The Washington Free Beacon’s Ellison Barber interviewed Senator Marco Rubio Tuesday on his proposed sanctions against individuals in the Venezuelan government, with the Florida Republican calling for the United States to take a stand against the oppressive regime.
"Our foreign policy is always at its best when it’s firmly grounded in the moral principles of the foundation of our country: liberty, freedom, respect for human rights, and the dignity of all people," Rubio said. "When that is violated anywhere in the world we should speak strongly against it."
"This current government in Venezuela acts as enemy of the United States," Rubio continued, pointing out Venezuela's support for similar oppressive regimes like North Korea and Iran. "For those reasons alone we should care about what this government is doing, and so far under this [American] administration the stance has been silence."
Rubio has been an outspoken critic of the Venezuelan government’s recent crackdown on government dissidents, and has pushed for the Obama administration to sanction Venezuelan businesses and oligarchs that are close to the ruling government.
Rubio cited the Venezuelan government’s violence towards unarmed protestors as a wake up call for the United States to act.
"We need to speak forcefully against them," Rubio asserted. "If the United States and our foreign policy is not going to stand on the side of people who are seeking freedom, what nation in the world will be?"