,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #badb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #ac1    
#bjad ,mr4 ,menendez 7for himself1 ,mr4 
,rubio1 ,mr4 ,nelson1 and ,mr4 ,kirk7   
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,foreign ,relations  ,a   
,,bill  ,to impose targeted sanctions on
 persons responsible for violations of  
human rights of antigovernment          
protesters in ,venezuela1 to strengthen 
civil society in ,venezuela1 and for    
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,venezuela    
,defense of ,human ,rights and ,civil   
,society ,act of #bjad4  #b4 ,findings  
,congress makes the following findings3 
7#a7 ,the ,central ,bank of ,venezuela  
and the ,national ,statistical          
,institute of ,venezuela have stated    
that the inflation rate in ,venezuela   
was #ef4cj percent in #bjac1 the highest
 level of inflation in the ,western     
,hemisphere and the third highest level 

of inflation in the world behind ,south 
,sudan and ,syria4  7#b7 ,the ,central  
,bank of ,venezuela and the ,government 
of ,venezuela have imposed a series of  
currency controls that has exacerbated  
economic problems and1 according to the 
,world ,economic ,forum1 has become the 
most problematic factor for doing       
business in ,venezuela4  7#c7 ,the      
,central ,bank of ,venezuela and the    
,national ,statistical ,institute of    
,venezuela have declared that the       
scarcity index of ,venezuela reached #bh
 percent in ,december #bjac1 which      
signifies that one in #d basic goods is 
unavailable at any given time4  7#d7    
,since #aiii1 violent crime in          
,venezuela has risen sharply and the    
,venezuelan ,violence ,observatory1 an  
independent nongovernmental             
organization1 found the national per    
capita murder rate to be #gi per        
#ajj1jjj people in #bjac4  7#e7 ,the    
international nongovernmental           
organization ,human ,rights ,watch      

recently stated1 ,under the leadership  
of ,president ,chvez and now ,president 
,maduro1 the accumulation of power in   
the executive branch and the erosion of 
human rights guarantees have enabled the
 government to intimidate1 censor1 and  
prosecute its critics44  7#f7 ,the      
,country ,reports on ,human ,rights     
,practices for #bjac of the ,department 
of ,state maintained that in ,venezuela 
the government did not respect judicial 
independence or permit judges to act    
according to the law without fear of    
retaliation and the government used the 
judiciary to intimidate and selectively 
prosecute political1 union1 business1   
and civil society leaders who were      
critical of government policies or      
actions4  7#g7 ,the ,government of      
,venezuela has detained foreign         
journalists and threatened and expelled 
international media outlets operating in
 ,venezuela1 and the international      
nongovernmental organization ,freedom   
,house declared that ,venezuela's media 

climate is permeated by intimidation1   
sometimes including physical attacks1   
and strong antimedia rhetoric by the    
government is common4  7#h7 ,since      
,february #d1 #bjad1 the ,government of 
,venezuela has responded to             
antigovernment protests with violence   
and killings perpetrated by public      
security forces1 and by arresting and   
unjustly charging opposition leader     
,leopoldo ,lopes with criminal          
incitement1 conspiracy1 arson1 and      
intent to damage property4  7#i7 ,as of 
,march #ac1 #bjad1 #bc people had been  
killed1 more than #ajj people had been  
injured1 and dozens had been unjustly   
detained as a result of antigovernment  
demonstrations throughout ,venezuela4   
#c4 ,sense of ,congress regarding       
antigovernment protests in ,venezuela   
and the need to prevent further violence
 in ,venezuela ,it is the sense of      
,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,united       
,states aspires to a mutually beneficial
 relationship with ,venezuela based on  

respect for human rights and the rule of
 law and a functional and productive    
relationship on issues of public        
security1 including counternarcotics and
 counterterrorism2  7#b7 the ,united    
,states supports the people of          
,venezuela in their efforts to realize  
their full economic potential and to    
advance representative democracy1 human 
rights1 and the rule of law within their
 country2  7#c7 the chronic             
mismanagement by the ,government of     
,venezuela of its economy has produced  
conditions of economic hardship and     
scarcity of basic goods and foodstuffs  
for the people of ,venezuela2  7#d7 the 
failure of the ,government of ,venezuela
 to guarantee minimal standards of      
public security for its citizens has led
 the country to become one of the most  
violent in the world2  7#e7 the         
,government of ,venezuela continues to  
take steps to remove checks and balances
 on the executive1 politicize the       
judiciary1 undermine the independence of

