Durbin Highlights Bill To Halt U.S. Investment In Venezuela's Energy Sector Until Legitimate 2024 Election Results Are Elected
WASHINGTON – In a speech on the Senate floor, U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted a bill he introduced terminating all U.S. petroleum cooperation and petroleum-related trade with Venezuela until the legitimate results of the recent Venezuelan election are respected. On July 28, 2024, more than 10 million Venezuelans peacefully voted in the presidential election, with results meticulously compiled by credible election monitors showing an overwhelming victory for opposition candidate, Edmundo González, over President Nicolás Maduro. The regime issued an arrest warrant forGonzález and brazenly refused to swear him in as President on January 10, the country’s Inauguration Day. The Maduro regime currently uses oil revenues dependent on U.S. involvement to maintain its police state. Durbin filed the bill as an amendment to the annual defense authorization bill last year. A bipartisan companion bill was reintroduced in the House earlier this month by Representatives Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL-25) and Maria Salazar (D-FL-27).
“In 2018, I had the opportunity to visit Venezuela—it was a once prosperous, albeit imperfect, democracy suffering from terrible economic and political decline. I told then-President Maduro that if he rigged the upcoming election, Venezuelans would be more isolated and endure unnecessary suffering. It didn’t stop him for a minute. He went ahead with a discredited election. The result was as predicted. The economy of Venezuela started descending into chaos. People were literally starving. There was an exodus of millions of people from Venezuela,” Durbin said.
“Last July, Venezuela held another presidential election during which the regime arbitrarily blocked leading opposition candidates from the ballot and tried to undermine the electoral process. Nonetheless, more than 10 million Venezuelans actually voted and the results were meticulously documented by credible election monitors showed a sweeping victory for Edmundo González—his opponent,” said Durbin. “I was glad to see that one of newly confirmed Secretary of State Rubio’s first calls was to President-elect González.”
“Yet, despite his clear victory, the Maduro Administration has refused to give up the office of presidency and refused to recognize the legitimate election result. …. [it] announced that it had won actually… which is becoming a common trick by these dictators, and refused to swear him in on their inauguration day,” Durbin said. “So, today, I am reintroducing a short, simple bill terminating all U.S. petroleum cooperation and related trade with Venezuela until the legitimate results of the election are respected. It’s pretty simple—the entrenched regime clings to power using oil revenues dependent on the U.S. Under my bill, that will end. President Trump and Secretary Rubio could also take this step right away without my legislation.”
Durbin concluded, “Lastly, I appeal to our democratic allies in the region, including the democracies of the Caribbean, to stand resolute in defense of a sweeping and clear vote by their exhausted Venezuelan neighbors. They cannot sit idly by for another six years of regime-inflicted suffering and collapse in Venezuela.”
Durbin traveled to Venezuela in April 2018, during which time he met with then National Assembly Member Juan Guaidó as well as Nicolás Maduro, warning him that pursuing a sham election the following month would further isolate his autocratic regime.
Video of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Audio of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here.
Footage of Durbin’s remarks on the Senate floor is available here for TV Stations.
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