their primaries on a promise to pursue a new place and purpose for the United States in the international community — and that project starts right here in the hemisphere,” David Adler, the general coordinator of the Panamerican Congress, told Playbook. Progressives from the U.S. have attended the past two Panamerican congresses held in Colombia and Mexico. But this is the first time candidates who have yet to be seated are tagging along. The conference aims to rival emerging right-wing fora like the Conservative Political Action Conference’s various Latin American offshoots and create a space for “hemispheric dialogue” between leftist politicians from a range of countries that ultimately promotes “solidarity between peoples” and “sovereignty among nations.” Part of the progressive group’s goal is to rally against the so-called “Donroe Doctrine,” President Donald Trump’s aggressive posture toward the Western Hemisphere that’s seen his administration mount a pressure campaign against Cuba’s communist government and the Jan. 3 operation to capture then-Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. Before leaving Washington, Jayapal, Rep. Greg Casar (D-Texas) and other progressives sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressing him to explain more about the administration’s current policy toward Latin America and the Caribbean and warning that these heavy-handed policies could backfire. “These are tactics that destabilize our hemisphere and endanger our neighbors,” the lawmakers wrote. “We urge you to chart a different path forward. Our U.S. policy and engagements with counterparts across the hemisphere should show that we have learned from our past and seek to engage our partners in a different way.” But the trip also comes as Democrats wage a civil war over the ideological direction of the party amid a streak of socialism that’s animated primaries across the map — with some Democrats even raising the prospect of putting up blockades to buffet the left’s momentum. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a moderate Florida Dem who won his primary over a DSA-backed challenger last night, told Playbook that DSA-aligned candidates are “anti-American at their core” and questioned whether any DSA members should receive security clearances. It’s also unlikely the confab will do much to sway the administration to change course in Latin America and the Caribbean in the immediate term. The White House has been transparent in its efforts to politically and economically uplift right-wing political leaders in the hemisphere, tying it to a broader goal of excising adversaries such as Russia and China from a region Washington has long treated as “America’s backyard.” The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment. The progressives say the effort is nevertheless needed to articulate a different viewpoint from Washington about how to treat the region. “This is our moment to build a proactive vision for regional stability and security rooted in human rights and human dignity,” Jayapal said. Good Wednesday afternoon. This is Eric Bazail-Eimil, POLITICO’s DHS reporter, filling in again for your regular PM hosts. Thanks for reading. Get in touch.
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