World
Argentina's Milei rallies Venezuelan opposition despite Maduro's 'ugly' attacks
Argentinian President Javier Milei has emerged as a powerful ally of the Venezuelan anti-government protests as international pressure mounts to award the recent presidential election to the opposition.
Leaders from around the world, including the U.S., have cast doubt on Nicolas Maduro’s claim that he won the election, and protesters have clashed with police in the streets of the embattled South American nation.
“He’s been very, very helpful, and he has been kind of like a rallying voice in South America to allow him, along with the left, the opposition of healing work and kind of pushing other democracies to recognize Edmundo as president,” Daniel Acosta Rivas, an OSINT Analyst, told Fox News Digital.
Rivas said that Milei’s vocal support has “been coming into Venezuela and especially in the diaspora.”
Milei was among the first world leaders to speak out after the Maduro-controlled National Electoral Council handed victory to the incumbent with an alleged margin of 51%, compared to 44% support for the opposition. Pre-election polling (which is illegal in the country) indicated that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez received double the votes of Maduro.
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The U.S. eventually recognized Gonzalez as the winner after claiming to have reviewed tally sheets, but Milei had immediately blasted the election result as a “fraud carried out and perpetrated by the dictator Nicolás Maduro.”
“He may believe he has won a battle,” Milei said. “However, the most important thing is that the Venezuelan lions have awakened, and sooner or later socialism will come to an end.”
Argentina’s President Javier Milei addresses the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) annual meeting in National Harbor, Maryland, on Feb. 24, 2024. (REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz)
Milei stressed that Argentina “will not acknowledge a new fraud” and urged Venezuela’s armed forces to “defend democracy and popular will this time around.” He pointed to “data” that showed a “crushing victory for the opposition.”
Protesters took to the streets and met a violent crackdown from police as Maduro attempted to press his victory claim, drawing international condemnation. Milei continued to urge the protesters and support their fight against Maduro.
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Maduro lashed out at Milei earlier this week, taking several shots at the Argentinian. He referenced Milei’s “monster face” and called him “an ugly guy, too, and stupid.”
He also labeled Milei a “Nazi, fascist guy” who demanded to know how anyone could take a “guy like that seriously,” according to the Buenos Aires Herald. He also called Milei a “cowardly bug” and a “traitor to the homeland.”
Demonstrators clash with police close to an armored police car during a protest against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on July 29, 2024, a day after the Venezuelan presidential election. Protests erupted in parts of Caracas Monday against the re-election victory claimed by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro but disputed by the opposition and questioned internationally, AFP journalists observed. (Federico Parra/AFP via Getty Images)
“These people have said no to wild capitalism and fascism,” Maduro insisted during a rally outside his party headquarters. “From Caracas, Venezuela has said no to the Nazi fascist Milei. We are a country of warriors.”
But Maduro’s response only seemed to have galvanized the protesters and strengthened Milei’s popularity among the opposition. Rivas noted that Maduro keeps commenting on the likes of Milei and Elon Musk – both prominent critics following the election result – in an effort to shift the focus away from the election, but the efforts have only highlighted him and his politics in a region that is increasingly unhappy with politics as normal in the region.
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“He has pushed a right-wing movement or classical liberal movement throughout Latin America,” Rivas said. “You see people being inspired by his message and his rise to the leadership … he was virtually unknown outside of libertarian circles before he ran for office, and he was dismissed by the other members of the opposition in Argentina during the Fernandez-Kirchner government. And look at him now.”
Jorge Jraissati, a Venezuelan foreign policy expert and President of the Economic Inclusion Group, told Fox News Digital that “young people in Venezuela are tired of communism, even the mildest form of socialism.”
Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government protest in Caracas on July 29, 2024, a day after the Venezuelan presidential election. Protests erupted in parts of Caracas Monday against the re-election victory claimed by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro but disputed by the opposition and questioned internationally, AFP journalists observed. (Raul Arboleda/AFP via Getty Images)
“What all of us want is a true change towards the idea of freedom,” Jraissati said. “This is why Javier Milei is … openly defending the ideas of freedom. He is tackling inflation. He is cutting wasteful government spending. And overall, he is pushing the notion that if people are allowed to be free, our countries will finally flourish.”
“The communists have been in power for 25 years in Venezuela,” he continued. “Their legacy has been one of extreme poverty and hunger: From being the wealthiest country in Latin America, we are now the poorest, and on the political front, they turn a functioning democracy into a Stalinist system in which all political freedoms have been taken away from us.”
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Venezuelan activists living in exile spoke glowingly of Milei and his potential impact on the country as protesters continue seeking an end to the Maduro-Chavez system and a new way of life, possibly one that aligns more with the politics of Milei. Since taking office earlier this year, Milei, an economist, has tamed Argentina’s runaway inflation, balanced the budget and pared the size of government.
“Young people tend to embrace socialist ideas; however, those who have lived under these political systems become their biggest adversaries,” Esteban Hernández, a Venezuelan journalist in exile in Miami, told Fox News Digital.
“The Venezuelan youth, unlike in other countries, doesn’t support these ideas,” he said. “As a matter of fact, we have seen that in nations like the U.S. or even Argentina, they make efforts to get elected those who oppose socialism.”
“During the last election cycle in Argentina, for example, we saw many Venezuelans warning locals about voting for Sergio Massa, and many even volunteered to get Javier Milei elected,” Hernández added.
Franklin Camargo, a Venezuelan activist in exile, told Fox News Digital that “Javier Milei is the best right-wing leader of our generation, since he refutes the socialists and the left with philosophical and moral arguments while continually offering the best defense of Individualism, Capitalism and Freedom.”
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Already rated one of swimming’s all-time greats coming into the Paris Olympics, Katie Ledecky made it official by storming to victory in her signature event, the 800-metre freestyle, to end her work in the French capital in great style.
French torpedo Leon Marchand may be the prince of Paris, electrifying the home nation with four spectacular gold medals, but it is Ledecky writing her name in the record books after she claimed her ninth gold, equalling Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina for the most by any woman in any Olympic sport.
In sharp contrast to Ledecky’s runaway win in the 1,500-metre, the 800-metre freestyle on Saturday was a thriller from start to finish, with Ariarne Titmus matching her stroke-for-stroke for almost the entire distance.
But with the American setting a relentless, grinding pace, her great Australian rival would never get her nose in front, settling for silver as Ledecky got to the wall first in a time of 8 minutes, 11.04 seconds.
Paige Madden took bronze for the United States.
It is the fourth time Ledecky has won the 800-metre freestyle and she joins compatriot Michael Phelps as the only swimmer to win gold in four different Olympics.
The 800-metre was the final event on Ledecky’s Paris card and she returns home having added two golds, a silver and a bronze, bringing her Olympic stockpile to 14 medals in all – with more possible. The 27-year-old has hinted that a home Olympics in Los Angeles in four years is on her mind.
And in a passing of the baton moment, Canada’s Summer McIntosh enhanced her status as the rising star of women’s swimming by winning her third gold medal of the games in the 200-metre individual medley.
The 17-year-old produced a brilliant late surge to win in a time of 2min 06.56sec, the third-fastest time in history.
Kate Douglass of the USA finished second to take silver while Australian Kaylee McKeown took the bronze after American Alex Walsh, who had finished third, was disqualified.
McIntosh had already claimed gold in the 400-metre individual medley and the 200-metre butterfly, as well as a silver in the 400-metre freestyle.
“It’s pretty surreal. I’m just so proud of myself, how I’ve been able to recover and manage the events because it is a lot,” said the teenager, who also won silver in the 400-metre freestyle during what has been an intense games for her.
“The reason I’m able to do this just because of all the hard work and dedication I’ve given to this moment along with all my family and my teammates and my coaches, and I’ve also worked so hard for me to be here today,” she said.
