The signs are there.

"The United States has raised concerns about the recent arrests of Venezuelan democratic opposition figures ahead of the country's elections this month, as authoritarian President Nicolas Maduro told his supporters he must win at the polls to avoid a possible 'bloodbath'." "Maduro's remarks come as his government attempts to cling on to power for another six years while facing a credible challenge from opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia." CNN. Hugo Chavez was the president of Venezuela from 1999 to 2013 and Nicolas Maduro has been since then. "Their socialist PSUV party has over the past two decades gained control of key institutions, including much of the judiciary, the electoral council and the Supreme Court." BBC. "In 2020, the US Justice Department charged Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro and high-ranking officials of his regime for leading the Cartel of the Suns to traffic cocaine to the United States." "The Venezuelan Army facilitates drug trafficking on land,sea, and air by allowing the passage and protection of shipments, manipulating radars for illegal flights, receiving payments to avoid searches, and authorizing the departure of shipments from facilities guarded by military and government agents, Grey Dynamics indicated." Dialogo Americas. These people are heavily armed and will fight if a new government tries to bring them to justice. So, Maduro is saying that people will be safe only if he is reelected and criminals are allowed to continue. "Dictators are not evil by definition," but "might harbor fantasies of unlimited power, beauty, glory, honor and domination, paired with a lack of empathy." Dictators depend on a set of cronies and if "he wants to remain at the top of the heap doesn't work on behalf of the larger population, but for the benefit of the handful of people he - historically, it always is a he - depends on for maintaining control." BBC. "When my mother was alive, I used to believe that I was born biologically. After she passed away, upon reflecting on all my experiences, I was convinced that God has sent me." "That's why, whenever I do anything, I believe God is guiding me," said Mr Modi. The Wire. "Lord Jagannath is bhakt (devotee) of Modi," claimed BJP member Sambit Patra. TOI. Of course, when you are 'divine' and worshiped by a coterie of sycophants you can do no wrong. Like imposing a total lockdown on the whole nation when there were only 469 active cases of Covid-19 and just 10 deaths. CNBC. This caused, "All along the 800 km, Pune-to Bhopal stretch of the Mumbai-Agra NH, thousands of migrant workers, children in arms, stumbling along, are stretched out in unending lines." "Exhausted people sleep by the roadside. Children cry in hunger. Mothers cast anguished glances at vehicles that won't stop." TOI. Meanwhile, Mr Modi is always resplendent in an unending supply of costumes. Getty Images. The signs are there but, fortunately, India is too diverse. Still, we can't be complacent.