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‘Are we meddling?’ Max Blumenthal confronts lawmakers on what America’s doing in Venezuela (VIDEO)
Published time: 1 Feb, 2019 10:22 Edited time: 1 Feb, 2019 13:28
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© Screenshot / The Grayzone Project / YouTube

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US members of Congress freeze, fumble and deliver bewildering answers to award-winning journalist Max Blumenthal as he asks Capitol Hill politicians what they think of the US’ open support for Venezuela’s opposition.
Many members of the US Congress are greatly concerned by supposed ‘Russian meddling’ in American affairs. But what do they think about Washington openly getting behind the opposition in Venezuela? In a video, published on his website, the Grayzone Project, Blumenthal asked lawmakers just that.
The politicians were visibly caught off guard by pretty simple and straightforward questions. Several lawmakers couldn’t provide a definitive answer to whether the US public support for opposition leader Juan Guaido could be considered ‘meddling’ in a foreign nation’s affairs.
“Haven’t thought about that,” a baffled lawmaker was heard saying when asked how he would react if Russia recognized House Speaker Nancy Peℓσѕι as president of the US.
Washington did something similar to that last week, when President Donald Trump recognized the speaker of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled parliament, Guaido, as the legitimate leader of the country.
Some, like Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez outright refused to answer questions on Venezuela, saying she is “working on a response.” Others denied that the wholesale US support for Guaido against President Nicolas Maduro constitutes ‘meddling,’ albeit failing to coherently explain why.
Also on rt.com Trump backs big ‘protests against ex-dictator Maduro’ as he talks with Venezuela opposition’s Guaido  
“I think we’re just supporting the people and supporting what they are deciding needs to happen, and so I think it’s good of us since we are the bastion of freedom,” Vicky Hartzler, a Republican from Missouri, stated.
Her Democratic colleague, Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, was passionate about protecting Robert Mueller’s probe into the so-called ‘Trump-Russia collusion.’ When asked about meddling in Venezuela, she mumbled: “I don’t know. There’s been a lot against Maduro, who’s awful.”
Only Missouri Democrat Lacy Clay said that the US policy in South America and the Caribbean is “something we should not be proud of.” He opposed the “embargo” on Caracas because its people “will suffer more.” However, even he wasn’t sure whether it was “good meddling or not,” saying that Venezuela wasn’t his “issue.”
Alongside the US, Juan Guaido was recognized as the interim president of Venezuela by a majority of South American countries, including neighboring Colombia and Brazil. France, Spain and Germany vowed to follow suit unless Nicolas Maduro calls a snap election. Their ultimatum was firmly rejected by Maduro. States including Russia, China, Iran and Turkey continue to recognize Maduro as the democratically elected leader of Venezuela.

I didn't know Venezuela had such high oil reserves. I worked in that country for years, it is a mineral rich country,  the mineral wealth to population ratio is like no other country in the world, it has the purest iron in the world, it has Bauxite (to make aluminum), it has cheap hydroelectric power, it has gold and of course natural gas and oil. The people in that country should all be very well off, it should have the largest middle class in all of South America, but it doesn't. The place was very rich when I worked there, but like all of South America, they pay 80% of the population like $3 to $6 a day, and the top 20% made a lot of money, and sent it off to USA and Swiss Banks. Nevertheless, it was a rich country. The Marxist took it over and destroyed everything and made Venezuela a country where the common people do not know how they are going to get their next meal. It is an example of the fact that all Marxist are just parasites that feed off of what is already there, they never build anything.

Correcting the situation in Venezuela is an easy job for the USA, it is not like the Middle East. The Venezuelan people deserve better, they have always had close relations with the USA.