Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has refused to recognize Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s ‘interim president,’ calling instead for new elections. His comments have enraged Democratic lawmakers who are pushing for regime change.
Sanders is widely seen as a top contender to take on Donald Trump in 2020, but his views on the current political crisis in Venezuela have put him at odds with the Democratic Party.
“No. I think what has to happen right now – I think there are serious questions about the recent election. There are many people who feel it was a fraudulent election, and I think the United States has got to work with the international community to make sure that there is a free and fair election in Venezuela,” said Sanders.
While he stressed the need for international cooperation in resolving the standoff between Guaido and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Sanders said that the United States “must not use military force and intervene again as it has done in the past in Latin America whether it was Chile or Brazil or the Dominican Republic or Guatemala.”