North Miami-Dade News

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs of the Committee on Foreign Relations, sent a letter to President Biden demanding that the Administration reimpose sanctions on the socialist regime of Nicolás Maduro for violating the agreement negotiated by Biden with the dictatorship on October 17, 2023.

"The dictator Nicolás Maduro wants to choose an opposition candidate that he finds acceptable," wrote Congresswoman Salazar. "This is a clear violation of the agreement reached on October 17 in Barbados, which you facilitated. As such, you must enforce the agreement and reimpose sanctions."

Maduro has repeatedly demonstrated to the world that he is unwilling to hold free and fair elections in Venezuela, despite presidential elections being scheduled for the end of next year. He has consistently sought to thwart his main opposition figure, María Corina Machado, by declaring her campaign illegal in June 2023 and using tactics of violence and intimidation to suppress her popular campaign efforts throughout Venezuela.

These attacks were strongly condemned by Congresswoman Salazar, who has urged President Biden in a letter to protect María Corina while introducing legislation to safeguard her candidacy.

President Biden reached an agreement with the brutal Maduro regime in October 2023 to establish fair and democratic presidential elections. In exchange, the Biden Administration lifted sanctions on Venezuelan oil, gas, and gold.

Nicolás Maduro immediately violated the agreement when, in the same month, he suspended the results of the primary elections in which María Corina Machado won over 90% of the over 2.5 million votes cast by Venezuelans worldwide.

The United States must adhere to the agreement reached with the Maduro regime by reimposing sanctions on its exports.

As Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs, Congresswoman Salazar is focused on helping people suffering under socialist regimes like those in Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. She has sponsored numerous laws to achieve this goal in Venezuela and to advocate for the exiled community, including the AFFECT Venezuelan Human Rights Act and the Venezuelan Adjustment Act.

Read the full text of the letter HERE.

To learn more, click on this link: https://salazar.house.gov/media/press-releases/congresista-salazar-exige-al-presidente-biden-que-vuelva-imponer-sanciones-al