We like to think we have an adversarial media—one that will stand up, in particular, to Donald Trump. The media assured us that they would perform their crucial democratic role in holding this dangerous new president and commander-in-chief accountable at every turn. This struck a chord with the public; in the wake of Trump’s victory in 2016, the New York Times added over a quarter-million digital subscribers in a matter of weeks. “Democracy,” after all, “Dies in Darkness,” as the Washington Post tells us on every webpage.
Yet on Trump’s support for regime change in Venezuela, the “resistance” media are lining up shoulder to shoulder with the president.
After winning re-election in 2018, President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela was recently sworn in for a second term. However, Trump has taken the extraordinary step of declaring the elections void, condemning the “illegitimate Maduro regime.” He also arranged to have National Assembly head Juan Guaidó—someone who has never even run for president, whom even the New York Times (1/22/19) describes as “virtually unheard-of”—name himself the country’s new leader. This has spurred the Venezuelan right wing onto the streets to try to force Maduro out of office, leading to the deaths of 14 people in the first two nights of clashes between large pro- and anti-government demonstrations.
Last year, the Trump administration preemptively declared as fraudulent the elections they had previously been demanding, instructing the opposition (whom the US has been funding for two decades) to boycott the process. It even tried to “persuade” (i.e., intimidate) opposition presidential candidate Henri Falcón not to run.
With complete unanimity of outlook, the supposedly oppositional US media served to delegitimize the elections as well (FAIR.org, 5/23/18), with the New York Times (5/20/18) describing them as “heavily rigged” and the Miami Herald (5/2/18) christening them “fraudulent,” a “sham,” a “charade” and a “joke” in one column alone. Yet this perception of events can only be sustained through the careful curation of information: informing readers of certain facts, while ignoring strong evidence to the contrary.
The Careful Curation of Information
Maduro’s re-election was widely anticipated in US media (e.g., PBS NewsHour, 5/20/18), though his victory now is generally dismissed as fraud.
The idea that the 2018 elections were, at best, highly questionable is taken as a fact across the media. For instance, CNBC (1/23/19) stated that Maduro’s re-election “was widely viewed as a sham due to widespread election irregularities”; Reuters (1/23/19) said the vote was “widely viewed as fraudulent.”
In reality, Venezuela has one of the most intensely monitored election system in the world, and the government called on the United Nations to send observation teams. This was blocked by the US on the grounds that the UN would “validate” the elections. Despite this, numerous international election monitoring organizations attended and attested to the vote’s quality. For example, the report of the African Nations’ delegation stated:
The Venezuelan people who chose to participate in the electoral process of May 20 were not subject to any external pressures, and carried out their right to vote in a peaceful and civil manner which we commend. As such, we implore the international community to abide by international law and the principles of self-determination and recognize what we consider to be a free, fair, fully transparent and sovereign election.
Maduro’s re-election was widely anticipated in establishment media, with campaign polls indicating that many opposition voters planned to sit out the election. “Maduro Favored as Venezuelans Vote Amid Crisis” was the headline of a PBS NewsHour story (5/20/18), which went on to explain:
While polls show Venezuelans overwhelmingly blame Maduro for their mounting troubles, he’s still heavily favored to win thanks to a boycott of the election by his main rivals.
The current protests are almost universally framed in corporate media as a democratic people’s uprising, akin to the Arab Spring, rather than a contested civil conflict, or even as a US-supported coup attempt, as alternative media are presenting it (Democracy Now!, 1/18/19; Real News, 1/23/19; The Canary, 1/23/19). “Coup” is a word avoided by corporate media when not quoted from Maduro or his supporters; as Reed Richardson noted, an AP profile (1/24/19) of Guaido referred to his naming himself president as a “standoff,” a “challenge,” an “uprising,” a “frontal assault on Maduro’s authority” and a “restoration of Venezuela’s democracy”—but never a “coup.”
The New York Times (1/23/19) noted that Guaidó was “cheered on by thousands of supporters in the streets and a growing number of governments, including the United States.” CNN (1/23/19) reported a vast, energetic movement around him, as “Venezuelans took to the streets in nationwide protests,” while CNBC (1/23/19) claimed there were “hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans” out on the streets, chanting together and waving national flags, demanding an end to Maduro’s “socialist government.” Bloomberg (1/23/19) worried that the leftist government would “crush” the protests. Yet there was very little mention, let alone coverage, of counter-protests across the country that complicate the picture.
