Democrats Ask Biden to Reimpose Venezuela Sanctions 'Absent Concrete’ Progress
Senate Democrats said they supported the Biden administration’s recent decision to suspend certain sanctions against Venezuela but urged the president to reimpose the measures “absent concrete steps by” the Nicolas Maduro-led regime to end its crackdown on civil society and political opposition.
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The administration suspended sanctions last month after Venezuela’s government and opposition formally agreed to work together on conditions for the next presidential election (see 2310180070), but soon after, Maduro canceled the opposition party’s primary election results. Republicans have since urged the administration to impose the sanctions (see 2311080030).
In a recent letter to the Treasury and State departments led by Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, 11 Democrats said they “strongly believe that a negotiated solution to Venezuela’s political and humanitarian crisis is the only path forward to end the misery and suffering of the Venezuelan people.” But they also said they are “under no illusions that commitments made by the Maduro regime can be taken at face value.”
The senators noted the Maduro regime, “less than two weeks since it signed the agreement,” launched a criminal investigation against the organizers of the opposition-organized presidential primaries. “Such actions are unacceptable and belie the sincerity of Maduro’s commitments to allow credible, competitive elections next year,” the letter said. “We urge you to make it unequivocally clear to Maduro and his allies that continued efforts to breach the letter and spirit of this agreement” will “result in the swift roll back of sanctions relief.”
A State Department spokesperson has said the agency will take action if the Maduro regime doesn’t meet its commitments under the electoral agreement.