Democratic senator proposes law to recognize Gonzalez Urrutia as winner in Venezuela

Democrat Ben Cardin hopes to work with Republicans to advance this project / Photo: Courtesy

The chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Democrat Ben Cardin, announced on Friday that he will introduce a bill to recognize opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia as the winner of the Venezuelan elections and sanction the government of Nicolás Maduro.

“The United States must take the lead in imposing consequences on Maduro for his fraudulent activities and arbitrary detentions, and work together for a prosperous post-Maduro Venezuela,” the senator said in a statement.

Cardin said he hopes to work with Republicans to advance this project and “promote a free Venezuela where democracy thrives and human rights are respected.”

The proposed legislation, dubbed the Ley Verdad (Truth Law), proposes recognizing González Urrutia, the standard-bearer of the majority opposition coalition and exiled in Spain since September 8, as the winner of the Venezuelan presidential elections of July 28.

It also calls for new sanctions “against regime officials involved in the repression” and sanctions against Russian, Chinese, Iranian and Cuban entities that “provide security support to Maduro.”

It also proposes the “forgiveness of sanctions” for those officials who distance themselves from the government and “promote a democratic transition,” and includes measures to increase humanitarian assistance in the Caribbean country.

Cardin recently spoke by phone with opposition leader María Corina Machado, to whom he conveyed the “unwavering support” of the U.S. Congressmen for the Venezuelan people.

Venezuela has been in a political crisis since the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared Maduro the winner of the July 28 elections based on results that are still unknown in detail. The Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) – the largest opposition bloc – considers this to be a “fraud” by insisting on González Urrutia’s “victory.”

The Biden administration in the United States has recognized González Urrutia as the winner of the elections, while demanding that the Venezuelan electoral body publish all voting records.

Both the Spanish Congress and the European Parliament have approved non-binding resolutions in favour of recognising González Urrutia as the elected president of Venezuela.

Washington / EFE