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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 488 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 488

   Supporting the people of Venezuela as they protest peacefully for 
           democratic change and calling to end the violence.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 25, 2014

    Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself, Mr. Salmon, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Ms. 
 Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Sires, Mr. Garcia, Mr. DeSantis, Mr. Grayson, 
 Mr. McCaul, Mr. Deutch, Ms. Wilson of Florida, Mr. Murphy of Florida, 
Mr. Yoho, Mr. Stockman, Mr. Duncan of South Carolina, and Mr. Kinzinger 
of Illinois) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
   Supporting the people of Venezuela as they protest peacefully for 
           democratic change and calling to end the violence.

Whereas the United States Government should support the free and peaceful 
        exercise of representative democracy in Venezuela, condemning violence 
        and intimidation against the country's political opposition, and calling 
        for dialogue between all political actors in the country;
Whereas, on February 12, 2014, also known in Venezuela as the National Youth 
        Day, students began protesting in several cities against anti-democratic 
        decisions and the crippling economy made by Venezuelan leader Nicolas 
        Maduro;
Whereas, on February 12, 2014, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Leopoldo 
        Lopez, leader of the opposition party Voluntad Popular, for baseless and 
        unfounded allegations in connection with the student protests;
Whereas, on February 17, 2014, the Government of Venezuela notified the United 
        States Department of State that it had declared 3 consular officers at 
        the United States Embassy in Venezuela personae non gratae;
Whereas over the last year, the Government of Venezuela has expelled a total of 
        8 United States Government officials from Venezuela;
Whereas, on February 18, 2014, opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez turned himself 
        in to Venezuelan authorities, was arrested, and charged with criminal 
        incitement, conspiracy, arson, and intent to damage property;
Whereas Leopoldo Lopez is currently being held in a prison at a military 
        facility;
Whereas according to Amnesty International, ``The charges brought against 
        Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez smack of a politically 
        motivated attempt to silence dissent in the country'';
Whereas the Venezuelan Government has blocked users' online images as opposition 
        groups marched through Caracas;
Whereas the Venezuelan people have been protesting economic, social, and 
        political concerns facing their country, including corruption, rising 
        inflation rates, unemployment, shortages of everyday products, 
        increasing crime rates, and the erosion of human rights and respect for 
        political dissent;
Whereas, on February 19, 2014, President Barack Obama criticized the Venezuelan 
        Government for arresting protesters, called for their release, and urged 
        the government to focus on the ``legitimate grievances of the Venezuelan 
        people'';
Whereas, as of February 20, 2014, there have been 13 people killed, over 100 
        injured, and many persons unjustly detained due to pro-democracy 
        demonstrations throughout Venezuela;
Whereas Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro threatened to expel the United States 
        news network CNN from Venezuela and has taken off the air the Colombian 
        news channel NTN 24, which transmits in Venezuela, after news outlets 
        reported on the nation-wide protests;
Whereas the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights released a statement on 
        February 14, 2014, which ``expresses its concern over the serious 
        incidents of violence that have taken place in the context of protest 
        demonstrations in Venezuela, as well as other complaints concerning acts 
        of censorship against media outlets, attacks on organizations that 
        defend human rights, and acts of alleged political persecution''; and
Whereas as a member of the Organization of American States and signatory to the 
        Inter-American Democratic Charter, the Government of Venezuela has 
        agreed to abide by the principles of constitutional, representative 
        democracy, which include free and fair elections and adherence to its 
        own constitution: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the people of Venezuela in their pursuit of 
        freedom of expression and freedom of assembly to promote 
        democratic principles in Venezuela;
            (2) deplores the inexcusable violence perpetrated against 
        opposition leaders and protesters in Venezuela, and the growing 
        efforts to use politically motivated criminal charges to 
        intimidate the country's political opposition;
            (3) urges responsible nations throughout the international 
        community to stand in solidarity with the people of Venezuela 
        and to actively encourage a process of dialogue between the 
        Government of Venezuela and the political opposition to end the 
        violence;
            (4) urges the United States Department of State to work in 
        concert with other countries in the Americas to take meaningful 
        steps to ensure that basic fundamental freedoms in Venezuela 
        are in accordance with the Inter-American Democratic Charter 
        and to strengthen the ability of the Organization of American 
        States (OAS) to respond to the erosion of democratic norms and 
        institutions in member states;
            (5) urges the United States Department of State to insist 
        that the Secretary General of the OAS immediately convene the 
        OAS's Permanent Council to seek the most effective way to 
        expeditiously end the violence in Venezuela in accordance with 
        the Inter-American Democratic Charter; and
            (6) supports the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights 
        in calling upon the Venezuelan Government to ``urgently adopt 
        all measures that may be necessary to guarantee the rights to 
        life, humane treatment, and security, as well as the political 
        rights, the right of assembly, and the rights of freedom of 
        association and freedom of expression of everyone under its 
        jurisdiction''.
                                 <all>
```