US suspends all
passenger, cargo flights to Venezuela
The Trump administration suspended all
commercial passenger and cargo flights to Venezuela on Wednesday considering
worsening safety conditions, recent social unrest and political turmoil
engulfing this nation. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan
determined that “conditions in Venezuela
threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew,"
according to a DHS statement. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approved the
suspension and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao implemented it. “This determination is based on the ongoing
political instability and increased tensions in Venezuela and associated
inadvertent risk to flight operations,” the statement said. The Department
of Homeland Security said the suspension will remain in effect until conditions
in Venezuela improve. Maduro criticized the suspension of flights, saying the
measure was an attack on freedom of movement. (FOX News: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-suspends-all-passenger-cargo-flights-to-venezuela; Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-airlines/u-s-orders-suspension-of-flights-between-the-u-s-and-venezuela-idUSKCN1SL2F2)
Putin could cut his
loss as Venezuelan oil output nosedives
Venezuela’s oil production held up last month
but appears to be falling off a cliff once again. The situation became dire
this week. Venezuela’s Orinoco Belt saw production plunge by 77% on Tuesday,
falling from 764,100 bpd at the start of April to just 169,800 bpd on Tuesday,
according to S&P Global Platts. The reason? There were a lack of tankers
available to take away exports. Storage is filling up and ports are having
trouble getting product out to sea. S&P said that production of Orinoco
blend crude was shut down at three upgraders, which included PETROPIAR (a joint
venture between PDVSA and CHEVRON), PETROMONAGAS (with ROSNEFT) and PETROCEDENO
(with TOTAL and EQUINOR). Meanwhile, PDVSA’s Petro San Felix is also out of
commission. Without upgraders or tankers, production must decline. TOTAL,
EQUINOR and PDVSA shut down output at their extra-heavy oil project in the
Junin field in the Orinoco Belt, according to S&P. One field operator told
S&P that an “optimistic scenario” would entail Venezuelan oil production at
only 400,000 to 500,000 bpd. In other words, Venezuela’s oil production,
already down sharply, is in freefall. Punitive action from the Trump
administration is largely to blame for the deepening crisis. The plunge in
production could be a fatal blow the Maduro government, which has held on to
date despite an aggressive regime change campaign undertaken by Washington.
Unless production rebounds, the pressure on Maduro will continue to mount.
Russia’s Vladimir Putin was thought to go to great lengths to prop up Maduro,
maintaining an ally while also keeping alive a thorn in Washington’s side. But
Putin reportedly told President Trump on a phone call recently that he was prepared
to withdraw support for Maduro. The price? The U.S. would need to withdraw
military assistance to Ukraine. None of this has been made public, so time will
tell if The Telegraph’s report pans out. But if true, it’s hard to imagine
Maduro will be able to hang on with oil production in a nosedive and his key
sponsor making moves to sell him out. (Oil Price: https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Putin-Could-Cut-His-Loss-As-Venezuelan-Oil-Output-Nosedives.html)
Venezuela's crude upgraders scale back output
as exports dwindle
Venezuela’s crucial oil upgraders have stopped
processing heavy crude because a decline in exports due to U.S. sanctions has
left the nation without enough storage space, seven sources familiar with the
facilities told Reuters. Three of the four upgraders, which convert extra-heavy
Orinoco oil into lighter exportable grades, have started “recirculating” - a process that keeps systems running to prevent
damage but does not yield new upgraded oil. The shift signals that state oil
company PDVSA is struggling to maintain operations after U.S. sanctions this
year eliminated its main customer by restricting sales to U.S. refiners. “The upgraders are recirculating because
there is an excess of production, and there are no buyers,” one PDVSA
source said. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil/venezuelas-crude-upgraders-scale-back-output-as-exports-dwindle-sources-idUSKCN1SL22U)
Rising U.S. oil output helps fill gap left by
Iran, Venezuela: IEA
The world will require very little extra oil
