,,iii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #gdi ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,october #bj 7legislative day1 ,october #ai71 #bjbj,mr4 ,rubio 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,mr4 ,cruz1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,scott of ,florida1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 and ,mr4 ,kaine7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,denouncing the ,maduro regime's efforts to hold fraudulent legislative elections1 the absence of acceptable conditions to ensure free1 fair1 and transparent electoral processes in ,venezuela1 and the further erosion of ,venezuelan democracy4 ,whereas the regime of ,nicols ,maduro is undertaking efforts to hold fraudulent legislative elections for ,venezuela's ,national ,assembly in ,december #bjbj that will not comply with international standards for free1 fair1 and transparent electoral processes2 ,whereas the ,maduro regime is seeking to use fraudulent legislative elections to undermine ,venezuela's sitting democratically elected ,national ,assembly2 ,whereas1 as codified under section #aab of the ,,verdad ,act of #bjai 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #igjb71 it is the policy of the ,united ,states to recognize the democratically elected ,national ,assembly of ,venezuela1 elected in ,december #bjae and sworn in on ,january #bjaf1 as the only legitimate national legislative body in ,venezuela2 ,whereas the ,united ,states ,government and members of the international community have rightly denounced the ,maduro regime's efforts to hold fraudulent legislative elections in ,december #bjbj2 ,whereas1 on ,october #ac1 #bjbj1 members of the ,lima ,group--including ,bolivia1 ,brazil1 ,canada1 ,chile1 ,colombia1 ,costa ,rica1 ,guatemala1 ,haiti1 ,honduras1 ,panama1 ,paraguay1 ,peru1 and ,venezuela--issued a joint declaration on the ,maduro regime's efforts to hold legislative elections in ,december #bjbj that expressed firm rejection of the continuing of the illegitimate regime of ,nicols ,maduro in holding parliamentary elections without the minimum democratic guarantees and without the participation of all political forces2 ,whereas1 on ,september #ag1 #bjbj1 the ,international ,contact ,group on ,venezuela--whose members include ,argentina1 ,costa ,rica1 ,ecuador1 the ,european ,union1 ,france1 ,germany1 ,italy1 the ,netherlands1 ,panama1 ,portugal1 ,spain1 ,sweden1 the ,united ,kingdom1 and ,uruguay--issued a joint declaration on the ,maduro regime's efforts to hold legislative elections in ,december #bjbj that stated that conditions are not met1 at the moment1 for a transparent1 inclusive1 free and fair electoral process2 ,whereas1 on ,june #ab1 #bjbj1 the ,maduro regime's illegitimate ,supreme ,court unilaterally appointed new members to ,venezuela's ,national ,electoral ,council without the approval of the democratically elected ,national ,assembly2 ,whereas1 throughout #bjbj1 the ,maduro regime-- 7#a7 sought to co-opt and undermine independent political parties through a campaign of systematic persecution2 and 7#b7 used its discredited ,supreme ,court to strip independent political parties of their leadership1 including ,voluntad ,popular1 ,primero ,justicia1 and ,accin ,democrtica2 ,whereas the ,maduro regime has a demonstrated track record of holding fraudulent elections over the last four years2 ,whereas1 on ,july #cj1 #bjag1 the ,maduro regime manipulated the results for ,venezuela's ,constituent ,assembly by more than #a1jjj1jjj votes1 according to ,smartmatic1 the company that supplied ,venezuela's electronic voting machines2 ,whereas1 in ,may #bjah1 the ,maduro regime held fraudulent presidential elections that were broadly criticized as illegitimate1 leading more than #ej countries to recognize the end of ,nicols ,maduro's term in office and the inauguration of ,national ,assembly ,president ,juan ,guaid as ,interim-,president of ,venezuela on ,january #bc1 #bjai2 ,whereas1 according to the ,venezuelan constitution1 ,juan ,guaid1 as ,president of the ,national ,assembly1 serves as ,venezuela's ,interim ,president in the absence of democratically elected president of ,venezuela2 ,whereas the conditions do not currently exist for the free1 fair1 and transparent election of new members of the ,national ,assembly or the president of ,venezuela2 ,whereas1 as of ,september #g1 #bjbj1 the internationally recognized nongovernmental organization ,foro ,penal confirmed that1 out of the #aaj individuals recently released from prison by the ,maduro regime to serve out the remainder of their sentences under house arrest1 #ec were political prisoners1 and that currently #cfc political prisoners remain unjustly detained by the dictatorship without due process2 ,whereas1 on ,september #af1 #bjbj1 the ,united ,nations ,independent ,international ,fact-,finding ,mission on the ,bolivarian ,republic of ,venezuela found that ,nicols ,maduro and senior members of his regime ordered and carried out a campaign of extrajudicial executions1 forced disappearances1 torture1 and arbitrary detentions that amounted to systemic crimes against humanity2 ,whereas the ,maduro regime's efforts to hold fraudulent legislative elections1 undermine the democratically elected ,national ,assembly and independent political parties1 and implement a campaign of state-sponsored violence and repression further erodes democracy and the rule of law in ,venezuela2 and ,whereas1 as codified under section #d of the ,venezuela ,defense of ,human ,rights and ,civil ,society ,act 7,public ,law #aac-bgh2 #abh ,u4,s4,c4 #cjac71 it is the policy of the ,united ,states 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 ,states3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 denounces efforts by the ,maduro regime to hold fraudulent legislative elections in an effort to undermine ,venezuela's democratically elected ,national ,assembly2 7#b7 joins members of the international community1 including members of the ,lima ,group1 in rightfully rejecting the ,maduro's regime efforts to carry out fraudulent legislative elections2 7#c7 urges that presidential and legislative elections in ,venezuela be conducted at the earliest possible date according to international standards for free1 fair1 and transparent electoral processes1 including credible international election observation2 7#d7 calls on the ,maduro regime to cease its campaign of systematic persecution against ,venezuela's independent political parties and their leadership2 7#e7 calls on the ,maduro regime to immediately release all political prisoners1 facilitate access by humanitarian organizations1 and end its campaign of extrajudicial executions1 forced disappearances1 torture1 and arbitrary detentions of political opponents1 human rights defenders1 civil society activists1 peaceful protesters1 and citizens2 and 7#f7 takes note of the finding of the ,united ,nations ,independent ,international ,fact-,finding ,mission on the ,bolivarian ,republic of ,venezuela that the ,maduro regime's campaign of state-sponsored violence and repression against the people of ,venezuela amounted to crimes against humanity1 and calls for ,nicols ,maduro and senior members of his regime to be held accountable for their actions4