Not so certain that they voted for it. I remember that there were lots of rigged elections during Hugo Chavez's regime. Of course, Jimmy Carter and Sean Penn, would deny this. But, the religious faction of the Venezuelan population has always opposed the Chavez Communists.
The words you use are the same words that people threw at all the Germans when Hitler took over with is goons and Brown Shirts. It is easy to criticize folks who are under the thumbs of totalitarian dictators. OYOH, in the USA - we ought to know better; If it were not for the leftist press in our country, the Democrats would not win any elections. But, the atheistic intelligent at our colleges and universities are brainwashing all out young people, and they have taken over nearly every segment of our society.
I could have told you what was coming the first time Hugo was elected (and the elections were still kinda free).
I could have told you what was coming the first time Hitler was elected (and the elections were still kinda free).
I could have told you what was coming the first time Obama was elected (and the elections were still kinda free).
If a complete dumbass like me can look at this and figure out what is going to happen next, surely the great geniuses who sit on their ass and talk down to me every time one of these dictators appears should be able to make a semi accurate prediction of what is going to happen next.
You voted for it Venezuela:
You voted for it Germany:
You voted for it America:
Now you can all shut the Hell up!
I think it's a mix of multiple factors that led to where Venezuela is now. I am a stalwart believer in personal freedom and the ability of individuals to live as individuals and self-determine. That, to me, is the essence of American greatness (or at least was).
I don't know all of the reasons it occurred, but Venezuela accumulated a sizable portion of their populace who felt justified in voting for confiscatory government. Letting class warfare and rhetoric fester leads to this. Having an economy that doesn't provide sufficient opportunity for betterment to those lower on the socioeconomic ladder encourages this. Having a left-leaning complicit press encourages this, and accumulating a sizable portion of the populace who have become dependent upon government handouts also encourages this.
This should sound familiar, and then add in the effects of rapid demographic shifts because of legal and illegal immigration and you see why we are in trouble.
Mexico, IMHO, is also ripe for socialist takeover. Pemex, their major source of government funding is facing decreasing petroleum production. They don't provide enough economic opportunity to their own citizens. They have high level political corruption and ‘fat cats’. They can't even police some of their own territories. If I were in the CIA I would be looking at what foreign powers are at work trying to foment this type of unrest in Mexico. You know they are there.
The bottom line is that preservation of freedom requires vigilance, and we aren't impervious to what has happened elsewhere.