from OPEC this year as booming U.S. output will offset falling exports from
Iran and Venezuela, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday. The IEA,
which coordinates the energy policies of industrial nations, said Washington’s
decision to end sanctions waivers that had allowed some importers to continue
to continue buying Iranian crude added to the “confusing supply outlook.” “However, there have been clear and, in the
IEA’s view, very welcome signals from other producers that they will step in to
replace Iran’s barrels, albeit gradually in response to requests from
customers,” the Paris-based IEA said in its monthly report. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iea-oil/rising-u-s-oil-output-helps-fill-gap-left-by-iran-venezuela-iea-idUSKCN1SL0TG)
Venezuelan oil tanker
captain refused to ship gasoline to Cuba
The captain of the Manuela Saenz, a Venezuelan
oil tanker, fought back against orders to send a shipment of unleaded and
diesel gasoline to Cuba last week, prompting dictator Nicolás Maduro’s
political police forces to stop the ship and replace him, according to a report
in Argentine news outlet INFOBAE on Tuesday. The anecdote, allegedly relayed to
INFOBAE by unspecified sources, suggests that Maduro may be losing control of
the workers that run Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), the state-run oil company
and one of Maduro’s last remaining lifelines. INFOBAE reports that the Manuela
Saenz left Venezuela with its gasoline shipment on May 1 without incident, “but during the voyage, it disconnected its
satellite systems to avoid being detected.” To get to Cuba, the ship would
have to pass through the waters of Caribbean nations that abide by U.S.
sanctions against the Maduro regime and thus risk being seized. While the ship
was off the grid, INFOBAE claims, its captain – who remains unnamed in the
article – and some of the crew refused to travel to Cuba. Members of the
Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN), the political police Maduro deploys to
imprison, torture, and kill dissidents, then stepped in to “intimidate and pressure the crew” into
completing the trip. The agents reportedly removed the captain and replaced him
with a compliant navigator, who then completed the trip to Havana. The
whereabouts of the captain who defied Maduro remain unknown. Satellite images
place the Manuela Saenz in Havana, Cuba. Diario de Cuba, a Spain-based
publication, revealed evidence last week that Venezuela sent two other ships to
Cuba to send oil despite the sanctions, identifying them as the E Pioneer and
the Marigola. (Breitbart: https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2019/05/15/report-venezuelan-oil-tanker-captain-refused-to-ship-gasoline-to-cuba/)
Economy & Finance
U.S. resists Guaidó's request
to shield Venezuela from creditors
The U.S. is unlikely to grant a request from
the Venezuelan opposition for an executive order protecting the nation’s assets
from creditors, according to people familiar with the matter. That means
National Assembly President Juan Guaidó, who’s recognized as head of state by
the U.S. and more than 50 countries, will need to make a critical bond payment
by the end of this month to ensure that investors don’t try to seize Citgo. The
Houston-based refining company, owned by state-run Petroleos de Venezuela, was
put up as collateral on the note. (BLOOMBERG: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-14/u-s-resists-Guaidó-s-request-to-shield-venezuela-from-creditors)
Study finds Venezuela
criminal enterprise is blunting effects of U.S. sanctions
Venezuela’s foreign policy might have started out
as an idealistic socialist project to revitalize Latin America, but it has
morphed into an enormous criminal conglomerate that operates in multiple
countries with dozens of partners and hundreds of phantom companies, according
to a new study. A report prepared by the National Defense University and
Washington-based IBI Consultants argues that Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro
essentially leads a political-criminal enterprise that has siphoned billions of
dollars from the Venezuelan economy. The study, titled,” also sheds light on
why escalating U.S Maduro’s last stand —
Venezuela’s survival through the Bolivarian joint criminal enterprise. Economic
and financial sanctions on Maduro and his allies have failed to dislodge them.
The report’s authors argue that the network unites companies, regional
structures and Venezuelan political allies in a variety of criminal operations
ranging from corruption, money laundering, drug trafficking and gold smuggling.
