Carlos Curbelo Calls for More Action Against Maduro Regime

U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla., offered his take on Tuesday over President Barack Obamas sanctions on leaders of the Maduro regime earlier in the week. While Curbelo applauded the sanctions, he joined other Republicans from South Florida in calling for harsher penalties.

Yesterdays sanctions are a long overdue first step in holding the Maduro regime accountable for its grotesque disrespect for human rights. In recent months, the Maduro regime has continued to use lethal force to control opposition protests, including a 14-year-old student who was shot and killed by police while walking to school in San Cristobal, Curbelo said on Tuesday. Additionally, the regime has moved to expel Julio Borges, a moderate opposition leader, from the National Assembly. Leopoldo Lez, another opposition leader, has been in jail for a year and is now on trial for treason. On Feb. 19, agents of Venezuelas state security service, without a warrant, stormed the office of the mayor of Caracas and arrested him for conspiracy to commit violent acts against the regime.

I continue to stand in solidarity with the peaceful, democratic opposition in Venezuela that opposes thuggish rule and proudly stands for liberty, Curbelo added. While the administrations new sanctions are a step forward in our larger effort to hold all repressive regimes accountable, there is still much more to be done to ensure that all those responsible for perpetrating human rights violations in Venezuela are held accountable. I applaud the Venezuelan-American community in the United States that has been instrumental in advocating on behalf of the people of Venezuela and continue to stand in unity for the cause of justice and freedom.