{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://salazar.house.gov/media/press-releases/salazar-introduces-resolution-recognizing-maria-corina-machado-venezuelas-only", "Salazar Introduces Resolution Recognizing Mar\u00eda Corina Machado as Venezuela\u2019s Only Legitimate Presidential Candidate", "2023-12-07", "2023", "2023-12", "Republican", "House", "FL", "Maria Elvira Salazar", "S000168", "salazar.house.gov", "salazar", "https://salazar.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Western Hemisphere Subcommittee Chairwoman Mar\u00eda Elvira Salazar (FL-27) and Reps. Mario D\u00edaz-Balart (FL-26) and Carlos Gim\u00e9nez (FL-28) introduced a resolution recognizing Mar\u00eda Corina Machado as the legitimate presidential candidate for the upcoming Venezuelan elections. The Senate version was introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL).\n\nAfter Mar\u00eda Corina Machado won a commanding majority of the opposition vote, it is up to the United States to defend her against the Maduro regime\u2019s incoming attacks.\n\n\u201cThe Venezuelan opposition overwhelmingly chose Mar\u00eda Corina Machado to lead the fight against the Maduro regime,\u201d said Rep. Salazar. \u201cThe United States must offer its full support for her and her campaign as millions of Venezuelans around the world rally around her struggle against the dictatorship.\u201d\n\nEarlier this year, the Maduro regime agreed to allow Mar\u00eda Corina Machado to run in the opposition presidential primary elections in exchange for loosened American sanctions on oil, gas, and gold exports from Venezuela. Immediately following Mar\u00eda Corina\u2019s victory, he nullified the result of the election in violation of his agreement with the United States.\n\nOver time, the Maduro regime has become more desperate to distract from Maria Corina\u2019s momentum. Maduro held a sham referendum on the annexation of the Essequibo region of Guyana while having his Attorney General Tarek William Saab issued an arrest warrant against several members of Mar\u00eda Corina\u2019s closest political advisors on spurious charges of money laundering.\n\nThese moves are part and parcel with the socialist agenda: If you can\u2019t win the right way, cheat.\n\nThe United States must stand with Mar\u00eda Corina Machado, the best chance Venezuela has to rid itself of more than two decades of Socialism.\n\n\u201cI am proud to introduce a resolution that strongly supports Mar\u00eda Corina Machado as Venezuela\u2019s legitimate presidential opposition candidate and condemns the Maduro regime\u2019s attempts to exclude any legitimate opposition from political participation,\u201d said Rep. D\u00edaz-Balart. \u201cThe Venezuelan people, both in Venezuela and abroad, overwhelmingly endorsed Mar\u00eda Corina Machado as the leading Venezuelan opposition candidate. I strongly opposed the Biden Administration\u2019s decision to relax sanctions on the Maduro dictatorship, while establishing an arbitrary November 30, 2023 deadline, which was done purportedly to encourage free and fair elections in Venezuela. That deadline has passed, and the administration has failed to reimpose tough sanctions. The U.S. must stand unequivocally with the Venezuelan people in their brave struggle for freedom, human rights, and democratic government.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe murderous Maduro regime is threatening, intimidating, and silencing opposition candidate Mar\u00eda Corina Machado,\u201d said Rep. Gim\u00e9nez. \u201cThis blatant attack on democracy shows the regime\u2019s desperation in the face of impending defeat. The Venezuelan people are determined to free themselves from communism with Mar\u00eda Corina and the United States must stand with the freedom-loving people of Venezuela.\u201d\n\nTo read the resolution, click here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-08T01:14:16Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://salazar.house.gov/media/press-releases/salazar-introduces-resolution-recognizing-maria-corina-machado-venezuelas-only"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9370180778205395, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}