On May 9, 2014 Rep. Ileana Lehtinen of South Florida asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives regarding human rights violations:
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak in support of those fighting for freedom in Venezuela.
This morning our House Foreign Affairs Committee passed my bipartisan measure, H.R. 4587, the Venezuelan Human Rights and Democracy Protection Act, which will sanction members of the Maduro regime responsible for gross human rights violations.
Just a few days ago, Mr. Speaker, Human Rights Watch released a deeply troubling report that made clear that there has been “a serious pattern of abuse by Venezuelan security forces.”
The report mentions stories like that of Lisandro Barazarte, a 40-year-old photographer for a local newspaper who said, “I live in suspense, because I don’t know from where they are going to shoot at me.” Or Jose Romero, only 17 years old, who was stopped by a national guardsman when coming out of a metro station and was taken to a building where he was threatened with death, beaten, and even burned.
Even as this brutality continues, the Obama administration and Congress have yet to act. I urge my colleagues to support bringing this important measure, which is bipartisan, to the floor immediately to support the people of Venezuela and to send a clear signal to the Maduro regime that his reign of oppression will have serious consequences.”
Source Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov/
Latest information indicates that Venezuela has serious human rights violations including: “Unlawful killings, including summary killings by police elements; torture and other cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment; harsh and life-threatening prison conditions and lack of due process rights that contributed to widespread violence, riots, injuries, and deaths in prisons.”
Source: US State Department
See related report: Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/world-report-2012/world-report-2012-venezuela