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Venezuela
What They’re Not Saying About Venezuela’s Elections
Much is being said about Venezuela’s elections and nearly all of it lacks a ton of context
Note: It is not the intent of this article to show support for any political leader or government. People decide their own futures and if they elect someone we don’t like, we need to accept it and deal with it diplomatically instead of using the undermining of governments, economic sanctions, starvation, and warfare to remove them. Now, with that out of the way, let’s get into it.
The fervor on social media about Venezuela’s election is wild. From the same old bogus reports of Chavistas (Nicolás Maduro supporters) riding around with guns on motorcycles to statements issued by the U.S. government minutes after Maduro was announced the winner claiming — without evidence — that “the result does not reflect the will of the people” reeks of the same propaganda that’s been in play for over 100 years.
The kind used to manufacture consent for a good ol’ U.S. intervention.
Background
It’s worth noting that after Maduro “won” reelection in 2018, Western powers led by the United States refused to acknowledge what it considered a sham election. Within months, six people would be arrested for a failed drone attack meant to assassinate Maduro. The attack wounded seven soldiers during an event celebrating the Venezuela National Guard’s 81st anniversary.
Months later the U.S. and opposition leaders in Venezuela failed in an attempt to install Juan Guaido as president. Guaido would later try to spark a military uprising dubbed “Operation Freedom” to remove Maduro from power and seize control of the country. While Guaido’s attempt failed, Western powers were successful in seizing $2 billion in Venezuelan gold and turning control of it over to Guaido and later, current opposition leaders.
