Welcome to this throwback edition of the award-winning Best of the Left Podcast

where we remember the past and choose to repeat it. Today's episode was

originally published in February 2019 and there's a lot to be said

about the recent election in Venezuela but there's even more to be said about the preceding

history and context in which it was held.

Just as we argue that elections in the U.S.

merely set the course of options for how the real process of politics will play out

in the intervening time, so too must we pay attention to the politics and policies,

including U.S. policies and sanctions imposed on Venezuela that set the stage for the recent

contested election. There's currently widespread debate, even among the left, about which claim to support in the post-election battle.

President Maduro is ostensibly left-wing, though is criticized by many on the left for implementing more

neoliberal rather than socialist policies. Beyond that, there's little doubt of his

administration's corruption and authoritarianism, but from a left perspective the right-wing opposition

would hardly be a better outcome policy-wise, causing many on the left to

lament the utter lack of good choices. Meanwhile, both sides have claimed victory. Governments around the world have taken sides. The US has officially recognized the right-wing opposition as the winner as the government election officials refused to release detailed results to back their claim of the incumbent victory.

As the current conflict plays out, we will look to the history of Venezuela and the United States self-appointed role of Democracy Whisper or attempting

to foster democracy, usually through sanctions that are intended to hurt the civilian population

in the hopes that they will rise up and overthrow

their governments. We demand freedom of the press and free and fair elections, but of

course the more frequent result is that thousands die and millions more end up fleeing,

often to the US, stoking our own border and asylum crisis further.

Now with a view from 2019, our throwback sources today include The Real News, The Inquiry,

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