Sen. Cruz: ‘Today We Are Witnessing a Long-Overdue Reckoning for the Maduro Regime’

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today delivered the keynote address at the Center for a Secure Free Society's event entitled: ‘The VRIC: Tracing the roots of Venezuela, Russia, Iran & China security & intelligence cooperation.' Last year, Sen. Cruz secured language in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2019 mandating a report that describes Russia's security cooperation with American adversaries in the Western Hemisphere including Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua. In February, Sen. Cruz sent a letter to the Trump administration with Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) voicing concerns regarding Hezbollah's growing influence in and over Venezuela.

"Today is a momentous day to be discussing Venezuela," Sen. Cruz said. "Today is a day that has the potential to have enormous long-term repercussions. Today we are witnessing a long-overdue reckoning for the Maduro regime. All of us are concerned and are watching the day-to-day developments. We are glad to see opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez freed from captivity. That is something I have long called for. But at the same time, there remains a threat, escalating by the minute, that Maduro and his thugs will stop at nothing to try to cling to power, and that violent clashes will escalate. The regime should know that the United States will hold them accountable for their conduct in the hours and days to come, for any violence, or any atrocities in which they participate."

Sen. Cruz continued, noting the United States has an opportunity to pursue "targeted policies" in response to alliances and cooperation between bad actors, including Venezuela, Cuba, and Russia.

"Today, the world's bad actors sustain themselves and each other through alliances and cooperation that is ever more brazen," Sen. Cruz said. "This emerging dynamic is dangerous, but provides the United States with an opportunity to pursue targeted policies in response that enhance our national security. Venezuela would have collapsed long ago if it did not get outside support from countries like Cuba and Russia. It's important for Americans to understand the depth of the cooperation between Cuba and Venezuela and also between Russia and Venezuela."

This year, Sen. Cruz introduced a bill that would counter the Maduro regime's illicit trade in precious metals, which has enabled to the regime to sustain itself and its oppression of the Venezuelan people, by adding such transactions as a consideration for designations for primary money laundering concern.

"One of the areas where Maduro has seen fit to plunder Venezuela, concerns gold," Sen. Cruz said. "Globally gold has become a key way that bad actors conduct illicit financial activities. In Venezuela, the gold trade is Maduro's best and perhaps his last lifeline. In 2018 alone, Venezuela exported $900 million worth of gold to Turkey. What we need to bring about Maduro's downfall are smart, targeted sanctions aimed at the financial nexus he uses to keep his regime afloat. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Turkey has been making large purchases of gold, almost certainly including illicit purchases from Venezuela. It is time to recognize that gold and other precious metals are a modern currency of choice for terrorists, despots, and others who have been cut off from the global financial system. To cut off this lifeline I've introduced legislation that says: if a country or bank conducts precious metal transactions that are subject to sanctions, such as moving gold for Venezuela or Iran, that the Secretary of Treasury can take those transactions into account when deciding about a broader conclusion that such country or bank shall be designated as a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern."

Finally, Sen. Cruz urged the Venezuelan military officials and generals to stand with the people of Venezuela and the legitimate government of interim president Juan Guaidó.

"To the protesters, to the demonstrators who are standing up for freedom, who are speaking out against oppression, know that your voice is heard, it is heard not just throughout Venezuela but across the globe," Sen. Cruz said. "To the generals, over 3,000 generals, you have a choice to make: will you and your families bare the shame for decades to come of standing with a corrupt, oppressive, illegitimate dictator who has helped bring the proud country of Venezuela to its knees; or will you instead make the right choice for your family, for your future, and for your country? Will you stand with the people of Venezuela? Will you stand with democratic institutions and legitimate governments? Will you stand for freedom, economic freedom? [...] We may see substantially more suffering in the hours and days to come if the generals make the wrong decision. I tell each of you there will consequences if you participate in war crimes or atrocities against the people. Firing at protesters is making a decision. You, your children, and your children's children will bear the shame of the wrong choice, and those generals with the courage to make the right choice, you likewise have the ability to be heralded by history. As patriots, as heroes who chose to stand with the people instead of a corrupt guy. This is a moment where change is in the air. For the sake of the people of Venezuela, for the sake of the people of America, for the sake of the people of the world, I hope and pray that you take the right course."

