SEATTLE, Washington — Pete Buttigieg is one of the candidates running for the nomination in the 2020 Democratic election. Since 2012, he has served as the mayor of South Bend, Ind. The 37 years old identifies with the Millennial generation and endorses a progressive agenda. He initially made waves in the media for potentially being the first openly gay presidential nominee. Now, he has resurfaced following a speech he delivered at Indiana University regarding his foreign policy. Listed below are a few issues he discussed and voiced his opinion on.

Peace, Not War

Buttigieg, a veteran of the Afghanistan war, called for an “end to an endless war” in his address titled “America and the World: National Security for a New Era” at Indiana University in Bloomington on Tuesday, June 11, 2019. He emphasized that the U.S. needs to establish a higher standard for the deployment of U.S. military troops and that military force alone is not enough to combat today’s national security issues.

Additionally, Buttigieg has proposed that the U.S. employ diplomatic strategies rather than military intervention in response to the economic and political crisis in Venezuela. He believes that doing so will lead to free and fair elections, which hopefully will provide the Venezuelan people with a better chance at a prosperous future.

Call to Rejoin Iran Nuclear Deal

Mayor Buttigieg also expressed his intent to recommit the U.S. to the Iran nuclear deal in his recent address on foreign policy. In essence, the Iran nuclear deal is a long-term agreement between Iran and other world powers, including the U.S., Germany, France, the U.K., Russia. and China. It states that Iran will limit its sensitive nuclear activities and allow international inspection in return for the removal of economic sanctions from other world powers. Buttigieg has proposed that rejoining the Iran nuclear deal will improve national security.

Migrant Camps and Family Separation

Buttigieg has been a prominent advocate for the migrants at the detention camps located at the U.S.-Mexico border. He has called for an end to the poor treatment of the people detained at these camps. He has shared the tag #CloseTheCamps on his Twitter page. In particular, Buttigieg has advocated for an end to the separation of families at the border. He has publicly disapproved of the division of families by federal agents and the placement of children in uninhabitable conditions. Buttigieg has called for a closing of the camps and a speedy reunion of families.

Proposing a More Internationally Connected America

In the words of Buttigieg himself, “The world needs America. . . but not just any America. Not an America that has reduced itself to just one more player, scrapping its way through an amoral worldwide scrum for narrow advantage.” Throughout his foreign policy address at Indiana University, Buttigieg reiterated this sentiment, calling for the replacement of the U.S.’ current “transactional” foreign policy with a policy based on values of human rights.

For instance, in reference to the conflict in Latin America, he suggests that America increase its aid to Central America to “better address the crime, corruption and poverty that contributes to mass migration in the first place.” When commenting on U.S. involvement with widespread African poverty, Buttigieg declared that the U.S. must be ready and willing to not only engage economically but also promote empowerment to the people.

All in all, Buttigieg has expressed his interest in promoting the welfare of both the people of America and the people across the globe through his proposals on foreign affairs. Hopefully, as the election for the Democratic nominee approaches, the U.S. electorate will learn more about Buttigieg on foreign policy.

– Sam Elster

Photo: Flickr