I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8813 
To direct the United States Government to support extending the mandate 
of the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela 
which is set to expire in September 2022. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 13, 2022 
Mr. SIRES (for himself, Mr. CASTRO of Texas, Mr. GREEN of Tennessee, Mr. 
CONNOLLY, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, Ms. SALAZAR, 
Mr. VARGAS, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Mr. VICENTE GONZALEZ of Texas, Ms. 
TITUS, and Mr. CICILLINE) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
A BILL 
To direct the United States Government to support extending 
the mandate of the Independent International Fact-Find-
ing Mission on Venezuela which is set to expire in Sep-
tember 2022. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Assuring that the 
Fact-Finding Examination Continues to Track Human 
Rights in Venezuela Act’’ or the ‘‘AFFECT Human 
Rights in Venezuela Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) In its Resolution 42/25 adopted on Sep-
tember 27, 2019, the United Nations Human Rights 
Council established an independent fact-finding mis-
sion, the Independent International Fact-Finding 
Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (in 
this section referred to as the ‘‘Fact-Finding Mis-
sion’’) ‘‘to investigate extrajudicial executions, en-
forced disappearances, arbitrary detentions and tor-
ture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treat-
ment since 2014 with a view to ensuring full ac-
countability for perpetrators and justice for vic-
tims’’. The mandate of the Fact-Finding Mission 
was extended by the United Nations Human Rights 
Council on October 6, 2020, for an additional two 
years, until September 2022, through its Resolution 
45/20. 
(2) The Fact-Finding Mission has identified 
specific incidents and patterns establishing reason-
able grounds to conclude that violations of inter-
national human rights and criminal law have been 
committed in Venezuela, according to its September 
2020 report. 
(3) The Fact-Finding Mission has faced several 
constraints, including lack of access to work in-coun-
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try, travel limitations due to the COVID–19 pan-
demic, disrupted interviews due to electricity and 
internet failures, and limited ability to secure wit-
ness statements and key documents. Despite these 
challenges, the Fact-Finding Mission was able to 
carry out its investigative and analytical work and 
generate reports that serve as an invaluable resource 
for victims, civil society organizations, and inter-
national accountability mechanisms. 
(4) The United States has historically used its 
voice, vote, and influence at the United Nations to 
address human rights abuses around the world and 
to seek to hold perpetrators accountable. 
(5) Marta Valin˜as, Chair of the Fact-Finding 
Mission, reported at the 49th session of the Human 
Rights Council that the Venezuelan people ‘‘have en-
dured a decade of deepening economic, humanitarian 
and human rights crises, as well as the breaking 
down of State institutions, all of this exacerbated, 
most recently, by the impact of COVID–19. The 
clearest showing of this are the more than six mil-
lion people who have had to leave the country.’’. 
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SEC. 3. ACTIONS RELATING TO THE INDEPENDENT INTER-
NATIONAL FACT-FINDING MISSION ON THE 
BOLIVARIAN REPUBLIC OF VENEZUELA. 
(a) SUPPORT TO EXTEND MANDATE.—The Sec-
retary of State shall take such actions as may be necessary 
to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States 
in the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) 
and the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to 
seek to— 
(1) extend the mandate of the Independent 
International 
Fact-Finding 
Mission 
on 
the 
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela (in this section re-
ferred to as the ‘‘Fact-Finding Mission’’) by two 
years beyond September 2022, as previously outlined 
and determined by UNHRC Resolutions 42/25 (Sep-
tember 27, 2019) and 45/20 (October 6, 2020), to 
conclude in October 2024; 
(2) encourage international support among 
member states of UNHRC to empower the Fact- 
Finding Mission to thoroughly conduct its stated 
purpose of investigating gross violations of human 
rights perpetrated in Venezuela since 2014; and 
(3) provide investigative and technical assist-
ance to the Fact-Finding Mission as requested and 
as permitted within United Nations rules and regu-
lations and within United States law. 
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(b) SUPPORT FOR FURTHER ACTION.—The Presi-
dent is authorized to direct the United States Permanent 
Representative to the United Nations to use the voice, 
vote, and influence of the United States to urge the United 
Nations to provide greater action with respect to human 
rights violations in Venezuela by— 
(1) urging the UNGA to consider a resolution 
condemning the Venezuelan regime’s use of political 
prisoners and wrongfully detained foreign nationals, 
including Americans, as leverage to extract conces-
sions from its adversaries consistent with UNHRC 
Resolution 42/25; 
(2) assisting efforts by the relevant United Na-
tions Special Envoys and Special Rapporteurs to se-
cure the release of all political prisoners and wrong-
fully detained foreign nationals in Venezuela, pro-
mote respect for human rights, and encourage dia-
logue towards a peaceful and democratic transfer of 
power; 
(3) urging the United Nations and specialized 
agencies to address the humanitarian needs of the 
people of Venezuela, including vulnerable Venezuelan 
refugees and migrants in third countries through di-
rect assistance; and 
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(4) supporting access for humanitarian actors, 
independent media, and credible international legal 
and judicial entities, including future United Na-
tions Fact-Finding Missions and similar investiga-
tory mechanisms, to people residing in Venezuela 
and to the growing Venezuelan diaspora. 
(c) DUE CONSIDERATION OF FACT-FINDING MIS-
SION REPORTS.—The President and Secretary of State 
shall— 
(1) appropriately review all past and future re-
ports presented by the Fact-Finding Mission to the 
UNHRC, including the Detailed Findings published 
on September 25, 2020 (A/HRC/45/33) and Sep-
tember 16, 2021 (A/HRC/48/69); and 
(2) give due consideration to the Fact-Finding 
Mission’s reported conclusions in developing and exe-
cuting the foreign policy of the United States with 
respect to Venezuela. 
(d) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until 
the expiration of the official mandate of the Fact-Finding 
Mission, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appro-
priate congressional committees a report on the implemen-
tation of the actions described in subsections (a), (b), and 
(c). 
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(e) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DE-
FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congres-
sional committees’’ means— 
(1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep-
resentatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 
Æ 
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