US, Europe Slam Venezuela’s Constituent Assembly Elections

FEATURING MIGUEL TINKER SALAS – Venezuelans went to the polls recently to pick members of its National Constituent Assembly in elections that were marred by violence. At least ten people are reported to have been killed. Still, there was a record turnout of voters.

The US refused to recognize the election results and promptly slapped sanctions on the Venezuelan government headed by President Nicholas Maduro. The US has long backed Venezuela’s right wing opposition.

Mainstream US news media are painting a portrait of a country on the verge of failure. The Washington Post said Venezuela was “imploding,” Bloomberg used the term “spiral,” and Slate said it was “collapsing.” As is usually the case with Venezuela, it is hard to tell apart spin from reality in US news coverage.

Miguel Tinker Salas is a Professor of Latin American History and Chicano/a Latino/a Studies at Pomona College in Claremont, California