Responding to Murder in Venezuela

The State Department issued a statement about the murder of AD leader Luis Diaz:

We condemn the attack and killing of Luis Manuel Diaz at a political rally November 25 in Altagracia de Orituco, Venezuela. This was the deadliest of several recent attacks and acts of intimidation aimed at opposition candidates. We call on the Government of Venezuela to protect all political candidates and we call on the National Electoral Council to ensure that this campaign is conducted in a manner to encourage full participation by the people of Venezuela. We further note that campaigns of fear, violence, and intimidation have no place in democracy.

The Venezuelan government's reaction has been to deny that the assassination of an opposition leader a few days before a major election has anything to do with politics or elections at all. It's all about a gang dispute. Of course!

"Trying to link a murder between criminal gangs with Venezuela's electoral process shows desperation and bad faith," Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said of a U.S. statement linking it to other aggression against opposition candidates.

What the U.S. is desperate about is not explained, and I don't think really can be.

At any rate, nothing to see here. This was just gangs shooting at each other, just Hell's Angels-type stuff, nothing political. The elections? Nah, this has nothing to do with elections. Those opposition guys just like shooting each other and blaming the government.