Seven months after Trump intervention, US senators seek Venezuela elections

Seven months after the Trump administration removed then-President Nicolas Maduro and installed his vice president, a bipartisan group of US senators is calling for elections in Venezuela. Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen introduced a resolution on Tuesday reaffirming US support for elections, demanding the release of political prisoners, and advocating punishment for those harming individuals seeking public office. This resolution emerges amid growing frustration over the Trump administration's perceived failure to instigate significant change in Venezuela. Senator Cruz stated, "The people of Venezuela deserve free, fair, and transparent elections, and it is vital to the national security interests of the United States that those elections occur expeditiously." The resolution also calls for the safe return and participation of all political actors, including popular opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who is currently abroad.