Title: Condemning Nicolás Maduro's regime for its ongoing human rights abuses and crimes against humanity in Venezuela.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
This resolution condemns Nicolas Maduro's regime for its violation of Venezuelans' basic human rights, recognizes that these human rights violations amount to crimes against humanity, and calls on President Biden to take substantive action to ensure both Maduro's resignation and a peaceful transition to democracy in Venezuela.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 377 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 377

Condemning Nicolas Maduro's regime for its ongoing human rights abuses 
               and crimes against humanity in Venezuela.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 7, 2021

 Ms. Malliotakis (for herself, Ms. Salazar, and Mr. Gimenez) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                            Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Condemning Nicolas Maduro's regime for its ongoing human rights abuses 
               and crimes against humanity in Venezuela.

Whereas in September 2020, a United Nations mission found that Nicolas Maduro 
        and his regime have carried out thousands of extrajudicial murders of 
        peaceful dissidents and political opponents since Maduro's rise to power 
        in 2013;
Whereas the Maduro regime is currently detaining at least 300 political 
        prisoners in dangerous and inhumane conditions across Venezuela, 
        including in the notorious El Helicoide in Caracas;
Whereas the Maduro regime's security forces continue to engage in torture and 
        sexual abuse of political prisoners and members of their families to 
        stoke terror and repress prodemocracy efforts in Venezuela;
Whereas the Maduro regime has increased arbitrary detention and intimidation of 
        journalists, frontline workers, and legislators to silence criticism of 
        the regime's mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas Venezuela's kleptocratic elite, including the family of Hugo Chavez, 
        possess a fortune estimated at over $4,000,000,000;
Whereas the average Venezuelan lost 24 pounds of body weight in 2017 due to 
        widespread poverty and food shortages;
Whereas the Maduro regime has consistently restricted the ability of nonprofits 
        and humanitarian aid organizations to assist Venezuelans in need of 
        basic foodstuffs and hygiene items; and
Whereas over 5,000,000 of Venezuela's 32,000,000 people have fled Venezuela as 
        refugees due to the failures and mass human rights violations of the 
        Maduro regime: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) strongly condemns Nicolas Maduro's regime for its 
        violation of the basic human rights of countless Venezuelans;
            (2) recognizes that the Maduro regime's pattern of gross 
        human rights violations amounts to crimes against humanity;
            (3) supports the people of Venezuela and their fight to 
        achieve freedom and democracy; and
            (4) calls on President Biden to take substantive action to 
        ensure Maduro's resignation and a peaceful transition to 
        democracy in Venezuela.
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