Gov. Rick Scott is taking a stand against the Maduro regime, threatening to stop any and all business from any organization with ties to the tyrannical Venezuelan leader on Wednesday.
Scott announced he will be introducing an agenda item to bring before the Trustees of the State Board Administration in August which would prohibit the Sunshine State from doing any business with organizations supporting the Maduro regime.
Since being elected president, Maduro’s policies have led to widespread crime and poverty in Venezuela, leading many elected officials to come out in opposition to any policies or businesses supporting the poverty-stricken country’s government.
The situation only seems to grow worse in Venezuela, where high inflation has led to widespread hunger.
“Floridians stand with the people of Venezuela as they fight for their freedom, and as a state, we must not provide any support for Maduro and his thugs,” Scott said.
“On Venezuela Independence Day, we stand in solidarity with the opposition to the brutal Maduro regime, whose crimes against his own people continue daily,” the governor said.
On Wednesday, dozens of Venezuelan government supporters burst into an opposition-controlled National Assembly meeting, beating legislators and reporters and setting off fireworks in the capitol building.
Scott swiftly condemned the incident Wednesday afternoon.
“This is unacceptable behavior that Florida will not tolerate,” he said.
Wednesday isn’t the first time Scott has jumped into the fray on the Maduro regime. Last month, Scott urged President Donald Trump to “set a new course” with his foreign policy and take a hardline stance against the dictatorships in Venezuela and Cuba.
Scott has pushed Trump to prohibit Maduro government officials from obtaining immigrant or non-immigrant visas to the United States
“I’m convinced that this new direction will better serve U.S. interests, generate genuine economic prosperity and help the Cuban and Venezuelan people achieve their long-awaited freedom,” Scott wrote at the time.
Florida congressmen have routinely led the way on sanctions against the Maduro regime. Last summer, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., worked in tandem to extend sanctions on Venezuela for another three years.
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
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