Wasserman-Schultz Leads Bi-Partisan Push to Monitor Russian Influence in Venezuela

Washington, D.C. - February 8, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23) and a bi-partisan coalition of South Florida lawmakers have filed legislation that would require the United States Department of State to step up monitoring and provide Congress with threat assessments and strategies to curb Russian military influence in Venezuela.

“The growing military relationship between Nicolas Maduro and Vladimir Putin will severely obstruct any effort to restore real democracy in Venezuela,” Rep. Wasserman Schultz said. “This kind of military alliance poses an imminent threat to our allies in the region, namely Colombia, and will only strengthen the foothold of Maduro’s brutal regime.”

The Russian-Venezuelan Threat Mitigation Act was also co-sponsored by Reps. Mario Díaz-Balart, (FL-25), Donna Shalala (FL-27), and Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26). It would require the State Department to quickly supply Congress with threat assessments and strategies to deal with Russian-Venezuelan cooperation. It also requires an assessment of risks posed by any Kremlin acquisition of CITGO’s United States energy infrastructure holdings.

Russian and Venezuelan military entanglements have increased in recent years. Joint forces took part in a 10-hour exercise across the Caribbean in December, which included Tu–160 nuclear-capable bombers. Kremlin-linked military contractors have reportedly been deployed there recently. The Maduro regime has also turned to the Russian Federation, one of its strongest political allies, for financial support during its current economic crisis.

Maduro’s regime has come under intense international pressure as the humanitarian, economic and political crisis worsens there. Growing food and medicine shortages, along with political crackdowns, have set off intense protests. It has also triggered wide-spread international recognition of National Assembly President Juan Guaidó as the nation’s interim president.

“We must not allow Russia to provide Maduro with the defense and military resources that he will use to further repress and brutalize the Venezuelan people, or engage in anti-American activities at our doorstep. Russia’s actions in Venezuela threaten our national security and bolster the Venezuelan people’s oppressors,” Rep. Diaz-Balart said. “I am proud to support this bipartisan legislation that will require greater oversight and attention to the deepening partnership between Putin and the Maduro regime.”

“The United States, the European Union, Venezuela’s own neighbors, and most importantly, the people of Venezuela are clear: we stand united with Interim President Guaidó and his legitimate government as they lead Venezuela towards democracy with new free and fair elections,” Rep. Shalala said. “The South Florida delegation has come together to introduce bills that grant TPS status to Venezuelans, ban arms exports, and authorize humanitarian aid to Venezuelans. I am proud that we have come together once more to take a stand for freedom and democracy with the introduction of this bipartisan legislation responding to the increasingly troublesome defense relationship between the Maduro regime and Russia.”

“The Venezuelan people cannot restore stability and democracy to their country without humanitarian aid, but neither can they restore them with the specter of Russian forces looming behind them, propping up Maduro’s illegitimate regime,” Rep. Mucarsel-Powell said. “That is why I think this bill is such a crucial part of the effort our delegation is making to address the many facets of aid the Venezuelan people need to rebuild their democracy.

Ban on Venezuelan Oil Imports

Source: House Representative Mike Coffman (R-CO, 6th):

Aurora, CO - September 1, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- At the Colorado State Capitol, U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (R-CO) announced that he will introduce the ‘Protecting Against Tyranny and Responsible Imports Act (PATRIA) of 2017’ which would impose a ban on the importation of petroleum and refined petroleum products from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. In light of the recent actions taken by the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to solidify his authoritarian regime, Coffman plans to introduce the ‘PATRIA Act’ on September 5th.

Earlier this year, the Venezuelan Supreme Court, who is led by Maduro loyalists, stripped the country’s National Assembly, their democratically elected legislative body, of its authority. Recently, Maduro ordered the formation of a ‘Constituent Assembly’ which has the authority to rewrite the country’s constitution, dismiss officials, and eliminate existing institutions. This will allow Maduro to consolidate his dictatorship, perpetuate the humanitarian crisis, and imprison democratically-elected officials in Venezuela.