Ignoring the US Role
The Times article also provides the context of the dire economic circumstances the country finds itself in, suggesting that this was the reason people are in the streets, and not in response to Trump’s call: “Citizens of what was once one of the region’s wealthiest nations, endowed with plentiful oil, have starved to death and died from preventable diseases,” the piece claimed. It fails to acknowledge the substantial US role in Venezuela’s economic and political crisis.
Trump ramped up the Obama administration’s sanctions, an action that caused Venezuelan oil production to plummet (FAIR.org, 12/17/18) and the economy to nosedive. Furthermore, US economic warfare against the country has cut Venezuela off from global capital markets—with the Trump administration threatening bankers with 30 years in prison if they negotiate with Caracas a standard restructuring of its debt (AlterNet, 11/13/17). The UN Human Rights Council formally condemned the US, noting that the sanctions target “the poor and most vulnerable classes,” called on all member states to break them, and even began discussing reparations the US should pay to Venezuela.
The US has long supported regime change in Venezuela, going back at least to the abortive coup against President Hugo Chavez in 2002. It has also spent a fortune through the National Endowment for Democracy and USAID to prop up opposition groups inside the country. Trump recently appointed neocon Iraq War architect John Bolton as national security advisor, who wasted little time in declaring Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua a “troika of tyranny,” echoing the infamous “axis of evil” moniker he employed during the Iraq War. Yet this crucial context in understanding the situation is missing from news accounts.
A Lapse of Factchecking
Corporate media passed on the chance to factcheck Trump administration claims about Venezuela.
Resistance media have made it a point of pride to vigorously factcheck and scrutinize every one of the administration’s statements; the Washington Post (12/30/18) recently calculated that Trump makes an average of 15 false claims per day. And yet, when it comes to Venezuela, the administration’s dubious claims are taken at face value.
For example, in a recorded message, VP Mike Pence stated:
Nicolas Maduro is a dictator with no legitimate claim to power. He has never won the presidency in a free and fair election, and has maintained his grip of power by imprisoning anyone who dares to oppose him.
This announcement was picked up across the media, including by Reuters (1/22/19), ABC News (1/23/19), Newsweek (1/22/19), the Los Angeles Times (1/22/19) and MSN (1/23/19). Yet none of these organizations factchecked this claim, allowing it to stand unchallenged as the basis of a story, further bolstering the dominant narrative.
This was not a difficult claim to debunk. Maduro won his first election in 2013, recognized by every country in the world except the US, and which even the Washington-funded organization the Carter Center declared free and fair. Indeed, former President Jimmy Carter in 2012 stated the Venezuelan election system to be the “best in the world.”
It was considered a shameful anti-democratic misstep when the New York Times’ editorial board (4/13/02) endorsed the 2002 coup. Yet for more than a year, US media have been openly calling for another one (FAIR.org, 5/16/18). The Washington Post (11/15/17) ran with the headline, “The Odds of a Military Coup in Venezuela Are Going Up. But Sometimes Coups Can Lead to Democracy.” For a media so focused on allegations of foreign interference in US politics, it is remarkable how accepting they are of Trump becoming personal moral arbiter of Venezuela.
It is revealing how the supposedly anti-Trump media have closed ranks and are marching in lockstep with the administration when it comes to overthrowing Washington’s official enemies. The media are not opposing Trump or tyranny; they are enabling it.
Research assistance: Teddy Ostrow
Great to see this solidly put forth, and it should be picked up by the great progressive Hope of the US and A, Bernie “F-35″ Sanders, who will reiterate what you wrote with such command – hold that, I’m, getting something in my ear, Senator Bernie F-35 is saying, that , what? – ” “The Maduro government in Venezuela has been waging a violent crackdown on Venezuelan civil society, violated the constitution by dissolving the National Assembly and was re-elected last year in an election that many observers said was fraudulent. Further, the economy is a disaster and millions are migrating.”
Alright then. Back to our regularly scheduled show of “The Continued Duping of the American People – Democratic Party Style.”
Imperialism always trumps empiricism
Canadian media are doing the same, parroting right-wing foreign minister Chrystia Freeland — who stood with neo-fascist Brazilian president Bolsonaro at a press conference denouncing Maduro. Freeland is more than a fan of Trump’s coup agenda; she’s a leading player in the so-called ‘Lima Group’ of right-wing countries helping organize the coup.
Not to mention Honduras. Was recently announced several canadian companies have expanded into Honduras, welcomed along with ‘federal aide’. People who think that just because the party calls itself ‘liberal’ that it is different from the conservatives are blind. But then, its not like the media gives a balanced story to any of these.
