Sen. DeMint Apologizes to El Salvador for Obama’s Proposed Ambassador

By Wendy Wright | November 21, 2011

President Obama’s nominee for Ambassador to El Salvador is intent on causing controversy. In 1998, Pres. Clinton nominated Mari Carmen Aponte to be ambassador to the Dominican Republic. She withdrew her nomination under a cloud of reports that she had co-habitated with a Cuban spy. When asked to take a lie detector test regarding her lover’s ties to Cuban intelligence, she refused.

Now, before even being confirmed by the Senate, she has offended the people of El Salvador. Aponte published an op ed in an El Salvadoran newspaper brashly telling the citizens it is their duty to be advocates for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues. More than three dozen leaders in the country signed a letter respectfully asking the U.S. Senate to oppose her nomination.

Sen. DeMint brought their objections to the Senate. His 3 minute speech succinctly makes the case that Aponte is not qualified to be a U.S. ambassador.
Sen DeMint Opposes Obama's Nominee to El Salvador

Here is a partial transcript of U.S. Senator Jim DeMint’s opposition to Aponte:

I would like to ask unanimous consent to submit for the record an opinion piece published in El Salvador by Ambassador Aponte in June of this year. In her OpEd, Ms. Aponte, presuming to represent the view of all Americans, in strongly promoting the homosexual lifestyle, wrote that “everyone has the responsibility to inform our neighbors and friends about what it means to be lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.” The OpEd upset a large number of community and pro-​family groups in El Salvador who were insulted by Ms. Aponte’s attempt to impose a pro-​gay agenda in their country.

I would also like to ask unanimous consent to submit, for the record, a response to the OpEd from a coalition of more than three dozen groups and a letter from Salvadorean groups to the United States Senate asking the Senate to oppose Ms. Aponte’s confirmation and I quote “We respectfully request that Ms. Aponte be removed from her post as soon as possible so that El Salvador may enjoy the benefits of having a person as a government representative of your noble country.”

I would like to apologize to the Salvadorean people on behalf of the United States and reassure them that most Americans share their values. Ms. Aponte’s personal, professional and political contact over many years raises numerous questions of judgement. I will vote ‘no on Ms. Aponte’s confirmation and strongly recommend my colleagues do the same.

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