NOTICIAS

Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a Senate resolution condemning the Maduro regime’s ongoing efforts to hold fraudulent legislative elections scheduled for this December. The upcoming fraudulent elections will fail to meet minimal democratic standards and are a direct attack against the nation’s National Assembly, the only remaining democratically-elected institution in Venezuela.

The bipartisan resolution recognizes that according to the Venezuelan constitution, and as President of the National Assembly, Interim President Juan Guaidó serves as the nation’s legitimate leader in the absence of a democratically elected president of Venezuela. It also denounces the Maduro regime’s efforts to hold fraudulent elections and reaffirms that U.S. policy towards Venezuela is based on promoting a democratic electoral process where the Venezuelan people can freely elect their leaders.

The resolution is cosponsored by Senators Ted Cruz (R-TX), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Tim Kaine (D-VA).

“No one should be fooled: Maduro’s objective through these so-called legislative elections is to silence the voices of the members of the democratically-elected National Assembly,” Rubio said. “Following Maduro’s selection of an illegitimate alternative to the National Assembly, and his track record of holding fraudulent elections, the international community must join together in condemning this sham process and support the Venezuelan people.” 

“As the Maduro regime seeks to maintain its grip on power by going after Venezuela’s last surviving democratic institution, this resolution sends a clear bipartisan message rejecting this latest effort to make a mockery of Venezuela’s decimated democracy,” Menendez said. “The world does not need further proof that Venezuelans are desperate for fundamental change away from the Maduro regime and its destruction of their nation. Having already caused the worst humanitarian crisis in our hemisphere, Maduro’s reliance on deceit, repression, and crimes against humanity is only exacerbating Venezuelans’ suffering.”

“As long as Nicolas Maduro and his cronies are in power, Venezuela will never have a free and fair election. The National Assembly is the only branch of the government that has been elected by the people of Venezuela, and Maduro’s attempt to circumvent it to secure his reelection is a direct attack on Venezuela’s democracy,” Cruz said. “I am proud to join my colleagues in sending a clear message that the United States will not recognize Maduro’s illegitimate power grab through this sham election, and will continue to stand with Venezuelans fighting for freedom and democracy.”

“Two years after a discredited election, Maduro is pushing yet another fraudulent election to try to dismantle the National Assembly, one of Venezuela’s last legitimate democratic institutions,” Durbin said. “Amid a pandemic and heartbreaking Venezuelan refugee crisis, we cannot allow Maduro to further push Venezuela into the abyss with another sham vote. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues, interim President Juan Guaidó, and the Venezuelan people in calling for legitimate presidential and legislative elections to build the democratic and prosperous country that Venezuelans deserve.”

“As we continue to fight for free and fair elections in Latin America and around the world, we must recognize Maduro’s sham election as a pathetic attempt by the regime to create the false appearance of democracy,” Scott said. “This is nothing more than a stunt designed to further oppress the Venezuelan people. The United States, and freedom-loving countries around the world, must denounce Maduro’s desperate attempts to cling power, and continue to stand with the people of Venezuela.”

“The Venezuelan people deserve transparent, free and fair elections, and we must continue to work with our international allies to support the return of legitimate democracy in Venezuela,” Cardin said. “As Venezuela experiences one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world, we must support efforts to facilitate access for humanitarian organizations, urge for the release of political prisoners, and call for the end of arbitrary detentions and violence against political opponents and those fighting for civil and human rights.”

Rubio is the Chairman and Cardin the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Transnational Crime, Civilian Security, Democracy, Human Rights, and Global Women’s Issues.

The full text of the resolution is here.

RUBIO, MENENDEZ, Y COLEGAS PRESENTAN RESOLUCIÓN BIPARTIDISTA RECHAZANDO LAS PRÓXIMAS ELECCIONES FRAUDULENTAS EN VENEZUELA

Washington, D.C. — Los senadores estadounidenses Marco Rubio (R-FL) y Bob Menendez (D-NJ), el miembro de más alto rango del Comité de Relaciones Exteriores del Senado, presentaron una resolución en el Senado condenando los esfuerzos en curso por parte del régimen de Maduro de convocar a unas elecciones legislativas para este diciembre. Las próximas elecciones fraudulentas no cumplirán con los mínimos estándares democráticos y son un ataque directo contra la Asamblea Nacional, la única institución democráticamente electa que queda en Venezuela.
 
La resolución bipartidista reconoce que de acuerdo con la constitución venezolana, y como presidente actual de la Asamblea Nacional, el presidente interino Juan Guaidó es el líder legítimo del país en ausencia de un presidente electo democráticamente en Venezuela. La resolución también denuncia los esfuerzos del régimen de Maduro por realizar elecciones fraudulentas y reafirma que la política de EE.UU. hacia Venezuela se basa en promover un proceso electoral democrático donde el pueblo venezolano pueda elegir libremente a sus líderes.
 
La resolución es patrocinada por los senadores Ted Cruz (R-TX), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Rick Scott (R-FL), Ben Cardin (D-MD) y Tim Kaine (D-VA).
 
“Nadie debe ser engañado: el objetivo de Maduro, a través de estas llamadas elecciones legislativas, es silenciar las voces de los integrantes de la Asamblea Nacional electa democráticamente”, Rubio dijo. “Tras la selección por parte de Maduro de una Asamblea Constituyente ilegítima, y su historial de convocar a elecciones fraudulentas, la comunidad internacional debe unirse para condenar este proceso falso y apoyar al pueblo venezolano”.
 
Rubio es el presidente es el presidente del Subcomité de Relaciones Exteriores para el Hemisferio Occidental, Delincuencia Transnacional, Seguridad Civil, Democracia, Derechos Humanos y Asuntos Globales de la Mujer.
El texto de la resolución está aquí.