Evelio “EJ” Otero Jr., a retired U.S. Air Force colonel, is running for a seat in Congress because of what he sees as a “systematic effort” to undermine the strength of the U.S.

The Republican hopeful, who was born and raised in San Juan, is vying to represent Florida’s 11th district, which covers Tampa and its environs, and wants to restore U.S. progress and influence by improving the economy, strengthening the military and reforming Congress.

“This is a moment of reckoning for the U.S. This election is going to decide whether we are going to the left or to the right,” Otero said. “The U.S. has been able to be influential around the world for the past 80 years because of a strong economy and a strong defense, and both are being eroded.”

“The economy is in shambles, and the one that is paying the price today is the military. The only budget being affected is the military. I think there is a systematic effort to undermine the strength of the U.S.,” Otero added, pointing to President Barack Obama and his administration.

Otero sat down with CARIBBEAN BUSINESS during a trip to Puerto Rico last week, where he garnered the endorsement of Gov. Luis Fortuño and met with local political and business leaders to discuss his ideas. During a wide-ranging interview, he talked about his youth in San Juan, his experience negotiating with top-level officials in foreign governments, and how Puerto Rico can play a key role in his strategy of increasing trade and investment between the U.S. and Latin America.

He credits the influence of his parents Evelio Otero Sr., Puerto Rico’s first television news anchor, and his mother Consuelo Rivera de Otero, the first female television station director in Puerto Rico, with instilling in him the conservative values that fostered his commitment to hard work, education and faith.

After graduating from high school, he attended Iowa State University and Troy University before embarking on his 28-year military career, which led to his becoming a senior military officer at U.S. Central Command, located at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa.

He might have continued on with his military career but said he grew frustrated at President Obama’s handling of military and foreign affairs, which he said is making the U.S. less secure.

“I retired because I couldn’t go along anymore with the desires of my commander in chief, who is the president,” said Otero, who helped define the intelligence structure for the U.S. response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks and served three tours of duty in support of the Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom operations.

The problem in Washington, D.C.
Otero blames many of the challenges facing the U.S. on the current leadership in Washington, D.C. “The president of the U.S. is so far to the left and out of touch with the economic needs of the country that any of the Republican candidates for president would be a big improvement for the country,” said Otero, who has yet to endorse any GOP candidate.

“The president is an ideologue and he is systematically doing it.”

Otero blames high tax rates, an enormous U.S. debt and government bureaucracy for weighing down the economy. And he said the national health reform, perhaps the signature achievement of the Obama administration, is only compounding the problem.

Rather than holding down costs, the bill is increasing bureaucracy and will likely lead to a rationing of services, and increased costs, he said.

“The U.S. doesn’t have a healthcare problem, but rather a health insurance problem,” Otero said. “Passing a 2,000-page bill that nobody has read is irresponsible. We need to start over again from scratch.”

The Obama administration’s lack of an energy policy is also proving costly, the congressional aspirant said, as is its insistence on using government-sponsored loans on unproven technologies rather than aggressively pursuing the exploration of additional oil reserves in the U.S., which Otero says has the potential to become the world’s largest energy producer.

“The Dakotas have the potential to produce more oil than Saudi Arabia,” said Otero, who pointed to rising gasoline prices as one result of the failed energy policy.

Otero also said the Obama administration’s failure to take a tougher stand on Iran, and its failure to be “tied to the hip with Israel” on policy issues, was fanning the flames of Middle East unrest, which he said is presenting more threat than hope with respect to U.S. interests and world security.

“We are in trouble,” he said. “Our foreign policy is mediocre at best.”

The problem with Washington, D.C., however, extends to Congress, Otero said, which is why he is also running on a pledge to reform the institution. Such a reform would include limits of three terms and barring members from granting themselves salary increases or other special deals, such as exempting themselves from the national health reform or granting themselves hefty retirement packages.

“They all come out millionaires, and that bothers me,” he added.

Tampa: Jobs wanted
In Tampa, like in most areas across the country, the big campaign issue is jobs.

Unemployment is up, hovering around 40% for African-Americans ages 18 to 25, Otero said. Latino youths, meanwhile, have the highest high-school dropout rates, and there isn’t enough vocational training for them to acquire the skills to get real jobs.