What is behind the corporate media’s lockstep with Trump?
The deep state.
Class politics explain it .Nothing else does (explain it)
As I understand this, Maduro arrested opposition leaders until none but this leader of the National Assembly is all that is left. What is the counter argument to Maduro jailing the opposition?
I emphatically oppose any US intervention or coup. US media is too eager by half for such a happening. But it does not mean the claim to the presidency from the National Assembly leader is invalid. The Venezuelan Constitution has a remedy should the President become dictatorial. As far as I can see this is the basis for the second presidency.
What is known that invalidates that?
What am I missing?
https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-02-02/i-oppose-intervention-nothing-dont-be-pro-bono-cia-propagandist
this is all good and well, the right thing to do, if….. If the Koch brothers stay out of it, if we don’t use this bring in Coca Cola and if we don’t extract all the wealth out of the country with financial gimmicks. We have a secretary of state who used to be an employ of the Koch brothers, what could go wrong?
As the article states, the US has put millions and millions of dollars into supporting the opposition from even before 2002. This is called interfering in foreign elections. Isn’t that a big no-no in the United States? Then why are we letting these criminals in Washington do it to Venezuela. Call your congress critters and read them the riot act. This coup has got to be stopped. If Trump/Pence get away with this, they will escalate all over the world.
The U S. oligarchs close ranks when it comes to fossil fuel and their right to other people’s resources.
And meanwhile, every media outlet in the USA keep feeding us that crap about Russian involment in US affairs. The USA has been doing this for years. Remember Chili and Allende and Nicaragua, not to forget the incessant attempts to kill Fidel Castro. When one knows that the person behind american foreign policy is John Bolton, any progressive individual or country had better look out. This war-mongering two-faced moustached fascist is out to get you…
So the Venezuelan elections were a fraud — and the Honduran elections not??
The imperial facts are not to be checked, or not to be considered relevant to events.
That goes also for not looking at the U.S. policy content in the migration from the C. American countries to the U.S., the place where much of their lands’ wealth has been taken under sponsorship of the U.S.-supported governments and anti-labor, anti-environmental protection policies. Even many immigrant rights groups don’t mention the empire as a big cause of the situation.
Only one option helps: Keep telling the truth, keep on using and teaching a systems view where the culture conspires to teach fragmentation.
Brillant Alan MacLeod,as usual.
So sad to read the constant lies of the US and other media. Here in France Macron, who has caused tremendous injuries and deaths to protesters in yellow vests (water cannons, flashballs, tear gas) and gross blaming of violence on the people, not the “forces of order”, has all the media under his control. Now he praises the protesters and opposition in Venezuela as “courageous”!!!
Very early on in his article MACLEOD tells us that Guaido’s declaring himself as Venezuela’s interim president “has spurred the Venezuelan right wing onto the streets to try to force Maduro out of office”, For those who do not personally know individuals participating in these protests, identifying protestors as “right wing” may sound convincing. But for those of us who know these individuals either through family or other personal connections with Venezuela, the characterization of these protestors as “right wing” serves only to underline the ideological blinders of the author.I am a former Peace Corp volunteer who lived and worked in the poorest barrios of Maracay Venezuela. Nearly all of my personal connections to Venezuela are with people I met in those barrios. Many of these people have participated in anti govt protests. They are working class people who want nothing more than food they can afford, medicines when they or their children are sick, and to be safe from the gangs that control their barrios. To classify these people as “right wing” is to betray all standards of honest journalism. MacCloud should be ashamed of himself.
The overwhelming part of the poor and Black people still vote for Maduro despite their criticism of his government, because they are not that stupid to believe that the US backed White middle-class opposition with their neoliberal agenda will take care of their most basic needs.
Fact is, the splitted opposition is unable to win open elections since two decades, so right-wing extremist groups resort to violence with the hope to destabilize Venezuela and create the political and socio-economical conditions for a coup. The elections in Venezuela are proven to be fair and democratic: if they are rigged, how could the opposition parties win the majority in the national assembly?
CIA and NED are pumping millions of USD into the ineffective opposition since 1999, that includes not so democratic rightwing homophobic racist extremists, who started violent riots, killing government supporters, burned buildings and commited other terrorist acts. They also paid impoverished youth and criminal gangs to do this. People, don’t forget the history of US imperialism in Latin America and more recently the failed coup in 2002, sich was also undeniably also US sponsored. To defend democracy and justice against Imperialisms and neoliberal extremism is not assuming dictatorship.