According to IBI’s calculations this criminal “network of networks” racked up between US$ 10 and US$ 43 billion in
revenue between 2007 and 2018, most of which was spirited out of Venezuela
through various money-laundering schemes, often with the help of the political
leadership in places like Cuba, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, Suriname and El
Salvador. The study, written by Douglas Farah and Caitlyn Yates, is the result
of a five-year investigation in 11 countries. According to the authors, the
criminal conglomerate not only stole billions of dollars from the coffers of
the Venezuelan state but used PDVSA and its foreign subsidiaries as the central
structure for money laundering and corruption throughout Latin America. Among
the activities identified were massive infrastructure projects that never
materialized, fictitious oil sales, sweetheart and opaque loans and the
purchase of physical assets. In a telephone interview, Farah said the sprawling
nature of the organization means U.S. sanctions also must be broad and
widespread in order to make an impact. One of the key conclusions of the report
is that the Venezuelan regime for years used the corruption derived from the
huge oil revenues to favor its political allies in other countries, including
Nicaragua and El Salvador. (The Miami Herald: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article230420019.html)
Politics and International Affairs
Maduro regime
representatives, opposition travel to Norway in hopes of resolving crisis
Representatives of the Maduro regime and
opposition traveled to Norway for talks on resolving the crisis here, officials
said Wednesday, opening a new chapter in a political stalemate after months of
street demonstrations and a failed opposition call for a military uprising. The
development appeared to reflect a recognition that neither side had been able
to prevail in the struggle for power, leaving Venezuela in a state of paralysis
after years of hyperinflation and shortages of food and medicine. It was also a
policy reversal for the opposition, which has accused Nicolás Maduro of using
previous negotiations to play for time. Senior members of both sides will be
involved in the exploratory discussions in Oslo, said members of Venezuela’s
opposition-controlled congress who spoke on condition of anonymity because of
the sensitivity of the talks. Delegations from the two opposing camps had
received separate invitations from a group of Norwegians, one official said. Information
Minister Jorge Rodriguez and Miranda state Governor Hector Rodriguez of the
Socialist Party both traveled to Oslo, according to the sources. Opposition
legislator Stalin Gonzalez, along with political advisers Gerardo Blyde and
Fernando Martinez have also gone to Norway, where authorities have been involved
in conflict mediation, including assistance with Colombia’s 2016 peace deal
between the government and FARC rebels. No meetings have yet been held, and the
parties will meet separately with Norwegian diplomats, one of the sources said.
Maduro did not directly comment on the talks during televised remarks, but he
said Rodríguez was on a “very important”
mission outside Venezuela. The planned talks seemed likely to dampen
speculation that the United States, the main backer of the Venezuelan opposition,
might be considering military action to end the crisis in the near term. U.S.
officials have previously said they are focusing on diplomatic and economic
measures to force out Maduro, though opposition leader Juan Guaidó said his
Washington envoy will meet with the head of the U.S. Southern Command on
Monday. The Norway dialogue comes as a mostly European group of nations
prepares to send a high-level delegation to Venezuela to propose solutions to
the country’s protracted crisis. The International Contact Group consists of
eight European countries, the European Union and four Latin American countries.
(Market Watch: https://www.marketwatch.com/story/venezuelas-government-opposition-travel-to-norway-in-hopes-of-resolving-crisis-2019-05-15; AP: https://www.apnews.com/a2776110b08649dba0725aadb0b53575; Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-norway/venezuela-opposition-government-leaders-travel-to-norway-for-possible-talks-idUSKCN1SL2WI; DW: https://www.dw.com/en/venezuela-envoys-head-for-talks-in-norway-as-us-halts-flights/a-48756071)
EU mission heads to
Venezuela to meet dueling political factions
Representatives from a European Union
initiative to resolve Venezuela’s simmering crisis are set to arrive in Caracas
for meetings with the nation’s warring factions, according to National Assembly
Vice President Stalin Gonzalez. A mission from the International Contact Group,
comprising eight EU member states and four Latin American countries, will
present proposals to members of President Nicolas Maduro’s autocratic regime
and the opposition Thursday and Friday. The plans to end the nation’s bitter
impasse haven’t been made public, but the ICG said in a statement this month
that they contained “concrete options for
