February 28, 2019

International Trade

Venezuela blocks off second bridge to Colombia: Venezuelan authorities have blockaded a second bridge to Colombia amid fresh skirmishes between protesters and security forces loyal to Nicolás Maduro. The move came as opposition leader Juan Guaidó travelled to Brazil to shore up international pressure on Maduro following an inconclusive meeting of regional leaders in Colombia earlier this week. Early on Wednesday, two shipping containers were positioned across the Simón Bolívar bridge, a major pedestrian crossing between the two countries, following days of sporadic violence. Footage broadcast on Colombian television on Wednesday showed a burned-out truck bed in front of the shipping containers, which had been positioned overnight across the Simón Bolívar bridge. Colombia closed four crossings from its side on Saturday evening, reopening them on Monday afternoon. (The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/27/venezuela-bridge-simon-bolivar-colombia-maduro)

 

Over 92% of border business remains shut: Daniel Aguilar, president of the FEDECÁMARAS nationwide business organization for the state of Táchira reports that over 92% of all business near to the border remains closed out of fear of pro-Maduro armed gangs. He held the Maduro regime to be “responsible for the clashed along the border”. More in Spanish: (Noticiero Venevisión, http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/economia/fedecamaras-tachira-mas-del-92-de-los-comercios-en-la-frontera-estan-cerrados)

 

Fire at La Guaira port hits warehouses holding CLAP food kits: A fire at the La Guaira port hit warehouses where CLAP food kits are stored for distribution by the Maduro regime. Maduro immediately orders the food to be replaced and blamed the fire on the “extreme right wing”. The fire had been reported to have been controlled More in Spanish: (Bolipuertos, http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/nacional/reportan-un-incendio-en-el-puerto-de-la-guaira; El Universal, http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/34319/nicolas-maduro-ordeno-reponer-alimentos-quemados-en-galpones-de-los-clap-en-vargas)

 

Oil & Energy

New Venezuela opposition CITGO Board meets, appoints new corporate officers: CITGO Petroleum Corporation has confirmed it’s newly appointed Board of Directors after the opposition-dominated National Assembly. The Board includes Luisa Palacios as Chairwoman, Rick Esser, Edgar Rincón, Angel Olmeta, Luis Urdaneta and Andres Eloy Padilla. "Together with CITGO senior leadership, the Board will work to guarantee the company's financial and operational stability; enhance its corporate governance; and protect its assets," CITGO reported. "CITGO is a historic brand that provides enormous value to the American economy and the communities in which it operates," said Luisa Palacios, newly appointed Chairwoman of the CITGO Board. "With highly complex refineries and, more importantly, best-in-class employees that keep this company running smoothly, CITGO is – and will remain – a major player in the energy industry. This Board will be working hard to provide the stability, leadership and protection that ensures it remains so."  Friday's meeting included an intensive review of the company's business units, which provided ample opportunity for the Board to interact with the internal management team. The meeting included an in-depth discussion of the company's finances, operations and immediate challenges so the Board can quickly develop and implement its vision going forward. (Latin American Herald Tribune, http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475446&CategoryId=10717)

 

CITGO loans price in potential regime change in Venezuela: The bank debt of oil refiner CITGO Petroleum Corp, US subsidiary of Petróleos de Venezuela SA (PDVSA), has been volatile in recent days as Venezuela’s political crisis deepens and the market prices in a potential regime change in Venezuela. The company’s US$ 650 million term loan B jumped in secondary trading this week, according to a trader monitoring the debt, after the Houston-headquartered company last Friday installed a new board of directors that is expected to enhance CITGO’s independence from its troubled parent company. CITGO is also understood to be cutting ties with PDVSA in order to distance itself from sanctions on the country recently imposed by the US, Reuters reported on Tuesday. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/citgo-loans/citgo-loans-price-in-potential-regime-change-in-venezuela-idUSL1N20M0UE)

 

