Update: More Protests and Recognition of Venezuela’s Democratic President

           Protests against the Venezuelan Socialist dictatorship continue, with the death toll continuing to rise because of the lack of respect for the freedom to assembly peaceably.  

          Some government officials are recognizing the democratic opposition leader as the new President of Venezuela because of the lack of free and fair elections and the thwarting of the popular will in the supplanting of the popularly elected Congress with a new assembly.  The new President claimed his office by invoking a constitutional provision, supported by the duly appointed Supreme Court. 

           Joining the United States, many other Western Hemisphere States and Australia, most of the major European Union members have now recognized the new President, including Spain, as well as the United Kingdom, Germany and France, among others, following the vote of the European Parliament.  Italy is the exception among the major States because of opposition from the anti-establishment populists who lead the Government, unlike the anti-immigrant League, which supports recognizing him, despite their pro-Russian views.  The Russian Federation’s tyrant, Vladimir Putin, is leading the authoritarian bloc of States in favor of the Venezuelan Socialist dictatorship.  Some States are claiming they are trying to avoid interfering in Venezuela’s internal affairs, but this response is a cop-out because every state must decide whether a government is the legitimate representative of the people it rules when considering diplomatic recognition.