Sen. Rick Scott Leads Meeting with President-Elect Edmundo González on the Fight for Venezuela’s Freedom

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Senator Rick Scott met with Venezuela's President-elect Edmundo González to discuss the United States' support for the President-Elect ahead of his swearing-in as duly elected leader of Venezuela on January 10th, and the fight to restore democracy in Venezuela and put an end to Nicolás Maduro's illegitimate and brutal regime. Joining Senator Scott and President-elect Gonzalez were Senator Bill Cassidy, Senator Pete Ricketts and Representatives Carlos Giménez, Mario Díaz-Balart, John Rutherford, Laurel Lee, Scott Franklin, Mike Haridopolos and Vern Buchanan.

Senator Rick Scott said: "I'm proud to welcome Venezuela's President-elect, Edmundo González, to the Senate as we prepare for his rightful inauguration on January 10th. His overwhelming victory on July 28th is a clear mandate from the Venezuelan people who are demanding an end to Nicolás Maduro's illegitimate regime and a new day of freedom and democracy. Any attempt by Maduro to illegitimately cling to power through violence or repression will NOT be tolerated by the United States or the international community. As both Governor and Senator, I have fought tirelessly to defend freedom and democracy across Latin America, and I'm honored to stand with President-elect González, opposition leader María Corina Machado, and the brave people of Venezuela. Together, we will end Maduro's brutal dictatorship and ensure a free and prosperous future for Venezuela."

In the 119^th Congress, Senator Scott will continue to stand with the people of Venezuela's fight for freedom as a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and working to pass key legislation like his BOLIVAR Actto prohibit executive agencies from contracting with individuals or entities that, in concurrence with the Department of State, are found to engage in significant business operations with Venezuela's Maduro regime and the Securing Timely Opportunities for Payment and Maximizing Awards for Detaining Unlawful Regime Officials (STOP MADURO) Act to increase the maximum reward amount from $15 million to a maximum of $100 million for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Nicolás Maduro.

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