Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I apologize for having to be very short. Both I and Professor Cotler want to ask questions.
Obviously one of the reasons we're having this hearing on Venezuela is because we're deeply concerned. Certainly people I've met from Venezuela who are coming to Canada, as well as people I've met internationally, have expressed their concerns and outrage as to how they've been treated, particularly in relation to the treatment of political dissidents, people who don't agree with the government.
You mentioned that the shrinking of the democratic space in the country is a troubling factor. As you know, minority communities, particularly the Jewish community, have also decreased over a number of years. There has also been a ratcheting up of rhetoric by Chávez and his supporters in making some very anti-Semitic remarks. They're also collaborating with Iran, which is a hostile country that has made threats to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. This is a grave concern to us that I think needs to be addressed in a much more serious way.
Chávez, through his moderators and spokespeople in television.... In fact, one of his key persons, who has his own very popular television program, has the same name as I do, unfortunately. That individual is blatantly anti-Semitic and blames the Jews for every cause there is in the world. Even if Chávez is not uttering the words, the people he surrounds himself with and the people who are his official voices have been extremely anti-Semitic. They have also been providing hostility towards the Jewish community, making them fearful for their lives. That's one of the reasons that many of them have left and are trying to leave Venezuela.
I want to know what type of assistance we're providing from an immigration perspective in assisting those who come here. Also, are we meeting with the opposition leaders? If we can't meet with ministers and government officials, which I think is totally outrageous, are we making an effort to deal with opposition leaders within the country?