Though it might seem like finding a bipartisan effort in the House of Representatives is impossible given the current political climate, Florida is leading the charge on an issue that transcends party lines. Florida lawmakers have joined forces to go after Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, calling for a higher bounty for his political crimes.
Florida Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart (R), Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D), María Elvira Salazar (R), Mike Waltz (R), and Darren Soto (D) have introduced a bill that would raise the U.S. Department of Justice’s bounty on dictator Nicolás Maduro from $15 million to $100 milion. The increase in bounty would be funded by assets that have already been seized from the Maduro regime and its co-conspirators, not taxpayer funds.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in South Florida and its federal law enforcement partners who have attracted dozens of criminal charges against high-level regime officials, the asset seizures total approximately $450 million.
In a statement, Rep. Diaz-Balart commented that “for nearly two months since the July 28th presidential elections, in which the Venezuelan people overwhelmingly voted for President-elect Edmundo González, the Maduro regime has only escalated its brutal repression.” “According to reports, arbitrary detentions, torture, and politically motivated persecution – have intensified under Maduro’s oppressive rule,” he added.
Calling the Maduro regime “a criminal enterprise that fuels narco-terrorism, suppresses independent media, and violates human rights with impunity,” the Florida Republican accused the Biden-Harris Administration of strengthening the Maduro regime. “Lifting sanctions has endangered our national security, aiding a regime closely allied with dangerous adversaries like Russia, Iran, Cuba, and the PRC,” he said.
In contrast, Rep. Wasserman Schultz praised the Biden-Harris Administration, commenting that “super-sizing the reward that leads to Maduro’s conviction will reinforce the already decisive actions taken by the Biden-Harris Administration to target the criminal enterprise behind Venezuela’s election theft and the violent repression of its people.”
“The Biden-Harris White House deftly marshaled swift international pressure onto the Maduro regime, expanded existing sanctions, and rallied global support around this reality: Edmundo González won in a landslide and the Venezuelan people deserve to have their votes counted and rights respected,” she added.
Florida Senators Marco Rubio (R) and Rick Scott (R) have introduced the Senate companion.
