THE statement from 14 nations in the Americas seeking to force early elections on Venezuela shows how much ground the left has lost in recent years.

The tired demands made by the group have all been heard before, particularly the hysteria over “political prisoners” such as Leopoldo Lopez — a ringleader of the La Salida (“the exit”) protests which sought to overthrow Venezuela’s elected government and which involved violent blockades and attacks on police and civilians which left 43 dead.

Demands that the National Assembly be allowed to “perform its constitutional functions” ignore the fact that the Assembly is sitting unconstitutionally, having sworn in three deputies whose elections were deemed invalid by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice.