Florida Democrats Counter ‘Socialism’ Attacks Using Venezuela
In Florida, Democrats were quick to denounce Venezuela’s controversial election, even doing so before some officials in Washington.
TroibNews 
Florida Democrats are forcefully contesting Venezuela’s compromised election results, aiming to win back Hispanic voters after the Republican Party labeled them as "socialists" and "communists" over multiple election cycles.
Republicans argue that if a “California socialist” were elected president, the U.S. could mirror Venezuela’s situation. In contrast, Democrats are drawing parallels between former President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The two leaders have "disturbing parallels," according to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). She stated, “Both men have tried to overturn the will of their people and resorted to political violence to obtain their unsavory goal.” Democratic Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell emphasized the need to condemn both "the rise of right-wing authoritarianism" and "socialist left-wing dictatorships" to prevent them from taking root in the U.S.
The effectiveness of this messaging remains uncertain. In Florida, over 210,000 individuals of Venezuelan descent share diaspora experiences with Cuban Americans, many of whom have experienced generational trauma from left-wing authoritarian regimes. In recent elections, both communities have increasingly leaned Republican.
Democrats are in a precarious situation as their assertive rhetoric sometimes conflicts with the Biden administration’s more cautious approach. Democratic leaders had previously urged the White House to reapply oil sanctions on Venezuela sooner, following the administration's lifting of those sanctions in 2023 in exchange for freer elections—a promise Maduro did not fulfill.
There was also significant backlash when the Biden administration allowed Cuban officials to tour Miami International Airport, although such visits are not unprecedented. Additionally, while President Biden lifted some of Trump’s sanctions on Cuba, his actions did not go as far as those of former President Barack Obama.
Following Venezuela’s election, Florida Democrats promptly recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González as the legitimate winner. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called on the State Department to apply the harshest possible sanctions. Maduro has yet to provide the voting results the U.S. demanded, and Venezuela’s attorney general, a Maduro ally, is investigating opposition leaders María Corina Machado and González for "incitement to insurrection."
Florida Democrats acknowledge that diplomacy requires time and credit the Biden administration for enabling the Venezuelan election, cautioning that mishandling the situation may result in mass migration and endanger protesters in Venezuela. The Biden administration currently refrains from recognizing González as president-elect, despite acknowledging his victory, which the Miami Herald suggests could be due to ongoing diplomatic efforts with other countries.
From the Republican perspective, they criticize Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden for allegedly capitulating to dictatorships. GOP Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart accused the Biden White House of "constantly minimizing the damage that dictatorships in this hemisphere do" and seeking ways to assist and appease them.
In an interview, Trump labeled Venezuela as dictator-run but delayed commenting on the election results. Eventually, he blamed Harris for the oil sanctions deal. As president, Trump did not fully succumb to Republican pressures for more robust opposition support, but his tough stance energized many Hispanic voters in Florida.
Evelyn Pérez-Verdía, founder of We Are Más and an expert on Hispanic communities, praised the White House's approach to Venezuela policy but urged Harris, as a presidential candidate, to vocally denounce dictatorships as Republicans like Rep. María Elvira Salazar of Miami have done. Pérez-Verdía stated, “They think she is ‘wishy-washy’ about the issue because they believe she is genuinely more left-wing than Bernie Sanders,” referring to the perception of Harris among Hispanic voters in Florida based on content shared in private WhatsApp channels. “She needs to rip that perception off like a Band-Aid.”
Mia McCarthy contributed to this report. This story first appeared in Florida Playbook. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
Republicans argue that if a “California socialist” were elected president, the U.S. could mirror Venezuela’s situation. In contrast, Democrats are drawing parallels between former President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
The two leaders have "disturbing parallels," according to Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.). She stated, “Both men have tried to overturn the will of their people and resorted to political violence to obtain their unsavory goal.” Democratic Senate candidate Debbie Mucarsel-Powell emphasized the need to condemn both "the rise of right-wing authoritarianism" and "socialist left-wing dictatorships" to prevent them from taking root in the U.S.
The effectiveness of this messaging remains uncertain. In Florida, over 210,000 individuals of Venezuelan descent share diaspora experiences with Cuban Americans, many of whom have experienced generational trauma from left-wing authoritarian regimes. In recent elections, both communities have increasingly leaned Republican.
Democrats are in a precarious situation as their assertive rhetoric sometimes conflicts with the Biden administration’s more cautious approach. Democratic leaders had previously urged the White House to reapply oil sanctions on Venezuela sooner, following the administration's lifting of those sanctions in 2023 in exchange for freer elections—a promise Maduro did not fulfill.
There was also significant backlash when the Biden administration allowed Cuban officials to tour Miami International Airport, although such visits are not unprecedented. Additionally, while President Biden lifted some of Trump’s sanctions on Cuba, his actions did not go as far as those of former President Barack Obama.
Following Venezuela’s election, Florida Democrats promptly recognized opposition candidate Edmundo González as the legitimate winner. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called on the State Department to apply the harshest possible sanctions. Maduro has yet to provide the voting results the U.S. demanded, and Venezuela’s attorney general, a Maduro ally, is investigating opposition leaders María Corina Machado and González for "incitement to insurrection."
Florida Democrats acknowledge that diplomacy requires time and credit the Biden administration for enabling the Venezuelan election, cautioning that mishandling the situation may result in mass migration and endanger protesters in Venezuela. The Biden administration currently refrains from recognizing González as president-elect, despite acknowledging his victory, which the Miami Herald suggests could be due to ongoing diplomatic efforts with other countries.
From the Republican perspective, they criticize Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden for allegedly capitulating to dictatorships. GOP Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart accused the Biden White House of "constantly minimizing the damage that dictatorships in this hemisphere do" and seeking ways to assist and appease them.
In an interview, Trump labeled Venezuela as dictator-run but delayed commenting on the election results. Eventually, he blamed Harris for the oil sanctions deal. As president, Trump did not fully succumb to Republican pressures for more robust opposition support, but his tough stance energized many Hispanic voters in Florida.
Evelyn Pérez-Verdía, founder of We Are Más and an expert on Hispanic communities, praised the White House's approach to Venezuela policy but urged Harris, as a presidential candidate, to vocally denounce dictatorships as Republicans like Rep. María Elvira Salazar of Miami have done. Pérez-Verdía stated, “They think she is ‘wishy-washy’ about the issue because they believe she is genuinely more left-wing than Bernie Sanders,” referring to the perception of Harris among Hispanic voters in Florida based on content shared in private WhatsApp channels. “She needs to rip that perception off like a Band-Aid.”
Mia McCarthy contributed to this report. This story first appeared in Florida Playbook. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
Alejandro Jose Martinez contributed to this report for TROIB News