Sen. Cruz's full remarks may be viewed here and a transcript is below:

"Today is a momentous day to be discussing Venezuela. Today is a day that has the potential to have enormous long-term repercussions. Today we are witnessing a long-overdue reckoning for the Maduro regime. All of us are concerned and are watching the day-to-day developments. We are glad to see opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez freed from captivity. That is something I have long called for. But at the same time, there remains a threat escalating by the minute, that Maduro and his thugs will stop at nothing to try to cling to power, and that violent clashes will escalate. The regime should know that the United States will hold them accountable for their conduct in the hours and days to come, for any violence, or any atrocities in which they participate.

"The stakes are high in Venezuela - for the people of Venezuela and for the people of the world. Indeed, just a few weeks ago, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee had a hearing on Venezuela that I believe was the first Senate hearing in history that had the participation of three Hispanic senators: myself, Senator Rubio, and Senator Menendez. All three, interestingly enough, of Cuban-American heritage. All three with families that have seen the oppression, the violence, the poverty, the suffering, the misery that socialism and communism have brought Cuba, have brought Venezuela, and have brought countries throughout the globe.

"The Maduro regime would not have survived this long, and would not have been able to deepen its oppression of the Venezuelan people, without the active support of other communist governments, including especially the government of Cuba, who for some time now has engaged in an exchange where Cuba provides thugs to repress the Venezuelan people in exchange for Venezuelan oil.

"Indeed, it is telling today, that Maduro is relying heavily on Cuban thugs, rather than the Venezuelan military itself. It's important for Americans to understand.

"Today, the world's bad actors sustain themselves and each other through alliances and cooperation that is ever more brazen. This emerging dynamic is dangerous, but provides the United States with an opportunity to pursue targeted policies in response that enhance our national security.

"Venezuela would have collapsed long ago if it did not get outside support from countries like Cuba and Russia.

"It's important for Americans to understand the depth of the cooperation between Cuba and Venezuela and also between Russia and Venezuela.

"Last year, in the Senate Armed Services Committee, I introduced and passed bipartisan legislation that was adopted into the NDAA that required the Defense Intelligence Agency to report on Russian security cooperation with Venezuela, with Cuba, and with Nicaragua. The report that the administration submitted is extensive and worrying. It shows that Russia is building a security infrastructure in our backyard with Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua. Cuba supports Russian naval operations in exchange for credit and military equipment. In 2018 alone Russia and Cuba signed a $50 million loan agreement for the purchase of Russian military hardware and replacement parts.

"In Nicaragua, President Ortega is committed to strengthening security and defense agreements with Russia. And over the past years, hundreds of Russian troops participated in training with the Nicaraguan army.

"The strongest security partnership, however, that Russia has within Latin America is that of Venezuela. Russia is the regime's largest arm supplier, with upwards of $11 billion in arms sales over the past two decades. Let me repeat that number because it is staggering: Russia has upwards of $11 billion in arms sales to Venezuela over the past two decades. Just last year Russia deployed two Tu-160 Blackjack nuclear-capable bombers to the Venezuelan military, along with ten attack helicopters the previous year.

"Maduro's regime in Venezuela is being in very significant ways propped up by both Russia and Cuba. And, indeed, Cuban thugs play an integral part of keeping Maduro in power, even though his regime is illegitimate.

"In my view, the critical piece for whether we have a legitimately elected government in Venezuela, that responds to the needs and interests of the Venezuelan people or whether they will continue with this illegitimate, oppressive dictatorship that is the Maduro regime is going to be whether the roughly 3,000 generals in the Venezuelan military make the decision to side with the illegitimate, oppressive regime or to stand with the people of Venezuela.

"From the U.S. perspective, I think we should see a combination of sticks and carrots and on the Foreign Relations Committee I have been pushing for exactly that. In other words, each of those generals should know if they stand with Maduro against the Venezuelan people. They will face the sanctions directly. Their families face sanctions directly. That would be a decision to be on the wrong side of history that will haunt them for decades, for their entire lifetime.

