On the recordFebruary 12, 2020
Mr. Speaker, last week Venezuelan interim President Juan Guaido was welcomed with bipartisan support in this Chamber as President Trump's guest for the State of the Union. For years, Venezuela's united Socialist party has pushed a once prosperous country towards desperate poverty and open tyranny. The wrongful detention of the Citgo Six for more than 2 years demonstrates the corrupt nature in which Maduro will do anything to remain in power. The United States and the Organization of American States should institute greater pressure and tighten sanctions against the Maduro regime and his cronies in order to support a return to a democratic Venezuela. I stand with President Guaido and the people of Venezuela and call on Maduro to step down and release the Citgo Six and all political prisoners or face greater sanctions. Honoring the Life and Legacy of Wilmer Plate
