[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 148 (Thursday, October 8, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H6920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       ELECTION DAY IN VENEZUELA

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, last month in Venezuela, the president 
of the national association of opposition mayors issued a message to 
the international community--including here in the United States, 
obviously--stating many of the obstacles being faced leading up to 
Venezuela's legislative elections, which are scheduled to take place on 
December 6.
  According to their statement, Venezuelan regime employees are 
obligated and harassed to attend public events to demonstrate support 
for pro-regime candidates. Socialist Party militants are dispatched to 
intimidate voters under the guise of assistance. And the Maduro regime 
is using military forces to keep citizens from voluntarily auditing 
electoral precincts, as it is stated by law.
  As the Maduro regime continues to refuse allowing international 
monitors, the United States must be even more vigilant of the threat of 
the fraud before and during election day in Venezuela.
  We should also be ready to sanction any regime official who 
perpetuates human rights violations because of this electoral process.

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