Russian companies in Venezuela safe: Novak. Russian companies in Venezuela are not experiencing any problems resulting from the escalation in the political situation in the country and have not incurred any losses on the oil they produce there, Russia’s Energy Minister Alexander Novak told news outlet Gazeta.ru in an interview. “Our companies present there [in Venezuela] are following the situation very closely. To date, we have no information about any problems or losses. Work is going as usual,” Novak said. ROSNEFT and GAZPROM are among the foreign companies still present in Venezuela. LUKOIL’s trading arm LITASCO, however, exited the country as soon as the United States imposed the latest round of sanctions against the Maduro government, targeting specifically state oil company PDVSA. (Oil Price: https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russian-Companies-In-Venezuela-Safe-Novak.html)

 

Inside a U.S. businessman's oil deal with Venezuela: In November 2017, Harry Sargeant III, the former finance chairman of the Florida Republican Party, was looking to purchase a New Jersey asphalt plant that needed a steady supply of the heavy crude that Venezuela has in abundance. The trip got off to a worrying start when Sergeant’s plane was directed to a special hangar in Caracas and surrounded by soldiers. But what followed, he says, was privileged treatment, including an unexpected meeting the next day with Nicolas Maduro. Within a year, Sargeant had inked an attractive oilfield agreement to help raise plummeting crude production in Venezuela. A new Delaware company called EREPLA Services LLC, of which Sargeant is a shareholder, would rehabilitate three troubled oilfields in exchange for almost half the revenue. Weeks after news broke of Sargeant's partnership with PDVSA, the U.S. government unleashed tough new sanctions banning Americans from working with Venezuela's state-run oil firm. Sargeant acknowledges sanctions have derailed his deal. With Western oil majors steering clear of new investment there, the country has turned to China and Russia as well as upstart firms like EREPLA.  Sargeant insists it is not his concern who rules Venezuela. "Our business is with PDVSA, the institution," he said. "We are not into the politics of the situation." (NASDAQ: https://www.nasdaq.com/article/meeting-maduro-inside-a-us-businessmans-oil-deal-with-venezuela-20190228-00031)

 

Economy & Finance

Venezuela moves 8 tons of central bank gold: At least eight tons of gold were removed from Venezuela's central bank vaults last week, an opposition legislator and government sources say, in the latest sign of Nicolas Maduro's need to raise currency amid sanctions. The gold was removed in government vehicles between Wednesday and Friday last week when there were no regular security guards present at the bank, Legislator Angel Alvarado and the three government sources said. "They plan to sell it abroad illegally," Alvarado said. Alvarado and the government sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not say where the central bank was sending the gold. They said the operation took place while central bank head Calixto Ortega was abroad. There is reportedly only 140 tons of gold remaining in the vaults. In 2018, 23 tons of mined gold were transported from Venezuela to Istanbul by plane, according to sources and Turkish government data. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold-exclusive/exclusive-venezuela-removed-8-tons-of-central-bank-gold-last-week-legislator-idUSKCN1QG2QG)

 

U.S. studying mysterious bond billionaire's Venezuela deals: The U.S. is considering sanctions against Wall Street billionaire David Martinez as part of its effort to topple Nicolas Maduro’s regime by cutting off its access to financing, according to three people familiar with the matter. Treasury Department officials have also discussed naming Martinez, the founder of the Delaware-domiciled hedge fund Fintech Advisory Inc., as a specially designated national for his business dealings with sanctioned Venezuelan officials including Finance Minister Simon Zerpa and Economy Vice President Tareck El Aissami, two of the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Martinez visited Caracas as recently as December to pitch deals that would ease the government’s cash squeeze. (Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-26/u-s-said-to-study-mysterious-bond-billionaire-s-venezuela-deals)

 

