tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48325992707546827832024-03-27T02:38:12.781-04:00Venezuelan Daily BriefDuarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.comBlogger651125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-55591331389716581672020-01-21T18:36:00.000-04:002020-01-21T18:36:39.828-04:00January 21, 2020
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">International Trade</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US$ 260 million reported in alcoholic beverage
exports from Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Luis Enrique Cardenas, President of the Venezuelan
Alcoholic Industry Chamber (CIVEA) reports that close to US$ 260 in alcoholic beverages
were exported from Venezuela by the private sector during 2019, particularly to
the European Union. </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">(El
Universal; <a href="https://www.eluniversal.com/economia/59929/exportan-260-millones-en-bebidas-alcoholicas"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.eluniversal.com/economia/59929/exportan-260-millones-en-bebidas-alcoholicas</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. extends CHEVRON Venezuela sanction waiver<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The United States Treasury Department granted CHEVRON
another three-month sanction waiver to continue operating in Venezuela, with the
expiry date of this latest extension set for April 22. The Treasury Department
has been granting Chevron three-month extensions of its sanction waiver for a
while now, with the one it announced last October reportedly being a topic of
heated discussion in the Trump administration in light of Washington’s attempts
to stifle all oil revenues going into the coffers of the Maduro government. Some,
however, notably Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, argued that the presence of a
U.S. company in Venezuela would help to quicken the recovery of its oil
industry when—and if—the government changes. Reuters noted that CHEVRON
reported losses of US$ 104 million related to its business in Venezuela for the
first nine months of the year. Yet if the Treasury Department stops granting it
sanction waivers, Chevron would have to leave the country, which would cost it US$
2.7 billion in assets. Besides CHEVRON, four oilfield services companies have
been granted sanction waivers to continue doing business in Venezuela. However,
SCHLUMBERGER, BAKER HUGHES, HALLIBURTON and WEATHERFORD have wound down their
operations there to virtually nothing. (Oil Price: </span></span><a href="https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/US-Extends-Chevron-Venezuela-Sanction-Waiver.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/US-Extends-Chevron-Venezuela-Sanction-Waiver.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; The Houston Chronicle: </span></span><a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/American-energy-companies-to-remain-in-Venezuela-14990649.php"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/article/American-energy-companies-to-remain-in-Venezuela-14990649.php</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-chevron/u-s-grants-chevron-another-three-months-for-venezuela-operations-idUSKBN1ZH0DH"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-chevron/u-s-grants-chevron-another-three-months-for-venezuela-operations-idUSKBN1ZH0DH</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oil buyers steer clear of Venezuela over Petro
payments<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Buyers of Venezuelan crude oil have stopped
dealing with this nation after officials started demanding payment of port fees
in the country’s controversial Petro cryptocurrency. Sources told media outlet
World Oil that exports of at least a million barrels of oil were put on hold
after the government announced the fees must be paid in Petro tokens. Buyers
were reportedly worried that paying in Petro may violate US sanctions. (Coin
Rivet: </span></span><a href="https://coinrivet.com/es/oil-buyers-steer-clear-of-venezuela-over-petro-payments/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://coinrivet.com/es/oil-buyers-steer-clear-of-venezuela-over-petro-payments/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela Petro dumped at a 50% discount at
LocalBitcoins<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelans are dumping the government-issued
Petro, a crypto coin backed by a barrel of Oil, for half its value (US$ 30) at
peer-to-peer exchanges like LocalBitcoins. The situation has worsened over the
past few weeks as the government has scrambled to tame the USD/Bolivars rate
but shutting down avenues for liquidation. At the time of writing, 50k Bolivars
equals to $1 while 1 Petro (PRT) is pegged at US$ 60. The Maduro-led regime
asserts that each coin is more than a medium of value but a crypto asset, like
Bitcoin, in an economy stricken by economic turmoil and world’s leading
hyperinflation. According to sources in Venezuela, the government airdropped
0.5 Petro to government workers and pensioners claiming that their effort
reached 6 million people. As a crypto asset, the objective of the government
was to probably avail a shield for its citizens. However, it soon emerged that
people used the same airdropped Petro to buy ordinary stuff through
Point-of-Sale and government-supported Petro Wallets. Both avenues were shut,
paving the way for people to liquidate at peer-to-peer exchanges. At
LocalBitcoins, the value of each Petro was consequently priced at US$ 30, 50%
of what the government had set. (Coin Gape: </span></span><a href="https://coingape.com/venezuela-petro-dumped-at-a-50-discount-in-localbitcoins/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://coingape.com/venezuela-petro-dumped-at-a-50-discount-in-localbitcoins/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro opens international crypto casino<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicolas Maduro has authorized the opening of an
international casino at a luxury hotel in Caracas where bets must be placed in Petros,
the country’s national oil-backed digital currency. Several cryptocurrencies
and fiat currencies can be exchanged into Petros to wager in the casino. Maduro
announced Friday that he has authorized the opening of a casino at the Humboldt
Hotel in Caracas where bets must be placed in Petros. The hotel, located on the
peak of El Avila hill, was reopened in 2018. Gamblers must acquire PTR to
participate. Following Friday’s casino announcement, the media started
reporting that Venezuela may be warming up to casinos again. The Humboldt
Hotel’s casino is expected to begin operations in the coming months, but Maduro
did not reveal whether he plans to open more casinos. (Bitcoin: </span></span><a href="https://news.bitcoin.com/maduro-opens-crypto-casino-venezuela/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://news.bitcoin.com/maduro-opens-crypto-casino-venezuela/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pompeo vows US support as he meets Venezuela's Guaidó
in Colombia<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's acting President Juan Guaidó has
met with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Colombia's capital, as he tries
to shore up international support amid a power struggle with Nicolas Maduro. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela is a "<i>failed
state</i>", Pompeo said on Monday, after meeting Guaidó on the
sidelines of a three-day counterterrorism ministerial meeting in Bogota. "<i>I
would fully expect there will be further action that the US would take to continue
to support President Guaidó and the Venezuelan people</i>," Pompeo
told journalists. "<i>We do not talk about particular sanctions, but
everyone can fully expect that the US is not done</i>," Pompeo
warned, without specifying what action Washington will take. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“<i>I’ve heard this idea that
we’ve underestimated Maduro. What’s been underestimated is the desire for
freedom that rests in the hearts of the Venezuelan people,</i>” he said. “<i>We
are collectively — the Europeans, the other countries in South America,
the United States are determined to deliver that outcome for the people of
Venezuela</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"<i>The world must
continue to support the Venezuelan people's effort to restore their
democracy and put an end to Maduro's tyranny which harms millions of
Venezuelans and has an impact on Colombia and indeed on the entire region</i>",
he added. "<i>I want you to know that your president is a great
leader who wants to take your country in the right direction — the
direction of freedom, democracy, to restore economic prosperity</i>,"
Pompeo said in remarks directed at the Venezuelan people. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">From Colombia, Guaidó is set to
travel on to London, Brussels and Davos, Switzerland, to attend the World
Economic Forum. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guaidó would not
confirm whether he will meet US President Donald Trump in Davos. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Separately, Colombia and the US
accused Maduro of harboring armed groups such as Colombia's Marxist-led
National Liberation Army rebels and of having connections to everyone from
drug traffickers to Lebanon's HEZBOLLAH movement. “<i>After today’s event
I think the world has it very clear that there is a dictatorship that
finances terrorism</i>,” Guaidó said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pompeo blasted Maduro as an
ally to terrorist groups that in contrast to other nations in Latin America
is providing “a home” to Hezbollah. “<i>This is unacceptable</i>,” he
said.<i>"[Maduro is] now running an operation that looks more like a
cartel than anything else that one could describe. This isn't good for
Venezuela, it's not good for the countries that are around Venezuela,</i>"
Pompeo said. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pompeo kicked off the counter-terrorism
conference at the General Santander Police Academy in Bogota – where 22
cadets were killed in a bombing last year – by decrying Maduro as an ally
to terrorist groups including the National Liberation Army, the Colombian
rebel group authorities say plotted the attack. “<i>These groups must lay
down their arms and the Maduro regime must be held to account for its
support of them</i>,” Pompeo said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The statements could open the
possibility of the US including Venezuela in the list of states that support
or finance terrorism. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro allies including
Diosdado Cabello, head of the powerful National Constitutional Assembly,
brushed off Guaidó’s international tour, dismissing the Bogota event as “<i>a
conference of terrorists</i>.” “<i>It doesn’t occupy any of our time,
because in truth, it’s insignificant</i>,” Cabello said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guaidó told reporters the fight
for democracy "<i>finds alternatives, different pathways, and
reinforced mechanisms</i>." He said getting rid of Maduro is a "<i>long-term
strategy</i>." "<i>The dictators won't want to give up the power
they've taken. ... We're much more like Syria than like Cuba ... in terms
of migration, access to services, the inflation. There are no vaccines for
our children. They are dying because of lack of food</i>," Guaidó
said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Al Jazeera:
</span></span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/pompeo-vows-support-meets-venezuela-guaido-colombia-200121061021165.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/pompeo-vows-support-meets-venezuela-Guaidó-colombia-200121061021165.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; The Wall Street Journal: </span></span><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/pompeo-meets-venezuelas-juan-guaido-vows-continued-u-s-support-11579565437"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.wsj.com/articles/pompeo-meets-venezuelas-juan-Guaidó-vows-continued-u-s-support-11579565437</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; BBC News: </span></span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51169801"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-51169801</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; VOA News: </span></span><a href="https://www.voanews.com/americas/pompeo-promises-more-action-boost-venezuelas-guaido"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.voanews.com/americas/pompeo-promises-more-action-boost-venezuelas-Guaidó</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Bloomberg: </span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-20/guaido-meets-foreign-backers-of-bid-to-oust-venezuela-s-maduro"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-20/Guaidó-meets-foreign-backers-of-bid-to-oust-venezuela-s-maduro</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; AP: </span></span><a href="https://apnews.com/14d31109b0c60cb574a44d3ad8cd0fde"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://apnews.com/14d31109b0c60cb574a44d3ad8cd0fde</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; (PBS: </span></span><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/guaido-meets-pompeo-condemns-venezuela-for-links-to-terrorism"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/Guaidó-meets-pompeo-condemns-venezuela-for-links-to-terrorism</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Colombia rolls out the red carpet for Guaidó<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i>We
are honored by your presence</i>,” Colombian President Iván Duque told Guaidó
during opening remarks in a stately reception. “<i>You will always have a
friend in Colombia</i>.” Venezuela’s pro-Maduro Supreme Court has barred Guaidó
from leaving the nation it’s unknown whether authorities will let him back
again this time. “<i>That risk always exists in Venezuela</i>,” Guaidó said to
a bevy of journalists as he headed into a meeting with Pompeo. Duque shot back
at critics who have questioned Guaidó’s strength Monday, characterizing his
efforts as “<i>brave</i>” in facing off against Maduro. “<i>Maybe many speculate,
‘Why hasn’t Guaidó put an end to the dictatorship?</i>’” Duque said. “<i>This
can’t be a discussion about individual capabilities. We know your bravery and
that confronting a dictatorship with no limits is a task that goes beyond
heroism</i>.” (PBS: </span></span><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/guaido-meets-pompeo-condemns-venezuela-for-links-to-terrorism"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/Guaidó-meets-pompeo-condemns-venezuela-for-links-to-terrorism</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guaidó to meet top EU diplomat in Brussels<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Opposition leader Juan Guaidó, recognized as
Venezuela's president by more than 50 countries including the United States and
most European Union members, will come to Brussels on Wednesday to hold talks
with the European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, Borrell told a
news conference. (The New York Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/01/20/world/americas/20reuters-venezuela-politics-eu.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2020/01/20/world/americas/20reuters-venezuela-politics-eu.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-eu/venezuelas-guaido-to-meet-top-eu-diplomat-in-brussels-idUSKBN1ZJ1RX"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-eu/venezuelas-Guaidó-to-meet-top-eu-diplomat-in-brussels-idUSKBN1ZJ1RX</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guaidó to attend Davos forum<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s opposition leader and acting
president, Juan Guaidó will attend this week’s World Economic Forum in DAVOS,
lawmaker Stalin Gonzalez told AFP on Monday. Guaidó is currently in Colombia, but
Gonzalez, a Guaidó ally, said the National Assembly speaker will then head to
Switzerland for the annual economic meeting that opens on Tuesday. Despite
being banned from leaving the country by the regime of Nicolas Maduro, Guaidó
surfaced in Bogota on Sunday, where Colombian President Ivan Duque welcomed him
with full presidential honors. (The Japan Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/01/21/business/venezuela-opposition-leader-juan-guaido-attend-davos-forum/#.XibkAMhKi8U"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/01/21/business/venezuela-opposition-leader-juan-Guaidó-attend-davos-forum/#.XibkAMhKi8U</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">European Parliament reaffirms support for Juan
Guaidó, condemns Maduro coup attempt<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The European Parliament has condemned the recent
attempted coup to prevent Juan Guaidó from being re-elected President of the
Venezuelan National Assembly. In a resolution adopted on Wednesday, the
European Parliament strongly condemns the attempt by Nicolas Maduro’s regime to
install pro-government candidate Luis Parra as new Chairman of the Venezuelan
National Assembly on 5 January of this year. In the resolution, the European
Parliament reaffirms their support for Juan Guaidó as the legitimate President
of the National Assembly and interim President of Venezuela. MEPs deplore the
recent grave violations, which are incompatible with legitimate election
processes. The National Assembly of Venezuela is the only legitimately elected
democratic body in the country, and its powers need to be respected, says the
text. The European Parliament also recalls that the EU stands ready to support
a genuine process towards a peaceful and democratic solution to the Venezuelan
political crisis. The resolution calls on EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell
to step up the European Union’s response to restore democracy in the country,
including through targeted sanctions against individuals responsible for human
rights violations, but also by extending these sanctions to their family
members. The text was adopted by 471 votes to 101, with 103 abstentions. (European
Parliament: </span></span><a href="https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20200110IPR70010/venezuelan-crisis-meps-reaffirm-their-support-for-juan-guaido"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20200110IPR70010/venezuelan-crisis-meps-reaffirm-their-support-for-juan-Guaidó</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guatemala's new president cuts ties with
Venezuela, as promised<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guatemala’s new President Alejandro Giammattei
cut diplomatic ties with the regime of Nicolas Maduro on Thursday and ordered
the closure of its embassy in Caracas. The conservative Giammattei, who took
office on Tuesday, had already indicated he would cut ties upon assuming power.
