As tensions continue to rise in Venezuela after Sunday's controversial elections, government authorities have ramped up repression and combative rhetoric against both protesters and opposition leaders.
On Tuesday, two of the most recognizable chavista officials, Jorge Rodríguez and Diosdado Cabello, uttered menacing speeches at the National Assembly, calling on the arrests of opposition leaders and promising to "mess them up."
Condemnation of both has started to pour in, with U.S. Representative María Elvira Salazar among the most prominent figures to raise her voice.
The representative from Florida took to X to issue a stern warning to Maduro's regime regarding any threats to the safety of opposition leaders María Corina Machado and Edmundo González. In a post that included Rodriguez's aforementioned speech, Salazar added that "if Chavismo dares to touch María Corina Machado or Edmundo González, the United States will impart swift justice."
Si el Chavismo le toca un pelo a María Corina Machado o Edmundo González, Estados Unidos se encargará de que su justicia le llegue muy pronto. https://t.co/ZacybHiyEl
— Rep. María Elvira Salazar (@RepMariaSalazar) July 30, 2024
Salazar has been following the current Venezuela situation closely and has been very vocal about denouncing Maduro's victory as a fraud. "Dictator Maduro once again is trying to steal the elections in one of the most blatant acts of fraud ever seen in Venezuelan history", she said on X on Monday. "We on the House Foreign Affairs Committee won't let him get away with it this time. His crimes will not go unanswered."
She also published a letter, along with congressmen Mario Díaz-Balart and Carlos A. Gimenez urging president Biden and vice-president to impose sanctions on "anyone who helped Maduro steal this election."
Salazar is one of many Florida politicians from across the political spectrum who have found common ground in denouncing the results of the Venezuelan election. From Republican governor Ron DeSantis to the Democratic mayor of Miami Dade, from GOP congressman Matt Gaetz to the Florida Democratic party itself, condemnation has been swift and stern across the board.
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