a peaceful and democratic solution.” (BLOOMBERG: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-15/eu-mission-heads-to-venezuela-to-meet-dueling-political-factions)
Opposition-led
congress in Venezuela returns to chambers
Venezuela’s opposition-controlled congress has
returned to its chambers a day after security forces prevented its members from
entering the National Assembly building for a debate. Opposition leader Juan
Guaidó and other legislators on Wednesday gave speeches denouncing the regime
of Nicolás Maduro, who has accused them of conspiring with the United States to
stage a coup. On Tuesday, police sealed off the National Assembly, purportedly
to search for any hidden explosives. EFE saw the National Guard contingent
establish a security perimeter around the Federal Palace and prevent anyone –
including assembly members – from approaching the building. Lawmakers
ultimately decided to postpone the session until Wednesday. Interim president
Juan Guaidó had said that the legislature would hold sessions on the street if
necessary: “We will hold sessions, we
will insist on reaching the Federal Palace (the seat of the assembly) and if we
have to hold sessions ... on the street, we’ll do it, but the Federal Palace
belongs to the parliament, to the people of Venezuela, and we will not renounce
it,” he told a press conference. (AP: https://wtop.com/latin-america/2019/05/opposition-led-congress-in-venezuela-returns-to-chambers/; BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-48276140; Latin American Herald Tribune, http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478621&CategoryId=10717;
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478628&CategoryId=10717)
Maduro regime strips immunity from five more
opposition lawmakers
Venezuela’s socialist regime widened its
crackdown on opponents who allegedly backed last month’s failed attempt to topple
Nicolas Maduro, stripping five more lawmakers of their immunity from prosecution.
The congressmen are among about a dozen key allies of Juan Guaidó, the head of
the powerless National Assembly who says he is the nation’s rightful president,
being probed for crimes including treason and conspiracy. Last week,
intelligence police arrested Edgar Zambrano, the assembly’s vice president,
sending many prominent politicians who supported Guaidó’s April 30 call for
insurrection into hiding, exile or to foreign embassies
seeking asylum. (Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-15/maduro-regime-strips-immunity-from-5-more-opposition-lawmakers;
Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelas-top-court-accuses-more-lawmakers-of-treason-congress-building-closed-idUSKCN1SK288)
EU condemns Venezuela's 'flawed' court case
against opposition lawmakers
The European Union condemned what it called
Venezuela’s “flawed judicial decisions”
against four opposition lawmakers on Wednesday, saying it would lead to an
escalation of the political crisis in the country. Accusations of treason
against Carlos Paparoni, Miguel Pizarro, Franco Casella and Winston Flores “are part of a pattern of blatant violations
of due process and unfair legal proceedings,” the EU’s foreign service said
in a statement. “Such measures only
contribute to further polarization of the situation in the country,” it
added. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-eu/eu-condemns-venezuelas-flawed-court-case-against-opposition-lawmakers-idUSKCN1SL2DX)
Chavista legislator sides
with Guaidó
The opposition-controlled National Assembly
legislative is back in business Wednesday after the kidnapping of its first
Vice President, the temporary occupation of the building by the military
Tuesday and harassment against 96 of its 112 opposition lawmakers. And the
opposition is gaining support. National Assembly President Juan Guaidó, who on
January 23rd claimed the mantle of interim President of Venezuela, swore
Fernando Orozco in as lawmaker for Trujillo state. “The regime is finished. That’s why they are lost. And that’s why they
are losing. They are defeated. Now is our turn to win!” a clearly
emboldened Guaidó said after swearing Orozco in, the first bit of good news for
the opposition in a long while. Fernando Orozco was elected as a candidate as
third alternate for Trujillo state on the PSUV ruling party ticket of embattled
leader Nicolas Maduro. The PSUV party was founded by Hugo Chavez, Maduro’s
mentor and predecessor. (Latin American Herald Tribune, http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478633&CategoryId=10717)
Guaidó tells Canada PM he wants elections as
soon as possible: Ottawa
Venezuelan interim president leader Juan Guaidó
spoke to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday and told him he was
committed to holding free and fair elections as soon as possible, Trudeau’s
office said in a statement. “Guaidó
conveyed his commitment to holding free and fair elections as soon as possible,
in line with the Venezuelan Constitution, and thanked the Prime Minister for
Canada’s role in helping lead the international response to the crisis in
Venezuela,” it said. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-canada/venezuelas-Guaidó-tells-canada-pm-he-wants-elections-as-soon-as-possible-ottawa-idUSKCN1SK2N9)
