Miami-Dade County officially condemns Venezuela dictator Nicolas Maduro

MIAMI – The Miami-Dade County Commission on Jan. 23 approved two resolutions sponsored by Commisioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz condemning the inauguration of Nicolas Maduro as president of Venezuela and refuse to recognize his presidency, and urging Congress to pass the proposed Venzuelan Humanitarian Relief, Reconstruction and Rule of Law Act to provide humanitarian aid to those fleeing Maduro’s government.

“It’s time to say enough is enough to Nicolas Maduro’s socialist dictatorship and to stand with the people of Venezuela to restore freedom and democracy to their country, which has suffered so much under the Chavez and Maduro regimes,” Commissioner Diaz said.

Maduro’s Jan. 10 inauguration followed a May 2018 election that was roundly condemned as a sham by international observers.

The Trump administration has imposed sanctions against the Venezuelan government and has condemned and refused to recognize the Maduro presidency.

In Venezuela, Juan Guaido, the new president of the nation’s congress, led nationwide protests on Jan. 23 in which he declared himself interim president and demanded Maduro’s resignation. The Trump administration immediately recognized Guaido as president and said it would push for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela through continued economic and diplomatic pressure.

Commissioner Diaz, whose district includes Doral, which is home to the largest concentration of Venezuelans in the United States, has sponsored several resolutions condemning Venezuela’s dictatorship.