Politics and International Affairs

UN to vote on dueling US, Russia drafts on Venezuela: The UN Security Council will vote Thursday on two rival draft resolutions from the United States and Russia aimed at confronting the crisis in Venezuela, but both are expected to fail, according to diplomats. On Wednesday, the United States put forward a measure that would call for presidential elections to end the political standoff and unimpeded deliveries of aid to ease shortages of food and medicine in Venezuela. A competing Russian text urges a peaceful settlement of the crisis and recalls that aid deliveries to Venezuela require the consent of Maduro’s government. The council is set to vote around 9:30 am (1530 GMT) on both proposed measures. Russia and China, which support Maduro, are likely to veto the US draft resolution that “expresses deep concern about the actions of a regime that have caused an economic collapse,” diplomats said. But the Russian measure, which expresses “concern over the threats to use force” against Venezuela, is unlikely to garner the nine votes for adoption, according to diplomats. Resolutions at the Security Council, which are legally binding, must garner nine votes to be adopted, with no vetoes from the five permanent members — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States. The US-drafted text calls for “free, fair and credible presidential elections,” with the presence of international observers, describing the May vote in which Maduro was declared the winner as “neither free nor fair.” It expresses support for “the peaceful restoration of democracy and rule of law in Venezuela” and requests that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres broker a deal on holding fresh elections. Russia’s draft resolution urges a settlement “through peaceful means” and welcomes calls by Guterres for dialogue. Russian Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia said the attempted aid delivery over the weekend was like an "illegal state border crossing" that amounted to a "forced feeding." US envoy Elliott Abrams, clearly angered, shot back saying: “I reject from start to finish, I reject from top to bottom, accusations of military interventions from a country that is occupying the territory of Georgia and Ukraine.” He said that the world should back Guaidó and “address the destabilizing results of Maduro’s corrupt, fraudulent and incompetent reign, which just this weekend brought instability and violence” to the borders of Brazil and Colombia. UN expert Richard Gowan said the United States is hoping to pile pressure on Caracas by showing that most council members back its stance, even if Russia and China block the measure. “The problem is what the US does next after this resolution fails. Does it keep trying to pile moral pressure on Maduro, or does it conclude the UN diplomatic route is dead?” At a council meeting on Tuesday, Abrams said his government was “deeply concerned” about Guaidó’s safety after Maduro said in an interview that the opposition leader would have to face justice when he returns from Colombia. (Arab News: http://www.arabnews.com/node/1459261/world; CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/27/us/venezuela-Guaidó-presidential-duties/index.html; Daily Times: https://dailytimes.com.pk/359399/us-seeks-vote-on-un-resolution-to-allow-aid-into-venezuela/; Latin American Herald Tribune, http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475443&CategoryId=10717; Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-27/u-s-seeks-un-security-council-vote-on-new-venezuela-resolution)

 

'Worthless' UN blasted for weak Venezuela response, playing into Maduro's hands: As the Venezuelan government burns aid convoys, represses its people and forces them to eat out of garbage trucks, critics say the United Nations is struggling to find its voice as it issues weak statements of condemnations, while a pro-Maduro coalition digs in at U.N. headquarters.  “[Secretary General Antonio Guterres] is playing right into #Maduro plans,” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted this month. “Fake @UN 'negotiations' to divide opposition & buy time for protests to die down. Maduro will also want UN “experts” to blame #Venezuela crisis on sanctions.”  “When it comes to democracy & human rights UN increasingly worthless,” he said. Rubio’s remarks represent part of a broader concern by conservatives that left-wing governments and institutions like the U.N. are downplaying the humanitarian crisis engulfing Venezuela due to its socialist ideology. In the U.S., politicians such as 2020 presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders have come under fire for their alleged failure to call out the Maduro regime. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was criticized by Rubio specifically for repeated meetings with the Maduro regime’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, offering to help conduct a “serious negotiation to help the country out of the present standoff for the benefit of the people of Venezuela.” Guterres’ statements since then have been weaker than what many hope the international body would issue given such dire circumstances, a statement in which his office said he was following “with increasing concern the escalation of tensions in Venezuela.” On Sunday, Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet was somewhat stronger as she decried “disgraceful scenes.” “The Venezuelan government must stop its forces from using excessive force against unarmed protesters and ordinary citizens,” she said. While appeals to “both sides” are typical of U.N. officials -- who regularly seek neutrality as much as possible to be a neutral space for negotiation -- to those looking for a tougher line on the Maduro regime, the statement from Guterres is likely only to fuel their disappointment. Furthermore, far from being a neutral space for dialogue and negotiation, the U.N.’s New York headquarters is becoming something of a rallying point for pro-Maduro countries to give support to the failing regime. Arreaza, this month, announced the formation of a group that he said would defend the U.N. Charter, flanked by more than a dozen ambassadors and diplomats from countries including Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Syria, China and Russia. (Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/world/worthless-un-blasted-for-weak-venezuela-response-playing-into-maduros-hands)