 the legislature through use of         
executive decree powers1 persecute and  
prosecute its political opponents1      
curtail freedom of the press1 and limit 
the free expression of its citizens2    
7#f7 the people of ,venezuela1          
responding to ongoing economic hardship1
 high levels of crime and violence1 and 
the lack of basic political rights and  
individual freedoms1 have turned out in 
demonstrations in ,caracas and          
throughout the country to protest the   
inability of the ,government of         
,venezuela to ensure the political and  
economic well-being of its citizens2 and
  7#g7 the repeated use of violence     
perpetrated by the ,national ,guard and 
security personnel of ,venezuela1 as    
well as persons acting on behalf of the 
,government of ,venezuela1 in relation  
to the antigovernment protests that     
began on ,february #d1 #bjad1 is        
intolerable and the use of unprovoked   
violence by protesters is also a matter 
of serious concern4  #d4 ,united ,states

 policy toward ,venezuela ,it is the    
policy of the ,united ,states-- 7#a7 to 
support the people of ,venezuela in     
their aspiration to live under          
conditions of peace and representative  
democracy as defined by the             
,inter-,american ,democratic ,charter of
 the ,organization of ,american ,states2
  7#b7 to work in concert with the other
 member states within the ,organization 
of ,american ,states1 as well as the    
countries of the ,european ,union1 to   
ensure the peaceful resolution of the   
current situation in ,venezuela and the 
immediate cessation of violence against 
antigovernment protestors2  7#c7 to hold
 accountable government and security    
officials in ,venezuela responsible for 
or complicit in the use of force in     
relation to the antigovernment protests 
that began on ,february #d1 #bjad1 and  
similar future acts of violence2 and    
7#d7 to continue to support the         
development of democratic political     
processes and independent civil society 

in ,venezuela4  #e4 ,sanctions on       
persons responsible for violence in     
,venezuela  7a7 ,in general ,the        
,president shall impose the sanctions   
described in subsection 7b7 with respect
 to any person1 including a current or  
former official of the ,government of   
,venezuela or a person acting on behalf 
of that ,government1 that the ,president
 determines-- 7#a7 has perpetrated1 or  
is responsible for ordering1            
controlling1 or otherwise directing1    
significant acts of violence or serious 
human rights abuses in ,venezuela       
against persons associated with the     
antigovernment protests in ,venezuela   
that began on ,february #d1 #bjad2  7#b7
 has directed or ordered the arrest or  
prosecution of a person primarily       
because of the person's legitimate      
exercise of freedom of expression or    
assembly2 or  7#c7 has materially       
assisted1 sponsored1 or provided        
significant financial1 material1 or     
technological support for1 or goods or  

services in support of1 the commission  
of acts described in paragraph 7#a7 or  
7#b74  7b7 ,sanctions described  7#a7   
,in general ,the sanctions described in 
this subsection are the following3 7,a7 
,asset blocking ,the exercise of all    
powers granted to the ,president by the 
,international ,emergency ,economic     
,powers ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja et    
seq47 to the extent necessary to block  
and prohibit all transactions in all    
property and interests in property of a 
person determined by the ,president to  
be subject to subsection 7a7 if such    
property and interests in property are  
in the ,united ,states1 come within the 
,united ,states1 or are or come within  
the possession or control of a ,united  
,states person4  7,b7 ,exclusion from   
the ,united ,states and revocation of   
visa or other documentation ,in the case
 of an alien determined by the          
,president to be subject to subsection  
7a71 denial of a visa to1 and exclusion 
from the ,united ,states of1 the alien1 

and revocation in accordance with       
section #bba7;i7 of the ,immigration and
 ,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4        
#abja7;i771 of any visa or other        
documentation of the alien4  7#b7       
,penalties ,a person that violates1     
attempts to violate1 conspires to       
violate1 or causes a violation of       
paragraph 7#a77;,a7 or any regulation1  
license1 or order issued to carry out   
paragraph 7#a77;,a7 shall be subject to 
the penalties set forth in subsections  
7b7 and 7c7 of section #bjf of the      
,international ,emergency ,economic     
,powers ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agje7 to   
the same extent as a person that commits
 an unlawful act described in subsection
 7a7 of that section4  7#c7 ,exception  
to comply with united nations           
headquarters agreement ,sanctions under 
paragraph 7#a77;,b7 shall not apply to  
an alien if admitting the alien into the
 ,united ,states is necessary to permit 
the ,united ,states to comply with the  
,agreement regarding the ,headquarters  