Maduro’s foreign minister Jorge Rodriguez, in a response on Twitter, accused
Giammattei of bowing down to the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.
(Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-guatemala-politics-venezuela/guatemalas-new-president-cuts-ties-with-venezuela-as-promised-idUSKBN1ZF2SB"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-guatemala-politics-venezuela/guatemalas-new-president-cuts-ties-with-venezuela-as-promised-idUSKBN1ZF2SB</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro says he’s still in control of Venezuela,
ready for direct talks with the United States<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicolás Maduro cast himself as the wily
survivor of a dramatic, year-long struggle by the opposition at home and its
allies in Washington to unseat him and said it’s now time for direct
negotiations with the United States to end the political stalemate. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He suggested a bonanza could be
waiting for U.S. oil companies in this country should President Trump lift
sanctions and press the reset button on U.S.-Venezuelan relations. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yet if anything, his words
revealed the vast gulf that still exists between his authoritarian
government and the opposition and U.S. officials who call him a dictator.
His positions on key issues suggested no quick fix to the brutal
humanitarian crisis that has led millions to flee poverty and hunger in
this troubled socialist state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Speaking
in the ornate Miraflores presidential palace, Maduro did not display such
willingness. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">He called any new presidential
vote still years away. He also denied the assertions of U.S. and European
diplomats and opposition negotiators that his government offered the
opposition a deal including new presidential elections during talks
brokered by Norway last year before they collapsed in the fall. He doubled
down on his pledge to hold legislative elections this year — a vote his
opponents insist he would use as a tool to further consolidate power. Maduro
said he remained willing to sit down with Guaidó — but he seemed to
dismiss the opposition’s key demand: that he exit in favor of a
transitional government that would renovate the Supreme Court and national
election councils to call new elections. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro seemed to dismiss his
growing international isolation. “<i>Do you want me to tell you the truth?</i>”
he asked, leaning in. “<i>I don’t care even a little bit about what Europe
does, or about what the U.S. does. We do not care at all. We only care
about what we do … No matter how many thousand sanctions, they won’t stop
us, or Venezuela</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro repeatedly asserted his
view that Trump had been misled by his policymakers, and he seemed baffled
that Trump had courted North Korea’s Kim Jong Un but not him. “<i>I
believe Mike Pompeo has failed in Venezuela and is responsible for Donald
Trump’s failure in his policy toward our country</i>,” Maduro said. “<i>I
think Pompeo lives in a fantasy. He’s not a man with his feet on earth. I
think Trump has had terrible advisers on Venezuela. John Bolton, Mike
Pompeo, Elliott Abrams have caused him to have a wrong vision</i>.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. officials have been considering more
provocative steps to oust Maduro, including a naval blockade of Venezuelan oil
destined for Cuba. Maduro said such a step would be “<i>illegal</i>,” but
stopped short of calling it an act of war. Still, Maduro said significant
changes could be in the offing if Washington opened a direct channel with him.
(The Washington Post: </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/maduro-says-hes-still-in-control-of-venezuela-ready-for-direct-talks-with-the-united-states/2020/01/18/7f609a6e-38a7-11ea-a1ff-c48c1d59a4a1_story.html)"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/maduro-says-hes-still-in-control-of-venezuela-ready-for-direct-talks-with-the-united-states/2020/01/18/7f609a6e-38a7-11ea-a1ff-c48c1d59a4a1_story.html)</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro’s foreign minister in Iran, starts 3-day
visit<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Maduro regime’s foreign minister Jorge
Arreaza began a three-day visit to Iran and was received by his Iranian
counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif, Venezuela's foreign ministry reported on its
@CancilleriaVE Twitter account on 20 January. The Venezuelan ministry posted
photos of Arreaza and Zarif shaking hands and embracing, with the words: "<i>To
start the work agenda that will be developed in Tehran, the foreign minister of
the Islamic Republic of Iran, Javad Zarif @JZarif receives the [Venezuelan]
foreign minister Jorge Arreaza @jaarreaza to have a bilateral meeting</i>".
</span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">(BN Americas: </span></span><a href="https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/venezuela-foreign-minister-in-iran-starts-3-day-visit"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bnamericas.com/en/news/venezuela-foreign-minister-in-iran-starts-3-day-visit</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro calls for Cuban ambassador to gain
access to Venezuelan ministries<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicolas Maduro said on state television that
the Cuban ambassador to Caracas should have access to all the country's
ministries in order to coordinate efforts. “<i>For the Cuban ambassador, the
doors of all ministries should be open for coordination</i>,” TASS quoted
Maduro as saying. He also added that Cuba could “<i>count on Venezuela in
everything</i>.” (Teller Report: </span></span><a href="http://www.tellerreport.com/news/2020-01-21---maduro-calls-for-cuban-ambassador-to-gain-access-to-venezuelan-ministries-.ByKaINAQWI.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.tellerreport.com/news/2020-01-21---maduro-calls-for-cuban-ambassador-to-gain-access-to-venezuelan-ministries-.ByKaINAQWI.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Colombia’s leading opposition senator to sue Guaidó<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">One of Colombia’s leading opposition figures
said he would file criminal charges against Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó
for claiming he was “<i>financed through Venezuelan corruption money</i>.” During
a surprise visit to Colombia, Guaidó additionally called Senator Gustavo Petro
an “<i>accomplice</i>” of Nicolas Maduro. Petro responded that “<i>I am neither
an accomplice of dictators nor an accomplice of “Los Rastrojos</i>,” a
Colombian drug trafficking organization that allegedly helped Guaidó cross the
border last year. </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">(Colombia
Reports: </span></span><a href="https://colombiareports.com/venezuelas-opposition-chief-calls-colombias-leading-opposition-senator-accomplice-of-maduro/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://colombiareports.com/venezuelas-opposition-chief-calls-colombias-leading-opposition-senator-accomplice-of-maduro/</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela attorney added to ICE Most Wanted list<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan attorney and businessman, Raul
Antonio De La Santisima Trinidad Gorrin Belisario, has been added to the US ICE
Most Wanted list for conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
and several counts of money laundering. The action follows an indictment filed
August 16, 2017, in the Southern District of Florida, Gorrin’s subsequent
escape from justice, and the updated FinCEN advisory of May 3, 2019, regarding
widespread public corruption in Venezuela. The indictment alleges that Gorrin,
50, a Venezuelan citizen with a residence in Miami, Florida, paid millions of
dollars in bribes to two high-level Venezuelan officials to secure the rights
to conduct foreign currency exchange transactions at favorable rates for the
Venezuelan government. Gorrin was last seen in Caracas, Venezuela, and
currently remains at-large. ICE warns the public to not attempt apprehending
the subject. If you have information about the whereabouts of this fugitive,
immediately contact your local U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
office or call the national hotline at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE as soon as possible. (News
Americas Now: </span></span><a href="https://www.newsamericasnow.com/latin-america-news-venezuela-news-usice-wanted/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.newsamericasnow.com/latin-america-news-venezuela-news-usice-wanted/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-9343302488911248242019-10-08T16:28:00.000-04:002019-10-08T16:28:12.117-04:00October 08, 2019
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">International Trade<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Passport maker De La Rue flies in turnaround
specialist<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">De La Rue has
appointed turnaround specialist Clive Vacher as chief executive as the banknote
and passport maker contends with a series of setbacks. Vacher takes over
immediately from Martin Sutherland, whose departure was announced after a May
profit warning, but faces significant challenges alongside new chairman Kevin
Loosemore. De La Rue’s share price has more than halved since the profit
warning, with the company also taking a one-off hit for non-payment from
Venezuela and an investigation led by Britain’s Serious Fraud Office. Vacher
was previously CEO at semiconductor business Dynex Power and has held senior
positions with industrials Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce and General
Dynamics. De La Rue is emphasizing Vacher’s credentials in business
transformation and operational turnarounds, which may prick up the ears of all
shareholders, said Russ Mould of investment broker AJ Bell, referring to
activist investor Crystal Amber Fund. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-de-la-rue-ceo/passport-maker-de-la-rue-flies-in-turnaround-specialist-idUSKBN1WM0EG"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-de-la-rue-ceo/passport-maker-de-la-rue-flies-in-turnaround-specialist-idUSKBN1WM0EG</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oil & Energy<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">EXXON MOBIL bars use of oil tankers linked to
Venezuela: sources<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">EXXON MOBIL Corp this
week banned the use of vessels linked to oil flows from Venezuela in the last
year, putting new pressure on the U.S. sanctioned country and on global crude
freight rates. The decision by world’s largest publicly traded oil producer to
ban the Venezuela-linked tankers should affect about 250 vessels. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-exxon-mobil-shipping-venezuela/exxon-mobil-bars-use-of-oil-tankers-linked-to-venezuela-sources-idUSKBN1WJ20E"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-exxon-mobil-shipping-venezuela/exxon-mobil-bars-use-of-oil-tankers-linked-to-venezuela-sources-idUSKBN1WJ20E</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">PDVSA flooding Cuba with stranded oil<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At least three
Venezuelan fuel tankers are heading towards Cuba, part of a flotilla meant to
free up domestic storage space while defying a US campaign to cut off
Venezuela's oil supply to its political ally. Up to 3mn bl of refined products
and heavy crude that Venezuelan state-owned PDVSA is dispatching to Cuba in the
first half of October should help partially alleviate a critical storage
deficit that has forced down Venezuelan production toward 500,000 b/d. The
storage shortage is a domino effect of US sanctions that are scaring away most
buyers, with a few exceptions such as Russia's state controlled ROSNEFT and
Spain's REPSOL that takes supply in exchange for its domestic production.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although Venezuela has long supplied Cuba
with oil under preferential terms, the wave of new shipments — equivalent to
200,000 b/d in the first half October — quadruple the volume that PDVSA had
been delivering in recent months. Cuba has about 160,000 b/d of oil demand,
with roughly 50,000 b/d covered by domestic production. The shipments should
help the Cuban government to ease oil shortages that are crippling the island's
transportation and electricity generation. But some are also likely to be
resold, a PDVSA official said. </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(Argus: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1989349-pdv-flooding-cuba-with-stranded-oil"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1989349-pdv-flooding-cuba-with-stranded-oil</span></a>)</span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brimming storage and no buyers: Venezuela’s oil
production tanks<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Venezuela’s oil
production took another hit in recent days, as the country struggles with
brimming storage tanks and no buyers. PDVSA slashed output in the Orinoco Belt
to just 200,000 bpd, according to Bloomberg, after averaging roughly double
that for much of this year. The lack of space in storage forced production
cuts, including at joint venture projects, where output has been more stable.
Sources told Bloomberg that the SINOVENSA blending facility would be idled for
at least a week. Output had held up in recent months. While monthly totals
bounce around from month to month, Venezuela’s production was stable at 750,000
bpd from April on. However, after months of relatively stable output,
production began to slide again in August, falling to 712,000 bpd, according to
OPEC’s secondary sources. Venezuela may now be on the verge of another decline.
According to Bloomberg, the country only exported 495,000 bpd in September, and
in the last week production fell to 510,000 bpd following the temporary
shutdown of upstream heavy oil operations. Worse, the industry is in disrepair.
Widespread pillaging, a worker exodus, lack of equipment, and a lack of capital
plague oil operations. Luis Pacheco, who sits on the PDVSA board appointed by
Guaidó, estimates that the industry needs US$ 120 billion in order to turn
things around. There is almost no chance of even a faction of that without a
change in the political context. (Oil Price: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Brimming-Storage-And-No-Buyers-Venezuelas-Oil-Production-Tanks.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Brimming-Storage-And-No-Buyers-Venezuelas-Oil-Production-Tanks.html</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela detains local head of oil joint
venture with China: sources<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan
authorities have arrested the president and two other officials in a corruption
investigation at state oil company PDVSA’s SINOVENSA joint venture with China
National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), oil sector and intelligence sources said on
Saturday. The three detainees, in the latest round-up in the struggling and
graft-plagued oil sector, are Venezuelan. The detention of SINOVENSA President
Alberto Bockh in eastern Anzoátegui state on Thursday was confirmed to Reuters
by five PDVSA sources, an intelligence source and another person in the local
oil sector familiar with the case. It was unclear what the precise accusations
were against him and the other two detained SINOVENSA employees. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil/venezuela-detains-local-head-of-oil-joint-venture-with-china-sources-idUSKCN1WK0F5"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil/venezuela-detains-local-head-of-oil-joint-venture-with-china-sources-idUSKCN1WK0F5</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oil-rich Venezuela and Russia come to aid of
ally Cuba, but its energy woes persist<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A flotilla of
shipments from Venezuela gave Cuba some respite this week from crippling fuel
shortages in the wake of tougher U.S. sanctions, while Russia’s prime minister
pledged during a visit to the island on Friday to help develop its energy
sector. But support from two of its closest allies looks unlikely to resolve
Cuba’s energy problems and the government has extended many of the
energy-saving measures it had introduced over the past month. Havana warned on
Sept. 11 it had not secured enough shipments of refined fuels, such as gasoline
and diesel, for the rest of the month due to sanctions imposed by the
administration of U.S. President Donald Trump in retaliation for its support
for Nicolas Maduro. In response to the shortages, Cuba swiftly deepened
austerity measures it had introduced since an economic meltdown in Venezuela,
its principal supplier, choked off its energy imports. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-economy-analysis/oil-rich-venezuela-and-russia-come-to-aid-of-ally-cuba-but-its-energy-woes-persist-idUSKBN1WJ2GS"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-economy-analysis/oil-rich-venezuela-and-russia-come-to-aid-of-ally-cuba-but-its-energy-woes-persist-idUSKBN1WJ2GS</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Inside Look at Venezuela’s Oil Belt<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Five decades ago,
Venezuela pumped 3.7 million barrels of oil a day. Now, it’s only producing a
little over 700,000 barrels a day. Bloomberg’s Jessica Summers and Lucia Kassai
discuss the collapse of the nation’s oil industry, the theft that goes on at
Orinoco field, the lack of security and what it will take for a recovery.
(Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2019-10-04/this-week-in-commodities-inside-look-at-venezuela-s-oil-belt"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/audio/2019-10-04/this-week-in-commodities-inside-look-at-venezuela-s-oil-belt</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Economy & Finance<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ADOBE Is cutting off users in Venezuela due to
US sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">ADOBE is shutting
down service for users in Venezuela in order to comply with a US executive
order issued in August that prohibits trade with the country. The company sent
out an email to customers in Venezuela today to let them know their accounts
would be deactivated and posted a support document further explaining the
decision. In the document, Adobe explains: “<i>The U.S. Government issued
Executive Order 13884, the practical effect of which is to prohibit almost all
transactions and services between U.S. companies, entities, and individuals in
Venezuela. To remain compliant with this order, ADOBE is deactivating all accounts
in Venezuela.” </i>Users will have until October 28th to download any content
stored in their accounts and will lose access the next day. To make matters
worse, customers won’t be able to receive refunds for any purchases or
outstanding subscriptions, as ADOBE says that the executive order calls for “<i>the
cessation of all activity with the entities including no sales, service,
support, refunds, credits, etc</i>.” The news is not only disastrous to
designers and freelancers who rely on the company’s software like PHOTOSHOP and
ILLUSTRATOR, but to NGOs and media outlets that will no longer be able to use
software like INDESIGN, ACROBAT, and READER. The ban will also affect all free
services like BEHANCE, ADOBE’s portfolio site, which requires a Creative Cloud
account. It’s an unfortunate situation that highlights a downside of ADOBE’s
subscription-based model — users lose access to the company’s products
immediately as soon as the option to pay for them is removed, no matter how
long they’ve been a customer. ADOBE says it’ll continue to monitor the US
sanctions for more developments, but until then, accounts will remain
deactivated. (Financial Times: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/0c6ddd44-e95d-11e9-a240-3b065ef5fc55"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.ft.com/content/0c6ddd44-e95d-11e9-a240-3b065ef5fc55</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">: The
Verge: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/7/20904030/adobe-venezuela-photoshop-behance-us-sanctions"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/7/20904030/adobe-venezuela-photoshop-behance-us-sanctions</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro’s top envoy to Japan blasts freeze of
bank accounts<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Maduro regime's
ambassador to Japan rebuked a Japanese bank for effectively freezing his and
other diplomats' accounts out of concerns that their use ran afoul of U.S.
economic sanctions recently imposed on the country. The accounts, frozen since
September, concern five with SMBC Trust Bank belonging to the ambassador, his
wife and other diplomats. Ishikawa said that the accounts could not be used for
Internet banking as well as withdrawing and transferring money via ATMs. In
response to his inquiry, a bank official told Ishikawa that the accounts were
frozen as a result of economic sanctions by the Trump administration against Nicolas
Maduro’s regime. A senior official with the bank's Hiroo branch later visited
the embassy and explained that their dollar accounts were frozen because of
concerns that certain transactions ran against President Donald Trump's
executive order signed Aug. 5. Ishikawa is a second-generation Japanese
Venezuelan born to Japanese parents. His wife is Japanese, and they have four
children with Japanese nationality. A bank official notified Ishikawa on Oct. 3
that his yen account would be reactivated, but not his U.S. dollar account.
(The Asahi Shimbum: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201910070027.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201910070027.html</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Politics and International Affairs<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia boosts military ties with Maduro<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia’s deputy prime
minister Yuri Borisov met with Venezuela’s embattled incumbent Nicolas Maduro
in Caracas on Saturday as the two countries boosted their military ties in
Moscow’s apparent sign of continued support for the embattled dictator who is
resisting an intense Western pressure to quit. The meeting between Borisov and
Maduro was held in the framework of the high-level intergovernmental commission
(CIAN) between Caracas and Moscow, Russia’s official news agency reported.
Maduro thanked Russia for the military cooperation between the two countries,
saying his nation had a solid defense grid to resist any outside aggression. He
said that the two sides also renewed their agreements on the military-technical
area during the meeting between the leaders. He also indicated that the two
countries have made progress in advancing agreements on the exploration of oil
and gas. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2484158&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2484158&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-venezuela/russian-deputy-prime-minister-in-venezuela-to-support-maduro-idUSKCN1WK0CF"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-venezuela/russian-deputy-prime-minister-in-venezuela-to-support-maduro-idUSKCN1WK0CF</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/russia-venezuela/russian-deputy-pm-to-meet-venezuelas-maduro-interfax-idUSL5N26Q0D8"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/russia-venezuela/russian-deputy-pm-to-meet-venezuelas-maduro-interfax-idUSL5N26Q0D8</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelans Find Medical Refuge in Colombia<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Arauca pier is
already busy before sunrise. Hundreds of people arrive in boats from Venezuela
to get medical attention, and to be sure they do, they must be among the
earliest to stand in the long lines that quickly begin to form. One of the
first buildings they come across in the city, which is the capital of Arauca
province and is only separated from Venezuela by the swiftly flowing Arauca
River, is that of the Colombian Red Cross. From 4:00 am, when the humidity and
heat of the area are not yet so fierce, dozens of people, many with babies in
their arms, line up outside the medical center waiting for the doors to open at
7:00 am with hopes of being among the 120 to be assigned their turn. Some have
cardiac problems, others suffer respiratory illnesses and there are also
pregnant women who, despite their pain, know that this is the only way to get
good medical care. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2484150&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2484150&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #cccc00; font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #cccc00; font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-31576529313781033992019-09-10T19:11:00.000-04:002019-09-10T19:11:57.371-04:00September 10, 2019
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">International Trade</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">115,811 tons of bulk cargo have been offloaded
at Puerto Cabello</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">
from the BOSPHORUS PRINCE and BULKTEC, including 58,677 tons of soy paste, plus
32,000 tons from MV EUROSKY, and over 30,000 tons of White corn aboard the WESTERN
LUCREZIA, according to the local port authority. The port also reports receiving
4,952 tons of goods from the AS FABIANA, CFS PALAMEDES, PERITO MORENO,
MAERSK WISMAR, MV VICTORIA, CONTSHIP RAY, NIKOLAS and AS ANGELINA. More in
Spanish: (Bolipuertos, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.bolipuertos.gob.ve/noticia.aspx?id=43637"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.bolipuertos.gob.ve/noticia.aspx?id=43637</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Iran, Venezuela supply cut tightens heavy oil
market<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">India's NAYARA Energy Ltd, part-owned by a
consortium led by Russian oil major ROSNEFT, is scouting for ultra-heavy oil
amid tightening supply following U.S. sanctions against Iran and Venezuela, its
vice-president said on Tuesday. "<i>Iran and Venezuela have taken 3.5
million barrels per day (bpd) out of the market</i>," said Ashutosh S
Deshpande, referring to the impact of sanctions restricting supplies from those
countries. (The Economic Times: </span></span><a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/oil-gas/nayara-says-iran-venezuela-supply-cut-tightens-heavy-oil-market/articleshow/71062313.cms"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/oil-gas/nayara-says-iran-venezuela-supply-cut-tightens-heavy-oil-market/articleshow/71062313.cms</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Bank of Spain denies being used by Caracas
to move money<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Bank of Spain denied being used by the
Government of Venezuela as a tool to move its money, as published by the
Bloomberg agency, which accused Caracas of using the Spanish central bank to
avoid the sanctions that prevent it access to commercial banking services. "<i>The
account referred to in the news only allows transfers to be made with origin
and destination at the Central Bank of Venezuela. It has been open for years
and is one of the accounts that several central banks have opened at the Bank
of Spain</i>," Bank of Spain sources explained. According to the sources
consulted, the account balance is "<i>relatively small</i>" and
"<i>had no significant variation in the last year</i>" "<i>Basically,
it is being used to pay the usual operating expenses of diplomatic relations
between the two countries and by supranational organizations to send funds to
their offices in Venezuela, since they cannot use the commercial banking
channel</i>," they add from the Bank of Spain. On September 9, Bloomberg
published that President Nicolás Maduro "<i>had found an ally in the Bank
of Spain</i>" after "<i>an increasing number of banks around the
world refused to move their money."</i> It added that: Venezuelan central
bank officials are telling contractors that going through the Bank of Spain is
an option to make and receive payments outside of the country, while warning
that it may still take at least a month to clear transactions due to increased
scrutiny, one of the people said.(MBS News: </span></span><a href="https://www.mbs.news/2019/09/the-bank-of-spain-denies-being-used-by-caracas-to-move-money.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.mbs.news/2019/09/the-bank-of-spain-denies-being-used-by-caracas-to-move-money.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-09/maduro-regime-is-moving-its-money-through-spain-s-central-bank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-09/maduro-regime-is-moving-its-money-through-spain-s-central-bank</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro regime tries to reinstate price controls<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicolás Maduro has issued orders to his economic
affairs authorities to return to price controls in “concert” with agribusiness
and agriculture. Ricardo Cusanno, who heads FEDECAMARAS, the nation’s largest business
organization, warned the move would only bring about increased scarcity. More
in Spanish: (El Universal, </span></span><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/economia/50214/gobierno-anuncia-regreso-al-control-de-precios-en-el-pais"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.eluniversal.com/economia/50214/gobierno-anuncia-regreso-al-control-de-precios-en-el-pais</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s Central Bank withdrew the PETRO as
an accounting unit from its portal<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) decided to
withdraw the Petro’s contribution as an accounting unit from its portal. In
this regard, the economist and academic of the Metropolitan University Luis
Oliveros told CRIPTONOTICIAS: “<i>PETRO as an accounting unit does not exist.
