IIB 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2658 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
DECEMBER 11, 2017 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 
AN ACT 
To provide humanitarian assistance for the Venezuelan peo-
ple, to defend democratic governance and combat wide-
spread public corruption in Venezuela, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:05 Dec 11, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2658.RFS
H2658
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS
HR 2658 RFS
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Venezuela Humanitarian Assistance and Defense of 
Democratic Governance Act of 2017’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings. 
Sec. 3. Sense of Congress. 
Sec. 4. Requirement for strategy to provide humanitarian assistance to the peo-
ple of Venezuela. 
Sec. 5. Requirement for strategy to coordinate international humanitarian as-
sistance. 
Sec. 6. Support for efforts at the United Nations on the humanitarian and po-
litical crisis in Venezuela. 
Sec. 7. Support for Organization of American States Inter-American Demo-
cratic Charter. 
Sec. 8. Concerns and report on the involvement of Venezuelan officials in cor-
ruption and illicit narcotics trafficking. 
Sec. 9. Sanctions on persons responsible for public corruption and undermining 
democratic governance in Venezuela. 
Sec. 10. Concerns over PDVSA transactions with Rosneft. 
Sec. 11. Report on activities of certain governments in Venezuela. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) The deterioration of democratic governance 
and the economic crisis in Venezuela have led to an 
unprecedented humanitarian situation in which peo-
ple are suffering from severe shortages of essential 
medicines and basic food products. 
(2) According to the World Health Organiza-
tion, Venezuela had a shortage of necessary medica-
tions and medical supplies of— 
(A) 55 percent in 2014; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:05 Dec 11, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2658.RFS
H2658
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS
HR 2658 RFS
(B) 67 percent in 2015; and 
(C) 75 percent in 2016. 
(3) According to a Human Rights Watch 2016 
report, it is increasingly difficult for many Ven-
ezuelans, particularly those in lower- or middle-in-
come families, to obtain adequate nutrition and 
there are reports of symptoms of malnutrition, par-
ticularly in children. 
(4) Maternal deaths in Venezuela increased by 
66 percent from 2015 to 2016 while infant deaths 
increased by 30 percent. 
(5) There were 240,000 confirmed malaria 
cases in Venezuela in 2016—a 76 percent increase 
over 2015. 
(6) A survey—conducted jointly by the Central 
University of Venezuela, the Andre´s Bello Catholic 
University, and the Simo´n Bolivar University— 
found that almost 75 percent of Venezuelans lost an 
average of at least 19 pounds in 2016 as a result 
of a lack of proper nutrition amidst the country’s 
economic crisis. 
(7) Despite massive shortages of basic food-
stuffs and essential medicines, Nicola´s Maduro has 
rejected repeated requests from the Venezuelan Na-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
23:05 Dec 11, 2017
Jkt 079200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H2658.RFS
H2658
daltland on DSKBBV9HB2PROD with BILLS