"On the other hand, if they make the decision to stand with the people of Venezuela, and with the legitimate government, with Juan Guaidó, the legitimate leader in Venezuela, to stand for free elections in Venezuela, they will be a decision that will benefit them and their families.

"One of the areas where Maduro has seen fit to plunder Venezuela, concerns gold. Globally gold has become a key way that bad actors conduct illicit financial activities. In Venezuela, the gold trade is Maduro's best and perhaps his last lifeline. In 2018 alone, Venezuela exported $900 million worth of gold to Turkey. What we need to bring about Maduro's downfall are smart, targeted sanctions aimed at the financial nexus he uses to keep his regime afloat. According to the U.S. Treasury Department, Turkey has been making large purchases of gold, almost certainly including illicit purchases from Venezuela. It is time to recognize that gold and other precious metals are a modern currency of choice for terrorists, despots, and others who have been cut off from the global financial system.

"To cut off this lifeline I've introduced legislation that says: if a country or bank conducts precious metal transactions that are subject to sanctions, such as moving gold for Venezuela or Iran, that the Secretary of Treasury can take those transactions into account when deciding about a broader conclusion that such country or bank shall be designated as a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern. The administration is in possession of a list of Turkish entities that are moving gold for Venezuela, based on publicly sourced information.

"Amid news reports that Hezbollah and other hostile actors are exploiting political uncertainty in Venezuela, I joined with my colleague Chuck Grassley in voicing concerns to the State Department that our adversaries, including known and suspected terrorists, may be able to threaten American security via the southern border.

"We have to take a hard look at the conditions that are allowing Hezbollah to spread its malign influence globally. For too long, multiple administrations have ignored Hezbollah's steady takeover of Lebanon's state institutions. Today, in many ways, Hezbollah is Lebanon, and Lebanon is Hezbollah. The United States will have to reassess our relationship with Lebanon in response.

"The Obama administration was also aware of the potential for cross border threats in 2016. According to news reports, it also knew of Hezbollah's strategic networks throughout Latin America.

"The prospect of such bad actors in our hemisphere raises significant concerns about the safety and well-being of the American people. Should the U.S. government not address these concerns head-on, it would be an abdication of our responsibility to provide for the common defense.

"To the Venezuelan people and to the generals in Venezuela, let me start with the people of Venezuela. Know that the American people are with you. Know that we are lifting you up in prayer today and we are praying that this long, horrific nightmare will soon come to an end. To the protesters, to the demonstrators who are standing up for freedom, who are speaking out against oppression, know that your voice is heard, it is heard not just throughout Venezuela but across the globe. Truth is stronger than lies, and light is stronger than darkness. The American people are your friends and I commend you for the courage to stand up to Maduro's crushing oppression.

"To the generals, over 3,000 generals, you have a choice to make. Will you and your families bare the shame for decades to come of standing with a corrupt, oppressive, illegitimate dictator who has helped bring the proud country of Venezuela to its knees; or will you instead make the right choice for your family, for your future, and for your country? Will you stand with the people of Venezuela? Will you stand with democratic institutions and legitimate governments? Will you stand for freedom, economic freedom?

"Venezuela was once one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America, and Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro brought utter devastation and wreckage to that economy. Three thousand generals have the ability to choose which path we are on, one path. If you stand with corruption, if you stand with oppression, it could be a bloody path. We may see substantially more suffering in the hours and days to come if the generals make the wrong decision.

"I tell each of you there will consequences if you participate in war crimes or atrocities against the people. Firing at protesters is making a decision. You, your children, and your children's children will bear the shame of the wrong choice, and those generals with the courage to make the right choice you likewise have the ability to be heralded by history.

"As patriots, as heroes who chose to stand with the people instead of corrupt power. This is a moment where change is in the air. For the sake of the people of Venezuela, for the sake of the people of America, for the sake of the people of the world, I hope and pray that you take the right course. Thank you."

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