It was something that never existe</i>d. It was an attempt at something from
the government and, as usual, it didn’t work.” He added that “<i>without an
attack on the fiscal disaster, there is no way out of hyperinflation</i>.” The
exclusion of the contribution of this asset issued by the government of
Venezuela on the BCV portal has generated expectations regarding a possible
wage increase, which currently stands at Bs. 40,000, which implies that this
buys less than 0.00025 BTC. (Our Bit Coin News: </span></span><a href="https://ourbitcoinnews.com/venezuelas-central-bank-withdrew-petro-as-an-accounting-unit-from-its-portal/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://ourbitcoinnews.com/venezuelas-central-bank-withdrew-petro-as-an-accounting-unit-from-its-portal/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">); and more in Spanish: El Nacional,
</span></span><a href="https://www.elnacional.com/economia/bcv-retiro-de-su-portal-al-petro-como-unidad-contable/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.elnacional.com/economia/bcv-retiro-de-su-portal-al-petro-como-unidad-contable/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Colombia to tell UN that Venezuela harbors terrorists<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A reportedly leaked Venezuelan intelligence
report indicates that Nicolás Maduro's socialist regime is harboring Colombian
rebels inside Venezuela, allegations that dovetail with evidence Colombian
officials say they will present this month to the United Nations. Bogota-based SEMANA
magazine on Sunday published a report that it said was based on Venezuelan
documents showing how a top military official under instructions from Maduro
ordered generals to provide support to a so-called "<i>Red Group</i>"
at "<i>training zones</i>" inside Venezuela. The allegations come
against the backdrop of rising tensions between the two countries after
Colombian President Ivan Duque accused Maduro of providing safe haven to the
former chief negotiator of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC,
who announced he was rearming. One of the alleged documents, dated Aug. 9, is
signed by Adm. Remigio Ceballos, the second highest-ranking Venezuelan military
officer, and directed to regional military commanders. In that document,
relaying what he said are direct instructions from Maduro, Ceballos orders his
subordinates to avoid entering into conflict with a so-called "<i>Red
Group at training zones</i>" inside Venezuela. He also instructs members
of the national guard in four states to provide training and logistical support
to the rebels. According to the report, "<i>Red Group"</i> is a code
word used by Venezuelan security forces to describe guerrillas from the
National Liberation Army and FARC, both of which are classified as a terrorist
organization by the U.S. and European Union. Ceballos posted a message on
Twitter saying the documents presented by SEMANA were a falsification. Maduro's
minister of communications, Jorge Rodriguez, appeared on Venezuelan state TV
alleging the supposedly leaked documents were fakes. But Foreign Minister
Carlos Trujillo said the news report coincides with information his government
has collected showing that Maduro has repeatedly violated a U.N. Security
Council resolution from 2001 banning support for terror groups. He said Duque
will present the evidence when he addresses U.N. General Assembly this month. "<i>The
Maduro regime now favors and protects terrorist organizations from its
territory so they can commit crimes against Colombia</i>," Trujillo said
in an interview Monday. The allegations triggered Maduro to deploy
anti-aircraft missiles and order military exercises along Venezuela's western
border with Colombia that are set to begin on Tuesday. Overall, Colombian
authorities estimate as many as 1,000 ELN rebels — or around 40% of the group's
fighting force — operate from Venezuela, where they plan attacks like the
January car bombing at a Bogota police academy that killed more than 20 mostly
young cadets. (AP: </span></span><a href="https://news.yahoo.com/colombia-tell-un-venezuela-harbors-135944485.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://news.yahoo.com/colombia-tell-un-venezuela-harbors-135944485.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro convenes Defense Council to address
Colombia’s ‘<i>war-mongering’</i> behavior<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicolas Maduro has convened a National Defense
Council to discuss Colombia’s alleged attempts to send terrorists and turncoat
officers to Venezuela to disrupt its military infrastructure. In a televised
address on Monday, Maduro pulled no punches as he went on yet another verbal
offensive against Colombia and its president, Ivan Duque, accusing his
government of plotting attacks on public infrastructure, as well as on civilian
and military sites. Maduro further insisted that he has evidence to support his
claims about Colombia’s nefarious plans to topple his government and impose
Venezuela’s interim president Juan Guaido. Maduro said that that the Colombian
authorities have been responsible for a total of 42 acts of aggression against
Venezuela over the past three months. Some of these were aimed at undermining
Venezuela’s missile defense shield and radar systems. In order to infiltrate
the country’s defense infrastructure, Colombia allegedly recruited Venezuelan
army officers, who, Maduro claimed, are “<i>selling their nation</i>.” Last
week, Maduro declared an "orange alert” over a Colombian threat and
deployed missile defenses to the border. He also raised the alarm over a
potential false-flag attack that could be used by Duque as a pretext to start a
full-fledged armed conflict and enlist support from the international
community. Earlier that week, Venezuela presented satellite images purporting
to show ‘terrorist’ training camps on Colombia’s territory. The Venezuelan
military will begin a two-week series of exercises today along the Colombian
border. Though the rhetoric is bellicose, the exercises are not infrequent–
these are the third such drills this year. The Maduro regime is likely
posturing and attempting to show that it still has support from and control
over the country’s military, a key source of power. (RT: </span></span><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/468459-venezuela-defense-council-colombia/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.rt.com/news/468459-venezuela-defense-council-colombia/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Foreign Brief: </span></span><a href="https://www.foreignbrief.com/daily-news/venezuelas-to-hold-military-drills-in-border-regions-amid-tensions-with-colombia/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.foreignbrief.com/daily-news/venezuelas-to-hold-military-drills-in-border-regions-amid-tensions-with-colombia/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro may push anti-Trump petition at UN, US
believes<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicolas Maduro may present a petition against
US President Donald Trump at the United Nations despite opposition charges that
the signatures have been gathered through threats to withhold food aid, US
diplomats say. Maduro, who remains in charge in Venezuela despite a half-year
US-backed effort to remove him, has not yet announced if he will head to New
York for the annual UN General Assembly later this month. "<i>Our
diplomats have been hearing that Maduro plans to present a petition against
President Trump, signed by millions of Venezuelans, at UNGA, if he actually
attends</i>," a US official said. The Maduro government has been gathering
signatures among Venezuelans as part of its "<i>No More Trump</i>"
campaign. But the opposition says that the Maduro government has gathered the
signatures through extortion over desperately needed nutritional assistance. Videos
recently posted showed what appeared to be Venezuelans refusing orders to sign
in exchange for receiving the aid, known locally as a CLAP box. The US State
Department described Maduro's effort as a "<i>starvation petition</i>"
and said it was evidence that he could not win a fair election. (France24: </span></span><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190909-venezuela-s-maduro-may-push-anti-trump-petition-at-un-us-believes"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.france24.com/en/20190909-venezuela-s-maduro-may-push-anti-trump-petition-at-un-us-believes</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Washington pushes EU for tougher sanctions on
Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">President Donald Trump’s envoy on Venezuela has
attacked the EU as “<i>unhelpful”</i> and guilty of “<i>miscalculation</i>”
over its failure to impose tougher sanctions on Nicolás Maduro’s regime. Elliott
Abrams urged the 28-member European bloc to crack down on figures linked to the
regime in Caracas who were using the continent as a “<i>kind of resort area</i>”
to buy property, bank money and go clubbing. Mr. Abrams’ remarks during a
visit to Brussels on Monday underscore the growing pressure Washington is exerting
on the Europeans to help unseat Maduro’s regime, which it accuses of
corruption and fomenting a humanitarian crisis. “<i>The Europeans
are making a real miscalculation here</i>,” Mr. Abrams warned at an event
hosted by The German Marshall Fund of the United States, arguing that imposing
additional Venezuela sanctions could “<i>push the regime towards
compromise</i>”. “<i>We do think the reluctance on the part of the EU has been
unhelpful</i>.” “<i>A far greater number of people from the regime are now
using Europe as a kind of resort area: they send their families here, their
wives, their mistresses and their children, their bank accounts are here</i>,”
Mr. Abrams said. “<i>We have repeated information about the mansions they buy,
the nightclubbing of their teenage children. That should not be happening</i>.”
An EU spokesperson said the bloc would “<i>continue to work with all the
relevant actors in the region and the international community to support a
peaceful and truly Venezuelan-owned solution to the crisis</i>”. The
spokesperson added that any additional sanctions would be against individuals
only and targeted to avoid any harm to the wider population. Josep Borrell, the
EUs new foreign policy chief set to take office in November, has expressed
frustration to aides over failed efforts to build a consensus in the bloc over
the recognition of Juan Guaidó as interim president. Instead, some states —
including Spain — have offered recognition, while others have withheld it. (Financial
Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/efb62bce-d260-11e9-a0bd-ab8ec6435630"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.ft.com/content/efb62bce-d260-11e9-a0bd-ab8ec6435630</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guaidó to ask OAS to call out Rio Treaty against
the Maduro regime<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">An emissary of Venezuela’s interim president
Juan Guaidó in Washington said Monday that he's garnered an 11-nation majority
to impose measures aimed at ousting Maduro under the 19-member Inter-American
Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, a defense pact that could provide political
cover for greater international involvement in Venezuela's crisis. Venezuela's
opposition-run National Assembly led by Guaidó approved the country's return to
the treaty in July, and Gustavo Tarre, Guaidó's representative to the
Organization of American States, said signatory members will vote Wednesday to
call for a minister-level conference so they can assess available options in
the coming days. (Foreign Brief: </span></span><a href="https://www.foreignbrief.com/daily-news/venezuelas-to-hold-military-drills-in-border-regions-amid-tensions-with-colombia/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.foreignbrief.com/daily-news/venezuelas-to-hold-military-drills-in-border-regions-amid-tensions-with-colombia/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rubio supports steps taken to invoke Rio Treaty
in support of Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) today issued a
statement following the announcement that the Organization of American States
(OAS) has begun the process of invoking the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal
Assistance, also known as the Rio Treaty, in support of the restoration of
democratic order and the rule of law in Venezuela. The measure comes following
Interim President’s Juan Guaidó’s request that the democratically elected
National Assembly approve Venezuela’s return to the Inter-American Treaty. “<i>I
welcome the OAS’s intention to invoke the Rio Treaty to counter the Maduro
regime’s menace. It is time for all of the democracies in the region to stand
in support of the Venezuelan people and denounce any attack by the Maduro
regime as an attack against all members. I applaud the leadership of U.S.
Ambassador to the OAS Carlos Trujillo and Venezuelan Ambassador to the OAS Gustavo
Tarre Briceño, who have tirelessly worked in support of the cause of freedom
from tyranny in Venezuela</i>.” Rubio is Chairman of the Senate Foreign
Relations Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">(Rubio: <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Press-Releases&id=8A86CFAD-F318-49B1-AAA7-583E80963C80"><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Press-Releases&id=8A86CFAD-F318-49B1-AAA7-583E80963C80</span></span></a><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Killings, torture still going on in Venezuela:
U.N. rights chief<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The United Nations’ chief human rights official
said Monday that millions of Venezuelans continue to suffer rights violations,
including dozens of possible extrajudicial killings carried out by a special
police force. Non-governmental organizations report that the Special Action
police force carried out 57 suspected extrajudicial killings in July alone
within Caracas, Michelle Bachelet said in an oral presentation on Venezuela to
the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva. Bachelet’s latest presentation
followed a scathing written report issued in early July that drew a government
backlash. It found a “<i>pattern of torture</i>” under the regime of Nicolás
Maduro and citing violations like arbitrary detention, extrajudicial killings,
sexual violence and enforced disappearances. Bachelet’s latest presentation, which
also received pushback from powerful figures in Maduro’s government, noted some
areas of progress, while pointing to more cases of human rights violations and
declining conditions as more than 4 million Venezuelan have fled a country
beset by hyperinflation that leaves monthly minimum wages equal to US$ 2. While
Bachelet said she had called for officials to dismantle the feared Special
Action police force, the unit has actually received ongoing support from the
highest levels of the government, she said. Bachelet raised concern that groups
that collaborated with her in the earlier report have since come under
criticism and threats by senior officials. “<i>Reprisals for having cooperated
with the United Nations are unacceptable</i>,” she said. “<i>I urge the authorities
to take preventative measures</i>.” The only way to overcome Venezuela’s human
rights crisis is for Maduro’s government and the opposition led by National
Assembly President Juan Guaidó to return to negotiations overseen by Norway,
Bachelet said, and renewed her offer to support all such efforts. Some Latin
American countries and activists are urging the Geneva forum, whose 47 members
include Venezuela, to establish a U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Venezuela at
the three-week session. (The Washington Post: </span></span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/un-human-rights-chief-cites-continued-abuses-in-venezuela/2019/09/09/7d00fbe2-d321-11e9-8924-1db7dac797fb_story.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/un-human-rights-chief-cites-continued-abuses-in-venezuela/2019/09/09/7d00fbe2-d321-11e9-8924-1db7dac797fb_story.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; VOA: </span></span><a href="https://www.voanews.com/americas/un-human-rights-chief-cites-continued-abuses-venezuela"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.voanews.com/americas/un-human-rights-chief-cites-continued-abuses-venezuela</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Daily Mail: </span></span><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7446781/Nicolas-Maduros-death-squads-executed-57-people-just-one-month-Venezuela.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7446781/Nicolas-Maduros-death-squads-executed-57-people-just-one-month-Venezuela.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-security-un/killings-torture-still-going-on-in-venezuela-u-n-rights-chief-idUSKCN1VU1IB"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-security-un/killings-torture-still-going-on-in-venezuela-u-n-rights-chief-idUSKCN1VU1IB</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela opposition parties back Guaido as
congress chief in 2020<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan lawmakers from small opposition
parties on Friday said Juan Guaido should continue as head of congress in 2020,
waiving their option to lead the legislature under an informal agreement to
rotate leadership between parties. The announcement ended speculation of an
opposition rift over the 2020 legislative term, which under a 2016 agreement within
the opposition would have fallen to a group of 17 small parties. Guaido in
January declared President Nicolas Maduro a usurper and assumed a rival interim
presidency that has been recognized by more than 50 countries, and the
opposition is keen for him to remain in the post. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-opposition-parties-back-guaido-as-congress-chief-in-2020-idUSKCN1VR2FS"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-opposition-parties-back-guaido-as-congress-chief-in-2020-idUSKCN1VR2FS</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro rejects talks with opposition over alleged
envoy's remarks<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">President Nicolás Maduro says that he won't
resume talks with the opposition until it rejects alleged calls by a top
supporter in Britain to "drop the topic" of Venezuela's longstanding