Canada’s Freeland to
visit Havana as tensions rise over Venezuela
Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia
Freeland will travel to Cuba today to meet with Communist leaders in Havana as
the situation in Venezuela worsens and U.S. President Donald Trump adopts a far
more aggressive posture toward the Caribbean island nation. In a press release
sent to the parliamentary press gallery, Freeland's office said she will meet
with her Cuban counterpart, Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez
Parrilla, to discuss Venezuela and the increasingly fraught U.S.-Cuba
relationship. President Trump has taken a markedly different stance on Cuba
than his immediate predecessor, Barack Obama, who sought to improve relations
with the country after decades of Cold War-era tensions. Instead, Trump has
enforced a long-dormant part of the U.S. trade embargo against that country,
known as Title III of the Helms-Burton Act. This move could spell trouble for
major Canadian companies that operate in Cuba, including the Montreal-based
National Bank of Canada, which operates a branch in Havana focused on trade
financing, and Toronto-based resource company SHERRITT International. Canada's
airlines, which ferry tens of thousands of Canadians to Cuban resorts each
year, also could face legal challenges, according to the U.S.-Cuba Trade and
Economic Council Inc., a group that tracks investments in Cuba. "It is of critical importance that our two
countries meet to discuss the economic, political and humanitarian crisis in
Venezuela and the work we can undertake together to address it,"
Freeland said in a statement. "I
also look forward to discussing how we can work together to defend Canadians
conducting legitimate trade and investment in Cuba in light of the United
States ending the suspension of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act." Canada
is part of the Lima Group of countries that opposes Maduro's presidency and has
recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country's legitimate leader.
(CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/freeland-visit-havana-cuba-trump-1.5137413)
Russia denies sending
mercenaries to protect Nicolas Maduro amid power struggle
The Russian government has denied that it has
sent mercenaries to protect Nicolas Maduro. Reports emerged earlier this week
that dozens or hundreds of Russian mercenaries, who have been active in Ukraine
and Syria, had been sent to protect Maduro from a possible coup attempt. The
move would suggest that Russia was willing to raise the stakes to protect its
investment in its closest ally in the western hemisphere. On a political news
show on Sunday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov denied that Russia had sent
military personnel to the country. He did not make a direct denial, however,
because private military contractors do not work for the government. Vladimir
Davydov, the academic director at the Institute of Latin America at the Russian
Academy of Sciences, said that Russia views Venezuela as its beachhead in Latin
America and that the country’s large oil reserves made it a top priority for
Russia. “What role will Russia play in
the control of strategic resources? That is what is being decided in Venezuela,”
Davydov said. The man leading the charge has been Igor Sechin, the former
military translator who now heads the Russian oil firm ROSNEFT. A fluent
Spanish speaker, Sechin has met with Maduro regularly and has increased the
Rosneft’s investment in Venezuelan oil production and its state-owned producer.
“[Sechin] knows Latin America quite well,
he is very influential,” said Davydov. “He
wants to maintain ROSNEFT’s position in Venezuela and there are different ways
to do that.” For now, Davydov and his colleagues said they did not expect
Russia to involve itself militarily in the Venezuelan crisis, even in the event
of American-backed intervention. It would primarily seek a role as an
intermediary, they said, to project Russian power and to protect its
investment. Even in the case of a transfer of power, Russia may not stand to
lose everything. “We didn’t conclude
deals with [Hugo] Chavez or Maduro, we concluded deals with the parliament of
Venezuela,” said David Rozental, a researcher at the Institute, during a
radio broadcast last week. “In this
sense, I don’t think that there’s a serious threat to Russian assets.” (South
China Morning Post: https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/2183898/russia-denies-sending-mercenaries-protect-venezuela-president)
Brazil sees Venezuelan military deciding
Maduro's fate
Venezuela’s armed forces will either depose Nicolas
Maduro and lead a transition to democratic rule or face divisions that risk a
civil war, the Brazilian government’s top security adviser said on Tuesday. Retired
General Augusto Heleno, national security adviser to President Jair Bolsonaro,
told Reuters the situation in Venezuela was unpredictable after opposition
leader Juan Guaidó unsuccessfully called on the military to change sides last
month.
