Request for information on Venezuela’s human rights practices

(a) Statement requested The Senate requests that the Secretary of State, not later than 30 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution, submit to the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives, pursuant to section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(c)), a statement regarding the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela’s human rights practices that has been prepared in collaboration with the Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor and the Office of the Legal Adviser at the Department of State. (b) Elements The statement submitted pursuant to subsection (a) should include— (1) all available information concerning alleged violations and abuses of internationally recognized human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Government of Venezuela beginning on January 10, 2025, and identifying such alleged violations and abuses that have continued beyond or happened since January 3, 2026, including those involving— (A) arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, sexual violence, or other abuses of the rights to life, liberty, and the security of person, including of political prisoners; or (B) repression, harassment, political persecution, or restrictions on the freedoms of peaceful assembly, association, expression, and other rights and fundamental freedoms imposed on opposition leaders, civil society organizations, or independent journalists; (2) all available information concerning alleged violations and abuses of internationally recognized human rights committed by all officials of the Government of Venezuela who are currently or were formerly indicted or subject to United States sanctions, including violations committed by the departments or agencies at their direction, including— (A) Delcy Rodríguez, the Acting President and former Executive Vice President under Nicolás Maduro; (B) Diosdado Cabello, the Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace; (C) Gustavo Enrique González López, the current Minister of Defense and former Director of SEBIN under Nicolás Maduro; and (D) Vladimir Padrino Lopez, the current Minister of Productive Agriculture and Lands and former Minister of Defense under Nicolás Maduro; (3) a description of the steps the United States Government took between January 10, 2025, and January 2, 2026, and has taken since January 3, 2026— (A) to promote respect for, and observance of, human rights as part of the Government of Venezuela’s activities; (B) to penalize individuals who wielded government power to suppress political opposition and deter free and fair elections; (C) to discourage any practices that are inimical to internationally recognized human rights; and (D) to publicly or privately call attention to, and disassociate the United States and any security assistance provided for the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela from, any practices described in subparagraph (B) or (C); and (4) other information, including— (A) an assessment of the likelihood that United States security assistance (as defined in section 502B(d) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2304(d))) provided to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has been used in support of activities related to facilitating civil repression and arbitrary detentions; (B) an assessment of the efficacy that United States security assistance has brought about change in Venezuela to promote democracy and protect human rights; (C) an assessment of Acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s facilitation of arbitrary detentions and civil repression, including denying opposition leaders, such as María Corina Machado, the ability to reenter Venezuela; (D) an assessment of Venezuela’s Amnesty Law for Democratic Coexistence, which was enacted by the National Assembly on February 19, 2026, and the extent to which such law restricts hundreds of political prisoners from receiving relief; (E) an assessment of the conditions in prison centers holding political prisoners, including El Helicoide, Rodeo I, Rodeo II, and the Barinas Judicial Internment Center (INJUBA), and an evaluation of the allegations of torture, cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment, and other gross violations of human rights that have taken place in these prison centers; (F) an assessment of the extent to which Venezuelan citizens were deprived of their political rights by the Government of Venezuela’s noncompliance with its constitutional requirement to hold a presidential election within 30 days after the April 3, 2026, expiration of Delcy Rodríguez’s 90-day temporary role as acting president; and (G) a description of any actions being taken by the United States Government to ensure the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela addresses corruption and human rights violations and abuses tied to civil repression and arbitrary detentions.