[GeronL]

I’m not sure they did vote freely. Maybe the original election 13 or so years ago was fair, but I doubt the last few have been.

[kidd]

Venezuelans freely elected Hugo Chavez president in 1998 by a landslide (57%). Mostly those looking for handouts.

You are correct that elections have been tainted since then. Once a Marxist takes power, power will never be relented.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

They weren't according to the people I speak with. Once you vote the communist in you can never vote them out. The only way to remove them is by force.

And then the world yaps at you for doing it. After all they were an "elected" government.

It is not a popular thought around here but voters do make mistakes. And while "vote them out" sounds good once they control the how the votes are tabulated you never quite manage to do so.