A siege on the U.S. Capitol, a strike against democracy worldwide
Anthony Faiola, Shibani Mahtani and Isabelle Khurshudyan, The Washington Post
Jan. 13, 2021
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Then came the siege on the U.S. Capitol.
The 22-year-old student activist watched "in shock" from his hometown in western Venezuela last week as a mob inspired by President Donald Trump invaded Congress to attempt to overturn an election loss. Barragán could not pull away from the YouTube images showing the pro-Trump marauders acting very much like Maduro's colectivos - the extraofficial thugs that keep opponents in check and a dictator in charge.
"Our main ally in the fight for democracy has tumbled," Barragán said. "What does that mean for us?"