Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on Thursday night rebuffed a challenge that his democratic socialism is comparable to the regime of "tyrant" Nicolas Maduro, the president of Venezuela.
Questioned by Univision journalist Jorge Ramos about how his brand of democratic socialism compares to "the ones being imposed in Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua," Sanders rejected the framing.
"I'll tell you what I believe in terms of democratic socialism: I agree with goes on in Canada and Scandinavia," he said, saying he was for universal healthcare, paid leave, and living wages, and condemned the concentration of wealth in the hands of "the 1%" of billionaires.
Sanders was also asked why he does not called the Venezuelan leader a "dictator."
"Anybody that does what Maduro does is a vicious tyrant," he said. "What we need now is international and regional cooperation for free elections in Venezuela to the people of that country can create their own future."
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