claims to an oil-rich part of neighboring Guyana.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro's comments late Friday came after his
chief prosecutor opened an investigation against Vanessa Neumann, the top envoy
in London for opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who is recognized as Venezuela's
rightful president by the U.S., United Kingdom and four dozen other nations. But
Maduro last month broke off the talks taking place on the Caribbean island of
Barbados over the opposition's support for tougher U.S. sanctions to punish
companies from third countries that do business in Venezuela. Both Guaidó and
Neumann have dismissed the claim as false. (Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-07/maduro-rejects-talks-with-opposition-over-envoy-s-remarks"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-07/maduro-rejects-talks-with-opposition-over-envoy-s-remarks</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russian diplomat claims US undoubtedly pulling
strings to form a Guaido government<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The decision by Venezuelan opposition leader
Juan Guaido to form his own government is another ploy to legitimize dual power
in the country and create a pseudo-legal reality, Russian Foreign Ministry
Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday. "<i>We see this decision as
another dangerous endeavor to legitimize dual power and create a pseudo-legal
reality that leads to the further polarization of Venezuelan society, and
delays the search for a compromise solution, which Venezuela needs so much in
order to improve the humanitarian situation and return to the path of
sustainable development. There is no doubt as to who orchestrated Guaido’s
statement</i>," she specified. According to Zakharova, that was
predictable, given the fact that many of Guaido’s so-called ministers had long
been on the payroll *of organizations sponsored by US NGOs. (TASS: </span></span><a href="https://tass.com/politics/1076433"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://tass.com/politics/1076433</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">5.5 magnitude earthquake in Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A 5.5 magnitude earthquake occurred 18 kilometers
from the town of Araya, near the coast of Venezuela. No injuries or damages
were reported as a result of the quake. Shock waves were observed at a depth of
just 5.9 kilometers in the sea, more than 200 kilometers from Caracas. </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">(Novinite: </span></span><a href="https://www.novinite.com/articles/200052/5.5+Magnitude+Earthquake+in+Venezuela"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.novinite.com/articles/200052/5.5+Magnitude+Earthquake+in+Venezuela</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-62484850526625336482019-09-05T17:59:00.001-04:002019-09-05T17:59:35.920-04:00September 05, 2019
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">International Trade</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela bans agricultural imports from
Colombia for fear of Fusarium<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela's Institute of Environmental Health
(INSAI) published a statement of transboundary phytosanitary risks in which
they propose preventive measures to prevent the spread of the Fusarium
oxysporum f. sp. Cuban tropical 4 race fungus or Foc R4T in the plantations of
musaceae. The measures include the temporary prohibition of the entry of
propagation material of any plant species, or any means that transports soil or
traces, as well as banning imports and import procedures for any agricultural
product from Colombia. They also suggested that the officials of INSAI and the
Territorial Agricultural Committees intensify phytosanitary surveillance in the
border states, Barinas, Trujillo, Falcon, Lara and Merida; deploying at least
40 agronomists and military personnel in border areas of Zulia, and increasing
the number of technical personnel in ports and airports to inspect ships,
aircraft, and luggage from Colombia. Finally, they recommend fumigating the
vehicles entering Venezuela with 20% quaternary ammonium or a similar
disinfectant, and reinforcing the National Program for Prevention, Detection,
Management, and Control. </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">(Fresh
Plaza: </span></span><a href="https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9140543/venezuela-bans-agricultural-imports-from-colombia-for-fear-of-fusarium/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.freshplaza.com/article/9140543/venezuela-bans-agricultural-imports-from-colombia-for-fear-of-fusarium/</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">SINOVENSA works halted on PDVSA arrears<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Chinese contractor HUANQIU Contracting and
Engineering has suspended a project to expand Venezuela's SINOVENSA crude
blending plant because of overdue payment. SINOVENSA is a joint venture led by
Venezuelan state-owned PDVSA with a 51% stake, and China's state-owned CNPC
with 49%. The plant is one of the few oil-processing facilities in Venezuela
that has sustained operations despite a host of problems, including US
sanctions that impede the supply of spare parts, power outages and equipment
breakdowns and theft. SINOVENSA produces 16ºAPI Merey crude by blending
extra-heavy crude from the Orinoco heavy oil belt's Morichal district with
domestic light grades. The production is exported, mainly to China. In a 3
September letter seen by Argus, HUANQUI's senior executive in Venezuela Liang
Qiang notified SINOVENSA project manager and CNPC official Zhao Xiongfei that
construction of "<i>complementary works</i>" associated with SINOVENSA's
capacity expansion from 105,000 b/d to 165,000 b/d would be suspended immediately
pending full payment of two invoices totaling US$ 52 million issued in November
2018 and February 2019 . </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">(Argus
Media: </span></span><a href="https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1972352-sinovensa-works-halted-on-pdv-arrears?backToResults=true"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1972352-sinovensa-works-halted-on-pdv-arrears?backToResults=true</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">CITGO Petroleum cash builds, with dividends to
parent frozen<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">CITGO Petroleum Corp, the U.S. refining arm of
Venezuela’s state oil company, is accumulating hundreds of millions of dollars
in cash it may not be able to pay out as dividends for at least a year,
according to a new report by ratings firm S&P Global. The refiner had US$ 1.36
billion in cash at June 30 and should generate another US$ 1.4 billion in funds
from operations over the next 12 months, the report said. S&P last week
raised CITGO’s stand-alone credit profile to BB from BB-minus, reflecting its
stronger liquidity. Some Venezuelan politicians were expecting Citgo, as the
county’s largest foreign asset, to help finance Congress chief Juan Guaido’s
interim government. The United States and most Western countries have
recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, although President Nicolas
Maduro retains control of state-run Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., known as
PDVSA, and the nation’s military. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-citgo-petroleum-debt/citgo-petroleum-cash-builds-with-dividends-to-parent-frozen-idUSKCN1VO2TN"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-citgo-petroleum-debt/citgo-petroleum-cash-builds-with-dividends-to-parent-frozen-idUSKCN1VO2TN</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gold reserves fall to 75-year low as Guaido seeks
to restructure debt<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan gold reserves have fallen to a
historic low, Venezuela’s Central Bank revealed last week. According to official
data, the value of gold bars held in the Central Bank vaults have declined to
US $4.62 billion, down 18.5% from US$ 5.67 billion at the end of 2018. Venezuela
currently has 102 tons of gold reserves, but a third of the total is being held
by the Bank of England, which has refused to repatriate it back to Venezuela.
In January, opposition leader Juan Guaido wrote a letter to the Bank of England
asking it not to return the gold to Venezuelan coffers. In the subsequent seven
months, the National Assembly president has repeatedly tried to seize power and
form a transition government. Most recently, Guaido announced Tuesday that his
office will contract US law firm Sullivan & Cromwell LLP as lead counsel
for negotiations to restructure Venezuela’s foreign debt. (Venezuela Analysis: </span></span><a href="https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14647"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/14647</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's Armed Forces Bank slams MASTERCARD
for halting card service<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A Venezuelan bank run by the troubled country’s
military on Wednesday slammed MASTERCARD for cutting off service to the bank’s
credit cards following U.S. sanctions against the government of President
Nicolas Maduro. The measure is another sign of how U.S. sanctions are affecting
the functioning of Venezuelan state institutions. But the practical impact is
limited because the bank is small and hyperinflation has reduced use of credit
cards, whose credit limits rarely keep up with price increases. MASTERCARD also
halted services to state-run Agricultural Bank. Phone numbers published on that
bank’s website were disconnected. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-mastercard/venezuelas-armed-forces-bank-slams-mastercard-for-halting-card-service-idUSKCN1VQ02Y"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-mastercard/venezuelas-armed-forces-bank-slams-mastercard-for-halting-card-service-idUSKCN1VQ02Y</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro deploys air defenses to Colombian border
amid attack fears, orders military exercises<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicolas Maduro is deploying missile defenses
along Venezuela’s border to ward off a potential attack launched under false
pretenses, he announced after declaring an “<i>orange alert</i>” over the
Colombian threat. Maduro ordered the deployment of Venezuela’s missile defense
system and commanded the military to patrol the Colombian border for two weeks
starting on September 10, without specifying any details. Earlier he declared an
“<i>orange alert against the threat of aggression of Colombia against Venezuela</i>”
on Tuesday, two days after Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez presented
satellite photos charging Colombia with harboring terrorist training camps. The
maneuvers are set to take place in the states of Zulia, Tachira Apure and
Amazonas, which make up the 2,219 kilometers (1,379 miles) of Venezuela’s
shared border with Colombia. In addition, Maduro said he lamented the
rearmament of a dissident group of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC) guerrilla, adding that Venezuela has always wanted peace to be achieved
in the civil conflict that has been raging on in the neighboring country for
more than half a century. Meanwhile, the US Air Force has completed its first deployment
to Guyana in over a decade, having sent 600 service members on a four-month humanitarian
outreach mission with an eye toward forging a lasting alliance with the
country’s military. (RT: </span></span><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/468061-venezuela-missile-defenses-colombia-border/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.rt.com/news/468061-venezuela-missile-defenses-colombia-border/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2482869&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2482869&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politcs/venezuelas-maduro-warns-of-colombia-attack-orders-military-exercises-idUSKCN1VO2I6"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politcs/venezuelas-maduro-warns-of-colombia-attack-orders-military-exercises-idUSKCN1VO2I6</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro’s military exercises on border a '<i>threat'</i>:
Colombia Minister<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Maduro regime's planned border military
exercises are a direct threat to regional stability, Colombia's foreign
minister said on Wednesday, as the neighboring countries renewed their frequent
verbal sparring over security. Nicolas Maduro late on Tuesday ordered the armed
forces to be on alert for a potential attack by Colombia and announced military
exercises on the border, after a group of former guerrilla commanders said they
would rearm. Former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerillas
last week announced a rearmament in a video that Colombian authorities believe
was filmed in Venezuela, spurring concern of a worsening of the Colombian armed
conflict and expansion of armed groups in Venezuela. "<i>It is a threat
that reflects the consistent bad actions of a (Maduro) government which creates
crisis situations</i>," Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo told
journalists. "<i>It's a threat that doesn't just have to do with Colombia,
but with the stability and the tranquility of the region</i>." "<i>The
dictatorial regime (of Maduro) favors the presence in its territory of
terrorist organizations, not just Colombian ones, but from other parts of the
world</i>," Holmes added. (The New York Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/09/04/world/americas/04reuters-venezuela-politics-colombia.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/09/04/world/americas/04reuters-venezuela-politics-colombia.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-colombia/venezuela-military-exercises-on-border-a-threat-colombia-minister-idUSKCN1VP2H6"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-colombia/venezuela-military-exercises-on-border-a-threat-colombia-minister-idUSKCN1VP2H6</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ivanka Trump visits Venezuelan migrant camp in
Colombia as US increases aid<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ivanka Trump visited a migrant camp in Colombia
on Wednesday as part of an official U.S. delegation, as Washington boosts
humanitarian assistance for the millions of people who have fled Venezuela’s
collapsing economy. The Trump administration will increase assistance by US$ 120
million to provide emergency food and health care to Venezuelans throughout the
region, according to State Department officials. That brings the total donated
by the U.S. to address the crisis since 2017 to US$ 376 million, they said. Ivanka
Trump, who is an adviser to her father, President Donald Trump, visited Cucuta
on Wednesday -- a Colombian border city that is the first destination for many
migrants leaving Venezuela by land. She was joined by U.S. Deputy Secretary of
State John Sullivan. Sullivan and Ivanka Trump are making diplomatic visits to
Colombia, Paraguay and Argentina this week. In Cucuta, they met with Julio
Borges, who is International Affairs Commissioner for interim president Juan
Guaido, who has been recognized by the U.S. and more than 50 other countries as
Venezuela’s rightful head of state. Sullivan reiterated the U.S.’s support of
Guaido, saying “<i>we are determined to not yield in our commitment</i>.” Ivanka
Trump paid tribute to the female Venezuelan leaders, calling them “<i>warriors.</i>”
She also met with Venezuelan women who had crossed into Colombia, some seeking
health care they couldn’t access in their home country. Colombian Vice
President Marta Lucia Ramirez visited the migrant center with the American
delegation. When asked whether the U.S. is doing enough, Ramirez said: “<i>I
have to say sincerely the U.S. government is the one doing the best, but it never
is enough</i>.” Ramirez urged European nations to match U.S. sanctions on the
Maduro regime. (Bloomberg: </span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-04/u-s-boosts-venezuela-migrant-aid-as-diaspora-passes-4-million"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-04/u-s-boosts-venezuela-migrant-aid-as-diaspora-passes-4-million</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-colombia-usa/u-s-to-give-additional-120-million-to-help-venezuelan-migrants-idUSKCN1VP30F"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-colombia-usa/u-s-to-give-additional-120-million-to-help-venezuelan-migrants-idUSKCN1VP30F</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">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.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-51355463253292227742019-08-29T18:47:00.000-04:002019-08-29T18:47:15.954-04:00August 29, 2019
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">International Trade</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Over 4000 tons of food and general cargo have
arrived at Guanta port<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The local port authority reports that 4303 tons
of food and general cargo have arrived at Guanta in 249 containers aboard the CFS
PALAMEDES. Cargo includes wheat flour, spaghetti, packaged beans, tuna, along
with oil industry equipment and tires. More in Spanish; (Bolipuertos, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.bolipuertos.gob.ve/noticia.aspx?id=43618"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.bolipuertos.gob.ve/noticia.aspx?id=43618</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">China helps Venezuela boost oil production<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">China has financed the construction of a new oil
blending plant in Venezuela that will boost the country’s flagging oil
production by 120,000 bpd, IHS Markit reports, citing an investment of US$ 3
billion, provided by China’s CNPC, PDVSA’s partner in the SINOVENSA venture
that will operate the new plant. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>SINOVENSA
is 49% owned by the Chinese state giant and 51% owned by PDVSA. It currently
produces 100,000 bpd in the Orinoco belt. The crude is a medium grade of the
Orinoco super heavy that’s then mixed with light crude to make the Merey blend,
which, along with other medium grades, are in high demand among Asian refiners.