Maduro regime tried to
talk to US authorities about Washington Embassy issue
Maduro regime officials have tried to contact
US authorities to resolve the issue surrounding the occupation and possible
takeover of the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, Maduro´s envoy to the UN
Samuel Moncada said during a press conference. US activists have been living
inside the Venezuelan embassy since late April to prevent the opposition from
taking over. On Monday night, the US Secret Service broke into Venezuela’s
embassy. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s representative, Carlos Vecchio, said
in a statement that the Secret Service agents have ordered the activists to
leave the embassy or face imprisonment and prosecution. However, at least four
Embassy Protection Collective activists remained in the embassy despite the
warnings. In Washington, the Rev. Jesse Jackson delivered food to American
activists who have been occupying the Venezuelan Embassy the past five weeks. The
activists, who have ignored trespassing warnings, consider Maduro to be
Venezuela’s rightful leader. The U.S. and other countries backing the
opposition contend his presidency is illegitimate and recognize Guaidó’s claim
to be interim president. (Sputnik: https://sputniknews.com/latam/201905161075044550-venezuela-tried-talk-washington-dc-embassy/)
Maduro’s 'colectivos'
strike terror while trying to win support of Venezuela's most vulnerable
The notion of masked men on no-license-plate
motorcycles shooting down citizens to rob them for their bread, emptying
magazines of bullets into crowds of anti-government protesters or lurking at
the door with threats for an outspoken journalist has become commonplace in
Venezuela. These groups are known as the collectives - or “colectivos” in Spanish - and function as carry out the dirty work
for Nicolas Maduro. But aside from aiding Maduro to stay in power in the face
of growing opposition and international condemnation, many of the groups are
also intent of waging their own campaigns to win back – or sustain – the
support of Venezuela’s most vulnerable. Disguised by masks and dark clothing,
their identities not known, colectivos publicly reprimand accusations of
violence. The colectivos themselves are divided up into groups with different
powers and functions. “They are
criminals, hardcore Chavistas on the frontlines as the armed defense of
Maduro’s regime. The most powerful Colectivos are known as the Carapaicas,
Tupamaros, La Piedrita, Alexis Vive, and the Gran Polo Patriotico,” said
Johan Obdola, president of Latin America-focused global intelligence and
security firm IOSI and former Venezuelan counter-narcotics official. “Their biggest numbers are in the main cities
of Venezuela – Caracas, Valencia, Maracay, and Maracaibo.” According to
Obdola, they initially received training from Colombian rebel group FARC, then
eventually the Venezuelan Army and National Guard, but more recently the Cuban
military. While hard data is impossible to obtain, some analysts estimate that
the colectivos maintain control of as much as 30% of Venezuela’s towns and cities
and endeavor to augment that at any outlay. The exact number of members too is
murky, yet analysts estimate there could be anywhere from 10,000 to 100,000 of
these irregular gang members operating with impunity throughout the
impoverished country. And it’s not all about crime, drug trafficking,
methodical abductions, and stealing. Many of the colectivos, sources on the
ground tell Fox News, continue to operate something of a “heart and minds” game to try and win over the support of the most
vulnerable. Such pro-Maduro outfits are quietly permitted by the government to
be involved in, and sometimes participate in the delivery of the infamous CLAP
food aid boxes distributed under the socialism umbrella, Martina noted. Indeed,
for many, they are simply a staple of order in an ever-fragmenting society. For
Maduro, who the U.S. and other countries mandate is no longer a legitimate
official, they are something of a lifeline. “I admire them. They are organizations created for the good of the
community. The collectives work for society, for the sick, for peace, and
against crime,” Maduro declared last week, just hours after members opened
fire on rallying anti-government Venezuelans. (FOX News: https://www.foxnews.com/world/maduro-colectivo-terror-venezuela-vulnerable)
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.
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