 

Guaidó meets with Brazil’s Bolsonaro, will re-enter Venezuela to his 'duties as president': Venezuelan leader Juan Guaidó is now facing the challenge of finding a way back into the country. "I will announce the day of our return, so that you can be with us," Guaidó said in a tweet to supporters Wednesday. He asked for demonstrations to continue. "We will decide. Due to security concerns we are not ruling out options," he'd said a day earlier in an interview. He declined to detail his return other than saying it would be a matter of days. Guaidó said he's aware of a possible attack against him from Nicolas Maduro's regime, but said "that won't stop us." The opposition leader said efforts to collect more aid will continue "because the humanitarian crisis" persists. Guaidó met Friday with Colombian President Ivan Duque and colleagues from Chile and Paraguay, and participated Monday in a Group of Lima nations meeting in Colombia, Guaidó was due to arrive in Brazil on Wednesday night to meet with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro as part of a tour of several nations to ratchet up international pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to step down. Guaidó will travel to Brasilia for a two-day visit from Bogota. “The interim president of Venezuela will meet on Thursday afternoon with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro at the Planalto Palace,” said Maria Teresa Belandria, appointed by Guaidó as his ambassador to Brazil and recognized as such by the Bolsonaro government. After the meeting on 2 p.m. (1700 GMT) on Thursday, Guaidó will hold a news conference, the envoy said. While in the Brazilian capital, Guaidó will also meet with diplomats of other countries that have recognized him as Venezuela’s interim leader, pending new presidential elections, Belandria said. Guaidó said leaving Venezuela took many hours and included a walking stretch. The regime´s Supreme Court, which is aligned with Maduro, has ordered Guaidó not to travel internationally. Guaidó said his interim leadership intends to call new elections about nine months after the usurpation of power by Maduro ends. Guaidó told CNN he believes there's a chance he could be arrested upon his return. But an attack on him, Guaidó said, could backfire for the current administration. "Venezuela is mobilized towards change and arresting someone (does) not calm the protest. On the contrary, it speeds it up and makes it grow." The National Assembly met this week in Caracas and authorized Cuaidó to travel for over 5 days, as required by the Venezuelan Constitution. (UPI: https://www.upi.com/Guaidó-planning-to-re-enter-Venezuela-after-attempt-to-pick-up-aid/8321551291066/; CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/27/us/venezuela-Guaidó-presidential-duties/index.html; Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-rights-Guaidó/venezuelas-Guaidó-to-visit-brazil-in-bid-to-keep-pressure-on-maduro-idUSKCN1QG34U; Latin American Herald Tribune, http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475444&CategoryId=10718; http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475434&CategoryId=10717; Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics/rpt-Guaidós-return-to-venezuela-to-mark-brazen-defiance-of-maduro-idUSL1N20M012; Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-26/Guaidó-s-safety-at-risk-in-return-to-venezuela-u-s-envoy-warns); and more in Spanish: El Universal, http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/34279/diputados-de-la-an-exigen-ponderaciones-de-proteccion-a-entidades-internacionales)

 