Meanwhile, expected military budget cuts will likely impact operations at MacDill, which has already cut 2,600 jobs recently.

“There is no plan to deal with this,” he said.

Otero believes the federal government is simply too big, and has become a drag on the economy. However, he believes the military’s role of providing national security is one of the key responsibilities of the U.S. government.

Rather than cutting the military irresponsibly, as is being proposed, he said he would focus on cutting back other education, environmental and commerce programs, arguing that such activities are best handled by state governments.

“I don’t want the average [U.S.] American to think the answer is in Washington, D.C.,” he said. “The answers are in Austin [Texas], Tallahassee [Fla.], in Atlanta and in Omaha [Neb].”

Economic troubles across the country are the result of high federal taxes, among the highest in the world, which are driving many U.S. companies abroad, he said.

For that reason, he believes capital gains and income taxes should be cut “as much as possible” and is also supportive of a flat tax, but said any tax reform effort “is warranted.”

Otero is facing U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, a Democrat with a six-year tenure in the House of Representatives, but believes his background as a Hispanic and a veteran, as well as his conservative message, will be a winning combination with voters in his district.

“We have a kitchen-table understanding with the minority voter in Tampa, something the Republican Party hasn’t always had,” he said.

Otero said Tampa’s port facility is key to creating jobs and believes the U.S. isn’t doing enough to pursue trade and investment opportunities with Latin American nations such as Brazil, Colombia and Chile.

For example, the U.S. will likely become the No. 1 client for Brazilian oil, but Otero argued that Brazil could become a huge client for U.S.-made oil equipment, as well as the services of U.S. engineers.

“Five of the fastest-growing economies in the world are in Latin America,” Otero said. “My vision is to pursue opportunities more aggressively. I want to establish relationships in the billions of dollars across all sectors.”

During his time in the military, Otero negotiated intelligence-sharing agreements with top officials in Brazil, Colombia, Poland, France, Jordan and the United Kingdom, among other countries. He also handled top-level negotiations involving cooperation agreements between Special Forces operations from around the world.

That experience has been key in understanding international business negotiations, he said, and would prove invaluable as a member of Congress looking to boost trade between the U.S. and other parts of the world.

Otero, who still knows many leaders in Latin America, said they believe the U.S. doesn’t take them seriously enough as potential trade partners, and that is because President Obama hasn’t acted aggressively enough to pursue trade deals.

“Today, business leaders are negotiating on good faith, which is a good thing. It would be fantastic to have ‘top cover’ from the president and Congress,” he said, referring to making expanded trade a top priority.

Puerto Rico as a U.S. gateway
While expanded U.S.-Latin American trade and investment would allow the Tampa ports zone to fulfill its potential, it would also present huge opportunities for Puerto Rico, Otero said.

Puerto Rico professionals, familiar with how business is done in both the U.S. and the Caribbean-Latin American region, could benefit from U.S. firms expanding south, he said. And business and community leaders from the island would be valuable resources during negotiations and trade missions.

Otero said he would look to the island for talent to join any initiatives that would seek to boost trade and investment between the U.S. and Latin America.

“Puerto Rico is key in that equation,” Otero said, pointing to island expertise in business, engineering, the legal profession, academia and sciences. “We have a mass of bilingual talent. Puerto Rico has recognized economists, managers and inventors, and we need to tap that.”

The congressional candidate also praised the tough decisions taken by Gov. Fortuño to bring government spending under control and make reforms that have set the stage for a return to economic growth. He said they should be a model for other U.S. jurisdictions to follow.

And he pledged to partner with Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner to help push forward a pro-Puerto Rico agenda in Congress.

In terms of political status, Otero said he supports Statehood and believes it has come time to decide the island’s political destiny.

“There is such a treasure-trove of talent here that can help the U.S. mainland, that it would be unfortunate if the Puerto Rican community would ever have to ask for a visa to visit the U.S.,” he said.

“I have many benefits in the U.S. that folks here don’t have, and that sense of inequality bothers me. It is past-due time to balance the spreadsheet,” Otero said. “I would like Puerto Rico to sit at the table with the rest of the states and have the same right to vote and benefits as everyone else.”