TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Next week, following the election of a newly-formed National Constituent Assembly, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro may extend his brutal reach with the ability to rewrite Venezuela’s constitution, making it even more important for Florida leaders to stand up and speak out against his oppressive actions.

 

In response to Governor Rick Scott’s proposal to the Trustees of the Florida State Board of Administration (SBA) that will prohibit the State of Florida from doing business with any organization that supports the Maduro regime, SBA trustee and Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis issued the following statement:

 

“The Maduro regime is known for inflicting gross human rights abuses against the people of Venezuela, and under no circumstances should Florida’s investment funds be tied to such tyranny.

 

‘I have confirmed that the Florida Treasury conducts no business with Venezuelan companies that have ties to Maduro’s regime, and I commit my vote as a trustee to reviewing all measures to remove every last investment penny from companies that provide support, in violation of federal law, to the Maduro regime. As we review the Governor’s proposal, I look forward to an open discussion during the upcoming August Cabinet meeting.”