Leaders from AOC’s Socialist Organization allegedly met with Venezuelan Dictator Maduro—GOP calls for INVESTIGATION

Representatives from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) met Friday with Venezuela’s contested President Nicolás Maduro.

The Virginia chapter of DSA confirmed the meeting with Maduro, writing on social media: “DSA members meeting directly with President Maduro. Big things are happening in our organization.” Participants in the meeting, which took place in Venezuela’s capital of Caracas, included the chairperson of the DSA’s National Political Committee, members of the International Committee, and members of the organization’s Political Formation, Foreign Policy and Bilateral Relations sections, local news outlet Telesur reported.

The DSA has endorsed self-professed Democratic socialists to the House of Representatives, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Cori Bush (D-Mo.), and Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.). The DSA said it has 92,000 members and chapters in all 50 states, and the DSA website states they are fighting capitalism, adding, “We know our economic system is rooted in white supremacy and the capitalist class depends on racism to divide and oppress the working class.”

Telesur, a Latin American multimedia platform, wrote that one of the goals of the meeting between Maduro and DSA was “to strengthen the fight against the blockade and the coercive and unilateral measures imposed by the government of the United States.” The DSA have not responded to any media requests asking them to comment on the meeting, but they did issue a statement condemning the policies of the Biden administration.

“U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with right-wing opposition leader Juan Guaidó and, illegitimately and against the wishes of the Venezuelan people, recognized him as interim president of Venezuela. This act by the Biden administration is just the latest in a long history of feckless and illegal U.S. interventions in the region, carried out with bipartisan consent,” DSA’s international committee said in a statement.

“We take this occasion to reiterate our condemnation of historic and ongoing meddling by the U.S. in Venezuelan internal affairs, as well as our broad support for movements for democracy and socialism in Venezuela. “Finally, DSA IC calls on DSA-endorsed candidates and elected officials to use their positions to decry all U.S. interference in Venezuela, and on its chapters and members to organize protests against this interference and hold educational events to learn more about how to support movements for Bolivarian socialism in the 21st century.”