18 U.S. congressional lawmakers have called for a lifting of sanctions on Venezuela in a letter to Joe Biden, saying the policy has not only “failed to improve the situation” but has served to “exacerbate the humanitarian situation.”
“It is clear that broad sanctions have failed to achieve their aims. In light of this, and the dire human costs incurred, we urge you to lift all U.S. financial and sectoral sanctions that exacerbate the humanitarian situation, though without hindering or delaying the urgent action needed to transition the U.S. economy off of fossil fuels” reads the two-page statement, dated May 10th.
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The statement also commends “recent efforts toward constructive engagement with the government of Venezuela” attributing the recent talks to the freeing of two U.S. citizens who’ve now been repatriated.
“The easing of sanctions would mark a critical step forward in the process of engagement and diplomacy that your administration has initiated and could contribute to the resolution of the political crisis and improve the well-being of the Venezuelan people. We are grateful for the steps that you have already taken to advance dialogue with the Venezuelan government. Now, we urge you to see them through.”
Congressional democrats go on to blame Trump for the hostile policy towards Venezuela despite that Latin America policy has at best maintained, if not worsened, since the start of the Biden administration.
“the policies pursued under the Trump administration not only failed to improve the situation in Venezuela, they significantly exacerbated it. Attempts to foment a military uprising, threats of armed intervention, the termination of all relations with Maduro and his allies, and the imposition of far-reaching sanctions served only to deepen Venezuela’s political crisis,” the letter elaborates.
Though this tragedy is the result of various factors, numerous studies have shown that U.S. sanctions have been one of the leading causes. And these impacts are not born equally: broad-based sanctions are widely known to disproportionately harm women and girls, as well as other vulnerable populations including people with disabilities or chronic diseases and Indigenous populations.”
Lawmakers, who’ve long kept silent, fell short of repudiating all illegal unilateral coercive measures, like the ones being leveled against Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua and several other countries.
Arizona Representative Raúl Grijalva and Illinois Representative Jesús Garcia led the appeal.
The full statement can be read here.
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