Amid talk that Venezuelans are losing patience with the regime change
efforts in the country, opposition leader Juan Guaido ruled out further
negotiations with the Maduro government on Tuesday, saying it is “never” a good time to talk with the dictatorship.
Norway hosted such talks in May, with Guaido trying to present himself
as ambivalent about the whole process, meant to end the standoff between
his supporters and the government after the failed April coup attempt.
Guaido’s hardline position is likely meant to keep the US thinking of
him as a potential US-backed ruler in the future. The reality, however,
is that Venezuelans are increasingly doubtful this will happen, and
Trump has also been said to have lost interest because regime change is
taking so long.
President Maduro, however, is said to be interested in having more
talks, likely trying to re-establish himself as a conciliatory leader
after having survived the regime change attempt.
It is only a matter of time, before Guaido finds himself an agent who starts marketing him as some kind of commentator on Latin affairs for MSNBC or CNN. His political career is over – might as well make a buck.
Maduro was legally elected last year-he is not a dictator.
The USA and others did not notice the “free election” in Brazil last year while the popular candidate Lula was in prison and corruption is rife, or in Honduras where Obama and SoS Clinton ten years ago helped remove Zelaya and replace him- discontent and violence have lasted ever since.
“Maduro was legally elected last year-he is not a dictator.”
Non sequitur. A dictator is “one who dictates,” not “one who was not legally elected.”
That’s a defensible secondary definition, but the first and most common one from dictionary.com: a ruler with total power over a country, typically one who has obtained control by force.
In other words, an absolute ruler who came to power in a military coup. That is not Maduro. If we must fling around labels like dictator, it should be done in a consistent way.
OK, read the definition you offered.
Then re-read it and notice the word “typically.”
A dictator is “a rule with total power over a country,” whether that ruler came to power in a military coup or not.
That’s not to say Maduro is a dictator. Just that whether or not he was elected is irrelevant to whether or not he’s a dictator.
Textbook example of your point: Adolf Hitler. Appointed Chancellor of Germany by President Hindenburg after Hitler’s party had become the largest in a national vote. Two events propelled him to the dictatorship: The “Reichtags-fire” and the “Roehm affair a.k.a. “Night of the Long Knives.” Hindenburg did not interfere.