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RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE EFFORTS OF VENEZUELAN INTERIM PRESIDENT JUAN GUAID� TO BRING HUMANITARIAN AID TO THE PEOPLE OF VENEZUELA

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WHEREAS, over the last several weeks, the United States has coordinated and dropped off food and personal care aid to a staging area near the Colombian border town of Cucuta; and
WHEREAS, Cucuta is home to a bridge linking Venezuela and Colombia that thousands of Venezuelans have used to flee from the oppressive Maduro regime; and
WHEREAS, Venezuelan Congressional leader and United States-recognized interim president of Venezuela Juan Guaid� has pledged, with the help of his supporters, to move the aid into Venezuela on February 23, 2019; and
WHEREAS, the aid is designed to bring relief to Venezuelans struggling with widespread shortages of food and medicine, and with other socioeconomic ills propagated by the Maduro regime; and
WHEREAS, this Board has repeatedly taken steps to condemn the actions of the Maduro regime while supporting diplomatic efforts to promote democracy in Venezuela, including:�
* Resolution No. R-253-14, which condemned the Venezuelan government for using violence and intimidation against political opposition and urged the federal government to take immediate diplomatic action;
* Resolution No. R-455-14, which urged the previous administration and the Secretary of Homeland Security to grant temporary protected status to Venezuelan nationals in the United States;
* �Resolution No. R-526-17, which urged the federal government to impose sanctions on officials or persons acting on behalf of the Venezuelan government whom the President determined are responsible for, or complicit in, the commission of serious human rights abuses;
* �Resolution No. R-527-17, which supported House Resolution 259, a federal resolution expressing concern over and condemnation of the political, economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela;
* Resolution No. R-528-17, which supported H.R. 2161, a bill entitled the Venezuelan Refugee Assistance Act, which would allow Venezuelans in the United States to apply for legal permanent resident status;
* �Resolution No. R-530-17, which further condemned the Venezuelan government for using violence and intimidation against political opposition and continued to urge the federal government to take immediate diplomatic action;
* �Resolution No. R-777-17, which urged the federal government and the State of Florida to support economic sanctions against the Venezuelan government;
* Resolution No. R-788-17, which commended the U.S. Department of the Treasury�s sanctioning of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and transmitted further correspondence to President Donald J. Trump;
* Resolution No. R-556-18, which supported a Presidential Executive Order prohibiting certain financial transactions with the Venezuelan government and condemned the May 20, 2018 sham presidential election in Venezuela;
* Resolution No. R-88-19, which urged the United States Congress to enact legislation to provide humanitarian relief to the Venezuelan people and advance a constitutional and democratic solution to Venezuela�s political crisis;
* Resolution No. R-90-19, which joined the United States in condemning the inauguration of Nicolas Maduro as President of Venezuela; and
* Resolution No. R-176-19, which joined the United States in recognizing Juan Guaid� as interim president of Venezuela; and
WHEREAS, this Board wishes to support the efforts of interim president Juan Guaid� to bring much-needed humanitarian aid to the people of Venezuela,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, FLORIDA, that this Board:
Section 1. Supports the efforts of Venezuelan interim president Juan Guaid� to bring humanitarian aid to the people of Venezuela on February 23, 2019.
Section 2. Directs the Clerk of the Board to transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the President of the United States, United States Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, United States Representative Mario Diaz-Balart, and the remaining members of the Florida Congressional Delegation.