§9701 — Title 22 Foreign Relations and Intercourse | U.S. Code

Summary

Congress says the May 20, 2018 Venezuelan election was widely fraudulent and not free or fair. Because of that, Congress says Nicolás Maduro’s term ended on January 10, 2019. The National Assembly voted on January 15, 2019 to end his authority, and on January 23, 2019 the Assembly’s president was sworn in as Interim President. Congress supports the U.S. and more than 50 other governments, the Organization of American States, the Inter‑American Development Bank, and the European Parliament in recognizing Juan Guaidó as Interim President. Congress urges him to hold democratic presidential elections quickly and says the OAS, with U.S. and partner help, should provide diplomatic, technical, and financial support for an election that meets international standards.

Title 22, §9701

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Congress makes the following findings:

(1)Venezuela’s electoral event on May 20, 2018 was characterized by widespread fraud and did not comply with international standards for a free, fair, and transparent electoral process.

(2)Given the fraudulent nature of Venezuela’s May 20, 2018 electoral event, Nicolás Maduro’s tenure as President of Venezuela ended on January 10, 2019.

(3)The National Assembly of Venezuela approved a resolution on January 15, 2019 that terminated Nicolás Maduro’s authority as the President of Venezuela.

(4)On January 23, 2019, the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela was sworn in as the Interim President of Venezuela.

(b)It is the sense of Congress—

(1)to support the decisions by the United States Government, more than 50 governments around the world, the Organization of American States, the Inter-American Development Bank, and the European Parliament to recognize National Assembly President Juan Guaidó as the Interim President of Venezuela;

(2)to encourage the Interim President of Venezuela to advance efforts to hold democratic presidential elections in the shortest possible period; and

(3)that the Organization of American States, with support from the United States Government and partner governments, should provide diplomatic, technical, and financial support for a new presidential election in Venezuela that complies with international standards for a free, fair, and transparent electoral process.

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Short Title

Pub. L. 116–94, div. J, title I, § 101, Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 3030, provided that: “This title [enacting this chapter and amending provisions set out as a note under section 1701 of Title 50, War and National Defense] may be cited as the ‘Venezuela Emergency Relief, Democracy Assistance, and Development Act of 2019’ or the ‘VERDAD Act of 2019’.”

§9701 Findings; sense of Congress in support of the Interim President of Venezuela

Summary

Title 22, §9701

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Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

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