> Votes are still cast on secret ballots, so I don't understand how that would even work. It's quite easy: jail the respective candidates and remove them from

> Votes are still cast on secret ballots, so I don't understand how that would even work. It's quite easy: jail the respective candidates and remove them from the ballot. > Really? A US-instigated military coup is the only way? The position of the US government could be seen as an improvement from earlier calls for a direct military intervention. As long as they do not finance or advise the contenders, lending them international credibility is a standard foreign policy move that doesn't fall under "instigation". The political rift was there and the US should of course applaud any developments in line with their previous foreign policy position, strongly against the Chavez/Maduro regime. Of course, given the history of the US-Venezuela relations, it's hard to believe US will limit itself to mere diplomatic actions.