,,iv  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,h4 ,,res4 #dhh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of
 ,,representatives  ,february #be1 #bjad
 ,ms4 ,ros-,lehtinen 7for herself1 ,mr4 
,salmon1 ,mr4 ,diaz-,balart1 ,ms4       
,wasserman ,schultz1 ,mr4 ,sires1 ,mr4  
,garcia1 ,mr4 ,de,santis1 ,mr4 ,grayson1
 ,mr4 ,mc,caul1 ,mr4 ,deutch1 ,ms4      
,wilson of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,murphy of    
,florida1 ,mr4 ,yoho1 ,mr4 ,stockman1   
,mr4 ,duncan of ,south ,carolina1 and   
,mr4 ,kinzinger of ,illinois7 submitted 
the following resolution2 which was     
referred to the ,committee on ,foreign  
,affairs  ,,resolution  ,supporting the 
people of ,venezuela as they protest    
peacefully for democratic change and    
calling to end the violence4  ,whereas  
the ,united ,states ,government should  
support the free and peaceful exercise  
of representative democracy in          
,venezuela1 condemning violence and     
intimidation against the country's      
political opposition1 and calling for   
dialogue between all political actors in

 the country2 ,whereas1 on ,february    
#ab1 #bjad1 also known in ,venezuela as 
the ,national ,youth ,day1 students     
began protesting in several cities      
against anti-democratic decisions and   
the crippling economy made by           
,venezuelan leader ,nicolas ,maduro2    
,whereas1 on ,february #ab1 #bjad1 a    
judge issued an arrest warrant for      
,leopoldo ,lpez1 leader of the          
opposition party ,voluntad ,popular1 for
 baseless and unfounded allegations in  
connection with the student protests2   
,whereas1 on ,february #ag1 #bjad1 the  
,government of ,venezuela notified the  
,united ,states ,department of ,state   
that it had declared #c consular        
officers at the ,united ,states ,embassy
 in ,venezuela personae non gratae2     
,whereas over the last year1 the        
,government of ,venezuela has expelled a
 total of #h ,united ,states ,government
 officials from ,venezuela2 ,whereas1 on
 ,february #ah1 #bjad1 opposition leader
 ,leopoldo ,lopez turned himself in to  

,venezuelan authorities1 was arrested1  
and charged with criminal incitement1   
conspiracy1 arson1 and intent to damage 
property2 ,whereas ,leopoldo ,lopez is  
currently being held in a prison at a   
military facility2 ,whereas according to
 ,amnesty ,international1 ,the charges  
brought against ,venezuelan opposition  
leader ,leopoldo ,lpez smack of a       
politically motivated attempt to silence
 dissent in the country2 ,whereas the   
,venezuelan ,government has blocked     
users' online images as opposition      
groups marched through ,caracas2        
,whereas the ,venezuelan people have    
been protesting economic1 social1 and   
political concerns facing their country1
 including corruption1 rising inflation 
rates1 unemployment1 shortages of       
everyday products1 increasing crime     
rates1 and the erosion of human rights  
and respect for political dissent2      
,whereas1 on ,february #ai1 #bjad1      
,president ,barack ,obama criticized the
 ,venezuelan ,government for arresting  

protesters1 called for their release1   
and urged the government to focus on the
 legitimate grievances of the           
,venezuelan people2 ,whereas1 as of     
,february #bj1 #bjad1 there have been   
#ac people killed1 over #ajj injured1   
and many persons unjustly detained due  
to pro-democracy demonstrations         
throughout ,venezuela2 ,whereas         
,venezuelan leader ,nicolas ,maduro     
threatened to expel the ,united ,states 
news network ,,cnn from ,venezuela and  
has taken off the air the ,colombian    
news channel ,,ntn #bd1 which transmits 
in ,venezuela1 after news outlets       
reported on the nation-wide protests2   
,whereas the ,inter-,american           
,commission on ,human ,rights released a
 statement on ,february #ad1 #bjad1     
which expresses its concern over the    
serious incidents of violence that have 
taken place in the context of protest   
demonstrations in ,venezuela1 as well as
 other complaints concerning acts of    
censorship against media outlets1       

attacks on organizations that defend    
human rights1 and acts of alleged       
political persecution2 and ,whereas as a
 member of the ,organization of         
,american ,states and signatory to the  
,inter-,american ,democratic ,charter1  
the ,government of ,venezuela has agreed
 to abide by the principles of          
constitutional1 representative          
democracy1 which include free and fair  
elections and adherence to its own      
constitution3 ,now1 therefore1 be it    
,that the ,house of ,representatives--  
7#a7 supports the people of ,venezuela  
in their pursuit of freedom of          
expression and freedom of assembly to   
promote democratic principles in        
,venezuela2  7#b7 deplores the          
inexcusable violence perpetrated against
 opposition leaders and protesters in   
,venezuela1 and the growing efforts to  
use politically motivated criminal      
charges to intimidate the country's     
political opposition2  7#c7 urges       
responsible nations throughout the      

international community to stand in     
solidarity with the people of ,venezuela
 and to actively encourage a process of 
dialogue between the ,government of     
,venezuela and the political opposition 
to end the violence2  7#d7 urges the    
,united ,states ,department of ,state to
 work in concert with other countries in
 the ,americas to take meaningful steps 
to ensure that basic fundamental        
freedoms in ,venezuela are in accordance
 with the ,inter-,american ,democratic  
,charter and to strengthen the ability  
of the ,organization of ,american       
,states 7,,oas7 to respond to the       
erosion of democratic norms and         
institutions in member states2  7#e7    
urges the ,united ,states ,department of
 ,state to insist that the ,secretary   
,general of the ,,oas immediately       
convene the ,,oas's ,permanent ,council 
to seek the most effective way to       
expeditiously end the violence in       
,venezuela in accordance with the       
,inter-,american ,democratic ,charter2  

and  7#f7 supports the ,inter-,american 
,commission on ,human ,rights in calling
 upon the ,venezuelan ,government to    
urgently adopt all measures that may be 
necessary to guarantee the rights to    
life1 humane treatment1 and security1 as
 well as the political rights1 the right
 of assembly1 and the rights of freedom 
of association and freedom of expression
 of everyone under its jurisdiction4