On the progressive podcast, “Pod Save America,” 2020 Democratic hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren said she supports using diplomatic tools and economic sanctions to oust Venezuela’s socialist dictator, Nicolás Maduro.
“Start with the fact that Maduro is obviously a dictator, he’s terrible, he’s stolen this election, it’s a nightmare for the people of Venezuela. So, that’s part one,” the Massachusetts Senator said. “Part two, this notion of using our diplomatic tools, I’m all for it. I think recognition, I think getting our allies to do it, it’s a way to bring diplomatic pressure.”
Warren said she supports both economic sanctions and financial aid.
“I support economic sanctions. But, we’re gonna start, we gotta turn the dial some here. We have to offer humanitarian help at the same time, we can’t let people starve. It doesn’t matter that Maduro is willing to let his own people starve,” she said.
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Warren also said she supports recognizing Juan Guaidó as the legitimate President of Venezuela.
Supporting diplomatic measures, economic sanctions, and recognizing Guaidó as the Venezuelan president are not just Warren’s ideas, but are all initiatives supported by President Donald Trump and former National Security Advisor John Bolton.
Warren’s position on Venezuela is a stark contrast to her 2020 opponent, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont. This may be a chance for Warren to distance herself from her fellow socialist ideologue.
Sanders is known for upholding socialist dictators for the sake of maintaining socialism as a legitimate form of governance. He has done so recently, by upholding Bolivia’s fraudulent elections. While Sanders previously acknowledged the failures of Venezuela, he does not believe that Guaidó should be the President of Venezuela.
“Despite his ideology, what we need to see is democracy established in Venezuela. That does not mean deciding that some politician is the new President, who never won any election,” Sanders told Business Insider, alluding to Guaidó.
Sanders claims he wants to establish democracy in Venezuela, but that is impossible when the elected leader is a socialist tyrant refusing to cede power. Warren recognizes this fact, while Sanders does not.
Despite supporting the same outlook on Venezuela as the president, Warren’s overall take on issues in the failing South American country is incredibly hypocritical. Warren campaigns on and pushes socialist policies on the domestic front, yet condemns similar policies that fail beyond U.S. borders.
