III 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 213 

Expressing support for the free and peaceful exercise of representative democracy in Venezuela and condemning violence and intimidation against 

the country’s political opposition. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 1, 2013 

Mr. MENENDEZ (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, Mr. NELSON, Mr. KAINE, Mr. 

UDALL of New Mexico, Mr. MCCAIN, and Mr. KIRK) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing support for the free and peaceful exercise of 

representative democracy in Venezuela and condemning 

violence and intimidation against the country’s political 

opposition. 

Whereas the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela 

declared Nicola ́s Maduro to be the winner of Venezuela’s 

April 14, 2013, presidential election, after crediting him 

with receiving 50.6 percent of votes cast; 

Whereas Venezuela’s political opposition has highlighted 

widespread incidents of potential electoral irregularities, 

voter intimidation, and other abuses perpetrated by the 

Government of Venezuela in favor of the candidacy of 

Nicola ́s Maduro; 


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•SRES 213 IS 

Whereas the Organization of American States and other multilateral institutions called for a full recount and audit 

that addresses all claims by participants in the electoral 

process in Venezuela; 

Whereas the Senate of the Republic of Chile, the Christian 

Democratic Organization of the Americas, the Socialist 

International, the Union of Latin American parties, and 

other political organizations in the region have issued 

declarations recognizing the alleged irregularities documented by the opposition in Venezuela and urged a complete audit of the election results; 

Whereas the CNE has denied the political opposition’s request for a full and comprehensive audit of the election 

results that includes the review and comparison of voter 

registry log books, vote tallies produced by electronic voting machines, and the paper receipts printed by electronic 

voting machines; 

Whereas the Preamble of the Charter of the Organization of 

American States affirms that ‘‘representative democracy 

is an indispensable condition for the stability, peace and 

development of the region,’’ and Article 1 of the InterAmerican Democratic Charter recognizes that ‘‘the people of the Americas have a right to democracy and their 

governments have an obligation to promote and defend 

it’’; 

Whereas the republican form of government prescribed in the 

Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has 

its legislative branch in the National Assembly, where the 

free participation and deliberation of its democratically 

elected representatives is essential to legislate and check 

the powers of the executive branch; 


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•SRES 213 IS 

Whereas the President of the National Assembly denied opposition parties the right to speak in the legislature from 

April 16 to May 21, 2013, and removed them from key 

committees in response to their refusal to recognize 

Nicola ́s Maduro as president; 

Whereas members of the ruling United Socialist Party of 

Venezuela (PSUV) violently assaulted opposition legislators on April 16 and April 30, 2013, in the National Assembly, causing lacerations, broken bones, and other injuries to members of the political opposition; 

Whereas the Department of State responded to the violence 

against opposition legislators in Venezuela by declaring 

that ‘‘violence has no place in a representative and democratic system, and is particularly inappropriate in the 

National Assembly’’; 

Whereas the Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS) has repudiated the incident by stating 

that it ‘‘reflects, in a dramatic manner, the absence of a 

political dialogue that can bring tranquility to the citizens 

and to the members of the different public powers to resolve in a peaceful climate and with everybody’s participation the pending matters of the country’’; 

Whereas the Congress of the Republic of Peru passed a resolution rejecting the use of violence against opposition parties in the Venezuelan National Assembly and expressing 

solidarity with those injured by the events of April 2013; 

and 

Whereas, as a member of the Organization of American 

States and signatory to the Inter-American Democratic 

Charter, the Bolivarian Government of Venezuela has 

agreed to abide by the principles of constitutional, repVerDate Mar 15 2010 02:30 Aug 02, 2013 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR213.IS SR213

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•SRES 213 IS 

resentative democracy, which include free and fair elections and adherence to its own constitution: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) supports the people of Venezuela in their 

3 pursuit of the free exercise of representative democ4 racy in Venezuela; 

5 (2) calls for greater dialogue between all polit6 ical actors in Venezuela and strongly deplores the 

7 undemocratic denial of legitimate parliamentary 

8 rights to members of opposition parties in the Na9 tional Assembly and the inexcusable violence per10 petrated against opposition legislators inside the leg11 islative chambers of Venezuela; 

12 (3) commends legislators from other nations in 

13 the Americas who have declared their opposition to 

14 political irregularities and the use of violence against 

15 opposition parliamentarians in Venezuela; 

16 (4) urges the Organization of American States 

17 to issue a detailed report on any and all irregular18 ities resulting from the April 14, 2013, presidential 

19 election in Venezuela; 

20 (5) urges the United States Ambassador to the 

21 Organization of American States to work in concert 

22 with other member states to use the full power of 

23 the organization in support of meaningful steps to 


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•SRES 213 IS 

1 ensure full parliamentary democracy and the rule of 

2 law in Venezuela in accordance with the Inter-Amer3 ican Democratic Charter, including invoking articles 

4 related to unconstitutional interruptions of the 

5 democratic order in a member state; and 

6 (6) urges the United States Ambassador to the 

7 Organization of American States to work in concert 

8 with other member states to strengthen the ability 

9 of the Organization to protect democratic institu10 tions and to respond to the erosion of democracy in 

11 member states. 

Æ 


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