The Canadian said she knew that she had to pull out all the stops to secure her latest win.
Earlier, Hungarian powerhouse Kristof Milak stormed to a second Olympic gold with victory in a thrilling men’s 100-metre butterfly final, while adding to the silver medal he won in the 200-metre event at the Paris Games.
Three years after claiming the 200-metre gold at Tokyo, the 24-year-old secured the shorter of the two Olympic butterfly titles by touching the wall in 49.90, 0.09 seconds ahead of Canadian runner-up Josh Liendo.
Ilya Kharun grabbed a second bronze for Canada, having also taken one in the 200-metre butterfly in Paris.
Now boasting four Olympic medals, Milak gave Hungary a second gold in the Paris meet following Hubert Kos’s 200-metre backstroke title.
In the final race of the night in the pool, the United States broke the world record in winning the 4×100-metre mixed medley relay gold, outgunning China and Australia.
Their team of Ryan Murphy, Nic Fink, Gretchen Walsh and Torri Huske touched in 3min 37.43sec to narrowly better the mark set by Britain at the Tokyo Games, when the event was first added to the Olympic programme.
China’s Zhang Yufei took silver in 3:37.55, with Australia filling the podium in 3:38.76.
It is only the second world record in the pool in Paris after China’s Pan Zhanle smashed the men’s 100-metre freestyle best.
Teams in the mixed medley comprise two women and two men, with each of the four swimmers allocated to one of the four traditional medley strokes – backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle.
The United States chose to lead off with Murphy up against China’s Xu Jiayu, while Australia opted for Kaylee McKeown.
Both Fink and Walsh then swam storming legs before Huske brought it home with China’s Yang Junxuan and Australia’s Mollie O’Callaghan in hot pursuit.
VILLENEUVE-D’ASCQ, France (AP) — Halfway to its goal of gold, the U.S. has the No. 1 seed going into the medal round at the Paris Olympics.
And now the real games start.
Anthony Edwards scored 26 points, six players reached double figures for the U.S. and the Americans wrapped up the top spot coming out of group play by rolling past Puerto Rico 104-83 on Saturday.
The Americans — 3-0 in these Olympics, 8-0 so far this summer — will see Brazil in the win-or-go-home quarterfinals in Paris on Tuesday.
Joel Embiid scored 15 points for the U.S. Kevin Durant scored 11 points for the U.S. to get within five of matching Lisa Leslie for the all-time Olympic scoring record for the U.S.; he’s at 483, and Leslie finished her career with 488 in Olympic play.
LeBron James finished with 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds in 18 minutes. Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis each added 10 for the U.S., which played without Jrue Holiday because of an ankle that he rolled in the Americans’ win over South Sudan on Wednesday.
Jose Alvarado led Puerto Rico (0-3) with 18 points.
It was the first Olympic matchup between the nations since the Athens Games in 2004, when Puerto Rico ran away in the second quarter and went on to embarrass the U.S. 92-73 in what was James’ debut in the tournament.
Little different story this time.
That day in Athens, Puerto Rico won the second quarter 28-7. This time, the U.S. won the second quarter 39-16. Give Puerto Rico credit; a team that came into Saturday knowing it was eliminated from contention took an eight-point lead late in the first quarter and still led 37-36 with 5:45 left in the half.
The rest of the half: U.S. 28, Puerto Rico 8. The run was quick and decisive.
James had all six of his first-half assists during that burst and the Americans took a 64-45 lead into the break. He finished the flurry with a dunk in the final seconds, ran by his 2004 Athens teammate Dwyane Wade — now commentating for NBC, sitting courtside — while yelling something with a big smile and from there the countdown to wrapping up the No. 1 seed was officially on.
As would be expected, really.
It’s been three games, three easy wins for the Americans so far in France: a 26-point opening victory over Serbia, a 17-point win over South Sudan to clinch the top spot in Group C, and then Saturday’s game against Puerto Rico that once it got one-sided it stayed that way.
___
AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games
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