Cardin Statement on Venezuelan Supreme Court Attack on Legislature

Statement

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Thursday after the Venezuelan Supreme Court ruled that the country's National Assembly was operating "outside the rule of law" and declared that it would assume lawmaking responsibilities:

"This development is a shocking, brazen attempt by President Maduro to effectively turn Venezuela into a dictatorship. I stand by the opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly and encourage them to continue to do their job on behalf of their constituents, the Venezuelan people.

"The crisis that has befallen the Venezuelan people has gone on for far too long and at great cost to their livelihoods and their future. I will continue to work with my bipartisan colleagues in the Senate, U.S. partners in the Hemisphere and the Organization of American States to apply pressure on the Maduro regime to return rule of law to that country and support the unfettered human rights of the Venezuelan people."

Background

In February, Senator Cardin led the U.S. Senate in unanimously passing a resolution expressing profound concern about the ongoing political, economic, social, and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela, urging the immediate release of political prisoners, and calling for respect of constitutional and democratic processes.

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