Commentary: Lessons from Caracas

There is much to unpack from the arrest of Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro.

Above all, there is the stark contrast between American socialists bitterly denouncing the ouster of this socialist dictator and the masses of ordinary Venezuelans celebrating their deliverance from him.

Socialism under Chavez and Maduro utterly destroyed the prosperity and freedom of Venezuela, reducing it from one of the wealthiest nations in the world to one of the poorest. Like all socialist regimes, the Chavistas depend on brutal intimidation, terrorism and violence to maintain their grip on power. A third of the population has now fled that afflicted nation, and with Maduro’s ouster, this diaspora of socialism’s victims finally see a cause for hope and are rejoicing in the streets.