WASHINGTON _ At an event on Wednesday to announce the Venezuela Democracy Caucus, a new, bipartisan group in Congress, Democratic Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz was harassed by a pro-Nicolas Maduro group that shouted at her, held signs in her face _ and shoved her from behind.
Wasserman Schultz shouted, "I am being assaulted," even as Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart and Venezuelan activists stepped in to protect her.
Code Pink, a protest group that supports Venezuelan leader Maduro, had been interrupting Wasserman Schultz as she tried to announce the new coalition along with Diaz-Balart, a Republican from Miami.
After the news conference _ which continued despite the disruption _ Wasserman Schultz continued to emphasize the need to push for democracy in Venezuela.
"To be physically assaulted by opponents of freedom is really mind-blowing but that's why I emphasized that we needed to come together, on a bipartisan basis, to make sure in Congress that we are standing together, Republicans and Democrats, to push back and make sure we can bring freedom and democracy once again to the Venezuelan people," Wasserman Schultz said.
Wasserman Schultz, who was unhurt in the incident, spoke with Capitol Police after the news conference. They did not make any immediate arrests but did issue a bulletin for Code Pink leader Medea Benjamin.
"I have certainly been through a lot personally as the head of my party for six years and been through a lot of difficulty," Wasserman Schultz said. "Never have I been physically touched before."
U.S. Capitol Police showed up at Benjamin's Washington house an hour after the protest and said she would be arrested on charges of assaulting the congresswoman. Benjamin argued that she was hit from behind and grabbed Wasserman Schultz so she didn't fall to the ground.
"I was being pulled. I was trying to stop from being thrown onto the ground," Benjamin said in a video. Police in the video said she could come with them voluntarily or they would issue a warrant for her arrest. A Capitol Police spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Wednesday's event was part of an effort by Venezuelan activists to expand their political reach, already potent in South Florida, across the country.
As part of the Venezuela Democracy Caucus launch, dozens of activists affiliated with the Venezuelan-American Alliance will visit with lawmakers across Capitol Hill on Thursday to advocate for democracy and get more lawmakers to join the caucus that currently includes seven Democrats and nine Republicans, including all of but two Miami-Dade and Broward's U.S. House members.
Democratic Reps. Ted Deutch, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell and Donna Shalala also joined the caucus that was founded by Wasserman Schultz and Diaz-Balart.
"When you speak about the cause of Venezuela, you speak about the cause of human dignity," Diaz-Balart said. "Remember Venezuela was the wealthiest country in South America, and because of the narco-terrorist thugs who have taken over that country, it has now become one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere."
Venezuelans are already a force in South Florida politics, and members of Congress from both parties and Trump administration officials regularly hold listening sessions in Doral or rallies at Venezuelan restaurants.
But with Maduro still in power, a group of activists and lawmakers are trying to expand the political power of Venezuelan-Americans outside Miami-Dade and Broward counties.
"The Venezuelan-American community is a relatively new community in the U.S. We are trying to understand how we can use our power to vote to change things, change the country," said Venezuelan American Alliance President Maria Anotineta Diaz. "At this moment we have the opportunity and the force to do it."
Venezuelan American Alliance members heard from Trump administration officials and members of Congress on Wednesday, including Elliott Abrams, U.S. special envoy for Venezuela. Abrams spoke to the activists about ongoing efforts to sanction members of Maduro's inner circle along with reports that President Donald Trump has grown impatient with efforts to oust Maduro after the U.S. and dozens of other countries recognized Juan Guaido as the country's legitimate leader.
"This administration and the United States government are absolutely and irrevocably committed to the restoration of democracy in Venezuela," Abrams said. "I say that because occasionally you see newspaper reports that say people are frustrated, people are tired, the president's frustrated. First, let me say, of course, the president is frustrated. Aren't you frustrated? We're all frustrated ... certainly, (recognized Venezuelan interim President) Juan Guaido is. Thirty million Venezuelans are frustrated."
Abrams said the Trump administration's current focus regarding Venezuela is on urging European Union countries who have not already done so to sanction Maduro's inner circle. While the U.S. and Canada along with some South American countries have sanctioned dozens of Maduro's family members, Abrams said the EU has only sanctioned 25 people.
Abrams also said the U.S. government is aggressively pursuing individuals and companies, many of them in Miami, who are profiting from Maduro's regime.
"We will keep pushing," Abrams said. "We need to pursue it more, particularly in Miami, and ... the Department of Justice and other parts of the U.S. government (will) pursue cases against individuals and companies who have stolen the money of the people of Venezuela."
Abrams also said there were no new developments within the Trump administration about extending Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, to Venezuelans living in the United States. TPS would temporarily allow them to live and work in the U.S. legally.
And he said Maduro's ongoing power can be summed up in one word: Cuba.
"I genuinely believe the regime would be gone already if it weren't for the thousands of Cubans that are serving as something of a central nervous system for this regime," Abrams said, a statement that was reiterated by Marshall Billingsley, Treasury Department assistant secretary for terrorist financing.
Activists in attendance questioned experts on issues like the timeline for a TPS bill in Congress and the detention of Venezuelans by U.S. immigration authorities. And Diaz, of the Venezuelan American Alliance, said some activists new to the country need to better understand the disagreements between Democrats and Republicans to achieve their policy goals.
"Our community needs to understand more how the politics works in the U.S. and how we can influence both parties and work together with them to have more results," Diaz said. "On TPS, for example, maybe we have to change our narrative. Maybe it's not called TPS. If the Republicans want to change the system, we have to work with both parties."
