With Bernie Sanders presidential candidacy wobbling on weary legs heading into a crucial stretch of primary contests, former Secretary of State John Kerry aimed a finishing blow at the self-described democratic socialist last Monday morning.

Senator Sanders has never failed to be saying a nice thing about some socialist country or another dictator somewhere, said Kerry, a top surrogate for former Vice President Joe Biden, Sanders chief rival for the Democratic nomination. Kerry blasted Sanders for insufficiently supporting democracy and freedom in Latin America, particularly after Sanders offered some qualified praise for certain policies of Fidel Castro, the late Cuban Communist leader, during an appearance on 60 Minutes last month.

Bernie thinks by putting the word democratic in front of socialist, he can deal with the challenge of being socialist, Kerry told the Miami Herald . He wasnt a democratic socialist most of his life. He was just a socialist. Now hes running for president, so he tries to take the mantle of democratic, but in my judgment socialism is socialism.

Matt Duss, Sanders foreign policy adviser, shot back on Twitter , calling the comments dishonest and disgusting red-baiting that should be beneath Kerry.

Bernie has been clear in criticisms of authoritarian regimes, Duss tweeted. Hes also been clear in opposition to right wing coups, such as in Bolivia, which has led to a wave of violent repression. Biden has remained silent.

Latin America policy has simmered just beneath the surface of this Democratic primary from its beginning, thanks to the two most prominent figures in the race. Few people in American politics have so forcefully denounced U.S. interventionism in Latin America for so long as Sanders. No one in the field, meanwhile, had as much direct experience with the region as Biden, who visited Latin America more than a dozen times as vice president.

It was inevitable the two would clash, especially before Tuesdays primary in Latino-heavy Florida. But the manner in which they have has also obscured a plain truth: Sanders and Biden dont appear as far apart on how they would approach Latin Americas triumvirate of leftist authoritarian leaders in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua as the heated rhetoric would have people believe. Although their experiences in and worldviews toward Latin America vary significantly, the primary differences between how theyd engage are strategic and nuanced.

Still, the battle is evidence of a problem that has plagued Sanders over the last two weeks, as he has plummeted from clear front-runner to beleaguered challenger. While his positions arent necessarily as radical as his rhetoric might make them seem, he has struggled to convince the media and many Democratic voters thats the case.

No Regime Change In Venezuela

Take Venezuela, which has become the most notable foreign policy struggle in the region under Trump. Both Biden and Sanders have each called Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who has become increasingly authoritarian as his country has spiraled into chaos, a tyrant .

And they have both said they oppose, in Sanders words , Maduros use of violence against unarmed protesters and the suppression of dissent, and, in Bidens , violent oppression and dismantling [of] the last vestiges of Venezuelan democracy.

But theyve also both said that the United States should not be in the business of regime change, a phrase Sanders first used in January 2019 , when Trump recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaid as the countrys legitimate leader and imposed new rounds of sanctions on the country. Biden used the exact same verbiage in an Americas Quarterly survey published this week.