Mucarsel-Powell Leads Colleagues in Calling for Increased Humanitarian Aid to Venezuelan People

Statement

Today, U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (FL-26), the first member of Congress born in South America, introduced the Humanitarian Assistance to the Venezuelan People Act of 2019, legislation that would call on the Trump Administration to form a long-term humanitarian aid strategy; provide up to $150 million in humanitarian aid directly to the Venezuelan people; and direct the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations to make increased humanitarian assistance a priority of the international community.

Joining Mucarsel-Powell in introducing humanitarian assistance for the Venezuelan people are U.S. Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL-23), Donna Shalala (FL-27), Darren Soto (FL-09), Sylvia García (TX-06), Lois Frankel (FL-21), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and Jamie Raskin (MD-08).

The full text of the bill can be found here.

"Maduro's illegitimate regime plunged Venezuela into a deep political and humanitarian crisis that has spilled over into the rest of the region and the hemisphere," said Mucarsel-Powell. "I support a quick restoration of Venezuela's democracy, which means supporting interim President Juan Guaidó, and I strongly urge him to quickly hold free and fair elections. I believe providing increased humanitarian assistance -- more than the $20 million that was announced by the Administration -- directly to the Venezuelan people is imperative to their survival and will be a stabilizing force in the region and the hemisphere."

"The despotic rot and corruption of the Maduro regime has inflicted unimaginable suffering on the Venezuelan people, and it threatens to infect the entire hemisphere," said Wasserman Schultz. "Supporting interim President Juan Guaidó, along with open and fair elections, will restore democracy there in the long term, but only swift and substantial increases in humanitarian aid can help ease the tragic suffering its people face right now."

"Under Maduro's gross mismanagement, Venezuela's once thriving economy has collapsed and its people are sicker, poorer, and less free," said Shalala. "This bill works to help reverse those heartbreaking trends. By providing humanitarian assistance, we stand united as a country in our commitment to the leadership of interim President Juan Guaidó and freedom for the Venezuelan people."

"Maduro's dictatorship has caused famine in what once was the wealthiest country in South America," said Soto. "We continue to see images out of Venezuela of kids scavenging for food out of trash, hospitals with medicinal shortages overflowing with patients, and refugees surviving the immigration journey in precarious conditions. As Venezuela resolves its political unrest within the country, it is our duty and moral responsibility to provide humanitarian assistance for those in need. I join Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, and colleagues, in calling for an increase in humanitarian assistance to the Venezuelan people."