Venezuela

Florida senators offer measure to help Venezuela with $10 million for medicine

By Alex Leary

Tampa Bay Times
Anti-government protesters burn a Bolivarian National Guard motorbike, as one of them is covered in flames, left, during clashes with security forces blocking their march from reaching the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Driving the latest outrage is a decree by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to begin the process of rewriting Venezuela's constitution.
Anti-government protesters burn a Bolivarian National Guard motorbike, as one of them is covered in flames, left, during clashes with security forces blocking their march from reaching the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, May 3, 2017. Driving the latest outrage is a decree by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to begin the process of rewriting Venezuela's constitution. Fernando Llano AP
WASHINGTON

Florida Sens. Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson introduced legislation Wednesday that would provide assistance to Venezuela, including $10 million for medicine and nutritional supplements and $9.5 million for organizations working to defend human rights.

Rubio, a Republican, spearheaded the bill with Sen. Ben Cardin, and Nelson, a Democrat, signed on with a bipartisan group.

“Venezuelan civilians are being harmed and killed by their own government as the dictator [Nicolás] Maduro and his thugs use violence to suppress peaceful pro-democracy protests,” Rubio said. “The United States must stand with and support the Venezuelan people as they struggle to defend their rights and restore constitutional mechanisms and bring back democracy in their country.”

This story was originally published May 3, 2017 at 5:46 PM with the headline "Florida senators offer measure to help Venezuela with $10 million for medicine."

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