Venezuelan commentators Emma Rincón and Agustín Antonetti criticized U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene in X posts between 4:46 p.m. and 5:16 p.m. UTC on December 22 for echoing Nicolás Maduro regime positions, according to their statements responding to her recent post on Venezuelan social issues and U.S. intervention. Rincón rebutted Greene's claims point-by-point in an X post, stating abortion has been illegal in Venezuela since 1926, not due to Maduro; chavismo persecutes the Catholic Church; opposition leader María Corina Machado is a classical liberal comparable to Argentina's President Javier Milei; Maduro has allowed Iranian infiltration with Hezbollah and Hamas cells; and poverty stands at 85 percent with children dying of malnutrition, per her post at https://x.com/EmmaRincon/status/2003139929384116257. Antonetti called Greene "the stupidest politician I have ever met," according to his X post at https://x.com/agusantonetti/status/2003144281616449728. Greene's quoted post stated Venezuela is predominantly Catholic with strict abortion laws except to save the mother's life; Maduro criticizes Israel and Zionism; Machado supports Israel and is more left-leaning on abortion and LGBTQ issues; most Americans doubt U.S. actions concern only drugs and oil; and voters rejected foreign regime change in 2024, as cited in the responses. Separate OSINT reports noted Venezuelan Armed Forces displayed new Iranian-made DIO KLF assault rifles—clones of Type 56-1—at a military ceremony, indicating a shipment received in the last 18 months, according to an X post by @ConflictsW at https://x.com/ConflictsW/status/2003120407461978327. Vanessa Neumann announced she will appear live on BBC News at 20:00 UTC to discuss growing U.S. President Donald Trump pressure on Maduro's regime, stating in an X post at https://x.com/vanessaneumann/status/2003147659251745033 this occurs amid earlier remarks by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that Maduro "has to go," per her statement at 4:26 p.m. UTC on December 22.
