IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1006 

Condemning the deteriorating situation in Venezuela and the regional humanitarian crisis it has caused, affirming support for the legitimate National 

Assembly and the Supreme Court, and urging further regional action 

in support of democracy in Venezuela. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 19, 2018 

Mr. COOK (for himself, Mr. SIRES, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, and Mr. ENGEL) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 

Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning the deteriorating situation in Venezuela and 

the regional humanitarian crisis it has caused, affirming 

support for the legitimate National Assembly and the 

Supreme Court, and urging further regional action in 

support of democracy in Venezuela. 

Whereas the government of Nicola ́s Maduro and the United 

Socialist Party of Venezuela have systematically dismantled and destroyed democracy in Venezuela; 

Whereas the government of Nicola ́s Maduro and the United 

Socialist Party of Venezuela are responsible for creating 

a humanitarian, economic, social, and political crisis in 

Venezuela that is unprecedented in the country’s history; 


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Whereas Nicola ́s Maduro has consistently refused to acknowledge Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis and has rejected 

humanitarian aid from the United States and the international community; 

Whereas the government of Nicola ́s Maduro and the United 

Socialist Party of Venezuela have used food and humanitarian aid as a weapon for social control and have stolen 

funds from Local Food Production and Provision Committees, the Venezuelan distribution food aid program, 

according to a joint statement issued by Colombia, Mexico, Panama, and the United States on July 12, 2018; 

Whereas Venezuela’s inflation rate has reached nearly 14,000 

percent and is predicted to continue increasing, according 

to reports issued by the opposition-led National Assembly; 

Whereas it is estimated that the Venezuelan Government 

owes about— 

(1) $64,000,000,000 to bondholders; 

(2) a total of $20,000,000,000 to China and Russia; 

(3) $5,000,000,000 to multilateral lenders; and 

(4) according to press reports, tens of billions to importers and service companies in the oil industry; 

Whereas the capital city of Caracas has a per-capita homicide 

rate of 104 per 100,000 citizens, among the highest in 

the world, according to the Venezuelan Observatory of 

Violence; 

Whereas, on June 20, 2018, the Pan-American Health Organization issued a report finding increases in new cases of 

malaria, measles, diphtheria, HIV/AIDS, and tuberculosis 

in Venezuela; 


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Whereas, on June 22, 2018, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a report stating that 

‘‘human rights violations committed during demonstrations form part of a wider pattern of repression against 

political dissidents and anyone perceived as posing a 

threat’’ to the government of Nicola ́s Maduro and referred the report to the International Criminal Court; 

Whereas according to the Venezuelan human rights group 

Foro Penal, there are at least 254 political prisoners 

being held in Venezuela as of July 2018; 

Whereas according to the United Nations High Commissioner 

for Refugees, the deterioration of conditions in Venezuela 

has led to the emigration of at least 2,000,000 Venezuelans to neighboring countries, including Brazil, Chile, 

Caribbean island countries, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, 

and Peru; 

Whereas the United States has provided at least $56,000,000 

since fiscal year 2017 to countries in the Western Hemisphere, in response to the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis; 

Whereas the United States has imposed sanctions on— 

(1) 59 Venezuelan officials, for human rights violations and corruption; and 

(2) 22 individuals with connections to Venezuela and 

27 Venezuelan entities, for drug trafficking; 

Whereas Canada has sanctioned at least 70 Venezuelan officials for corruption or human rights abuses; 

Whereas the European Union has sanctioned at least 18 Venezuelan officials for human rights violations and undermining democracy, including Vice President Delcy 

Rodrı ́guez; 


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Whereas Switzerland has placed economic sanctions on at 

least 7 senior Venezuelan officials and multiple Venezuelan entities, for violations of individual freedoms and 

for severely undermining the separation of powers; 

Whereas Panama has increased its financial oversight of at 

least 55 Venezuelans and 16 Venezuelan entities that the 

United States considered to be a high risk for money 

laundering; 

Whereas Colombia, Panama, Mexico, and the United States 

have expanded cooperation to fight illegal financial networks that support the repressive government of Nicola ́s 

Maduro; 

Whereas the United States, the Lima Group, the G–7, and 

European Union declared the national elections that occurred in Venezuela on May 20, 2018, were illegitimate; 

Whereas the Permanent Council of the Organization of 

American States (OAS) passed Resolution 1078 (2108/ 

17) on April 3, 2017, expressing ‘‘grave concern regarding the unconstitutional alteration of the democratic 

order’’; 

Whereas Executive Order 13835 (83 Fed. Reg. 24001), 

signed on May 21, 2018, tightened existing sanctions 

that prohibit United States purchases of Venezuelan 

debt; 

Whereas the government of Nicola ́s Maduro expelled two senior United States diplomats from Caracas on May 22, 

2018, and the United States responded reciprocally on 

May 23, 2018; 

Whereas, on May 29, 2018, a panel of international experts 

designated by the Secretary General of the OAS found 

that ‘‘there are reasonable grounds that satisfy the 


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standard of proof required by Article 53 of the Rome 

Statute’’ that the Venezuelan people were subjected to 

‘‘crimes against humanity’’, and that as a result the situation in Venezuela should be referred to the International 

Criminal Court; and 

Whereas, on June 5, 2018, the General Assembly of the OAS 

passed a resolution on Venezuela, with the support of 19 

countries, reaffirming the ‘‘obligation of the governments 

[of the Americas] to promote and defend [democracy]’’ 

and declaring that the national elections that occurred on 

May 20, 2018, were illegitimate ‘‘for not complying with 

international standards, for not having met the participation of all Venezuelan political actors, and for being carried out without the necessary guarantees for a free, fair, 

transparent and democratic process’’: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) condemns the deteriorating situation in 

3 Venezuela and the regional humanitarian crisis it 

4 has caused, affirms support for the legitimate Na5 tional Assembly and the Supreme Court, and urges 

6 further regional action in support of democracy in 

7 Venezuela; 

8 (2) applauds the efforts of the Lima Group and 

9 the countries that voted in favor of the Resolution 

10 on the Situation in Venezuela passed by the OAS 

11 General Assembly on June 5, 2018, and calls on 

12 countries that abstained from the vote or voted 

13 against the resolution to join the international comVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:02 Jul 19, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1006.IH HR1006

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1 munity and the region in support of democracy in 

2 Venezuela; 

3 (3) supports the findings of the OAS panel of 

4 experts, as presented on May 29, 2018, that there 

5 are reasonable grounds to believe that the govern6 ment of Nicola ́s Maduro has committed crimes 

7 against humanity and urges countries in the region 

8 to take actions to support an investigation under 

9 international law into crimes against humanity com10 mitted by that government; 

11 (4) expresses concern over the continued hu12 manitarian crisis in Venezuela; 

13 (5) urges countries in the region to coordinate 

14 a regional humanitarian response and to work with 

15 European, Asian, and African countries to coordi16 nate the imposition of sanctions and visa bans for 

17 Venezuelan officials responsible for the ongoing cri18 sis; and 

19 (6) calls on the President to increase United 

20 States support to the Venezuelan people by pro21 viding further humanitarian assistance in the region, 

22 imposing additional targeted sanctions on Ven23 ezuelan officials, including under the Global 

24 Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act (22 

25 U.S.C. 2656 note), increasing public diplomacy efVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:02 Jul 19, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1006.IH HR1006

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1 forts to expose the levels of corruption among Ven2 ezuelan officials, and supporting democratic actors 

3 in Venezuela. 

Æ 


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