IV 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 259 
Expressing concern and condemnation over the political, economic, social, 
and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 6, 2017 
Mr. DESANTIS (for himself, Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. CURBELO 
of Florida, Mr. YOHO, Mr. WEBER of Texas, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. SIRES, 
and Mr. SMITH of New Jersey) submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing concern and condemnation over the political, 
economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. 
Whereas there is no separation of powers or independent in-
stitutions in Venezuela and President Maduro controls 
the Presidency, a majority of the municipalities, the Su-
preme Court, the military leadership, and the leadership 
of Petro´leos de Venezuela (PDVSA); 
Whereas Venezuela’s National Electoral Council postponed 
elections for governors and mayors scheduled for Decem-
ber 2016 and has not set a date to reschedule elections; 
Whereas there have been several attempts at dialogue be-
tween President Maduro and the opposition over the past 
year, which have all failed to achieve results; 
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•HRES 259 IH 
Whereas a political solution is the way to provide sustainable 
change for the Venezuelan people, but the dialogues up 
until now have helped provide Maduro a lifeline while his 
government is collapsing; 
Whereas the Venezuelan government continues to silence its 
citizens through political arrests, with more than 100 po-
litical prisoners currently in jail, including opposition 
leader Leopoldo Lo´pez; 
Whereas Joshua Holt, a United States citizen, remains im-
prisoned in Venezuela awaiting a trial, with five post-
poned hearings to date; 
Whereas police and military raids have led to widespread alle-
gations of abuse, including extrajudicial killings, mass ar-
bitrary detentions, torture in prisons, forced evictions, 
and arbitrary deportations; 
Whereas Venezuela is immersed in a deep economic crisis, 
with the highest inflation in the world and current infla-
tion estimated to top roughly 1,600 percent in 2017, ac-
cording to the International Monetary Fund; 
Whereas in July 2016, President Maduro handed over control 
of the food supply system to the military, which has en-
abled corruption, fraud, and food trafficking by the mili-
tary contributing to food shortages, a scarcity of basic 
goods, and political discrimination in the distribution of 
food and basic goods; 
Whereas deteriorating conditions in health care persist, with 
the World Health Organization estimating that there are 
shortages for 75 percent of necessary medications and 
medical supplies, up from 55 percent in 2014 and 67 per-
cent in 2015; 
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•HRES 259 IH 
Whereas the country is facing increasing outbreaks of ma-
laria and diphtheria, previously eradicated diseases in 
Venezuela; 
Whereas the country has experienced an increase in emigra-
tion, according to multiple press reports, including the 
Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington 
Post; 
Whereas Venezuela is the leading country for asylum requests 
to the United States in the world, according to data re-
ported by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; 
Whereas the Government of Venezuela has expanded its pow-
ers to regulate media and reduce the number of dis-
senting media outlets, including CNN en Espan˜ol after 
CNN broadcasted a report alleging that Vice President 
Tareck El Aissami was directly linked to passport fraud 
involving members of Hezbollah; 
Whereas, on February 13, 2017, the United States Depart-
ment of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control 
designated Tareck Zaidan El Aissami Maddah as a Spe-
cially Designated Narcotics Trafficker pursuant to the 
Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act for playing a 
significant role in international narcotics trafficking and 
imposed sanctions on Mr. El Aissami and froze his assets 
in the United States; 
Whereas, on March 14, 2017, the Secretary General of the 
Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, 
issued a second report on the crisis in Venezuela fol-
lowing his May 2016 report, documenting an altercation 
of the Inter-American Democratic Charter by the Govern-
ment of Venezuela and calling for free, fair, and open 
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•HRES 259 IH 
elections and the release of political prisoners without 
delay; 
Whereas, on March 23, 2017, fourteen OAS Member States 
published a joint statement calling for the Government of 
Venezuela to hold elections, restore the constitutional 
powers of the National Assembly, and release political 
prisoners; 
Whereas, on March 28, 2017, the OAS Permanent Council 
agreed by a vote of 20 in favor, 11 against, 2 absten-
tions, and 1 absent/nonvoting Member States to move 
forward in discussing the situation in Venezuela; 
Whereas, on March 28, 2017, the Supreme Court of Ven-
ezuela stripped opposition leaders of the National Assem-
bly of their parliamentary immunity and began to take 
steps to consider prosecuting them for treason; 
Whereas, on March 29, 2017, the Venezuelan Supreme Court 
seized power from the democratically elected National As-
sembly and nullified the legislative branch’s ability to 
function; 
Whereas, on March 31, 2017, in the first major break of a 
sitting Venezuelan public official, Venezuelan Attorney 
General Luisa Ortega Diaz affirmed the Supreme Court’s 
actions ‘‘had broken constitutional order’’; 
Whereas, on March 31, 2017, Venezuelan citizens took to the 
streets protesting the Supreme Court’s breach of power; 
Whereas, on April 1, 2017, during an emergency meeting of 
the Mercosur countries, the foreign ministers of Argen-
tina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay released a state-
ment urging the Government of Venezuela to follow its 
constitution and guarantee ‘‘the effective separation of 
powers’’; and 
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•HRES 259 IH 
(5) encourages the President of the United 
States to prioritize a resolution of the political, eco-
nomic, social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, 
including through bilateral, targeted sanctions 
against individuals in the Government of Venezuela 
responsible for the deterioration of democratic insti-
tutions and the rule of law in the country. 
Æ 
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