Amidst ongoing tension in Venezuela, President Joe Biden (D) has announced that the U.S. will ease sanctions on Venezuelan oil with the promise of freer presidential elections. The announcement is set to come after the Maduro regime and the opposition sign an agreement regarding the initiative. In response to the announcement, Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) has released a statement, endorsing Biden's response to Venezuelan sanctions.
Taking to social media, Wasserman Schultz expressed that “as the Representative for one of the largest concentrations of Venezuelans in the U.S., I have been forthright in my stance that sanctions against the Maduro dictatorship must be upheld until there are clear, rock-solid commitment from the regime.”
This commitment includes “free and fair elections, release of political prisoners, an end to state corruption and violence, and restoration of judicial independence,” which she argues “have remained elusive, driving the displacement of over eight million Venezuelans in the last decade.”
She praised “President Biden’s steadfast position that sanctions relief is contingent on these objectives and his recognition that negotiation is the best path to achieve them,” adding that she is appreciative of “the leadership exemplified by the Unitary Platform and Venezuela’s opposition presidential candidates under arduous conditions.”
However, given the Maduro regimes political history, she is hopeful that “any agreement includes mechanisms to ensure the regime’s compliance and punish its contravention.”
Wasserman Schultz concluded by affirming that she will continue to advocate for the passage of the Affect Human Rights in Venezuela Act, a bill that would “ensure accountability for the regime’s crimes against humanity.” Another bill she highlights is the VOICE Act, which would “coordinate U.S. policy with our allies to maximize the prospects for free elections.”
In September, Nicolas Maduro and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met in Beijing to discuss Venezuela’s economic funding, resulting in Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) calling on sanctions against Venezuela to continue.
