Liberia: U.S. Reiterates Pursuit of Visa Restrictions

13 November 2023
The New Dawn (Monrovia)

-Ahead of presidential runoff

The U.S. Embassy in Monrovia has reiterated threats of visa restrictions for those believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Liberia, including through the purposeful spread of mis- or disinformation.

In a statement issued by the United States Embassy on Friday reaffirming support for the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC), U.S. Charge D'affaires Catherine Rodriguez reminded Liberians of the announcement by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken of to slap democracy underminers in Liberia with visa restriction.

Full statement below:

The U.S. Embassy in Monrovia is aware of a video circulating on social media purporting to show Chairman Oscar Bloh of the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC) engaged in discussions in a political party office. The ECC has publicly clarified that it is not Oscar Bloh in the video. Local Voices, a U.S. Embassy-supported factchecking organization, has also confirmed that it is not Oscar Bloh in the video.

The United States is committed to supporting and advancing democracy in Liberia and around the world. As announced by Secretary of State Antony Blinken on September 27, 2023, the United States may pursue visa restrictions for those believed to be responsible for, or complicit in, undermining democracy in Liberia, including through the purposeful spread of mis- or disinformation. As a result of this incident, we are actively exploring using this visa restriction authority because we view this as an example of impeding election observation efforts needed to ensure transparency.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is proud to have been supporting the ECC since 2011 to provide objective and evidence-based observation of Liberia's electoral procedures. ECC has been a trusted partner and a leader in Liberia's civil society community for over a decade. USAID stands by ECC and their commitment to promoting a free, fair, and peaceful electoral process.

USAID has no intention of reducing or stopping funding to the ECC based on a misleading video. The U.S. Embassy is confident in ECC's ability to report fairly and accurately on Liberian elections, including the upcoming presidential run-off.

The U.S. Embassy encourages all Liberians to take the time to check their sources of information carefully. The future of the country is in the hands of the Liberian people. Please exercise your voice and your right to vote by going to the polls on November 14.

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