III 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 363 

Expressing profound concern about the growing political, humanitarian, and 

economic crisis in Venezuela and the widespread human rights abuses 

perpetrated by the Government of Venezuela. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 20, 2017 

Mr. NELSON (for himself and Mr. RUBIO) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing profound concern about the growing political, humanitarian, and economic crisis in Venezuela and the 

widespread human rights abuses perpetrated by the Government of Venezuela. 

Whereas the crisis in Venezuela continues to ravage the country and the Venezuelan people suffer from shortages of 

essential medicines, food, and basic supplies; 

Whereas because of the crisis in Venezuela, approximately 

1,300,000 people are undernourished and roughly 75 percent of the population has lost an average of 19 pounds 

since the start of the economic crisis; 

Whereas the largest impact of the crisis in Venezuela is felt 

by children, as 54 percent suffer from nutritional defiVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:26 Dec 20, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR363.IS SR363

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•SRES 363 IS 

ciencies, according to the nongovernmental organization 

Caritas; 

Whereas public health organizations in Venezuela report that 

only 38 percent of essential drugs are present in the 

country and more than 60 of the hospitals in Venezuela 

no longer have potable water, leading to a rise in chronic 

diseases, as well as in communicable diseases such as malaria and diphtheria; 

Whereas the crisis forces thousands of Venezuelans to leave 

the country in vulnerable conditions and the number of 

Venezuelans seeking asylum in 2017 was almost double 

that in 2016, according to the United Nations High 

Commissioner for Refugees; 

Whereas President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly denied the existence of Venezuela’s humanitarian 

crisis and rejected offers of international humanitarian 

assistance; 

Whereas, instead of responding to the needs and demands of 

its people, the Government of Venezuela has prioritized 

the consolidation of power, undermined Venezuela’s democracy, and engaged in a campaign of repression and 

human rights abuses; 

Whereas the Government of Venezuela curtails freedom of expression, harasses journalists, and limits the ability of 

the Venezuelan people and the world to learn about the 

crisis and its effects; 

Whereas, starting in April 2017, Venezuelan citizens staged 

massive, nationwide protests for more than four months 

in direct opposition to President Maduro’s efforts to consolidate power and undermine Venezuela’s democracy; 


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•SRES 363 IS 

Whereas the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights reports that 124 deaths have 

been investigated by the Venezuelan Attorney General’s 

Office in connection with the 2017 protests, with at least 

46 victims allegedly killed by security forces and 27 more 

by members of armed pro-government civilian groups, 

bringing the total number of extrajudicial deaths to 357 

between July 2015 and March 2017; 

Whereas the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner concluded that there has been widespread and systematic use of excessive force and arbitrary detentions 

against demonstrators, as well as violent raids of homes, 

torture, and ill-treatment of those detained in connection 

with the protests; 

Whereas human rights organizations in Venezuela have identified more than 5,000 arbitrary detentions between April 

1, 2017, and October 31, 2017, and at least 299 political 

prisoners currently detained; 

Whereas Amnesty International documented repeated use of 

various methods of arbitrary detention, including torture 

and forced disappearances intended to silence dissidents 

and limit freedom of expression; 

Whereas nongovernmental organizations Human Rights 

Watch and Foro Penal have documented how Venezuelan 

security forces have used tactics of torture, involving electric shocks and asphyxiation, against individuals who oppose the Government of Venezuela; 

Whereas the Government of Venezuela continues to use the 

Bolivarian National Guard and National Police to repress 

and detain protesters and subsequently try them in miliVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:26 Dec 20, 2017 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR363.IS SR363

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tary courts with at least 198 documented cases against 

civilians in military courts; and 

Whereas, on July 25, 2017, the Organization of American 

States Secretary General Luis Almagro convened public 

hearings to review whether the Government of Venezuela 

has committed crimes against humanity and should be 

referred to the International Criminal Court: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses its profound concern about the 

3 humanitarian impacts of the crisis suffered by the 

4 people of Venezuela, including widespread shortages 

5 of basic food commodities and essential medicines; 

6 (2) urges President of Venezuela Nicolas 

7 Maduro to permit the delivery of international hu8 manitarian assistance; 

9 (3) calls on the Government of Venezuela to im10 mediately release all political prisoners and to re11 spect internationally recognized human rights; 

12 (4) calls on the Government of Venezuela to en13 sure the neutrality and professionalism of all secu14 rity forces and to respect the Venezuelan people’s 

15 rights to freedom of expression and assembly; 

16 (5) supports the Secretary General of the Orga17 nization of American States in his review of whether 

18 the widespread human rights abuses in Venezuela 


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1 warrant an investigation by the International Crimi2 nal Court; and 

3 (6) urges the President of the United States to 

4 provide full support for OAS efforts in examining 

5 the human rights situation in Venezuela and to in6 struct appropriate Federal agencies to hold officials 

7 of the Government of Venezuela accountable for vio8 lations of United States law and abuses of inter9 nationally recognized human rights. 

Æ 


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