North Miami-Dade News

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairwoman María Elvira Salazar (R-FL) joined Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Chris Smith (R-NJ), Mike Waltz (R-FL), Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR), Keith Self (R-TX), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), and Carlos A. Giménez (R-FL) in introducing the Venezuela Advancing Liberty, Opportunity, and Rights (VALOR) Act.

Senators Jim Risch (R-ID), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Rick Scott (R-FL), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and John Barrasso (R-WY) introduced the Senate version of the legislation.

Although Edmundo Gonzalez won the election in Venezuela with over two-thirds of the vote and has provided evidence to support this claim, the Nicolás Maduro regime declared victory despite lacking proof required by the Venezuelan constitution. This led to González being forced into exile in Spain under threat of arrest.

“The message needs to be sent loud and clear that the United States will be doing no more business with the Maduro dictatorship,” said Chairwoman Salazar. “By passing the VALOR Act into law, Maduro will know that the United States is serious – listen to your people or pay the price.”

The VALOR Act includes several measures:

- Establishes democratic benchmarks guiding sanctions removal on non-democratic successors.

- Reaffirms financial sanctions on entities like Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A., and Venezuelan cryptocurrency.

- Blocks participation of any non-democratic Venezuelan government at international organizations such as OAS and IMF.

- Authorizes a $5 million U.S. contribution for an OAS Emergency Fund for human rights monitors.

- Supports NGOs involved in humanitarian and democracy-building projects in Venezuela.

- Blocks U.S. foreign assistance to countries aiding the Maduro regime.

- Requires an economic assistance plan for a democratically governed Venezuela.

- Mandates a report from the president on trade barriers between U.S. and a democratic Venezuela.

Chairwoman Salazar has been vocal about concerns regarding fair elections in Venezuela and has called for decisive action from the Biden Administration.

For full text of the VALOR Act, click here.

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