of the ,united ,nations1 signed at ,lake
 ,success ,june #bf1 #aidg1 and entered 
into force ,november #ba1 #aidg1 between
 the ,united ,nations and the ,united   
,states1 or other applicable            
international obligations4  7c7 ,waiver 
,the ,president may waive the           
application of sanctions under          
subsection 7b7 with respect to a person 
if the ,president-- 7#a7 determines that
 such a waiver is in the national       
security interests of the ,united       
,states2 and  7#b7 on or before the date
 on which the waiver takes effect1      
submits to the ,committee on ,foreign   
,relations and the ,committee on        
,banking ,housing1 and ,urban ,affairs  
of the ,senate and the ,committee on    
,foreign ,affairs and the ,committee on 
,financial ,services of the ,house of   
,representatives a notice of and        
justification for the waiver4  7d7      
,regulatory authority ,the ,president   
shall issue such regulations1 licenses1 
and orders as are necessary to carry out

 this section4  7e7 ,definitions ,in    
this section3 7#a7 ,admitted2 alien ,the
 terms admitted and alien have the      
meanings given those terms in section   
#aja of the ,immigration and            
,nationality ,act 7#h ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja74 
7#b7 ,financial institution ,the term   
financial institution has the meaning   
given that term in section #ecab of     
title #ca1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#c7 
,materially assisted ,the term          
materially assisted means the provision 
of assistance that is significant and of
 a kind directly relevant to acts       
described in paragraph 7#a7 or 7#b7 of  
subsection 7a74  7#d7 ,united states    
person ,the term ,united ,states person 
means-- 7,a7 a ,united ,states citizen  
or an alien lawfully admitted for       
permanent residence to the ,united      
,states2 or  7,b7 an entity organized   
under the laws of the ,united ,states or
 of any jurisdiction within the ,united 
,states1 including a foreign branch of  
such an entity4  #f4 ,support for civil 

society in ,venezuela  7a7 ,in general  
,the ,secretary of ,state shall1 subject
 to the availability of appropriations1 
directly or through nongovernmental     
organizations-- 7#a7 defend             
internationally recognized human rights 
for the people of ,venezuela2  7#b7     
build the organizational and operational
 capacity of democratic civil society   
activists and organizations in          
,venezuela at the national and regional 
level2  7#c7 support the efforts of     
independent media outlets to broadcast1 
distribute1 and share information beyond
 the limited channels made available by 
the ,government of ,venezuela2  7#d7    
facilitate open and uncensored access to
 the ,internet for the people of        
,venezuela2  7#e7 improve transparency  
and accountability of institutions that 
are part of the ,government of          
,venezuela2  7#f7 provide support to    
civil society organizations1 activists1 
and peaceful demonstrators in ,venezuela
 that have been targeted for exercising 

internationally recognized civil and    
political rights1 as well as journalists
 targeted for activities related to the 
work of a free press2 and  7#g7 provide 
support for democratic political        
organizing and election monitoring in   
,venezuela4  7b7 ,strategy requirement  
,not later than #fj days after the date 
of the enactment of this ,act1 the      
,president shall submit a strategy to   
carry out the activities described in   
subsection 7a7 to-- 7#a7 the ,committee 
on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate   
and the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs 
of the ,house of ,representatives2 and  
7#b7 the ,committee on ,appropriations  
of the ,senate and the ,committee on    
,appropriations of the ,house of        
,representatives4  7c7 ,authorization of
 appropriations  7#a7 ,in general ,there
 is authorized to be appropriated to the
 ,secretary of ,state #ae1jjj1jjj for   
fiscal year #bjae to carry out          
subsection 7a74 ,amounts appropriated   
for the activities set forth in         

subsection 7a7 shall be used pursuant to
 the authorization and requirements     
contained in this section4 ,additional  
amounts may be authorized to be         
appropriated under provisions of law4   
7#b7 ,notification requirement  7,a7 ,in
 general ,funds appropriated or         
otherwise made available pursuant to    
paragraph 7#a7 may not be obligated     
until until #ae days after the date on  
which the ,president has provided notice
 of intent to obligate such funds to--  
7i7 the ,committee on ,foreign          
,relations of the ,senate and the       
,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the  
,house of ,representatives2 and  7ii7   
the ,committee on ,appropriations of the
 ,senate and the ,committee on          
,appropriations of the ,house of        
,representatives4  7,b7 ,waiver ,the    
,president may waive the requirement    
under subparagraph 7,a7 if the          
,president determines that failure to   
waive that requirement would pose a     
substantial risk to human health or     

welfare1 in which case notification     
shall be provided as early as           
practicable1 but in no event later than 
#c days after taking the action to which
 such notification requirement was      
applicable in the context of the        
circumstances necessitating such waiver4