First on the list is Sean Penn
Via Newsbusters
Liberal celebrities finally did something useful: they proved that it’s easier to support socialism when you have toilet paper and electricity.
Wealthy Hollywood-types have the luxury to fawn over Venezuela and its authoritarian leaders, but many Venezuelans do not have share this rosy perspective. Reuters reported that anti-government activists have taken to the streets in protest against President Nicolás Maduro’s socialist regime. Several people have been killed, including a beauty queen.
Over the years, a series of left-wing celebrities praised Venezuelan socialism, and the nation’s leaders Maduro and former President Hugo Chávez. Sean Penn, Oliver Stone, Michael Moore and Danny Glover are all on the list of celebs who have gushed over Chávez and Maduro, or Venezuelan socialism.
Venezuela’s economy has steadily deteriorated under socialism. As the BBC reported in January 2014, Venezuela faced skyrocketing inflation of 56.2 percent in 2013. The capital city of Caracas suffered from two blackouts in 2013 alone, and many Venezuelans lack access to basic supplies such as milk and toilet paper.
Reason.com said that the country “has become one of the least economically competitive countries in the world,” with collapsing infrastructure and high violent crime rates. That is the result of the political system and “proven leadership” praised by Penn and others.
1. Sean Penn on Maduro’s ‘Proven Leadership’
After former President Hugo Chávez died in March 2013, the famous actor Sean Penn didn’t hesitate to voice his support for Chávez and Maduro, Chávez’s vice president.
Penn, known for his Oscar-winning roles in “Mystic River” and “Milk,” declared after Chavez’s death that “Venezuela and its revolution will endure under the proven leadership of vice president Maduro,” according to The Guardian (UK).
The actor extolled the late Chávez, releasing a statement saying “poor people around the world lost a champion.” Many Venezuelans has a far different opinion of the dictator, than Penn. After the strong man’s passing, the Miami Herald reported that throngs of Venezuelans who fled his regime danced and cheered, some declaring “Finally. We’re free,” or “We are celebrating freedom.”