The latest news suggests that China has no intention of changing course about
Venezuela no matter what the U.S. decides to do in response. And it seems it is
not the only one: India, according to IHS Markit shipping data, still buys
Venezuelan oil in defiance of U.S. warnings. The average import rate since June
has been about 450,000 bpd. That’s a solid part of Venezuela’s total
production, as calculated by OPEC secondary sources. For July, the figure stood
at 742,000 bpd. (Oil Price: </span></span><a href="https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/China-Helps-Venezuela-Boost-Oil-Production.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/China-Helps-Venezuela-Boost-Oil-Production.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Commodities</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's trees suffer as firewood replaces
scarce cooking gas<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chronic shortages of natural gas in the country
with the world’s largest oil reserves now mean that cooking fuel is
increasingly coming from trees. The growing use of firewood has triggered alarm
among activists who say discussions of environmental problems are often
eclipsed by diatribes about runaway inflation, economic collapse and a
protracted political stalemate. Fires and home construction in the last 40
years have deforested about 10% of Henri Pittier Park, said Enrique Garcia,
director of the ecological group Let’s Plant. In addition, he said, the
collection of firewood in urban areas can cause respiratory problems from
smoke, rising temperatures in cities and increased risk of landslides in poor
communities where houses are often built on unsteady terrain. Wood stoves are
now a common sight across Venezuela because of the shortage of gas. Tanks used
to store, and transport propane are in disrepair for lack of maintenance. In
some cases, people burn trash next to a tree to dry it out so the tree can be
cut down and used for cooking fuel. Authorities are broadly ignoring
legislation that prohibits cutting down trees without permits. Some cities have
so little tree cover that those in search of firewood must walk for miles. (</span></span><a href="https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/29/venezuelas-trees-suffer-as-firewood-replaces-scarce-cooking-gas"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.euronews.com/2019/08/29/venezuelas-trees-suffer-as-firewood-replaces-scarce-cooking-gas</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s cash reserves shoot up from PDVSA despite
sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">PDVSA’s sales to China just netted Venezuela a
cool US$ 700 million, increasing its reserves to US$ 8.8 billion. Most of the US$
700 million was in the form of the Chinese yuan and comes from back payments
made to PDVSA for its crude oil deliveries to China. The payments had been
delayed due to the US sanctions on Venezuela and PDVSA, as both parties
struggled to come up with a way to send and receive payments in the face of
those sanctions. Venezuela has also sold some crude oil for euros cash via
intermediaries. It has also sold gold for euros as well as it tries to make up
for lost oil revenue. It took out eight tons of gold in April for sale abroad. Venezuela
has seemingly abandoned the dollar trade for its crude oil for fear of running
afoul of the US sanctions on the Latin American country. This push away from
digital transactions will make it more difficult to track where money is coming
from and where it’s going to. (Oil Price: </span></span><a href="https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Venezuelas-Cash-Reserves-Shoot-Up-From-PDVSA-Despite-Sanctions.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Venezuelas-Cash-Reserves-Shoot-Up-From-PDVSA-Despite-Sanctions.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">GAZPROMBANK completes transfer of stake in
sanctions-hit lender<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">GAZPROMBANK said on Wednesday it had completed
its handover of a stake in Russian-Venezuelan lender EVROFINANCE MOSNARBANK,
which was placed under U.S. sanctions, to Russia’s state property management
agency. The United States announced sanctions on EVROFINANCE MOSNARBANK in
March for its dealings with Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela
SA (PDVSA). (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-banks-venezuela-gazprombank/gazprombank-completes-transfer-of-stake-in-sanctions-hit-lender-idUSKCN1VI1ES"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-banks-venezuela-gazprombank/gazprombank-completes-transfer-of-stake-in-sanctions-hit-lender-idUSKCN1VI1ES</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro official says remittance platform for Petro
is ready to use<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">National Superintendent of Cryptoactives
Joselit Ramírez has announced that crypto remittance platform Patria Remesa is
live and functioning. Additionally, Ramírez highlighted his confidence in the
platform’s safety, as well as how the Venezuelan cryptocurrency El Petro (PTR)
allegedly hedges against economic depreciation. Given the Venezuelan
government’s history of not delivering on promises related to the PETRO,
COINTELEGRAPH advises readers to approach Ramírez’s announcement with
skepticism. (Cointelegraph, </span><a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/venezuelan-official-says-remittance-platform-for-petro-is-ready-to-use"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://cointelegraph.com/news/venezuelan-official-says-remittance-platform-for-petro-is-ready-to-use</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. offers amnesty to Maduro, if he leaves
power<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A top American diplomat said the United States
would not prosecute or otherwise seek to punish Nicolás Maduro if he
voluntarily left power, despite bringing his country to the verge of economic
collapse and humanitarian disaster. Elliott Abrams, the State Department’s
special envoy for Venezuela, said he had seen no indication that Maduro was
willing to step down. But his offer of amnesty was a message to Maduro after
both countries’ leaders described high-level talks that Abrams unequivocally
said did not happen. “<i>This is not a persecution</i>,” Abrams said of Mr.
Maduro on Tuesday evening in an interview. “<i>We’re not after him. We want him
to have a dignified exit and go</i>.” He added: “<i>We don’t want to prosecute
you; we don’t want to persecute you. We want you to leave power</i>.” The
Treasury Department last year accused Maduro of profiting from illegal drug
trafficking in Venezuela but did not recommend charges. The softer, if
pragmatic, appeal sharply contrasted with the eight months of sanctions,
international isolation and threats by the Trump administration of military
intervention against Maduro and his loyalists, who are accused of hoarding
power and manipulating elections last year. Opposition leaders in Venezuela
have not offered immunity to Maduro, whom they accuse of prospering in a
corrupt government that has left many Venezuelans without food, electricity or
medical supplies. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i>The notion that we
are negotiating is just flat-out wrong</i>,” Abrams said. “<i>And the notion
that there is a pattern of communication is wrong. There are intermittent
messages and I think people would find the very occasional message sent from
Washington to be completely predictable: ‘You need to return to democracy.
Maduro needs to leave power</i>.’” The comments are likely to soothe
Venezuela’s opposition leaders, who have privately said Trump’s statement
risked sidelining their own negotiations. A delegation headed by the
opposition’s chief political negotiator, Stalin González, traveled to
Washington last week to press American officials on the Trump administration’s
policy in Venezuela. Abrams said he did not currently see any value in talking
directly to the Maduro regime. Abrams maintained on Tuesday that the United
States would not lift sanctions against Venezuela unless Maduro steps down. Abrams
said the Trump administration would not support new national elections with an
incumbent — either Maduro or Mr. Guaidó — on the ballot. If either man wanted
to run for the presidency, Abrams said, he should first leave office to prevent
concerns about election tampering by the government. And he predicted that Guaidó
would formally close the negotiations by Oct. 1 to prevent them from dragging
on without resolution. “<i>It’s pretty clear that he has not yet reached the
conclusion that it is hopeless</i>,” Abrams said, adding: “<i>He may reach that
conclusion tomorrow</i>.” Any offer of amnesty by the United States would have
limits. A White House official has previously told The New York Times that the
Trump administration would be unable to remove any federal drugs charges that
several of Maduro’s top confidants and relatives face. (The New York Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/world/americas/us-amnesty-venezuela-maduro.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/28/world/americas/us-amnesty-venezuela-maduro.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">US Department of State announces the opening of
the Venezuela Affairs Unit (VAU</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">), under the leadership of Charge d’Affaires James Story. The VAU is the
interim diplomatic office of the U.S. Government to Venezuela, located at the
U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, and has been established with bipartisan
support from the U.S. Congress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The VAU
is continuing the U.S. mission to the legitimate Government of Venezuela and to
the Venezuelan people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The VAU will
continue to work for the restoration of democracy and the constitutional order
in that country, and the security and well-being of the Venezuelan people. The
VAU interacts with the government of interim president Juan Guaidó, the
democratically elected National Assembly, Venezuelan civil society, and the
people of Venezuela.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The United States
welcomes the support of the Government of Colombia, which is a further
demonstration of its steadfast commitment to democracy and peace in the region.
The United States stands with interim President Juan Guaidó, the National
Assembly, and the people of Venezuela as they seek to regain their democracy. (State
Department: </span></span><a href="https://www.state.gov/creation-of-the-venezuela-affairs-unit/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.state.gov/creation-of-the-venezuela-affairs-unit/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; VOA: </span></span><a href="https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-sets-diplomatic-mission-venezuela-colombia"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-sets-diplomatic-mission-venezuela-colombia</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa/u-s-opens-venezuelan-diplomatic-office-in-colombian-capital-idUSKCN1VI1Y9"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa/u-s-opens-venezuelan-diplomatic-office-in-colombian-capital-idUSKCN1VI1Y9</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's Guaidó names shadow cabinet to help
oust Maduro<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s interim president Guaidó named a
new shadow cabinet on Wednesday, launching the latest phase of his campaign
aimed at forcing Nicolas Maduro from power. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The new team — including heavyweight
opposition figures Leopoldo Lopez and Julio Borges — will be dedicated to preparing
for a transitional government and new elections, said Guaidó, who claimed
presidential powers in late January as head of the National Assembly, saying
Maduro's election last year was a fraud. Guaidó's so-called interim government
functions more tangibly outside of Venezuela than at home. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guaidó said he's calling on his political
mentor Lopez to serve as general coordinator, though Lopez has lived in the
Spanish ambassador's home in Caracas for protection since launching a failed
military uprising with Guaidó on April 30. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Opposition lawmaker Borges, who lives in exile
in Colombia, will oversee Guaidó's foreign relations, and other members of his
team will deal with economic development, asset recovery and human rights. (VOA:
</span></span><a href="https://www.voanews.com/americas/venezuelas-guaido-names-shadow-cabinet-help-oust-maduro"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.voanews.com/americas/venezuelas-Guaidó-names-shadow-cabinet-help-oust-maduro</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela condemned by OAS for 'systematic'
rights abuses<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Organization of American States passed a
resolution Wednesday condemning "<i>grave and systematic</i>" human
rights abuses in Venezuela and demanded an independent investigation. The
regional security body, which comprises every country in the western hemisphere
but Cuba, passed the resolution by a 21 to 3 vote. Seven members abstained and
three were absent for the vote. The resolution echoed charges of torture,
extrajudicial killings and force disappearances made last month against
Venezuela's leftist regime by UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet. It
condemned "<i>the grave and systematic violations of human rights in
Venezuela, including the use of torture, illegal and arbitrary detentions,
extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances and the denial of the most
basic rights and necessities, especially those related to health, food and
education." </i>It also called for "<i>an independent, exhaustive and
credible investigation</i>" to bring the perpetrators to justice and
demanded that Venezuela grant "<i>immediate and unhindered</i>"
access to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. The resolution was
presented by Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, the United
States, Guatemala, Paraguay and Peru. (France24: </span></span><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190828-venezuela-condemned-by-oas-for-systematic-rights-abuses"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.france24.com/en/20190828-venezuela-condemned-by-oas-for-systematic-rights-abuses</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro says dialogue only way to overcome
political deadlock<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dialogue is the only means to overcome
political deadlock in Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro told Xinhua in an exclusive
interview. He said he has proposed the idea of a "<i>permanent negotiating
table</i>" between the ruling socialist party and the opposition, as
dialogue has resumed after the government side briefly walked away from the
talks to protest stepped-up U.S. sanctions. "I<i> have proposed creating a
permanent mechanism for dialogue, a permanent negotiation table, which is
capable of withstanding any storm, any difficulty, any situation -- dialogue,
dialogue for peace,"</i> he stressed. Maduro said he has also proposed
that the two sides discuss the main problems facing Venezuela and "<i>seek
agreed-on, shared solutions</i>." "<i>I can report that we have
resumed contact with the government of Norway, there have been several
meetings, we have resumed contact with the representatives of the Venezuelan
opposition</i>," Maduro said. He expressed optimism that "<i>in the
next few days, we will announce good news about the dialogue process</i>."
"<i>They have done us harm -- and that's how I am denouncing it to the
world -- they have done great harm to the quality of life, to the living
standards of the Venezuelan people, but we are in a condition to continue
moving forward despite these attacks</i>," said Maduro. (XINHUANET: </span></span><a href="http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/29/c_138348004.htm"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/29/c_138348004.htm</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's political crisis talks <i>'not
working</i>,' says Guaidó<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's interim president Juan Guaidó
admitted on Wednesday (Aug 28) that talks with the Maduro regime aimed at
resolving the country's political crisis "<i>aren't working</i>." The
two sides are deadlocked with Guaidó demanding Maduro's resignation and the
government insisting the United States lift sanctions that it blames for the
country's crippled economy. "<i>At the moment there's no date to restart
the mechanism mediated by the kingdom of Norway until we achieve something
concrete to approach a solution</i>," said Guaidó. He said that if the
government is using the talks simply to boost its image "<i>that serves no
purpose for the Venezuelan people.</i>" (Channel News Asia: </span><a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/venezuela-s-political-crisis-talks--not-working---says-guaido-11850808"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/venezuela-s-political-crisis-talks--not-working---says-Guaidó-11850808</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cuba asks Canada to help end U.S. sanctions on
Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez urged
Canadian counterpart Chrystia Freeland on Wednesday to help end U.S. sanctions
on Venezuela in their third meeting since May on this country’s political and
humanitarian crisis. Canada, a neighbor and NATO ally of the United States,
also has long-standing good relations with Cuba, raising hopes it could serve
as a mediator in the Venezuelan crisis. U.S. Vice President Mike Pence called
on Canada in June to do more to engage directly with Cuba over what he called
its “<i>malign influence</i>” on Venezuela. The Canadian Foreign Ministry said
in a statement that Rodriguez and Freeland agreed that senior officials would
stay in contact and continue to exchange views over Venezuela. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-cuba-canada/cuba-asks-canada-to-help-end-us-sanctions-on-venezuela-idUSKCN1VJ02G"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-cuba-canada/cuba-asks-canada-to-help-end-us-sanctions-on-venezuela-idUSKCN1VJ02G</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-28/trudeau-envoy-presses-cuba-to-mediate-in-venezuelan-stalemate"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-28/trudeau-envoy-presses-cuba-to-mediate-in-venezuelan-stalemate</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelans Enter
Ecuador from Colombia via Secondary Route<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">About 1,400 Venezuelans crossed over the weekend
from Colombia into Ecuador via the San Miguel Bridge, a secondary route linking
the two countries, before new visa rules took effect, officials said Monday. The
Venezuelans waited under the hot sun to enter Ecuador before the new visa
requirements took effect on Monday.<br />
EFE reporters confirmed that hundreds of Venezuelans waited at a CEBAF
binational border service processing center in San Miguel, a city in Putumayo
province. The Colombian immigration service said more than 11,000 Venezuelans
left the country over the weekend, heading into Ecuador via the Rumichaca
International Bridge, the main binational border crossing. Colombian
immigration service officials told EFE that 103 people arrived after midnight
in San Miguel with plans to enter Ecuador, which started accepting applications
for humanitarian visas on Monday. Officials from the two countries started
talking about allowing the Venezuelans to enter Ecuador and 83 have been
admitted so far. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2482567&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2482567&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. to pay for thousands of doses of HIV drugs
for Venezuelan migrants<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The United States said on Wednesday it will
provide thousands of doses of HIV medication to treat Venezuelans in Colombia
as part of regional efforts to manage care for millions of migrants fleeing the
crisis-hit nation. U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Alex Azar
told Reuters about the decision in a phone interview following a meeting this
week of health officials from 10 countries in the Colombian border city of
Cucuta. The officials agreed to various measures meant to help the more than 4
million Venezuelans who have left home amid widespread shortages of food and
medicine. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/colombia-usa-health/u-s-to-pay-for-thousands-of-doses-of-hiv-drugs-for-venezuelan-migrants-idUSL2N25O1DV"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/colombia-usa-health/u-s-to-pay-for-thousands-of-doses-of-hiv-drugs-for-venezuelan-migrants-idUSL2N25O1DV</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan migrant who sings for tips gets shot
at stardom after chance meeting<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When Mexican singer Mario Domm overheard a
Venezuelan migrant crooning Domm’s own song in exchange for coins outside a
restaurant in Bogota, Colombia, he was moved to tears by the young man’s
powerful voice. Now Domm is helping the singer, 22-year-old Alexander Beja,
pursue his dream of musical stardom. Beja is one of 1.4 million Venezuelans now
living in Colombia, after fleeing a deep political and economic crisis in their
home country that has caused long-running shortages of food and medicine. The
young singer arrived in Colombia last year and began to sing regularly on the
streets of northern Bogota, in hopes of earning what money he could. On the day
last month when he was overheard by Domm, Beja was singing a tune called “<i>Venezuela</i>.”
