SAO PAULO (AP) — Venezuela’s opposition was dealt a blow Thursday when countries that had been pressuring President Nicolás Maduro to release vote tallies backing his claim to victory in last month’s presidential election began suggesting a repeat of the contest instead.
The proposal from the leftist governments of Brazil and Colombia, both Maduro allies, came less than three weeks after the results of the highly anticipated election came into question when the main opposition coalition revealed it has proof that its candidate defeated the president by a more than 2-to-1 margin.
The opposition categorically rejected any plan to redo the election.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, during a virtual news conference with Argentine media, said that repeating the July 28 presidential election would be “an insult” to the people, and she asked if a second election were held and Maduro still didn’t accept the results, “do we go for a third one?”
In Washington, U.S. President Joe Biden expressed support for new elections in comments to reporters that the White House later appeared to back away from.
And if they do another election and Maduro still refuses to concede, you’ll still be sitting here saying
No, I’d say “guess you guys need to do a civil war then”
But that’s their business. Not America’s, and not even Brazil’s.
It’s called self determination, maybe you’ve heard of it?
Oh, so stealing one election is fine, but two is just a bit too much for you? What’s the calculus on this for how many elections have to be blatantly stolen before it’s permissible to oppose the government?
Just enough of their business that you’re interested in supporting a second election after the Venezuelan people have already spoken. What a conveniently placed arbitrary line you’ve drawn.
“Self-determination is when you choose to support an authoritarian regime and oppose support to the democratically elected opposition, and the more you support the authoritarian regime, the more self-determined it is.”
Alternatively, “Self-determination is when you tell a voting population that their vote doesn’t count and they have to redo it until their authoritarian government decides to tell the truth about the outcome; it’ll happen someday, promise!”
Lol, not invading other countries is supporting authoritarianism?
According to the guy who knows better than all of Venezuela’s neighbors, mind you.
Saying “Wh-what do you want to happen, a civil war??? Better to just let Maduro hold onto power, he’s not going to give it up anyway 🥺” is supporting authoritarianism. It is, in fact, downright fascist apologia to try to suppress the voice of a people who have spoken out in favor of change in their government and instead insist on letting the jingoistic ultranationalist government sending dissenters to prison camps to stay in power for as long as it wants.
But I’m sure you know that. That’s why you’re saying it, after all.
Maybe on the sixth or seventh stolen election, they’ll get Maduro to give up. They just need to vote harder, right?
Oh yes, Venezuela’s neighbors, well-known for recognizing Maduro’s re-election
Brazil and Columbia, literally in this article: Do another election with more oversight
Lemming Expert: NOOO WAR IS THE ONLY WAY TO FORCE MADURO OUT >:(
Another election happens. More oversight. Maduro still says “No, we won”. You still say “W-what do you want to do about it??? WAR??? Wouldn’t it be so much better if Venezuelans just rolled over and let the fascists stomp all over them? 🥺”
Like, did you forget that there was oversight for this election too? But anything to lick fascist boots, I guess.
“Use the international pressure to force them to accept stronger oversight and more secure measures”
“Reeeeee what good will that do I want BLOOD and a FOREIGN REGIME CHANGE”
Again, what does that matter? There was oversight this time. It didn’t matter, because the government just said “No, we won.” No matter how badly they lose, ultimately, without enforcement mechanisms, from the Venezuelan people or from external support, there is no way to enforce the results of an election. But you know that, of course. You only advocate for people to “Vote harder” when you know it’ll do nothing.
My favorite part is where you said it’s none of any outside country’s business, and now you’re arguing the complete opposite; that there should be international pressure to force the issue in Venezuela. 10/10 consistency. Anything to bootlick for fascism, I guess.
Like, you fucking started this conversation saying that Maduro wouldn’t give up power even if there was a second election, which pretty nakedly gives up the game when you’re arguing that there should be a second election and that violence is unacceptable for the opposition to use.
Ah, yes, much different than “Blood and no regime change”, but I guess protesters getting gunned down in the streets and shipped off to labor camps is just wholesome left praxis to you, huh? The proles have to turn the other cheek, but the fascist regime gets to kill whoever it wants to.