Monday, December 8, 2014
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio tonight issued the following statement after the U.S. Senate passed by voice vote the Venezuela Defense of Human Rights and Civil Society Act of 2014, which is sponsored by Rubio and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-NJ):
“The U.S. stands with the Venezuelan people and against their oppressors in the regime of Nicolás Maduro. This is a long overdue but important step to demonstrate America’s commitment to the human rights and democratic aspirations of the Venezuelan people in both words and actions. These sanctions will go after Maduro regime officials and thugs who have spent all of 2014 authorizing and carrying out assassinations, beatings, unjustified incarcerations, kangaroo court trials and absurd indictments of its political opponents and innocent Venezuelans demanding a better future.
“I congratulate my House colleagues, particularly Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart, for their work in passing Venezuela sanctions legislation earlier this year. Before this Congress adjourns, I am hopeful that, for all the challenges the Venezuelan people have faced this year, we can at least end it on a positive note by turning these sanctions into a law signed by the President and implemented by the administration.”