Nicolas Maduro's says said he'd be open to a summit with Donald Trump: In his first interview with an American television network in years, Maduro said interim president Juan Guaidó: “can come and go. He will have to face justice, and justice prohibited him from leaving the country. I will respect the laws … No one can be above the law. In this case, Mr. Guaidó must answer before the Justice, not before Nicolas Maduro”. He also said: “The extremist government of the Ku Klux Klan that that directs Donald Trump wants a wants a war for oil.” But added “I think that at one point, President Trump will have to say "stop, stop, we must see what happens with Venezuela," and change his policy” … and “I, as President of Venezuela, am prepared for a direct dialogue with your government and with you to look for … 21st-century solutions, not Cold War solutions.” Adding; “I would be willing to go where ever I would have to go. To shake President Trump's hand”, making an open comparison with ongoing talks with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in Vietnam. (ABC News: https://abcnews.go.com/International/venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduros-defiant-interview-tom-llamas/story)

 

Maduro and Trump should meet to 'find common ground': Venezuela minister: Maduro’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that the United States was trying to overthrow the government of Nicolas Maduro and suggested talks with U.S. President Donald Trump - an idea the Trump administration immediately rejected. Jorge Arreaza, addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council, suggested that Maduro and Trump meet to “try to find common ground and explain their differences.” He also said his country had lost $30 billion in assets “confiscated” since November 2017 under sanctions. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence ruled out prospects of talks. “The only thing to discuss with Maduro at this point is the time and date for his departure,” Pence said on Twitter. “For democracy to return and for Venezuela to rebuild - Maduro must go,” Pence said. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-rights/maduro-and-trump-should-meet-to-find-common-ground-venezuela-minister-idUSKCN1QG1P0; Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-27/un-delegates-walk-out-as-maduro-s-foreign-minister-gives-speech; AVN, http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/chancellor-arreaza-demands-reject-use-military-force-against-venezuela)

 

Diplomats storm out of UN meeting as Maduro's foreign minister: Dozens of European and Latin American diplomats abruptly walked out of the U.N.'s top human rights body on Wednesday to protest an address by Nicolas Maduro's foreign minister. Jorge Arreaza used his speech to float the idea of talks between President Nicolas Maduro and U.S. President Donald Trump - even as he blasted alleged U.S. 'aggression' against his country. He told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva that the two leaders could seek 'common ground' over Venezuela's escalating crisis. More than 50 other countries have recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country's interim president, including Canada, the UK and Venezuela's neighbors Colombia and Brazil. Many of their diplomats stormed out of the room just as Arreaza arrived to speak to the 47-member council. Arreaza also said in his address that Venezuela had lost US$ 30 billion in assets 'confiscated' since Nov. 2017, including from the state oil company Citgo.  He then renewed an invitation to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, to visit Venezuela to evaluate the impact of what he described as a US-led 'blockade'.  (Mail Online: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6751901/Diplomats-storm-meeting-Venezuelas-foreign-minister-condemned-aggression.html)

 

Venezuela's Guaidó says Russia not propping up Nicolas Maduro: Don’t blame the Russians for Nicolas Maduro’s perseverance in Venezuela. National Assembly president and opposition leader Juan Guaidó said he did not see any signs of “broad support” from Russia in propping up strongman Maduro, he told Russian daily Novaya Gazeta on Tuesday. “There have been no new loans, no major investments. Just public statements,” he said. “I do not see broad support for Maduro. I believe that there is respectful participation of Russia in regards to watching the fate of our country, but the same goes for other countries that are paying attention here,” he told the paper. Guaidó has gone on the record in the past saying that an eventual new government would honor its obligations to Russians. (FORBES: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2019/02/27/venezuelas-Guaidó-says-russia-not-propping-up-nicolas-maduro/#61b942156b91; The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/27/venezuela-bridge-simon-bolivar-colombia-maduro)

 

Maduro regime’s vice president to fly into Moscow for talks on Friday: The Maduro regime’s Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez will hold talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow on Friday, the RIA news agency reported, the latest in a flurry of visits by Venezuelan politicians to staunch ally Russia. Rodriguez will talk to Lavrov about cooperating with Russia to prevent military action against Venezuela, RIA news agency said, citing the head of Venezuela’s foreign ministry Jorge Arreaza. “Our cooperation and the situation in Venezuela will be discussed, as well as coordination of actions to prevent any kind of war against Venezuela,” Arreaza was cited as saying. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-russia/venezuelan-vice-president-to-fly-into-moscow-for-talks-on-friday-ria-idUSKCN1QG1XV)

