by Ramiro S. FĂșnez Part 5 - Withering opposition movements For years, Washington and its propagandists in mainstream media have predicted that Maduro and Assad will eventually be forced out of power through “democratic uprisings” in both countries. This delusional fantasy has yet to come true. Instead, confident forecasts that both leaders “will step down” have mutated into hopeful suggestions that “they should step down.” U.S. media pundits and policymakers alike remain baffled at the fact that Obama left office before Maduro and Assad did. What’s the reason for this? It’s not because they have “consolidated their grip on power,” as both liberals and conservatives characterize it. Rather, it’s because millions of Venezuelans and Syrians have recognized that U.S. intervention does not offer them a future. All one needs to do is take a look at Iraq and Afghanistan, which the United States has left in ruins by supporting “pro-democracy efforts.”