[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 6]
[House]
[Pages 8321-8322]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                THE DETERIORATING SITUATION IN VENEZUELA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2017, the Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey 
(Mr. Sires) for 30 minutes.
  Mr. SIRES. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this moment to thank my 
colleague and my chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee for 
always being present on all the important issues, human rights issues 
in the Western Hemisphere.
  And of course, I want to thank my colleague from Florida, Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen, for her passion and determination to bring democracy to 
Venezuela.
  Before I recognize my good friend from Florida, Mario Diaz-Balart, I 
would just like to say that Venezuela basically has taken a page out of 
the Castro brothers. This is how the process in Cuba started. Fifty-
five years later, there is nothing but oppression, no freedom of 
expression, no election, and, quite frankly, there are approximately 
about 30,000 Cubans in Venezuela running the security apparatus.
  But I want the Venezuelan people to know that we are fighting along 
with them, that we are talking to all the Presidents, all the leaders 
in the Western Hemisphere, to put pressure on Venezuela to develop the 
democracy and stop the abuse of human rights in Venezuela.
  At this time, I yield to my good friend from Florida (Mr. Diaz-
Balart), who is also a fighter for human rights and who has been always 
in the forefront of human rights in the Western Hemisphere.
  Mr. DIAZ-BALART. Mr. Speaker, let me first start by thanking the 
leadership, the steadfast, never confused leadership of Congressman 
Albio Sires. He is a man who I have had the privilege of traveling with 
to Eastern Europe, where he is known there, as he is in the United 
States, for one who is always fighting for those who are repressed, 
oppressed around the world; which is why the people of Venezuela know 
that they can count on Congressman Albio Sires for his leadership.
  Thank you, sir, for never giving up, never fighting, never forgetting 
those who are struggling under repression. You mentioned Congresswoman 
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. She is a giant, a giant in the Halls of Congress, 
a giant for not only things that obviously affect us here domestically, 
because she is fighting for those, particularly those who are the least 
fortunate in our society.

[[Page 8322]]

  But if there is somebody who is known internationally as a fighter 
for those who, again, are struggling for freedom, it is Ileana Ros-
Lehtinen.
  I thank you also, Mr. Sires, for mentioning the chairman of the 
Western Hemisphere Subcommittee. We just heard from him, a person who, 
again, is on the same track of always making sure that the--he makes 
the United States look good by never forgetting human rights as a 
fundamental pillar of our foreign policy.
  The people of Venezuela are demonstrating that they are, in fact, the 
heirs of Simon Bolivar. They are showing now, with 50 days of 
consecutive demonstrations in the streets, that they are not willing to 
accept repression. They are not willing to accept any more of this 
dictatorship; that they are not willing to accept, as Mr. Sires 
mentioned, in essence, a takeover from the Cuban regime of their 
beautiful country of Venezuela.
  And they are suffering because of that activism, that bravery of 
hitting the streets. About almost 50 of them have been murdered since 
this last number of demonstrations have taken place, not to mention the 
dozens upon dozens of political prisoners, whether it is political 
leaders, mayors, et cetera, who are in prison just because they are not 
willing to stand by while their country has been taken over by this 
horrendous, narco-terrorist, murderous dictatorship.
  Frankly, I am here to commend the Venezuelan people and, as Mr. Sires 
said, to let them know that they are not alone, that we stand with 
them, that the United States Congress stands with them.
  But I would be remiss if I didn't end as I started, Mr. Speaker, by 
thanking these individuals who have spoken already: the giant of human 
rights in the House of Representatives, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the 
chairman of the subcommittee, who never gets confused, and who is 
always fighting for those who are struggling to regain or gain their 
freedom; and yes, Albio Sires, who I have had the privilege of seeing, 
not only who he is recognized here in this Congress by his colleagues 
as a true freedom fighter for human rights, but I have been able to 
travel with him and see that whenever you go anywhere with Albio Sires, 
he is also recognized around the world as that champion for freedom.
  So what a privilege to be part of and to be able to spend this time 
with you. Thanks to each and every one of you for not forgetting the 
struggle of Venezuela. I know that you have done it in your committee, 
you have done it in your subcommittee, and this Congress is grateful, 
and this Member of Congress is grateful for your leadership.
  And I know that the Venezuelan people who are showing incredible 
bravery know, and history will record that, in their toughest moments, 
when they were putting their lives on the line, all of you, and this 
Congress, stood with them.
  So with that, thank you, Mr. Sires, for yielding to me.
  Mr. SIRES. Thank you, Congressman. Thank you for all your passion and 
all your effort on behalf of those people who need it the most, the 
people in Venezuela.
  Mr. Speaker, I would just like to end by saying, you know, I remember 
years ago when Spain went through 39 years of dictatorships in the 
Franco era. And one of the things that happened that was able to 
develop democracy in Spain was the fact that all the European countries 
got together and helped and assisted in developing a democracy in 
Spain. I think the same thing needs to happen in this region.

                              {time}  2000

  The countries of our Venezuela have to demand that Venezuela release 
its political prisoners, that it has free elections, and stop the human 
rights abuses. After all, it is in their best interest that a stable 
Venezuela is good for a stable region.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank very much my colleague, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, 
always for her passion on this issue. She is the little giant of human 
rights in this Congress. I thank her and my colleague, Mario Diaz-
Balart.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

                          ____________________