 

Mexico’s President calls for dialogue to resolve Venezuelan crisis: Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador called on Tuesday for dialogue to find a “peaceful solution” to the crisis in Venezuela and defended freedom of speech after a crew from the Univision network was briefly detained in the South American country while interviewing embattled leftist incumbent Nicolas Maduro. “I respectfully call on the parties to the conflict to sit down, dialogue and seek a peaceful solution,” the founder and leader of the leftist National Regeneration Movement (Morena) said in a press conference at the National Palace. If the parties request it, Lopez Obrador, popularly known as AMLO, offered to host talks in Mexico, allowing the two sides in the Venezuelan political crisis to find a solution, with the idea of having both Pope Francis and world-renowned diplomats as mediators. (Latin American Herald Tribune, http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475433&CategoryId=10717)

 

Colombia calls at U.N. for action on Venezuela crisis: Colombia called on Wednesday for action to end Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis and bring about a political transition leading to free elections. Francisco Barbosa Delgado, human rights counselor to Colombian President Ivan Duque, was addressing the U.N. Human Rights Council hours in Geneva before Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza was due to take the floor. “Action and solidarity should be based on full rejection of dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela,” Barbosa told the meeting. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-colombia-un/colombia-calls-at-u-n-for-action-on-venezuela-crisis-idUSKCN1QG1FU)

 

Chile’s Piñera invites Guaidó to presidential Summit: Chilean President Sebastián Piñera confirmed he has invited Venezuela’s interim president Juan Guaidó to a presidential Summit scheduled for March, to establish a South American organization to replace UNASUR. Piñera had previously explicitly excluded the Maduro regime from the planned meeting. More in Spanish: (El Universal, http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/34300/pinera-invita-a-Guaidó-a-cumbre-presidencial-de-nuevo-bloque-regional)

 

Hundreds of Venezuela's military defect in four days as country spirals into further chaos: More than 450 Venezuelan soldiers have defected in just four days as the country plunges deeper into chaos. Soldiers who have sought refuge in Colombia since the weekend told the Associated Press that the catalyst for defection was the command from above to keep desperately needed humanitarian aid from their compatriots. Troops found themselves engaged in violent confrontations with their fellow Venezuelans. Many abandoned their posts and ran for their lives across the border into Colombia, which has become a refuge for the newly homeless, mostly low-ranking soldiers. Colombian immigration officials said on Tuesday that so far, more than 320 Venezuelan soldiers have defected since the weekend. The defections come as the Venezuelan opposition puts pressure on the military to recognize National Assembly leader Juan Guaidó as the nation's rightful president. (Fox News: https://foxnews.club/world/hundreds-of-venezuelas-military-defect-in-four-days-as-country-spirals-into-further-chaos)

 

'Venezuelan blood is being spilled': tension flares near border with Brazil: Meanwhile, unrest continued near Venezuela’s eastern border with Brazil after violence that left at least three people dead and dozens injured over the weekend. On Tuesday morning, soldiers took control of an airport in the town of Santa Elena de Uairén, which was the focus of clashes between Venezuelan soldiers and indigenous protesters. Witnesses say they were attempting to travel to Maurak, where members of the Pémon indigenous community had captured 30 soldiers on Saturday. (The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/27/venezuela-bridge-simon-bolivar-colombia-maduro)

 

TELEMUNDO Reporter Daniel Garrido was abducted in Venezuela: TELEMUNDO’s Venezuela correspondent Daniel Garrido was abducted Tuesday at 6 a.m. local time on the streets near Hotel Cayena in Caracas, while he was reporting on Maduro’s government detaining and deporting the UNIVISION crew. “A group of unidentified armed men forced [Garrido] into a vehicle and covered his head with a hood,” according to a Telemundo statement. “After questioning him for six hours and seizing his equipment, the kidnappers freed him without explanation and without returning his equipment”, the U.S. Spanish language network reported. (Adweek: https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/telemundo-reporter-daniel-garrido-was-abducted-yesterday-in-venezuela/395281)