“<i>He had a voice like a bazooka</i>,” said Domm, who founded the pop group
Camila in 2005. “<i>He has to use it</i>.” (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-migration-colombia-music/venezuelan-migrant-who-sings-for-tips-gets-shot-at-stardom-after-chance-meeting-idUSKCN1VH1KL"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-migration-colombia-music/venezuelan-migrant-who-sings-for-tips-gets-shot-at-stardom-after-chance-meeting-idUSKCN1VH1KL</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">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.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-4569305625288554482019-08-27T17:34:00.000-04:002019-08-27T17:34:52.317-04:00August 27, 2019
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">International Trade</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela, Russia sign ports agreement<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Warships from Russia and Venezuela can dock at
one another’s national ports under an agreement signed earlier this month
between Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López and his Russian
counterpart, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, in Moscow. The Venezuelan official
was in Moscow for nearly a week in mid-August. In a video posted on 15 August
on the Twitter account of the Venezuelan military’s press office, Padrino López
said bilateral defense ties commenced in 2001 and the new ports agreement will
“<i>strengthen these relations</i>.” (Jane’s: </span></span><a href="https://www.janes.com/article/90647/venezuela-russia-sign-ports-agreement"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.janes.com/article/90647/venezuela-russia-sign-ports-agreement</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela Parliament says military agreement with
Russia ‘<i>unconstitutional</i>’<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's National Assembly controlled by the
opposition declared null and void a new agreement with Russia on military
cooperation. The declaration was published on Monday. The document concerns
"<i>the agreement on military cooperation between the governments of
Venezuela and Russia, signed by defense ministers Vladimir Padrino Lopez and
Sergey Shoigu</i>." "<i>This agreement was not considered either by a
commission on foreign policy, sovereignty and integration or by parliament,
which makes it unconstitutional, and this means that it is null and void</i>,"
the declaration said, calling it unconstitutional. The parliament also said
that opening a Venezuelan embassy in North Korea was "<i>a violation of
the constitution</i>", TASS reported. On August 15, Shoigu and Lopez
signed an agreement on reciprocal visits of military ships at the meeting in
Moscow. The defense ministers also discussed the situation in Venezuela and
issues of bilateral military cooperation. (TASNIM News Agency: </span></span><a href="https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2019/08/27/2084075/venezuela-parliament-says-military-agreement-with-russia-unconstitutional"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.tasnimnews.com/en/news/2019/08/27/2084075/venezuela-parliament-says-military-agreement-with-russia-unconstitutional</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">China's July Venezuela oil imports fall over
U.S. sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">China’s crude oil imports from Venezuela
plunged 62% in July from the previous month, Chinese customs data showed on
Sunday, as growing tension between Washington and the Maduro regime made buyers
wary of taking oil from this nation. Arrivals of crude oil from Venezuela were
703,742 tons last month, or 165,720 barrels per day (bpd), data from the
General Administration of Customs showed. That is down from 275,646 bpd in
June. With U.S. sanctions on Venezuela having already driven away many of its
oil buyers, the Trump administration in early August kept up the pressure by
threatening sanctions on any company that works with Maduro’s government. Venezuela’s
oil exports fell 17.5% in July to their second lowest since Washington imposed
the sanctions in January, according to internal data from the company and REFINITIV
EIKON. China National Petroleum Corp, a leading buyer of Venezuelan oil, has
halted loadings in August amid concerns over potential hits by the secondary
sanctions. REFINITIV Oil Research showed only three cargos carrying a total
540,000 tons of crude have left from Venezuela for China so far this month,
half of the figure in July. For the first seven months of the year, China’s imports
of Venezuela crude oil fell 13.4% on a year earlier to 9.37 million tons, or
322,601 bpd. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-trade-crude/chinas-july-venezuela-oil-imports-fall-over-us-sanctions-idUSKCN1VF06N"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-economy-trade-crude/chinas-july-venezuela-oil-imports-fall-over-us-sanctions-idUSKCN1VF06N</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Lloyd’s List: </span></span><a href="https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1128939/VenezuelaChina-oil-flows-fail-to-stem-plunging-tanker-demand"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://lloydslist.maritimeintelligence.informa.com/LL1128939/VenezuelaChina-oil-flows-fail-to-stem-plunging-tanker-demand</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Half of Venezuela's oil rigs may disappear if U.S.
waivers lapse<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A looming U.S. sanctions deadline is
threatening to clobber Venezuela’s dwindling oil-rig fleet and hamper energy
production in the nation with the world’s largest crude reserves. Almost half
the rigs still operating in Venezuela will shut down by Oct. 25 if the Trump
administration doesn’t extend a 90-day waiver from its sanctions, according to
data compiled from consultancy Caracas Capital Markets. That could further
cripple this nation’s production because the structures are needed to drill new
wells crucial for even maintaining output, which is already near the lowest
level since the 1940s. (Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-22/trump-takes-aim-at-oil-rigs-crucial-to-venezuela-s-energy-future"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-22/trump-takes-aim-at-oil-rigs-crucial-to-venezuela-s-energy-future</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">CITGO profits hit by fallout from split, sees
2H improvement -CEO<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The two new top executives at CITGO Petroleum
disclosed this week that net income in the second quarter slid to less than
half its level a year earlier, hit by a broad slump for the refining industry
as well as complications from U.S. sanctions on Venezuela and CITGO’s split with
state-run oil company PDVSA. Chief Executive Officer Carlos Jorda and
Chairwoman Luisa Palacios on Thursday laid out a plan to rebuild profits, pay
down debt and invest in operations after a jarring split this year from parent
Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). But they conceded that their plans could be
complicated by U.S. sanctions on Venezuela which have affected relationships
with suppliers and partners. One contentious issue is whether CITGO or another
PDVSA subsidiary is responsible for a payment of almost US$ 1 billion due to
bondholders this fall. Houston-based CITGO, the eighth-largest U.S. refiner,
ousted its CEO and other top executives early this year and halted all dealings
with PDVSA after Washington levied sanctions on Venezuela intended to force Nicolas
Maduro from power. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/citgo-ceo/citgo-profits-hit-by-fallout-from-split-sees-2h-improvement-ceo-idUSL2N25J0LQ"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/citgo-ceo/citgo-profits-hit-by-fallout-from-split-sees-2h-improvement-ceo-idUSL2N25J0LQ</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Explosion rocks Venezuela oil plant<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">An explosion rocked a natural gas-filling plant
in the Venezuelan state of Miranda, forcing the evacuation of 6,500 residents, TELESUR
reports, adding the Venezuelan government has called the event an act of
sabotage. The explosion caused no fatalities with only one worker at the plant
reported injured. According to a report in the leftist daily Morning Star, “<i>The
attacks were branded</i> <i>‘terrorism’</i> by the Maduro regime. This is the
latest in a string of accidents that highlight the precarious energy situation
in sanction-bound Venezuela. Earlier this year, several blackouts crippled the
country, with the government calling them a sabotage as well. The latest
blackout, in July, Caracas blamed on an electromagnetic attack. The blackouts
hit Venezuela’s oil industry particularly hard, leading to a suspension of
operations at crude upgraders and its main oil export terminal. (Oil Price: </span></span><a href="https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Explosion-Rocks-Venezuela-Oil-Plant.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Explosion-Rocks-Venezuela-Oil-Plant.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cold, hard euros: Venezuela turns to European
cash after U.S. sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">From supermarket checkouts in the capital
Caracas to electronics stores in the central city of Maracay, Venezuelans
struggling with hyperinflation and a deep economic crisis are turning to a new
form of payment: euros in cash. Runaway inflation that has made even large
piles of the local bolivar currency worthless - combined with the socialist
government’s relaxation of restrictions on the use of foreign currency - has
encouraged Venezuelans to turn to dollar bills for everyday transactions in the
past year. But in the past four months, euros have also started proliferating
in markets and stores here. With the stock of dollars in circulation still far
greater than euros, Venezuelan merchants tend to quote items at the same price
in the European and U.S. currency - ignoring the euro’s higher value on
international markets. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-economy-euros/cold-hard-euros-venezuela-turns-to-european-cash-after-u-s-sanctions-idUSKCN1VD195"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-economy-euros/cold-hard-euros-venezuela-turns-to-european-cash-after-u-s-sanctions-idUSKCN1VD195</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guaidó vows to shun early election<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's National Assembly President and interim
President Juan Guaidó said Friday that opponents of Nicolás Maduro won't
participate in any early legislative elections he calls amid a protracted power
struggle. Guaidó said in an interview with The Associated Press that it would
be a <i>"farce</i>" to participate in any election with the Maduro regime
still in control of the country. The man recognized by the U.S. as Venezuela's
rightful leader also said he plans to keep the self-claimed title of "<i>acting
president</i>" even after his one-year term as leader of the
opposition-controlled National Assembly ends in the new year. "<i>We are
very clear that we're going to continue until the point that elections in
Venezuela are in reality free</i>," Guaidó said. He contended there are
signs Maduro's government is weakening, alleging it is resorting to torturing
opponents while growing isolated from its people and the international
community. Socialist party chief Diosdado Cabello, a key Maduro ally, has said
elections for the National Assembly — the most important opposition-dominated
institution in Venezuela — could be held in January or earlier. The
legislature's five-year term is set to end in December 2020 and elections are
traditionally held in the last month of its term. (AP: </span></span><a href="https://news.yahoo.com/venezuela-opposition-leader-vows-boycott-164911841.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://news.yahoo.com/venezuela-opposition-leader-vows-boycott-164911841.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The price of removing Nicolas Maduro from
office may be amnesty for his deputies, by Eli Lake<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No one should take Venezuelan dictator Nicolas
Maduro’s words at face value. That applies to his claims last week that his
regime is in secret negotiations with “<i>high-ranking</i>” American officials.