While that is true, the criticism is valid. Things are now SO bad in Venezuela that its hardly just ‘right wing’ protestors out protesting. Its fine to sit in other countries and rationalize these things out, but its a simple fact that anti government protests are growing amongst all kinds of venezuelans-many of whom may well be the same who benefitted from the bolivarian revolution. That aspect should have been explained better by the author rather than simply tarring all protestors as ‘right wing’, which certainly is not the case.
A new cable news network named “Newsy” (channel 224 on Spectrum Time Warner in NYC)
purports to be non-aligned and neutral yet on war, oil and Venezuela, their slight of hand is
to leave out vital determining facts in lieu of outright distortions. The troubles in Venezuela
were attributed to various factors yet the primary one of US economic sanctions and embargo’s
complete with arm twisting of the usual suspect “allies” was notable by its absence. This network
seems to be a neo-liberal corporate wolf in hipster (all colors shapes sizes religions and genders)
sheep’s clothing. encourage readers to find, watch and assess for yourselves. F.A.I.R take note of these impostors…
I am concerned tha FAIR has left out important facts in its coverage of whether the Venezuelan elections are “fair”. Specifically FAIR does not acknowledge that many key opposition leaders have been jailed, barred from running or have left the country. FAIR focused on the mechanics of the election process itself, apparently assuming that if this process itself runs well then the election is fair no matter how many opposition candidates could not run.
FAIR’s analysis on Venezuela has been biased pro-Chavez/Maduro for a long while. You’ll find nothing critical about the many abuses by the government. Some of the contributors appear to have connections to the ruling party in Venezuela. FAIR contributors can be found on Venezuela/ALBA-state-sponsored Telesur. Just search for “Telesur Alan Macleod.”
Many opposition leaders like Leopoldo Lopez have incited organized street violence. Other like Antonio Ledezma planed a coup. If these politicians break the law, what else can the police do then to arrest them and deliver them to the court?
These politicians act completely out of bounds. They are desperate to grab power and $$$. I don’t think that Trump or any other president of a Western country would tolerate that kind of opposition. Why do we like to enforce the Venezuelan government to do this?
So, when are the US anti-war organizations going to organize an indignant march and target the corporate media instead of political figures. LONG OVERDUE.
No one listens to us Venezuelans. We have posted on everything and I still see claims like these. Trump did not invent or orchestrate Guaidó’s situation. Trump is not even half as smart to be able to pull off what repressed Venezuelans have been trying unsuccessfully for years, he’s just taking advantage of it because it benefits him (Canada was supportive of Guaidó before the US).
Venezuela has been protesting (for over a year) the fact that Maduro stripped the powers of the Asamblea Nacional, enacted an asamblea constituyente without prior consultation of the people (which makes his assembly unconstitutional), and called for elections in which most opposition leaders were jailed, exiled, or just barred from running. These elections were also lacking reliable neutral international observers, and all other sorts of obvious “chanchullo,” (as we say in Venezuela, meaning sketchyness, something that is fishy or conspiratory, usually with self-benefitting intent at the expense of others). It wasn’t Trump that first called them invalid, Venezuelans did, and most of the world followed, except the other imperial powers no one mentions (e.g., Russia, China) and have been “intervening Venezuela” as much as the US would like to for the last 19 years.
Given the USA’s history of intervention and interest in countries with resources, in addition to having reality TV clown as president, I definitely understand why so many Americans are quick to side with Maduro (especially those who romanticize him already and decide to ignore anything an actual Venezuelan shows them of National Guards killing protesters, Maduro wearing luxurious watches and Italian designer suits when calling himself a man of the people and seeing the people starve, and so on), but all we want is for people to listen to us, instad of jumping the Telesur (government-owned media, by the way) boat and assuming that the situation in Venezuela is one of Maduristas vs. rich ultra-right-wing oligarchs, as they would like you all to believe. Listen to our stories, read the comments by Venezuelans on every article like this one. Don’t just trust what rich Maduro tells you without hearing from his oppressed pueblo, and stop ignoring us and gringosplaining our country to us!
So there are at least 8 million Venezuelans, who actively support Maduro and his party. Looks like they don’t count nor exist in your world. There isn’t even just ONE reasonable poll indicating that the opposition has majority support in Venezuela since Chavez presidency in 1999. Deal with this reality and don’t spread false claims of faked elections. Thats just cheap lies of people who cannot accept to lose.
The spirit behind Operation Mockingbird never really ended.
New-con insiders (not exactly the Trump family insiders) push their contacts in the mainstream media to manufacture consent for coups and wars. Big oil has money, power, and control of vast reserves on the agenda.