 

Maduro regime's colectivos continue arbitrary armed robberies, journalist says: While embattled President Nicolas Maduro's administration claimed at the United Nations that colectivos, the government's armed paramilitary allies, are not the ones fomenting violence in Venezuela, a 37-year-old Swedish journalist testified to a different reality Wednesday at the National Assembly in Caracas. Annika H. Rothstein was forced to hide under the podium at the opposition's National Assembly after a group of Maduro supporters got through security and interrupted the meeting at the Venezuelan legislative palace. Rothstein was eventually able to stand up again to speak. Rothstein, who has written about anti-Semitism and is a contributor to Israel Hayom, The Jerusalem Post, Ricochet and the Washington Examiner, talked about how she has joined the long list of reporters who are working to cover the crisis in Venezuela under the constant threat of the colectivos. "I know the look of them," Rothstein told a Swedish colleague. "They show up in motorcycles. They cover their faces and they are armed." Her colleague published the video of their conversation on YouTube. She also said that over the years, colectivos have gone "from intimidation to robbery and kidnapping to death squad." Rothstein traveled from Caracas to Venezuela's border state of Táchira to cover the crisis this week and saw the armed colectivos. She said the drive is one of the most dangerous in the world -- especially at night. "It's no-man's land and there are kidnappings and random murders across this road," Rothstein said. She added that the colectivos stopped her driver and dragged her out of the car. She told her Swedish colleague she lied to the colectivos and told them she was a socialist and showed them press credentials from Iran and yet they still took her bulletproof vest and some still wanted to kill her.  "Two guys were crazier than the others and were obviously high on cocaine," Rothstein said. The colectivos kicked the drivers in the stomach and one slapped her in the face and hit her in the chest. She said they left bruises on her face and torso. They were all carrying semi-automatic rifles and 9 mm pistols on their hip, she said. She said she heard about a dozen colectivos arguing among themselves about whether to kill them. Although the group's leader told them that was a bad idea, the infighting continued, she said. The colectivos finally told them they could leave and fired their weapons as they ran back in the car, she said. They weren't wounded. Rothstein, who wrote about her experience for the Daily Beast, also reported she lost her equipment and about US$ 900 in cash. (Local10: https://www.local10.com/news/venezuela/venezuela-s-colectivos-continue-arbitrary-armed-robberies-journalist-says)

 

One witness, conflicting evidence: How Venezuelan justice targets the opposition: Local opposition leader Jose Rengel has spent almost five weeks in a cramped detention cell on the outskirts of Caracas, after a single witness accused him of leading a riot that burned down a public building. Rengel was arrested together with eight other men on January 24 after the witness - a member of the ruling Socialist Party - told soldiers that the 59-year-old had sacked shops and “completely destroyed” a public transport office using Molotov cocktails, according to a National Guard report filed one day later. The detained men, who are described by their families as opposition sympathizers, now face charges of arson, theft, and illegally carrying weapons, which could lead to 10-year jail sentences. The men all deny taking part in the protest, according to statements they gave to a court and their lawyers. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-evidence/one-witness-conflicting-evidence-how-venezuelan-justice-targets-the-opposition-idUSKCN1QG1FC)

 

United States denies Russian accusations of planning military intervention in Venezuela: The United States has denied Russian accusations of planning military intervention in Venezuela, despite President Trump saying: "all options are on the table." The two countries exchanged opposing views at a UN Security Council meeting. Russia claimed the US was reinforcing its military and logistical muscle in Puerto Rico and neighboring Colombia. Nicolas Maduro’s Foreign Affairs minister, Jorge Arreaza, challenged the US and urged the UN to approve a resolution against the "use of force" in Venezuela. He was also defiant. (EURO News: https://www.euronews.com/2019/02/27/united-states-denies-russian-accusations-of-planning-military-intervention-in-venezuela)

