Friday, May 13, 2022

US Senators Urge Biden To Lift Sanctions Against Venezuela

They pointed out that the harsh policies against Venezuela has only served to deepen this Latin American country's economic crisis and undermine U.S. credibility.

Citizens walk down a street, Caracas, Venezuela.
Photo: Twitter/ @SamadhiMD1

Published 13 May 2022

On Wednesday, 18 Democratic Party (DP) senators urged President Joe Biden to continue pursuing dialogue with the Venezuelan government and, in support of that process, to consider lifting the economic sanctions against it.

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“We commend Biden for his recent efforts toward constructive engagement with President Nicolas Maduro’s administration, actions thank to which U.S. citizens condemned in Venezuela for corruption, Gustavo Cardenas and Jorge Fernandez, could be brought back home,” the senators stated.

They stressed that the harsh policies prompted by former President Donald Trump against Venezuela has only served to deepen this Latin American country's economic crisis and undermine U.S. credibility.

The U.S. attempts to foment a military uprising, threats of armed intervention, the ending of diplomatic relations, and the imposition of the economic blockade has prompted that Venezuelan living standards fell by 71.8 percent between 2012 and 2020.

The U.S. foreign policy has also harmed Venezuela's international economic activities, causing its national gross domestic product (GDP) to contract by 74.3 percent in the last eight years.


Broad sanctions are widely known to disproportionately harm vulnerable populations, including people with disabilities or chronic diseases, Indigenous communities, and women, the senators remarked, stressing that the easing of sanctions will mark a step forward in the process of engagement and diplomacy.

Among the senators who made the petition are Raul Grijalva, Jesus Garcia, Jan Schakowsky, and Juan Vargas, to whom Republican Party (RP) senator for the Florida state Marco Rubio forcibly opposed.

“The U.S. government has already lifted many sanctions against the Maduro regime. This request only seeks to cover what Biden proposes to announce very soon," alleged Rubio, who is widely known for its aggressive policy against Cuba and Venezuela.



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