Calling out Code Pink’s ignorance and hypocrisy

The radical leftist group Code Pink got a well-earned taste of what life is like under the oppressive dictator Nicolas Maduro this week, when utilities to the Venezuelan Embassy were shut off. Code Pink has been illegally squatting in the Embassy in Washington for weeks. The group, comprised of American citizens, has been obstructing Venezuelan citizens and the internationally recognized ambassador of Venezuela, Carlos Vecchio from entering their embassy.

These American citizens, who have ties to the Communist Castro regime in Cuba as well as the oppressive and corrupt Nicolas Maduro and Hugo Chavez regimes in Venezuela, have passionately described life under the dictators as “heaven.” Yet, when touched with just a shadow of the daily hardships from which millions of Venezuelans cannot escape, the delusional leftists cry ‘Injustice, inhumanity and assault!’ Just this week, Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin even went so far as to play the victim, yelling “harassment!” when someone in Starbucks dared to question the hypocrisy of her enjoying the spoils of a free, capitalist society on her way to protest the same freedoms for Venezuelans who don’t even have access to water and food. The video of the encounter is hard to watch.

{mosads}When not crying foul about inconveniences to their privileged lives (as they actively break the law), the group has hurled insults from the windows of the Embassy at the Venezuelan Spanish-speaking protestors below—calling them racists, fascists and imperialists. The irony of the image of a group of mostly white middle-aged Americans illegally occupying a foreign embassy while screaming that they know best for the Spanish-speaking Venezuelans below is not lost on most people. The mainstream media in the U.S. has done a good job of fairly covering the standoff and the deplorable conditions in Venezuela. Not to be outdone, the Russian controlled propaganda outlets of RT and Sputnik News have relentlessly promoted Code Pink’s actions and echoed the Kremlin talking points that Venezuela is a prosperous and democratic country whose woes are the fault of the U.S. and not Maduro. It’s worth pointing out to Code Pink and the others who blatantly ignore the crisis in Venezuela that since Maduro has taken over the country, he has driven millions to flee, rewrote the constitution to protect himself, ended free and fair elections, and imprisoned and even killed his political opponents.

The absurdity of all of this would be comical if what Code Pink was advocating for was not so destructive and at such a terrible human cost.

Millions of Venezuelans do not have access to basic daily necessities including food, clean water, medicine, electricity or internet, let alone freedom or economic opportunity. Protests of the regime in Venezuela have been met with violence. Maduro’s forces, which include heavily armed street gangs, have killed, injured and imprisoned thousands of decenters. In my district, my office has helped several Venezuelans who were forced to flee the regime because of fears of retaliation, imprisonment and even death for their vocal opposition.

While people in Venezuela are starving and dying due to a lack of medical care, Code Pink proudly stands by Maduro, whose regime has invited Hamas militants to establish cells in the country, is deeply involved with organized crime, and has stolen billions from the Venezuelan people. Apparently, the continuation of this is what a peaceful outcome looks like according to Medea Benjamin and her comrades.

To me, this is not what peace looks like.

A true peaceful outcome is what interim President Juan Guaidó is working toward. He has called for free and fair elections and has pledged to turn economic power back over to the Venezuelan people, so they can begin to rebuild their country. Guaidó wants to lead the country out of the failed socialist nightmare and into a free democratic and capitalist future that empowers the Venezuelan people and not a small cartel of kleptocrats.

The United States can send a strong show of support to Guaidó and those who truly believe in peace and democracy by evicting the Code Pink trespassers from the Venezuelan Embassy, who have no right under international law to be there. It is my hope that Secretary Mike Pompeo and the State Department will bring this about quickly to uphold the rule of law and give the Venezuelan people another needed ray of hope.

Congressman Scott R. Tipton represents Colorado’s 3rd District. He serves on the House Committee on Financial Services. Tipton is the Executive Vice Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus and Co-chairman of the Congressional Small Business Caucus.