US rejection of Maduro's win smacks of 'mind-blowing hypocrisy', say netizens

Earlier this week, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's ruling socialist party won a landslide in the country’s regional elections, which expectedly ruffled many feathers in the US.

The corporate American media, toeing the same hard-nosed line as the conservative political elites in the country, dismissed the election outcome as “far from free and fair”.

The theatrical reactions, however, have drawn counter-reactions from those who feel the US anger and outrage over Maduro’s clean sweep smacks of arrogance that has come to define the US foreign policy.

As one expert noted, when it comes to the US policy towards Venezuela, the Joe Biden administration has not learnt from failures of the previous US administrations.

The rejection of Maduro’s legitimacy, Steve Ellner wrote in The Progressive Magazine, dates back to early 2015 when the Barack Obama administration declared Venezuela “a threat to US national security”, which then set the stage for Donald Trump’s harsh sanctions on the Latin American country, “designed to intimidate global corporations into severing relations with Venezuela”.

The exasperation displayed by American officials at Maduro’s sweeping victory, which is reflected in media reports as well, comes after the strategy of supporting the unpopular, far-right leader Juan Guaidó backfired badly.

Venezuela's ruling party, allies claim landslide win in regional vote

Maduro’s leftist ruling party wins 20 of the 23 gubernatorial offices and the mayorship of the capital Caracas, the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced on Monday.

Social media has been flooded with posts denouncing the US criticism of the Venezuelan vote.

“I’m confused. The US corporate media is always calling Venezuela a “dictatorship” with sham elections. So why is Guaido conceding his party needs to “rebuild” if the elections are illegitimate,” wrote one Twitter user, sharing a report about the Venezuelan opposition conceding the defeat.

I’m confused. The US corporate media is always calling Venezuela a “dictatorship” with sham elections. So why is Guaido conceding his party needs to “rebuild” if the elections are illegitimate? https://t.co/aZychhXLqU

— Covid Toe (@OrganizingPow3r) November 22, 2021

Jason Kishineff, a Democrat who ran for election to the US House from California's 5th congressional district, blasted the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement on Madura’s election win.

“Outrageous and disgraceful lies from the US Sociopath of State. There was no harassment, no media censorship. The election, like Nicaragua's, was more free and more fair than US elections are, with more transparency and accountability,” he wrote in response to Blinken’s tweet.

Outrageous and disgraceful lies from the US Sociopath of State. There was no harassment, no media censorship. The election, like Nicaragua's, was more free and more fair than US elections are, with more transparency and accountability.https://t.co/uv6NxqtAGq

— Jason Kishineff for Congress CA-5 (@kishineff) November 22, 2021

Journalist Rania Khalek termed statements from the US officials on Venezuela as “arrogant”.

“Voter suppression, gerrymandering and buying elections are rampant in the US. Yet I keep seeing arrogant statements from US officials criticizing elections in Nicaragua, Iraq, Venezuela etc. Why do these people think they’re in a position to judge anyone else’s elections,” she wrote.

Voter suppression, gerrymandering and buying elections are rampant in the US. Yet I keep seeing arrogant statements from US officials criticizing elections in Nicaragua, Iraq, Venezuela etc. Why do these people think they’re in a position to judge anyone else’s elections?

— Rania Khalek (@RaniaKhalek) November 21, 2021

Benjamin Norton, a journalist and podcast host, called out the “mind-blowing hypocrisy” of the US.

“The US government claims it supports "democracy" while rejecting Venezuela's free and fair elections (monitored by the EU), and simultaneously reaffirming support for coup leader Juan Guaidó, who has not received a single vote to be fake "president",” he wrote.

“Venezuela's right-wing opposition were unable to win elections, so the US told them to boycott elections. After years boycotting, USA told them to participate this Nov. 21. They did, but were defeated in a landslide socialist victory. So now USA is demonizing the elections again,” he hastened to add.

The hypocrisy is mind-blowing: The US government claims it supports "democracy" while rejecting Venezuela's free and fair elections (monitored by the EU), and simultaneously reaffirming support for coup leader Juan Guaidó, who has not received a single vote to be fake "president" pic.twitter.com/8NKwMKGiIP

— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) November 24, 2021

Mick Wallace, a member of the European Parliament, slammed the Washington Post for its editorial that questioned the outcome of the Venezuela vote.

“Is it any wonder that Democracy is under threat in the #US when papers like the #washingtonpost act as an arm of US Imperialism,” he wrote, adding that the US sanctions have “already killed over 100,000 Venezuelans”, according to UN officials.

Is it any wonder that Democracy is under threat in the #US when papers like the #washingtonpost act as an arm of US Imperialism...? https://t.co/s04mz6bi9s

— Mick Wallace (@wallacemick) November 25, 2021

Leonardo Flores, writing in Mint Press News, cited five reasons why Maduro’s party got the massive mandate in Venezuela, much to the chagrin of Washington.

One of the reasons, he wrote, is that the US-backed opposition is “deeply unpopular”.

“While much is made about the alleged lack of support for President Maduro (the millions of votes his party got will never be acknowledged by the US), it’s less known that the opposition is deeply unpopular,” he wrote.

“The MUD enjoys the political, financial and logistical support of the United States and the EU, while members of other opposition parties have been denounced and sanctioned by the U.S. for negotiating with the Maduro administration. These elections should put the Biden administration on notice that continuing to support the MUD, and in particular, the fiction of Guaidó as “interim president”, is a failed policy,” Flores added.

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