Biden’s Tragic Mistake on Venezuela, Calling for a New Election Instead of Respect for the Election the Opposition Won

President Biden said today that he supports new elections in Venezuela. Here is the Barron’s report:

US President Joe Biden said Thursday he supports calls by Brazil and Colombia for new elections in Venezuela, an idea criticized by the opposition which believes it defeated President Nicolas Maduro in last month's vote. Asked by a reporter on the South Lawn of the White House if he supports new elections in Venezuela, Biden replied, "I do."

On July 28, the dictator Nicolas Maduro was defeated in a landslide by the democratic opposition, led by Edmundo Gonzalez. That outcome is not in doubt, as the U.S. government, the United Nations, and every other observer of the vote has admitted—openly or reluctantly, directly or indirectly.

Maduro refuses to admit the defeat and claims victory, and has been imprisoning democratic spokesmen and activists who disagree.

Attempting to avoid saying the truth and to confront the dictator, Brazil’s and Colombia’s presidents have instead made a ludicrous call for a new election. Why “ludicrous?” Because there is no reason to believe Maduro would respect its outcome—especially if he gets away with ignoring his defeat in the July election.

Venezuela’s democratic parties all oppose a new election—and instead seek support from democracies around the world. Instead of giving it to them, President Biden today gave oxygen to the Maduro regime.

This is such a foolish error that one has to wonder if he fully heard or understood the question being asked. Perhaps he meant to imply support for the recent election. But the damage is done—and it is great damage.

The Biden administration has for several years weakened the opposition parties, for one thing by weakening U.S. sanctions. That was done partly in exchange for promises of a free election. Now Maduro has held an unfree election where the opposition was terribly at a disadvantage and not permitted to run its favored candidate—yet still the replacement opposition candidate, Gonzalez, won in a landslide, because Venezuelans want Maduro out.

The United States should be demanding—and organizing—support for respecting that election result, by increasing the pressure on Maduro while also seeking a peaceful, negotiated transition. But today Biden pulled the rug out from under the opposition with his terrible misstatement. Why should Maduro negotiate a transition, or fear that one will be forced on him, when the president of the United States is instead talking about new elections—presumably many months down the road. We can only hope the White House staff will correct this error—perhaps by saying the president misheard the reporter, and stating that he demands respect for the real election, not a new one.

Biden came to office stating that democracy would be central to U.S. foreign policy. Today he undermined democracy, and he has a responsibility to correct a terrible mistake.

To this I would add a political calculation that ought to be in his mind, and Kamala Harris's. If Venezuelans lose hope and come to believe they will never be rid of Maduro, if they come to believe the United States isn't even trying to push for a transition, more millions of them will migrate. Presumably a new or even more acute migration crisis is the last thing the Democratic Party wants to see now. But the president's remarks, if left uncorrected, are likely to give rise to one.

Say it ain't so, Joe.