Whereas Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro continues to take measures to consolidate an authoritarian government and undermine the independence of democratic institutions in the country; Whereas the Government of Peru, as host of the upcoming Summit of the Americas, has indicated that President Nicolás Maduro is not welcome to attend because of his failure to uphold the region’s shared commitment to strengthening democracy and improving citizens’ well-being; Whereas Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) unilaterally called for a presidential election on April 22, 2018, despite the absence of an agreement between the Government of Venezuela and the political opposition on the conditions necessary for the electoral process; Whereas, on February 13, 2018, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Saint Lucia, rejected the decision of the Government of Venezuela to hold elections on April 22; Whereas these 14 Foreign Ministers stated that elections would not be considered legitimate if the elections do not— (1) permit the participation of all Venezuelan citizens and political parties; (2) include observation by credible international organizations; and (3) meet recognized international standards; Whereas despite these denunciations, on February 21, 2018, President Maduro stated that he wanted to hold elections for the National Assembly, state legislative councils, and municipal councils in conjunction with the presidential election scheduled for April 22; Whereas, in January 2018, Venezuelan authorities banned the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), the principal coalition of opposition parties, and leading opposition political parties Voluntad Popular and Primero Justicia, from participating in the presidential election; Whereas Venezuela’s December 2017 municipal elections and October 2017 gubernatorial elections failed to meet recognized international standards