A.G. Gancarski
Bipartisan support from Sunshine State legislators is already emerging for the VALOR Act, which could bring some American help to pro-democracy forces in Venezuela.
The legislation, co-sponsored in the Senate by U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and the House by U.S. Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, seeks “a peaceful transition to democracy” through “support for the people of Venezuela, and the use of the full range of diplomatic tools, including the careful application of sanctions directed at the regime of Nicolas Maduro and an nondemocratic successor government.”
“For years, I have urged President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to put the full weight of the federal government behind the Venezuelan people’s fight for democracy through free and fair elections, and at every turn the Biden-Harris administration has chosen to stand with Maduro by easing sanctions and failing to recognize Edmundo González Urrutia as the president-elect,” Scott said.
“The time is now for Maduro to leave office and allow the Venezuelan people to be free from his dictatorship. The United States must be a leader in bringing freedom and democracy to Venezuela and the VALOR Act is a step in the right direction.”
While Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat, avoided trolling the White House, her comments also suggested ongoing frustration.
“Venezuelans courageously took to the ballot box to seek true, legitimate representation after a lost decade under Maduro. Despite violent repression, overwhelming majorities repudiated Maduro and chose President-elect Edmundo González. But this brutal regime refuses to face reality, despite clear evidence proving Maduro’s loss,” she said.
“The Biden-Harris Administration successfully forced Maduro to hold this election. Now, the United States must ensure consequences for Maduro’s attempt to overturn the will of the voters and support a democratic future for all Venezuelans.”
Salazar, a Republican, was much more succinct: “America cannot wait any longer as Maduro finalizes his theft of Venezuela’s election. The United States must send the message that Maduro’s time in Miraflores is up, and that Edmundo González will take his rightful office in January. No more money for the Chavistas and their repressive apparatus.”
Maduro is already consolidating authority after his disputed win earlier this year, while scores of Venezuelans may be subject to American sanctions.
