May 19, 2017

Castro Statement on U.S. Sanctions on Venezuela Supreme Court Members

Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Joaquin Castro (TX-20), a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, issued the following statement after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on members of Venezuela’s Supreme Court: 

“The desperation, oppression, and violence in Venezuela is reaching a breaking point. Since the Supreme Court’s attempts to dissolve the National Assembly in March, the Venezuelan people have sustained massive protests despite a brutal crackdown from government security forces and armed civilian militias, resulting in at least 43 deaths.    

“Sanctions are most effective when imposed multilaterally. President Maduro’s authoritarian rule requires forceful condemnation and consequences from the international community. The United States should use diplomacy to bring a multilateral, region-wide response to the situation in Venezuela through engagement at the OAS and UN. 
 
“The United States should also provide emergency food and medicine aid to alleviate the suffering of the Venezuelan people through independent NGOs.”

###