A bipartisan group of senators is pressuring the Biden administration to reimpose sanctions against the Nicolás Maduro regime in Venezuela. Concerned about the lack of legitimacy of the elections scheduled for July, in which Maduro banned the main opposition candidates, Marco Rubio (R-FL), Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) wrote a joint letter demanding a quick response from the United States.
At the end of 2023, the Venezuelan regime signed the Barbados Agreement with the opposition as a commitment to comply with a series of electoral guarantees and political rights. Considering this as a gesture of goodwill and openness on the part of Maduro, the State Department temporarily withdrew some sanctions against hydrocarbons, natural gas and the gold industry of the South American country.
Months later, Venezuelans chose María Corina Machado as their candidate for the July elections, but the leader was banned a few months later without much explanation. The regime did the same with Corina Yoris, Machado’s substitute candidate, prompting rebuke even from Maduro’s regional allies, such as Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and Brazil’s Lula da Silva.
Lideré un comunicado bipartidista con @SenatorCardin y @SenBillCassidy sobre la situación en Venezuela mientras el narco-régimen de Maduro continúa tratando de perjudicar a la principal candidata de la oposición @MariaCorinaYA.https://t.co/C6HdVNUgXW pic.twitter.com/a6AS5gpQUs
— Senator Marco Rubio (@SenMarcoRubio) April 8, 2024
In this context, the aforementioned group of senators is pressuring the White House to punish the Maduro regime for not complying with the agreement.
“The narco-regime clings to power by repressing and censoring the people of Venezuela”
Rubio, Cardin and Cassidy wrote a joint letter highlighting the non-compliance with the Barbados Agreement and Maduro’s refusal to allow his citizens to go to the polls freely.
“The Maduro regime has ignored the Barbados Agreement and has shown the world that it will stop at nothing to undermine its opponent, María Corina Machado. Machado faces a narco-regime that clings to power by repressing and censoring the people of Venezuela. Any attack against Machado’s integrity, including an arbitrary detention, must receive an international response,” they expressed.
In turn, they pointed out the need for those responsible for disqualifying opposition candidates to be held accountable.
“U.S. must comply with the public parameters established under the Barbados Agreement, as well as consider individual sanctions for those directly responsible for repressive acts against political candidates, business leaders and campaign members. While the Venezuelan dictatorship seeks to prolong its illegitimate control of power, the United States and the international community must respond quickly and hold the regime accountable,” they stated.
