Biden Sides With Trump, Bolton, and Pompeo in Backing Coup Effort in Venezuela

It is deeply important to know the patterns, policies, and corporate ties of those in power or seeking positions of power. Certainly at the top is to follow the money and discern whose records demonstrate a connection with the large and toxic corporate interests found in the military industrial complex, the fossil fuel industry, Wall Street, the pharmaceutical industry, the prison industrial complex, etc., etc. We need to be aware of those who are in bed with these financial interests, the very ones which justify endless war and inaction on the crises of ecological collapse and human caused climate disruption. Biden is among the neoliberals who are seeking the highest office in our nation. We must do what we can to not let that happen again. Forty years of neoliberalism has only brought us endless suffering and to the brink of extinction. — Molly

Despite progressive critics and anti-war voices speaking forcefully against the Trump administration's overt backing of the attempted coup d'état by rightwing opposition forces in Venezuela on Tuesday, 2020 Democratic frontrunner Joe Biden aligned himself with the White House by throwing his support behind the overthrow effort.

"The violence in Venezuela today against peaceful protesters is criminal," Biden tweeted on Tuesday. "Maduro's regime is responsible for incredible suffering. The U.S. must stand with the National Assembly & Guaidó in their efforts to restore democracy through legitimate, internationally monitored elections."

But what Biden embraced as an effort to "restore democracy," many foreign policy experts—ones not willing to give the benefit of the doubt to people like national security advisor John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and President Donald Trump—called something else entirely: a violent effort by Venezuela's rightwing elites, led by Juan Guaidó, to overthrow the elected government of President Nicols Maduro.

To people of conscience:

Mike Pence, John Bolton, Mike Pompeo, Marco Rubio, Elliott Abrams, & Donald Trump are actively engineering a coup to overthrow a democratically-elected Latin American government. Speak out against US imperialism TODAY! #HandsOffVenezuela https://t.co/SGyOL1XaZM

— CODEPINK (@codepink) April 30, 2019

In subsequent comments during a campaign stop, Biden called for "calm" in Venezuela but also repeated the White House position that Maduro is not—despite his win in last year's contested elections which the opposition largely boycotted—the legitimate leader of Venezuela:

Joe Biden on Venezuela: "What I think is ultimately required is for the international community to demand that there be free elections." pic.twitter.com/2PVBdSDNwM

— The Hill (@thehill) April 30, 2019

Biden wasn't alone among top Democrats. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others also expressed support for the military uprising launched by Guaidó.

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