Democratic Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Adam Schiff sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio demanding a report from the State Department on human rights violations that may have been committed under the interim presidency of Delcy Rodríguez, as made public this Monday.
"We urge the Department of State to reaffirm its long-standing commitment to denouncing human rights violations committed by the Venezuelan regime and to exert pressure on its officials to end such abuses," the senators wrote in their letter.
In addition to expressing concern "over the serious human rights violations in Venezuela," they also request that the Department of State commit to preventing new abuses.
The senators assert that the abuses, which occurred "during the tenure of former President Nicolás Maduro, have not decreased despite the significant intervention and control exercised by the United States government over Venezuelan affairs, nor after Maduro's replacement by interim President Delcy Rodríguez."
The lawmakers announce that Congress will continue to exercise oversight over the "administration's initiatives to support Rodríguez's regime" and that, if the Department of State refuses to address human rights violations, they will consider "using all available mechanisms to demand such a report, including Section 502B of the Foreign Assistance Act."
This law prohibits providing support to governments that maintain a "pattern of consistent serious violations" of human rights.
Since Maduro's capture on January 3, the Trump administration has strengthened relations with Rodríguez's interim government.