Venezuela's sham election collides with U.S. campaign

Axios ^ | July 30, 2024 | Zachary Basu

[MinorityRepublican]

Venezuela's outsized role in U.S. politics is poised to grow further after autocrat Nicolás Maduro was declared the winner in a presidential election widely condemned as fraudulent.

Why it matters: Nearly 8 million Venezuelans have fled the crisis-stricken nation over the last decade. Maduro's re-election and the ensuing political unrest could exacerbate the refugee crisis in the final months before the U.S. election.

Zoom in: Illegal border crossings have plunged since President Biden issued an executive order cracking down on asylum.

But polling suggests the border remains one of Vice President Kamala Harris' top vulnerabilities — and Republicans have made clear they intend to highlight her role in addressing the "root causes" of migration.

In Denver, which Mayor Mike Johnston says has received more migrants per capita than any other city, officials are closely tracking whether the unrest in Venezuela will lead to a new surge at the border.

State of play: Protests erupted across Venezuela after Maduro was declared the victor by election authorities loyal to his regime, despite polls showing the opposition far ahead.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed "serious concerns" about the fairness of the vote, while leaders across Latin America and the rest of the world refused to recognize Maduro's victory.

[frank ballenger]

Correcting that to:
Venezuela’s sham election collides with U.S. sham election campaign.

I still say Venezuela’s vote counting will be more accurate and honest than the U.S. one——again.

[Parley Baer]

One thing about the Venezuela election, there was probably very few “ illegals voting” like we will have in our election.

[frank ballenger]

Yes. Other countries do not allow that.

And every country in the world (China, Iran, North Korea) has absolutely strict laws and enforcement about entry to the country across a border.

Only bumpkins born yesterday would allow open borders and pay for the illegals once inside. In first class hotels with prepaid cash Mastercards.