,,iii #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #dd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #h1 #bjba,mr4 ,rubio 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,mr4 ,cruz1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,scott of ,florida1 and ,mr4 ,cardin7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,,resolution ,denouncing the ,maduro regime's 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 ,whereas1 on ,december #f1 #bjbj1 the regime of ,nicols ,maduro held fraudulent legislative elections for ,venezuela's ,national ,assembly that did not comply with international standards for free1 fair1 and transparent electoral processes2 ,whereas the ,maduro regime sought to use fraudulent legislative elections to install a new ,national ,assembly on ,january #e1 #bjba1 in an effort to undermine ,venezuela's ,national ,assembly1 which was democratically elected in #bjae2 ,whereas1 pursuant to 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 and more than #ej countries--including ,canada1 the #bg member countries of the ,european ,union1 and #ba members of the ,organization of ,american ,states1 among others--have expressed concern about the lack of legitimacy of the ,december #f1 #bjbj1 electoral process held in ,venezuela and the ,maduro regime's failure to meet international standards for a free1 fair1 and transparent election2 ,whereas1 on ,january #f1 #bjba1 the ,european ,union issued a public statement on the ,maduro regime's ,december #f1 #bjbj1 legislative elections1 stating that the elections failed to comply with international standards and that it does not recognize the electoral process as credible1 inclusive or transparent1 nor ''' its outcome to be considered as representative of the democratic will of the ,venezuelan people2 ,whereas1 on ,january #e1 #bjba1 members of the ,lima ,group--including ,brazil1 ,canada1 ,chile1 ,colombia1 ,costa ,rica1 ,ecuador1 ,el ,salvador1 ,guatemala1 ,haiti1 ,honduras1 ,paraguay1 ,peru1 and ,venezuela--issued a joint declaration stating that the ,lima ,group does not recognize the legitimacy or legality of the ,national ,assembly installed on ,january #e1 #bjba4 ,this illegitimate ,national ,assembly is the product of the fraudulent elections of ,december #f1 #bjbj1 organized by the illegitimate regime of ,nicols ,maduro42 ,whereas1 on ,december #h1 #bjbj1 the ,international ,contact ,group--including ,costa ,rica1 the ,dominican ,republic1 ,ecuador1 the ,european ,union1 ,france1 ,germany1 ,italy1 the ,netherlands1 ,panama1 ,portugal1 ,spain1 ,sweden1 the ,united ,kingdom and ,uruguay--issued a public declaration stating that the ,maduro regime's ,december #f1 #bjbj1 elections did not meet internationally accepted standards1 nor did they meet conditions required by ,venezuelan laws1 and that they cannot recognise the results of this electoral process as legitimate or representative of the will of the ,venezuelan people2 ,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 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 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 according to the ,venezuelan constitution1 ,juan ,guaid1 as ,president of the ,national ,assembly1 serves as ,venezuela's ,interim ,president in the absence of a 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 ,maduro regime 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 the ,maduro regime's fraudulent legislative elections on ,december #f1 #bjbj1 as an effort to undermine ,venezuela's democratically elected ,national ,assembly2 7#b7 does not recognize the legitimacy of the ,national ,assembly installed by the ,maduro regime on ,january #f1 #bjba2 7#c7 joins members of the international community1 including members of the ,lima ,group1 the ,organization of ,american ,states1 and the ,european ,union1 in rightfully rejecting the ,maduro's regime's fraudulent and illegitimate legislative elections on ,december #f1 #bjbj2 7#d7 urges that presidential and legislative elections in ,venezuela be conducted at the earliest possible date that conditions for international standards for free1 fair1 and transparent electoral processes1 including credible international election observation1 can be met2 7#e7 calls on the ,maduro regime to cease its campaign of systematic persecution against ,venezuela's independent political parties and their leadership2 7#f7 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#g7 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