SUMMARY
The same people who marched against authoritarianism went radio silent when a real dictator stole an election in Venezuela. Maria Corina Machado just won the Nobel Peace Prize for fighting actual tyranny, and the online Left is too busy doing mental gymnastics to acknowledge it. If your principles only apply when they're politically convenient, they're not principles—they're just team colors.
Watching the mental gymnastics that people on the Left have to do to make sure they remain on the opposite side of Trump is really something that should be studied. They can't see it, of course, but the sheer cognitive load required to maintain this level of selective outrage is genuinely impressive. Olympic-level stuff.
Remember the "No Kings" protests? Sure you do. That's when the online Left came out in force against authoritarianism. "No Kings" they chanted peacefully between election cycles across the country. Signs held high. Hashtags trending. Real conviction in their voices.
I won't get too much into the irony of protesting "kings" while supporting an expanding executive state. That's a rant for another day. But I will point out that the irony doesn't stop there. In the words of the late great Ron Popeil "But wait, there's more."
Maria Corina Machado Nobel Peace Prize 2025: The Story Nobody Wants to Tell
Maria Corina Machado just won the Nobel Peace Prize. I wrote about the whole Venezuela situation recently and you should check it out if you want the full picture. But here's the short version: Machado is the opposition leader who was supposed to run against Maduro in 2024. The regime banned her on bogus corruption charges because that's what dictators do when they're scared of losing.
So the opposition scrambled. They put up Edmundo González Urrutia—a 74-year-old retired diplomat most Venezuelans had never heard of—as their candidate. Machado campaigned alongside him, drawing massive crowds. The election happened. González won. Not by a little. By a landslide. The opposition collected tally sheets from about 80% of the electronic voting machines. Those tallies showed González got roughly 67% of the vote. Maduro got about 31%.
You know what Maduro did? He declared himself the winner anyway. Refused to release the official vote counts. Had his loyalist-controlled electoral council rubber-stamp his "victory." Then issued arrest warrants for both González and Machado.
Machado's been in hiding since August. When she won the Nobel Peace Prize, her daughter had to accept it on her behalf because showing her face in public means prison—or worse.
And the online Left? The "No Kings" crowd? Cricket sounds. Tumbleweeds. Radio silence.
Venezuela Election 2024 Results: Why the Left Won't Acknowledge Maduro's Fraud
Here's what kills me: You cheered when Trump didn't get recognized for the Nobel Peace Prize. Fine. Mock away. But then you went completely silent when the actual winner represents the exact democratic resistance you claim to support. She's fighting the kind of authoritarian you said you were terrified of.
What happened to all that "NO KINGS" energy?
Suddenly, some kings are okay. Apparently the rallying cry only applies to democratically elected governments you don't like. Respecting election results? That's flexible now too, depending on who's refusing to accept them. And if you point out the obvious hypocrisy, suddenly it's "U.S. Imperialism" or "CIA coups" or whatever excuse lets you sleep at night.
You keep moving the goalposts to make sure you're against anything Trump does. Now you're out here defending a real dictator because criticizing him feels a bit too close to agreeing with people you hate.
That's not principle. That's just partisanship wearing a costume.
Maduro's Election Theft: What Actually Happened in Venezuela
Let me spell out exactly what's happening in Venezuela. The thing you're now making excuses for:
- Maduro banned the leading opposition candidate from running on fabricated charges
- When his hand-picked puppet candidate STILL lost to González, he refused to release the official vote counts
- He declared himself the winner with no evidence
- He issued arrest warrants for the opposition leaders
- He's using state security forces to hunt down anyone who disagrees
This isn't a hypothetical authoritarian threat. This isn't some academic debate about constitutional norms. This is a dictator who stole an election, imprisoned his opponents, and is starving his own people to maintain power.
Right now. Today. In Venezuela.
So why are you making excuses?
Anti-Imperialism vs Pro-Dictatorship: The False Choice
Here's the thing: You don't have to choose between "support U.S. military intervention" and "defend Maduro." There's a massive middle ground called "acknowledge reality."
You can believe all of the following at the same time:
- U.S. foreign policy has a problematic history in Latin America
- Military intervention may not be the answer
- Maduro is still a dictator who stole an election
- The Venezuelan people deserve support for their democratic movement
These ideas aren't mutually exclusive. Adults can hold more than one thought in their heads.
I don't even know what the right move is for the U.S. right now. We definitely shouldn't be stumbling into another war. But if the Venezuelan people truly want democracy, which the election results clearly show they do, then we should find ways to support that. What I am absolutely sure of is that defending Maduro is the wrong side to be on.
The Consistency Test: What "No Kings" Actually Requires
If you marched under that banner, here's the consistency test. It's not complicated:
Do you oppose leaders who refuse to accept election results? Then you oppose Maduro.
Do you oppose leaders who jail political opponents? Then you oppose Maduro.
Do you oppose leaders who control the media and suppress dissent? Then you oppose Maduro.
Do you care about democratic movements and human rights? Then you support the Venezuelan opposition.
Universal application. That's what principles require. If your standards only apply domestically – only when it's convenient – only when the "right" people are in your crosshairs – they're not principles. They're just partisan positioning with extra steps.
You don't need a PhD in Latin American history to know that banning your opponent, declaring yourself the winner, and issuing arrest warrants for anyone who disagrees is authoritarian bullshit.
Maria Corina Machado knows this. She's risking her life for it. The least you can do is stop pretending otherwise.