 

US is getting closer to military intervention in Venezuela: Gen. Anthony Tata: Brigadier Gen. Anthony Tata (Ret.) discussed the report that a top military official in Venezuela sent his family to China amid all the protests and why he believes that the U.S. may use military force in Venezuela.  “I think in the next two weeks we are going to see this thing bubble up and foment,” he told FOX on Tuesday.  “The aid has to get in there and importantly President Trump has made this sort of a line in the sand so he needs to do something that will affect, or he needs to set the conditions that will affect the transition to [Juan] Guaidó for power.” Tata added, “If [Nicolás Maduro's regime] choses to inject the Cuban-trained folks and others from Russia and Iran and Hezbollah, then I think that's a good call for the United States to get militarily involved." (Fox Business: https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/us-military-intervention-in-venezuela-could-come-in-the-next-two-weeks-gen-tata)

 

Trump says Venezuela aid 'getting through' despite Maduro refusal: President Trump said Thursday that U.S. aid supplies had gotten into Venezuela, despite the country's authoritarian leader publicly refusing to allow shipments. "We're sending supplies, supplies are getting through a little bit more. It's not easy," Trump said during a press conference in Vietnam after nuclear summit talks failed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It's unclear to what degree supplies have reached Venezuela. Although Trump claimed supplies had reached the country, he acknowledged the conflict and condemned Maduro. "Hard to believe somebody would say, 'Let's not do it.' What difference would it make, except it's great for his people to let it get through," Trump said. "But we're sending a lot of supplies down. People are starving to death. You would think the man in charge currently would let those get through. We're getting them into some of the cities and some of the areas that need them the most. It's very difficult, not an easy job." (The Washington Examiner: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/trump-says-venezuela-aid-getting-through-despite-maduro-refusal)

 

Venezuela crisis: How much aid is getting in? The Venezuelan government has denied entry at its borders to hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid. But despite the recent stand-off, not all international assistance has been rejected. The Venezuelan government has praised Russia, an ally of president Nicolás Maduro, for sending aid and said 300 tons of it had been transported to Venezuela. But in response to questions from BBC News, the Venezuelan government provided no further details about the contents of the aid shipment and said there were currently no opportunities to film it. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was asked about the shipment in a daily press call on 21 February and replied that he didn't have any information but would make inquiries. However, the Pan-American Health Organization, which works with the World Health Organization (WHO) did release information about medical supplies sent by Russia. A shipment of 7.5 tons arrived on 21 February. A similar delivery was made in April 2018. The WHO oversaw the delivery of a total of 50 tons of medicines and supplies last year from foreign countries. The UN's Financial Tracking Service (FTS), which collates global data on humanitarian funding, recorded US$ 24 million for Venezuela in 2018. The agencies to have received the most money earmarked for Venezuela include the WHO, the United Nations Children's Fund and the Norwegian Refugee Council. And this includes about US$9 million raised through the UN's central emergency response fund for projects to improve nutrition, overseen by international agencies including UNHCR, the UN refugee agency, and the WHO. So far this year, another US$ 15 million has been donated, according to the UN database. The European Commission (EC) was the largest donor to organizations working inside Venezuela in 2018. It has been sending humanitarian aid to Venezuela since 2016. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47369768)

 

Democrats strain for a unified message on Venezuela: The Trump administration’s push to oust Nicolás Maduro as the president of Venezuela has split Democrats in Congress, rekindling a long running debate in the party about how aggressively the U.S. should intervene in other countries. Most Democrats, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, have supported President Trump’s decision to recognize Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim leader. But a small group of lawmakers are skeptical of American efforts to remove Mr. Maduro. (The Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-democrats-strain-for-a-unified-message-on-venezuela-11551355550)

 

The following brief is a synthesis of the news as reported by a variety of media sources. As such, the views and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Duarte Vivas & Asociados and The Selinger Group.