Senate Hearing on U.S. Policy Toward Venezuela

• •The U.S. has imposed targeted visa sanctions on more than 140 Venezuelan individuals for human rights abuses and corruption.
• •The U.S. has designated several high-ranking Venezuelan officials under the drug kingpin statute, including the Vice President, a former Minister of Defense, and a governor.
• •Caracas recorded 119 homicides per 100,000 people in 2015.
• •The Venezuelan government blocked a citizen-led recall referendum against President Maduro.
• •Regional elections in Venezuela were not held in December 2016 as scheduled.
• •A Venezuelan human rights group reports 117 individuals are currently jailed for political reasons.
• •The U.S. has investigated criminal money laundering involving a bank in Andorra linked to Venezuelan officials.
• •Polls indicate 60 percent of Venezuelans favor dialogue to solve the country's problems, while 28 percent oppose it.
• •The Union of South American Governments has attempted to mediate between the Venezuelan government and the opposition.

This hearing informs potential future U.S. legislative actions and diplomatic strategies regarding Venezuela, which directly impacts the enforcement of international sanctions and U.S. foreign policy in the Western Hemisphere.

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.