To promote democracy in Venezuela, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Venezuela Advancing Liberty, Opportunity, and Rights Act (VALOR Act) imposes comprehensive sanctions on the Maduro regime in Venezuela while laying groundwork for supporting a future democratic government. The bill blocks the Venezuelan government and its associates from accessing US financial systems, prohibits transactions in Venezuelan government debt and cryptocurrency, and restricts countries that provide assistance to the Maduro regime.
Who Benefits and How
Venezuelan pro-democracy groups and civil society organizations benefit from authorized US funding for democracy-building, human rights monitoring, and election observation. The Organization of American States receives at least $5 million to deploy human rights observers. Independent NGOs providing humanitarian assistance in Venezuela gain authorized pathways to operate and receive US support for food, medicine, education, and development projects without running afoul of sanctions.
A future democratic Venezuelan government is positioned to benefit significantly, as the bill creates a comprehensive assistance plan including development aid, Food for Peace programs, Export-Import Bank financing, Trade and Development Agency support, and potential most-favored-nation trade status once democracy is established.
Who Bears the Burden and How
The Maduro regime and Venezuelan government entities face comprehensive financial isolation. They are blocked from US financial institutions, cannot issue debt to US investors, and their cryptocurrency (the Petro) is banned. Nicolas Maduro and sanctioned officials are explicitly excluded from any future democratic government.
Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA), the state oil company, faces prohibitions on debt instruments and equity transactions with US persons, cutting off a major source of financing.
Countries providing assistance to the Maduro regime (specifically Cuba, Iran, Russia, and China) may face loss of US foreign assistance and debt forgiveness eligibility.
US financial institutions and businesses face increased compliance burdens to ensure they are not transacting with blocked Venezuelan parties or handling prohibited instruments.
Foreign companies operating in Venezuela in the mining, energy, shipping, financial, and shipbuilding sectors face reputational and legal risk as the State Department must report on their activities.
Key Provisions
- Blocks all property of the Venezuelan government and associated persons in US jurisdiction under International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA)
- Prohibits US persons from dealing in Venezuelan government debt instruments, bonds, and PDVSA securities
- Bans transactions in Venezuelan government-issued cryptocurrency (the Petro)
- Requires Treasury to report every 180 days on sanctions licenses and funds accessed by the Maduro regime since January 2021
- Directs US representatives at international financial institutions (IMF, World Bank, IDB) to oppose seating Maduro regime representatives
- Authorizes at least $5 million to the OAS for human rights observers and election monitoring in Venezuela
- Establishes detailed 12-point criteria for determining when a democratic government is in power, explicitly excluding Maduro
- Provides for Congressional disapproval of sanctions termination through joint resolutions
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
To impose comprehensive sanctions on the Maduro regime in Venezuela and support a peaceful transition to democracy through diplomatic pressure, financial restrictions, and assistance programs for the Venezuelan people.
Who Benefits
- Venezuelan pro-democracy groups and civil society organizations
- International human rights organizations
- US-based NGOs providing humanitarian assistance
Who Bears Costs
- Maduro regime officials and government entities
- Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA)
- Foreign persons and companies doing business with Venezuela
Key Policy Areas
Foreign Affairs, International Trade, Sanctions, Human Rights, Democracy Promotion, Financial Regulation
Primary Purpose
To impose comprehensive sanctions on the Maduro regime in Venezuela and support a peaceful transition to democracy through diplomatic pressure, financial restrictions, and assistance programs for the Venezuelan people.
Policy Domains
Legislative Strategy
"Use comprehensive economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation to pressure the Maduro regime while preparing assistance for a future democratic transition"
Identified Gains
- Venezuelan pro-democracy groups and civil society organizations
- International human rights organizations
- US-based NGOs providing humanitarian assistance
- Future democratic government in Venezuela
- Organization of American States (receives US contributions)
- US Export-Import Bank and Trade and Development Agency (authorized to provide financing post-transition)
Identified Costs
- Maduro regime officials and government entities
- Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA)
- Foreign persons and companies doing business with Venezuela
- Countries providing assistance to the Maduro regime (Cuba, Iran, Russia, China)
- US persons engaged in Venezuelan financial transactions
- Cryptocurrency platforms dealing in Venezuelan digital currency
- Mining, energy, shipping, and financial companies operating in Venezuela
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Risch (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Scott …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Department of the Treasury / OFAC, Future democratic Venezuelan government, Government of Venezuela and all agencies/instrumentalities
Positive-direction: Future democratic Venezuelan government, US Export-Import Bank, US Trade and Development Agency, US intelligence agencies, US law enforcement agencies
Negative-direction: Department of the Treasury / OFAC, Government of Venezuela and all agencies/instrumentalities, Maduro regime, Maduro regime / Government of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro and sanctioned officials, Nicolas Maduro regime, Venezuelan government entities
Cryptocurrency exchanges handling Venezuelan tokens, Foreign financial institutions in Venezuela, US banks/financial institutions holding Venezuelan assets
Human rights NGOs and election monitors, Humanitarian NGOs operating in Venezuela, Independent NGOs providing humanitarian aid in Venezuela
Entities receiving specific licenses, Persons materially assisting the Venezuelan government, Persons violating Venezuela sanctions
Positive-direction: US businesses seeking to trade with Venezuela
Negative-direction: Entities receiving specific licenses, Persons materially assisting the Venezuelan government, Persons violating Venezuela sanctions, US businesses with Venezuela exposure
US importers of Venezuelan goods, Venezuelan exporters to the US
Foreign companies in Venezuelan energy sector, Petroleos de Venezuela S.A.
Venezuelan political opposition groups
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of the Treasury (Section 201)
- "us_permanent_representative"
- → United States Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
- "the_secretary_of_state"
- → Secretary of State
- "the_secretary_of_treasury"
- → Secretary of the Treasury
- "the_president"
- → President of the United States
- "the_secretary_of_state"
- → Secretary of State
Note: 'The Secretary' refers to Secretary of the Treasury in Section 201 (regarding international financial institutions) but refers to Secretary of State in Title IV (regarding assistance coordination)
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
Committee on Foreign Relations and Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate; and Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Financial Services of the House of Representatives
A partnership, association, trust, joint venture, corporation, group, subgroup, or organization
An individual or entity
A United States citizen or lawful permanent resident; any entity organized under US laws; any person physically located in the United States
The state and Government of Venezuela; any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof including Central Bank and PDVSA; any person owned or controlled by these entities; any person acting for or on behalf of these entities including Maduro regime members
A government resulting from free and fair elections under international supervision where all candidates could participate, opposition parties had time to organize, and candidates had full media access; making progress on independent judiciary, human rights, free speech, property rights; excludes Maduro and sanctioned/wanted persons
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology