sanctions

President Joe Biden has again come under fire for his administration’s Venezuela foreign policy strategy  after the arrest of opposition leader Juan Freites. The arrest was published by ‘Vente Venezuela’, the political party opposing Dictator Maduro’s authoritarian regime.  Freites was the director of campaigning for Vente Venezuela and was allegedly dragged into a black pick-up […]

US Representative Maria-Elvira Salazar (R-Fl) has filed a bill to reauthorize sanctions on Nicaragua in light of the Nicaraguan government’s recent hostile acts towards Catholic officials.  Since December 2023, Nicaraguan police have detained a total of 16 priests and seminarians, including Bishops Isidoro del Carmen Mora and Rolando Jose Álvarez Lagos. Nicaraguan Dictator Naiel Ortega […]

The Rebuilding Economic Prosperity and Opportunity (REPO) for Ukrainians Act has regained traction as a bipartisan group of four new senators signed on to the bill this past week. The REPO for Ukrainians Act is designed to boost Ukraine’s war recovery efforts by transferring Russian assets confiscated by the US to Ukraine.  Russia invaded Ukraine […]

US Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fl) is asking President Joe Biden take action to prevent Chinese semiconductor firm ‘Brite’ from accessing US technology and capital markets.  A report published last week exposed how Brite has been able to purchase US software and obtain financing from American investors.  Brite services at least six Chinese military suppliers and […]

Congresswomen Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fl) and Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL) have jointly reintroduced the Venezuela Emergency Relief, Democracy Assistance, and Development (VERDAD) Act. The VERDAD Act, passed in 2019 and set to expire in 2023, imposes sanctions against Dictator Nicolas Maduro’s regime and outlines US strategy towards supporting a democratic transition in Venezuela.  Congresswoman Salazar claimed […]

Brian Nichols, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs from the U.S. State Department, said this week at an Atlantic Council event, that the U.S. “will assess all actions taken [by the Maduro government in Venezuela] and conduct a review of our sanctions policy,” in agreement with the progress made. Nichols was referring to the […]

A recent public opinion poll conducted by Florida International University (FIU),  provided some insights into the relationship between the United States and the Florida Venezuela community and focused on whether the U.S. economic sanctions levied on the Nicolas Maduro regime have been effective. FIU’s Latino Public Opinion Forum polled the thoughts held by Venezuelans who […]

President Joe Biden has yet to reintroduce sanctions on Venezuela after the US lifted them in exchange for free and fair elections in the Latin American country’s 2024 presidential election.  Back in early October, the Floridian’s Javier Manjarres reported how the US was leveraging sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports to pressure Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro […]

Washington- Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fl) welcomed the announcement of new sanctions on Hamas by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Today, November 14th, the US and United Kingdom announced joint action to impose a third round of sanctions on Hamas-affiliated individuals and entities.   The new sanctions expand the list […]

Tallahassee, Fl- Florida Senator Bryan Avila (R) has floored a memorial requesting President Joe Biden reinstate recently lifted sanctions on Venezuela.  Senator Avila’s request is the latest of sundry legislative initiatives which have called for President Biden to reimpose sanctions on President Nicolas Maduro’s authoritarian regime.  Last October, Biden agreed to partially lift economic sanctions […]

Washington, D.C.- The US House of Representatives has passed the Hamas International Financing Prevention Act to impose sanctions on Hamas and freeze its members’ assets.  The act was originally filed last January, but Hamas’ despotic October 7th attacks made passing the bill a bipartisan priority for lawmakers.  Representative Brian Mast (R-Fl) sponsored the bill and […]

Washington, D.C.- US Secretary of State Andrew Blinken stated the US is considering reimposing sanctions on Venezuela during a Senate Appropriations Committee Hearing. Secretary Blinken’s statements were made after being asked by Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fl) on the issue. Senator Rubio asked Blinken if, given Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s latest attempt at preventing free and […]

Washington, D.C.- US lawmakers of Hispanic and Latino descent are reacting to reports of Venezuela’s Supreme Court invalidating recently held opposition primaries.  Earlier this month, Venezuelan opposition parties hosted a primary with record participation in which Maria Corina Machado emerged overwhelmingly victorious.  Machado won the primaries despite being barred by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government […]

The questionable oil and economic sanctions levied on the Nicolas Maduro regime in Venezuela by former President Donald Trump’s administration, have continued to cause unintended consequences to American interests and its allies in the region, but most importantly, to the Venezuelan people, argued FIU professor Eduardo Gamarra, during his participation at Florida International University’s (FIU) […]

Washington, D.C.- House Representative Brian Mast (R-FL) introduced legislation this past week to stop the flow of US aid into Palestinian-controlled territories. Representative Mast’s proposal would prevent funds from being sent to either the Palestinian National Authority-controlled West Bank or Hamas-controlled Gaza. Mast’s initiative follows Hamas’ brutal attacks on Israel, which Palestinians in the West […]

One of the most crucial abilities for countries to have in foreign policy is changing with the times. Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) briefly spoke with The Floridian on the need to adapt as circumstances change, chiefly at a time when Venezuela, Russia, China, and Iran have worked together to dodge US economic sanctions. Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick […]

SURFSIDE, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by members of the Florida Legislature and leaders in the Jewish community at the Shul of Bal Harbour to announce a proposal that will increase sanctions against the Iranian regime and block Iranian business in the State of Florida. "These will be by far the strongest Iran […]

Washington, D.C.- U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (IA-R) and Representative Michael Waltz (FL-R) have introduced sister bills in the Senate and House of Representatives aimed at preserving and increasing US sanctions on Iran.  The Preventing Underhanded and Nefarious Iranian Supported Homicides (PUNISH) Act would codify existing executive order sanctions into law. Additionally, it would prolong the […]