DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - Lawmakers are taking action following the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, despite credible evidence that he lost the last election, as protesters came together in South Florida for a second day in a row to demand justice.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., gathered with local Venezuelan leaders Friday and announced legislation known as the Revoke Exemptions for Venezuelan Oil to Curb Autocratic Repression (REVOCAR ACT), which would essentially crack down on the loopholes underneath Maduro’s regime.
This involves oil company revenues that flow to the Venezuelan government, ultimately prohibiting new and existing licenses for companies to transact with Venezuelan state oil company, which provides streams of income for Maduro’s regime’s to crack down against its own people.
“It’s critical that we keep the pressure up, and it’s critical to pass the REVOCAR ACT into law so that we can make sure that the sanctions that are necessary to stop the oil leases and to prevent that cash flow is adopted into federal law in the United States,” said Wasserman Schultz.
Venezuela’s opposition leaders called on the U.S. last year to cancel the oil licenses as a way to pressure the regime.
The announcement of the legislation comes on the heels of Maduro’s swearing-in ceremony, held at Venezuela’s legislative palace, where he was heavily guarded by police, military and intelligence officers.
On Thursday, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was briefly arrested, prompting protests in the streets of Venezuela and in South Florida.
She has since been released and is in a safe hideout.
In Doral, people swarmed the streets of the city’s center, as they fight for Machado’s freedom, release from Maduro’s reigns and a fair election.
“The ultimate goal, she stated it herself, this is until the end. Our goal is to achieve the freedom for our country,” said Raimundo Molina.
“To stop being corrupted, to be more free, to have our people back, to have everything back as it was, having food, being safe, to feel safe there,” said Hillary Arroyave.
Maduro has been in office for nearly 12 years, and it has been marked as a deep economic and social crisis for many Venezuelans.
Hours after his swearing-in, the U.S. announced a reward of $25 million for Maduro’s capture. This is linked to drug trafficking crimes.
The U.S. said Maduro has not presented any credible evidence that he won July’s election.
In a video Friday, Machado reacted to the swearing in, telling her supporters that Maduro wasn’t wearing the stash in his chest, he was wearing it in his ankle as a chackle which will tighten more everyday.
She added that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the head of the opposition group, will come to Venezuela at a later time to take possession as the constitutional president of Venezuela.
Another round of protesters descended on Doral Central Park, Friday afternoon, to express outrage at Maduro’s swearing-in.
A group of people sang Venezuela’s national anthem and stood united as they called for a better future for their home country.
Maria Teresa Morin, the manager of the Con Venezuela Campaign Command, said this isn’t over.
“We’re going to keep on fighting. We’re not going to lose our faith and this is, as Maria Corina Machado has been saying, this is until the end and we’re going to get it,” she said.
Morin said she saw Maduro in a weakened state on Friday.
“We saw a Maduro and a regime very isolated. I mean, they were not with this amount of leaders from the world joining them as usual,” she said.
The Friday freedom supporters said Maduro should not have taken the presidential oath. Instead, it should have been Urrutia.
“He lost the elections, and now that he took an oath, he actually committed the crime of performing a coup to the real and legitimate president who is Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia,” said Molina.
“Today he’s formally – he’s taking a place, assuming a position that he doesn’t deserve, ’cause he didn’t win the elections,” said Morin.
Many felt disappointed and said it has been a roller coaster of emotions.
“We feel disappointed, of course. Maduro is in power again,” said Pascal.
But they remain hopeful that the clock is ticking on Maduro’s grip on power.
“We are witnessing the last days of Nicolás Maduro’s regime,” said Morin.
Late Friday night, it remained unclear whether or not additional protests will be held throughout the weekend.
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