The political landscape in Venezuela has been marred by turmoil and instability for years, with the authoritarian rule of President Nicolas Maduro drawing widespread condemnation from the international community.
A bipartisan and bicameral group of U.S. lawmakers have introduced a resolution to formally denounce Maduro’s illegitimate regime and demand free and fair elections in the country.
The resolution highlights the numerous criminal, anti-democratic, and corrupt acts committed by the Maduro regime.
These include the embezzlement of billions of dollars from the Venezuelan people through the illicit removal of gold from the Central Bank, the declaration of an “Orinoco Mining Arc” to exploit the country’s vital resources for personal gain, and the establishment of the brutal Special Action Force of the National Police (FAES) to carry out illegal raids and extrajudicial killings.
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The resolution has been introduced by a diverse group of legislators, including U.S. Representatives Jared Moskowitz (D-Florida-23), Maria Salazar (R-Florida-27), and Carlos Gimenez (R-Florida-28), as well as U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Marco Rubio (R-Florida). This bipartisan and bicameral approach underscores the widespread condemnation of Maduro’s actions and the united front against his authoritarian rule.
“The criminal Maduro narco-regime will stop at nothing to maintain its illegitimate grip on power as it continues to target members of the opposition and undermine free and fair elections in Venezuela,” said Senator Rubio. “Our partners worldwide must remain firm in their call for the release of all political prisoners who are currently being tortured by this illegitimate dictatorship.”
The resolution demands that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela hold free and fair elections on July 28, 2024, and allow all opposition candidates, including Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, to register on the ballot and participate in the elections. It also denounces any attempt by the Maduro regime to intimidate and repress the Venezuelan people and its democratic candidates through violence.
“I hope that the United States will go on the record condemning the efforts by Maduro to undercut a free and fair election yet again in Venezuela,” said Senator Graham. “He has taken actions inconsistent with a free and fair election and he is marginalizing the opposition. I urge the Biden Administration to up their game when it comes to deterring Maduro’s attempt to once again destroy the pending Venezuelan election. The Venezuelan people deserve better.”
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The resolution encourages the Biden Administration to condemn the results of the Venezuelan election on July 28, 2024, if fraud occurs, and to subsequently impose additional sanctions on Maduro and his co-conspirators to ensure they are unable to profit from their illegal and corrupt activities.
Representative Moskowitz stated, “The Venezuelan people are suffering under Maduro’s illegitimate regime. If there is overwhelming evidence of fraud in Venezuela’s upcoming election, the Biden Administration must condemn and hold Maduro accountable.”
Representative Salazar echoed this sentiment, saying, “As the Maduro regime does everything in its power to steal the presidential election from María Corina Machado and Edmundo González, we in the United States Congress stand strong against his tyranny.”
This resolution:
- Rejects the attempt by the illegitimate Maduro regime to hold sham elections and consolidate power through weaponizing institutions, especially the electoral committee and judicial system;
- Demands that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela hold free and fair elections on July 28, 2024, and allow all opposition candidates, including Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, to register on the ballot and participate in the elections in compliance with the Partial Agreement on the Promotion of Political Rights and Electoral Guarantees for All (commonly known as the “Barbados Agreement”);
- Denounces any attempt by the illegitimate Maduro regime to intimidate and repress the Venezuelan people and its democratic candidates through any kind of violence;
- Condemns the illegitimate Maduro regime for the flagrant and repeated acts of corruption, desecrating the rule of law, and engaging in anti-democratic and criminal acts; and
- Encourages the Administration to condemn the results of the Venezuelan election on July 28, 2024, if fraud occurs, and to subsequently impose additional sanctions on Maduro and the coconspirators in his illegitimate regime to ensure they are unable to profit through their illegal and corrupt activities.
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