Venezuela

Floor Speech

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Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to call on all of those who support freedom and democracy to stand with the long-suffering people of Venezuela. We have finally reached the tipping point where freedom for the Venezuelan people hangs in the balance.

On Friday, President Trump recognized the duly elected leader of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, as the constitutional interim President of Venezuela. Shortly afterward the vast majority of Western Hemisphere nations affirmed their recognition of the Guaido government.

On January 10 the OAS passed a resolution, Mr. Speaker, that refused to recognize the illegitimate Maduro regime, and OAS Secretary-General Luis Almagro expressed his congratulations to Mr. Guaido as Venezuela's legitimate sitting President.

Now, Mr. Speaker, it is time to choose to stand with the courageous protesters demanding freedom, many of them bruised and bloodied from the violence perpetrated on them by the Maduro thugs. Reports indicate that at least 29 protesters have been killed just since last week, and the Maduro regime holds hundreds of political prisoners. The Maduro regime has ruthlessly corrupted Venezuela's once-democratic institutions, including the Supreme Court.

The U.N. High Commissioner of Human Rights and others have documented egregious human rights abuses, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and torture. We have seen that the Venezuelan people continue to demand freedom in the face of teargas, imprisonment, and, yes, even bullets.

The United States is standing with the Venezuelan people, sanctioning 65 of the most corrupt and abusive members of the Maduro regime, including Maduro himself. Congress and the administration are also working to alleviate the grave humanitarian crisis that the Maduro regime has caused, providing nearly $100 million in humanitarian aid to those Venezuelans who have fled to other countries and an additional $37 million in development assistance to Colombia.

Earlier this year, my colleague, Congressman Darren Soto, and I worked together to introduce the Venezuela TPS Act of 2019 which would provide Temporary Protective Status to Venezuelan nationals here in the United States. The situation in Venezuela is way too dangerous to force them to return now.

Sadly, Mr. Speaker, the humanitarian crisis rivals the grave democratic crisis in Venezuela. Under Venezuela's socialism, its people are suffering skyrocketing inflation, profound destitution, and shortages of necessary food and medicine.

Venezuela was once, just recently, one of the wealthiest countries in the world. Now the vast majority of Venezuelan people have sunk into poverty. Hospitals are abandoned, Mr. Speaker, and food and medicines are scarce. But, Mr. Speaker, we have entered a time of critical importance. Rarely is there such an obvious choice between good and evil, freedom and enslavement, and accountable government and tyranny.

From Venezuela's one last vestige of democracy came a glimmer of hope. From the democratically elected National Assembly, a leader emerged who was courageous enough to lead the opposition and face certain persecution. Juan Guaido stepped up to represent the Venezuelan people and work with the international community toward a democratic transition to unite the many voices in the opposition behind a common purpose: freedom, human rights, and free and fair elections.

He has designated his charge d'affaires here in the United States, Carlos Vecchio, whose leadership was welcomed by Secretary Pompeo and who is coordinating between the Guaido government and the United States Government.

Already as President Guaido is gaining strength, we are seeing signs of cracks from the Maduro dictatorship. The United States must continue to be the world leader in defense of those struggling for democracy, and others in the world community who value freedom also must stand with the people of Venezuela in their quest for democracy.

Mr. Speaker, the people of Eastern Europe have not forgotten that we stood with them during those decades in their struggle against Communism for decades. They were victorious; and today they are free, and they are allies. The people of Venezuela will also be victorious.

(The English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:)

To the Venezuelan Armed Forces, this is the time to recover your honor, to recover your dignity and stand with the Venezuelan people in this noble cause, which is freedom.

And to the brave Venezuelan people, you are not alone. The Trump administration, the United States Congress, the United States is with you.

A las Fuerzas Armadas de Venezuela, este es el momento de recuperar su honor, de recuperar su dignidad y ponerse de lado del pueblo Venezolano en esta noble causa que es la libertad.

Y al valiente pueblo Venezolano, no estan solos. La administracion del presidente Trump, el Congreso de los Estados Unidos, si todo los Estados Unidos estan con ustedes.

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