Coffman’s legislation would require that President Maduro reinstate the freely and fairly elected National Assembly of 2015 before the oil ban is lifted. Restoring the National Assembly would provide Venezuela with a democratically-elected legislative body that their people have been protesting and dying for in recent months.

“Although I am pleased that President Trump authorized additional sanctions against Venezuela, I believe that we must take stronger action to get Maduro to reinstate the National Assembly”.

If enacted, the ‘PATRIA ACT’ will have an estimated $10 billion impact in lost income to the Venezuelan government and will deny the authoritarian Maduro government the ability to use these funds to pay the regime’s security forces who have been oppressing the growing opposition and prolonging an ongoing humanitarian crisis.

“Venezuela, once the richest country of Latin America, is now a poor country without a respect for the rule of law or human rights,” said Coffman. “No doubt, this could make economic conditions even tougher for the Venezuelan people but it will also deliver a devastating blow to Maduro’s ability to stay in power without restoring the democratically-elected National Assembly,” Coffman continued.

President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence have recently floated the possibility of U.S. military intervention to stop Venezuela from sliding into an authoritarian Cuban-style dictatorship while not discussing a ban on imported oil that supports the Maduro government.

“The price of the blood that could be shed by our own military has a greater value to me than any increase in the price at the pump caused by a ban on the sale of Venezuelan oil in the United States,” said Coffman, a Marine Corps combat veteran.

On June 17, 2017, Congressman Coffman authored a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson that called on the State Department to impose more severe sanctions on “individuals and corporations within Venezuela that actively contribute to the ongoing crisis in that country...” Coffman continued, “I believe that, without a robust and wide ranging sanctions regime, the Maduro government will never consider democratic reforms…or stop its heinous pattern of human rights abuse.”

A preliminary CBO score reflects this legislation would result in a revenue loss of about $8 million dollars per year to the United States.

Venezuala

Trump has imposed sanctions on Venezuela.

President Trump signed the Executive Order on August 24, with the sanctions going into effect at a minute after midnight this morning. Vice President Pence unveiled the sanctions on a call with Congressional foreign policy leaders today.

Starting under now-deceased strongman Hugo Chávez and accelerating under Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela has seen a precipitous drop in living standards while the left-wing dictatorship has consolidated power.

Further statements and information from the newsmakers are as follows (Keep checking back for updates on this page):

House Representative Mark Pocan (D-WI, 2nd):

“With its announcement of the most extensive U.S. financial sanctions against Venezuela to date, the Trump Administration is once again pursuing aggressive unilateral measures abroad in an attempt to distract attention away from the sustained outrage over the president’s disgraceful antics at home–all while designing his sanctions in accordance with the interests of oil-industry lobbyists.

“While we remain deeply concerned over President Maduro’s efforts to supersede Venezuela’s duly elected National Assembly, these unilateral sanctions will only further complicate efforts to achieve a peaceful solution to the country’s political crisis and threaten to create greater economic hardship for ordinary Venezuelans. As we and other progressive lawmakers noted last month in a letter to Secretary Tillerson, U.S. economic sanctions are overwhelmingly rejected by Venezuelans and only undermine dialogue by strengthening the hand of hardliners on both sides of the political divide while weakening the voices of moderation. By applying financial sanctions to Venezuela, President Trump is threatening the country’s ability to access foreign currency, which is desperately needed to alleviate widespread shortages of food, medicine and basic goods.

“Prior to ratcheting up hostilities through these latest sanctions, President Trump absurdly suggested a ‘military option’ in Venezuela, publicly betraying his campaign promise to avoid regime-change efforts that have undermined U.S. security interests. Such a reckless maneuver, absent Congressional authorization and UN Security Council approval, would be clearly unconstitutional and illegal. A sensible approach to Venezuela’s crisis is obvious: the United States needs to work with other governments in the region to support mediation and negotiations that involve respected international actors such as the Vatican and the United Nations.”

House Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL, 27th):

“This morning in a conference call with other Members, I spoke with Vice-President Pence and I thanked him and the White House for its continued leadership on national security matters, especially within the Western Hemisphere. Today’s announcement by the White House is a direct response to those willing to aid the regime as these latest sanctions will prohibit financial transactions and any dealings in new debt and bonds of the Maduro regime and its corrupt state-owned entity, PDVSA.

“In June, I strongly condemned Goldman Sachs for providing an infusion of financial relief to the Maduro regime. Preventing Maduro and his cronies access to the U.S. financial systems is vital and barring Citgo from transferring any profits to PDVSA reaffirms America’s commitment to the Venezuelan people in their continued push for freedom and democracy.”

House Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ, 4th):

“We support the Venezuelan people as they work towards reestablishing their rights that have been taken by the red regime that Dictator Nicolás Maduro has imposed on the country,” said Smith, who chairs the House panel on global human rights. “Venezuela, a nation blessed with natural resources, has been reduced to penury, its people on the brink of starvation, by a dictator who jails his opposition, stifles the media and attacks religious leaders.

“President Trump's decisive Executive Order imposes financial repercussions on the Maduro dictatorship for its oppression. It will stop the underwriting of the regime and help bring about an end to this nightmare for the Venezuelan people.”

House Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL, 25th):

“I commend President Trump for once again imposing tough sanctions against the Maduro regime. Today’s announced sanctions target Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA, and prohibit transactions that finance the regime’s escalating debt and corruption.

Clearly the Trump administration is listening to opposition leaders in Venezuela, the U.S. Congress, and members of the Venezuelan community in South Florida and has taken a firm stand to protect American values and interests in our hemisphere. When Vice President Mike Pence was in Miami this week, he asserted that the Trump administration was committed to promoting democracy and stated, “our resolve is unwavering; our conviction is clear.”

I commend the Trump Administration’s principled clarity on opposing tyranny in our hemisphere. As the Maduro regime continues its relentless assaults on democracy and subversion of representative democracy with its sham “Constituent Assembly,” the United States stands in firm solidarity with the Venezuelan people.

House Representative Jeff Duncan (R-SC, 3rd):

“For far too long, the Maduro regime has exploited the U.S. financial system to line its pockets and oppress its people. I applaud the Trump Administration’s actions to cut off a critical source of financing for the corrupt, illegitimate dictatorship. No government should be able to plunder and suppress its people, destroy all vestiges of democracy, and enable increasing criminal activities in the region without democratic countries responding forcefully.

“President Trump continues to demonstrate leadership on Venezuela, and I stand firmly with his Administration in urging the Maduro government to end the illegitimate Constituent Assembly, reinstate the democratically-elected National Assembly, hold free, fair elections, release U.S. citizens and political prisoners, and allow humanitarian assistance. I also urge our friends of democracy in Latin America and Europe to take similar measures to stand united behind the Venezuelan people.”

House Representative Eliot Engel (D-NY, 16th)

“No one can deny that Venezuela is now a full-fledged dictatorship. I strongly support U.S. efforts to hold Nicolás Maduro and his cronies accountable while ensuring that the Venezuelan people—who have already suffered for far too long—are not forced to bear any further pain. I look forward to receiving a full analysis from the Trump Administration on the impact that these new sanctions will have on both the Maduro regime and the Venezuelan people. As the sanctions are implemented, President Trump must ensure that they have the appropriate impact and adjust them as necessary.

“At the same time, the United States and our partners must continue to push for action in multilateral fora to address the crisis in Venezuela. In particular, we must increase efforts at the United Nations to address both the country’s political crisis and the Venezuelan people’s lack of access to food and medicine.

“I have a long record in Congress of supporting strong actions against rogue regimes and will continue to do so.”