Whereas the crisis in Venezuela continues to ravage the country and the Venezuelan people suffer from shortages of essential medicines, food, and basic supplies; Whereas because of the crisis in Venezuela, approximately 1,300,000 people are undernourished and roughly 75 percent of the population has lost an average of 19 pounds since the start of the economic crisis; Whereas the largest impact of the crisis in Venezuela is felt by children, as 54 percent suffer from nutritional deficiencies, according to the nongovernmental organization Caritas; Whereas public health organizations in Venezuela report that only 38 percent of essential drugs are present in the country and more than 60 of the hospitals in Venezuela no longer have potable water, leading to a rise in chronic diseases, as well as in communicable diseases such as malaria and diphtheria; Whereas the crisis forces thousands of Venezuelans to leave the country in vulnerable conditions and the number of Venezuelans seeking asylum in 2017 was almost double that in 2016, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Whereas President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro has repeatedly denied the existence of Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis and rejected offers of international humanitarian assistance; Whereas, instead of responding to the needs and demands of its people, the Government of Venezuela has prioritized the consolidation of power, undermined Venezuela’s democracy, and engaged in a campaign of repression and human rights abuses; Whereas the Government of Venezuela curtails freedom of expression, harasses journalists, and limits the ability of the Venezuelan people and the world to learn about the crisis and its effects; Whereas, starting in April 2017, Venezuelan citizens staged massive, nationwide protests for more than four months in direct opposition to President Maduro’s efforts to consolidate power and undermine Venezuela’s democracy