Congressmen García, Casar Lead Colleagues in Urging Trump Administration to Lift Sanctions on Venezuela to Allow for Response to Catastrophic Earthquakes

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Congressmen Jesús "Chuy" García (IL-04) and Greg Casar (TX-35) led a letter to President Donald Trump, Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio urging them to lift sanctions on Venezuela and facilitate access to frozen assets abroad, to respond to the humanitarian crisis caused by the devastating June 24 earthquakes.

The letter, which was signed by 14 Members of Congress, highlights the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela and emphasizes that the U.S. government's punishing sanctions regime is severely hampering urgent relief efforts. "In this moment of crisis, a robust state-coordinated response, unhampered by sanctions, is essential for preventing a humanitarian collapse and addressing the vast civilian and infrastructure needs that exceed the capacity of non-governmental approaches alone. The removal of sanctions will also allow state institutions to more effectively coordinate and deliver emergency healthcare, shelter, and food, clear debris, and rebuild roads, schools, and homes," the letter says.

Noting that these sanctions "discourage foreign suppliers, increase import costs, disrupt international payment mechanisms, weaken state capacity, and generate and exacerbate shortages," the letter argues they have caused an immense, unprecedented depression in Venezuela, and in order for recovery and reconstruction to succeed, they must be lifted entirely, not merely waived. It also urges the Trump Administration to facilitate the restoration of
Venezuelan institutions' ability to access, safeguard and deploy their assets in response to the
unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.

The letter concludes by stating that President Trump's decision to launch military strikes, forcibly detain Nicolas Maduro, and proclaim that his Administration "runs" the country means his Administration bears additional responsibility for the humanitarian response.

The letter was also signed by Representatives Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Summer Lee (PA-12), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Nydia Velázquez (NY-07).

A copy of the full letter can be found here.

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