Florida Leaders Back Sanctions Against Venezuelan Leaders

The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted to impose new sanctions on Venezuelan leaders on Tuesday, garnering applause from Floridians from both parties. The measure was co-sponsored by Floridas two senators: Democrat Bill Nelson and Republican Marco Rubio.

Today we took an important step forward to punish human rights abusers in Nicol Maduros regime. The Venezuelan people have suffered enough under the incompetence of Hugo Chez and now Nicol Maduro, Rubio said after the vote. And now that thousands of innocent Venezuelans have protested courageously and peacefully against the failure that is this Chavista government, we cant allow the governments repression, violence and murders to go unpunished.

We have to severely punish the Maduro regime, and today the Senate Foreign Relations Committee took a key step toward approving these sanctions, Rubio added. And I hope the full Senate will soon do the same.

I commend the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations for moving forward on new sanctions for Venezuelan officials that have violated the human rights of students who are protesting peacefully for freedom, Gov. Rick Scott said on Tuesday. Now its time for the Obama administration to stop dragging their feet and send a clear message to the Maduro regime that they will face consequences if they continue to repress freedom fighters.