His comments were almost certainly a gambit to divide the opposition during the
on-again, off-again negotiations over new elections being brokered by the
Norwegian government. They were a ploy to make the internationally recognized
but largely powerless government of interim President Juan Guaidó believe that
U.S. President Donald Trump was negotiating behind its back. That said, there
is a kernel of truth buried in Maduro’s fiction. Trump also acknowledged talks
at “<i>a very high level</i>” last week. U.S. National Security Adviser John
Bolton has said these contacts are not authorized by Maduro and are aimed at
ushering in free elections. So: America is talking to Maduro’s deputies — about
how to get rid of Maduro. If the apparatchiks who preach socialism are now
looking to protect their fortunes and stay out of jail, that may mean the
collapse of the regime is nigh. At the same time, this back and forth highlight
just how unsatisfactory the fall of Maduro is likely to be. His ouster will
require the cooperation of his enablers — and the price of their cooperation,
at a minimum, will be amnesty. Guaidó and his supporters have been keenly aware
of this dilemma since January, when most of the Western Hemisphere recognized
him as interim president of Venezuela. One of his first acts was to press the
National Assembly to pass an amnesty law for civilian and military officials
who worked to restore constitutional government. At the time, Human Rights Watch,
which has documented much of the Maduro regime’s crimes, criticized the law for
being dangerously vague and overbroad. More than eight months into his efforts
to oust Maduro, however, some details are coming into focus — namely, the kinds
of scoundrels that will evade justice in exchange for turning on Maduro. As one
senior U.S. official told me, the U.S. has delivered messages to Maduro’s
deputies, often through intermediaries, that they are interested not in
vengeance but only in an orderly transition to free and fair elections. (Bloomberg:
</span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-08-26/ousting-venezuela-s-maduro-may-require-amnesty-for-his-deputies"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-08-26/ousting-venezuela-s-maduro-may-require-amnesty-for-his-deputies</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. sanctions on Venezuela undercut talks, key
Maduro ally says<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. sanctions against Venezuela are making
successful talks with the opposition impossible, said a key ally of Nicolas
Maduro, demanding that President Donald Trump immediately act to drop them. "<i>The
stone in the way of any negotiation is sanctions</i>," Tarek William Saab,
Venezuela’s public prosecutor, said in a rare interview at the Public
Prosecutor headquarters office in downtown Caracas. "<i>It is a shot in
the foot of any negotiation because how can you negotiate with a gun pointed at
your head?"</i> (Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-23/u-s-sanctions-on-venezuela-undercut-talks-key-maduro-ally-says"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-23/u-s-sanctions-on-venezuela-undercut-talks-key-maduro-ally-says</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Argentina poised to abandon Venezuela’s
opposition<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Election-bound Argentina is poised to withdraw
from the vocal bloc of Latin American nations that supports Venezuela's
political opposition and recognizes its leader, Juan Guaidó, as the country's interim
president. Alberto Fernandez, the leading candidate to replace Argentina's
president Mauricio Macri in 27 October elections, is signaling that his
administration would not seek to remove Nicolas Maduro. If Fernandez and his
unrelated running mate and former president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner win
the presidency, Buenos Aires would likely pull out of the Lima Group of Latin
American countries and Canada that have been seeking to isolate the Maduro
government in favor of a transition administration led by Guaidó. In a 25
August television interview, Alberto Fernandez made it clear that he disagreed
with Macri who has long denounced Maduro's government as a dictatorship. <i>"It
is very difficult to qualify an elected government as a dictatorship. An
elected government can become an authoritarian government</i>," Fernandez
said, explicitly challenging the position of the Lima Group, the US and most EU
countries, which assert that Maduro was fraudulently re-elected in May 2018. "<i>The
institutions are working there, we can then discuss how they work, but formally
there is an assembly, there are courts. A dictatorship generally lacks these
things,</i>" he added in explaining why he does not deem Venezuela to be a
dictatorship and prefers to describe Maduro's government as authoritarian. A
Fernandez administration would bring Argentina closer in line to the stance of
Uruguay and Mexico, which advocate non-intervention in Venezuela and object to
extensive US financial and oil sanctions on the country. "<i>I do not
agree with all these proposals that line up Latin America behind (US president
Donald) Trump and I value the proposal that was made by (Mexican president
Manuel) Lopez Obrador and (Uruguayan president) Tabare Vazquez and I think I
would add myself to those two to try to help find a solution for Venezuela,</i>"
Fernandez said in the television interview. </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">(Argus: </span></span><a href="https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1965727-argentina-poised-to-abandon-venezuelas-opposition?backToResults=true"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1965727-argentina-poised-to-abandon-venezuelas-opposition?backToResults=true</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro looks to North Korea for support – opens
first embassy in Pyongyang<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The deterioration of Venezuela’s relations with
the Western world, imposition of harsh Western economic sanctions and open
calls for regime change by the United States and many of its allies have led
Caracas to strengthen ties with several Western adversaries since 2017. The
country’s ties with Russia and China have been highly prolific, but a quieter
but less conspicuous partnership which has been built has been that between
Venezuela and North Korea. In December 2018 North Korean Presidium President
and Head of State Kim Yong Nam paid a state visit to Caracas, and it was widely
speculated that defense and economic cooperation was under discussion. North
Korea opened an embassy in Caracas four years prior. Furthering a trend towards
greater cooperation, on August 21<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup>, 2019, the Maduro regime opened
its first embassy in Pyongyang which was attended by the deputy foreign
ministers of both states. Maduro’s Deputy Foreign Minister Ruben Dario Molina
stated at the event: “<i>the people and leaders of Venezuela and the North
Korea have become a target for attacks and threats by North American
imperialism, which seeks to put us on their knees because of our implacable
ideology and the desire to achieve economic and social progress</i>.” His
Korean counterpart Pak Myung Guk stated: “<i>the government of the DPRK (North
Korea) is constantly in its desire to expand and develop a relationship of
friendship and cooperation with Venezuela, which are being placed in the flame
of the general anti-imperialist struggle for independence and socialism</i>.”
(Check Point Asia Net: </span></span><a href="https://www.checkpointasia.net/venezuela-looks-to-north-korea-for-support-opens-first-embassy-in-pyongyang/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.checkpointasia.net/venezuela-looks-to-north-korea-for-support-opens-first-embassy-in-pyongyang/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelans stranded as Ecuador imposes new
visa rules<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Ecuador on Monday joined Peru and Chile in
restricting Venezuelan immigration. To enter the country, Venezuelans now need
to provide a criminal record, apply for a visa before arrival and present a
valid passport. As the deadline neared, many Venezuelans in Ecuador rushed home
to retrieve family members. Thousands more rushed east from their homes in
Venezuela, eager to start a life in Ecuador that would soon be much harder to
achieve. The last-minute wave sowed chaos for immigration officials on both
sides of the Ecuador-Colombia border. Migrants waited hours in bitterly cold
temperatures as they navigated immigration processes. Temperatures dropped to
six degrees Celsius and many slept huddled together in blankets as they queued,
in some cases overnight. Colombian migration officials did not know the exact
number of Venezuelans who crossed before the border closed on Sunday, but a
director at the Rumichaca office told Al Jazeera that more than 11,000
Venezuelans had crossed as of 6pm, well before the midnight deadline. According
to Colombian immigration officials on the Venezuelan border in Cucuta, there
are still more on the way. The chaos was not limited just to Colombia as masses
of migrants huddled in Ecuador as well, waiting to be processed. Passports can
cost several months’ salary for most Venezuelans, though many migrants told Al
Jazeera the actual price is much higher when one factors in necessary bribes of
US$ 100 to US$300. In a country where the monthly minimum wages has fallen to
below US$ 5, that is beyond the reach of most Venezuelans. </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">(Al Jazeera: </span></span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/venezuelans-stranded-ecuador-imposes-visa-rules-190826134509203.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/venezuelans-stranded-ecuador-imposes-visa-rules-190826134509203.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan socialist defiant as US sanctions
threaten baseball<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's upcoming baseball season will go on
"<i>even if we have to play ourselves</i>," socialist party No. 2
Diosdado Cabello said on Monday, criticizing a move by US-based Major League
Baseball to restrict players from participating because of US sanctions. MLB
said last week it would suspend involvement in the Venezuelan league, which
starts play in October, while it awaited word from the US government on whether
its players' participation was consistent with Washington's sanctions on this
nation, which are meant to force out socialist Nicolas Maduro. While the number
of Venezuelan major league stars returning to their baseball-mad homeland to
play has declined in recent years because of security issues and an economic
crisis, many of the players on the Venezuelan league's eight professional teams
also play for one of MLB's hundreds of minor-league affiliates. (The Sydney
Morning Herald: </span></span><a href="https://www.smh.com.au/world/south-america/even-if-we-have-to-play-ourselves-venezuelan-socialist-defiant-as-us-sanctions-threaten-baseball-20190827-p52l2q.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.smh.com.au/world/south-america/even-if-we-have-to-play-ourselves-venezuelan-socialist-defiant-as-us-sanctions-threaten-baseball-20190827-p52l2q.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia, China offer to help Venezuela in
preparing for 2020 Olympics — Maduro<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia and China have offered to help
Venezuelan athletes to prepare for the next Summer Olympic Games, Nicolas
Maduro claimed on Thursday. "R<i>ussia and China have offered us special
help in training</i>," Maduro said at a meeting with young athletes that
was broadcast on Twitter. He said that "<i>many athletes</i>" will be
able to go to Russia and China for training. "I<i> am confident that we
will show our best results in history at the Tokyo Olympic</i>s," Maduro
noted. The next Summer Olympic Games will be held in Japan's Tokyo in
July-August 2020. (TASS: </span></span><a href="https://tass.com/world/1073700"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://tass.com/world/1073700</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-2688008353677431322019-08-20T18:13:00.000-04:002019-08-20T18:13:37.535-04:00August 20, 2019
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">International Trade</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cargo arrivals reported at Puerto Cabello<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The local port authority is reporting the
arrival of 10,743 ton of assorted merchandise at Puerto Cabello, including auto
parts, personal care products, chemicals, textiles, and appliances, aboard
vessels AS FABIANA, NIKOLAS, PERITO MORENO, CAP BEATRICE, CONTSHIP ZOE, FS
IPANEMA and CFS PALAMEDES. It also reports the arrival of 81,290 tons of bulk
products, such as 30,000 tons of soy on the BOSPHORUS PRINCE, and 40,000 tons
of White corn aboard the CORAL ISLAND. More in Spanish: (Bolipuertos, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.bolipuertos.gob.ve/noticia.aspx?id=43614"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.bolipuertos.gob.ve/noticia.aspx?id=43614</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Logistics & Transport</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vessels from Venezuela can still transit Panama
Canal<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Panama Canal will allow vessels coming from
Venezuela to transit the waterway provided they present the necessary
paperwork, the canal authority’s chief said on Wednesday, suggesting a new
round of U.S. sanctions on this country may not make any difference to canal
traffic. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-panamacanal-venezuela/vessels-from-venezuela-can-still-transit-panama-canal-authority-idUSKCN1V41WM"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-panamacanal-venezuela/vessels-from-venezuela-can-still-transit-panama-canal-authority-idUSKCN1V41WM</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">China CNPC suspends Venezuelan oil loading,
worried about U.S. sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">China National Petroleum Corp, a leading buyer
of Venezuelan oil, has halted August loadings following the latest set of U.S.
sanctions. Two Beijing-based senior sources with direct knowledge of the matter
told Reuters on Monday. "<i>Trump's executive order gave a directive for
the follow-up sanction measures that shall be announced by the U.S. Treasury...
CNPC is worried that the company is likely to be hit by the secondary sanctions</i>,"
said one source. A second person, an executive with a key marketer of
Venezuelan oil in China, said his company had been notified of the suspension. "<i>We
were told that CHINAOIL will not load any oil in August. We don't know what
will happen after</i>." CHINAOIL is the trading vehicle of CNPC that lifts
Venezuelan oil under term contracts and is one of Caracas' top oil clients. CNPC
will wait for more guidelines from the U.S. Treasury before further moves in
dealing with Venezuelan oil, said the first source. The suspension followed
recent communications between the U.S. and Chinese governments, including a
meeting between U.S. embassy officials in Beijing and top management at CNPC,
the source added. Beijing has become increasingly pragmatic in recent years in
an amply supplied global oil market and as Venezuela's economy plunged deeper
into recession. For the first six months of this year, China imported 8.67
million tons of crude oil from Venezuela, or roughly 350,000 barrels per day,
about 3.5% of its total imports, according to Chinese customs data. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-venezuela-oil-cnpc/china-cnpc-suspends-venezuelan-oil-loading-worried-about-u-s-sanctions-sources-idUSKCN1V909C"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-venezuela-oil-cnpc/china-cnpc-suspends-venezuelan-oil-loading-worried-about-u-s-sanctions-sources-idUSKCN1V909C</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro battles for control of US-based refinery<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The regime of President Nicolas Maduro on
Thursday nullified the newly named board of Venezuela’s prized CITGO refineries
in the U.S. amid a political battle for control of the country, saying
opposition leaders had no right to appoint them. The opposition-run National
Assembly appointed the 15-member CITGO board early this year after Guaidó
declared presidential powers, arguing that Maduro’s re-election was
illegitimate. CITGO is valued at an estimated $8 billion and includes three
refineries in Louisiana, Texas and Illinois, in addition to a network of
pipelines. Citgo is also at the center of court battles, such a lawsuit filed
by Crystallex, which seeks to liquidate CITGO for payment following a disputed
takeover of the Canadian mining firm by Venezuela’s late President Hugo Chavez.
Russ Dallen, head of the Miami-based Caracas Capital Markets brokerage firm,
said U.S. courts have already weighed in on who controls CITGO, deferring to
the U.S. government’s recognition of Guaidó as Venezuela’s president, therefore
recognizing his board appointments. Maduro’s state comptroller Elvis Amoroso,
who made the announcement on state TV, also said the ad-hoc board members are
banned from leaving the country and their Venezuelan bank accounts have been
frozen. But it is unclear whether any of them continue to live here. Amoroso
also said another five leading figures opposed to Maduro have been banned from
politics for 15 years. They include former Attorney General Luisa Ortega,
former Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma and three opposition lawmakers, all of
whom are living in self-imposed exile. So far this year, Maduro’s government
has stripped 18 opposition lawmakers of their immunity, exposing them to
criminal prosecution in a sigh of heightened political tensions. (WTOP: </span></span><a href="https://wtop.com/latin-america/2019/08/venezuelas-maduro-battles-for-control-of-us-based-refinery/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://wtop.com/latin-america/2019/08/venezuelas-maduro-battles-for-control-of-us-based-refinery/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Turkish BANK ZIRAAT closes door on Venezuela amid
U.S. sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ZIRAAT BANK, Turkey’s largest bank by assets,
has stopped offering services to Venezuela’s Central Bank in wake of tougher
U.S. sanctions that raise the stakes for companies that do business with the
Caribbean nation. The Ankara-based state bank confirmed the closing of its
account without providing further details. Venezuela’s Central Bank was relying
on ZIRAAT to pay contractors, move money and import products in Turkish liras. (Bloomberg:
</span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-15/turkish-bank-ziraat-closes-door-on-venezuela-amid-u-s-sanctions"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-15/turkish-bank-ziraat-closes-door-on-venezuela-amid-u-s-sanctions</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In Venezuela talks, Maduro allies said they
would consider fresh elections<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Allies of Nicolas Maduro had discussed holding
a presidential election in the coming months during talks to find a
breakthrough in the country’s political crisis, four sources told Reuters on
Monday. Opposition politicians will travel to Washington to speak to U.S.
officials this week, the sources said. Maduro representatives and a delegation
representing opposition leader Juan Guaidó have been meeting in Barbados as
part of talks to resolve a political stalemate in the struggling nation that is
suffering from a hyperinflationary economic collapse. Guaidó’s delegation had
proposed a presidential vote in six to nine months on several conditions including
changes to the election’s council and supreme court, said the sources, who
asked not to be identified because the talks are confidential. The government
had in theory agreed to a presidential vote on the condition that the United
States lift economic sanctions, Maduro be allowed to run as the Socialist Party
candidate, and that the vote be held in a year, one of the sources said. U.S.
officials have expressed support for an election but without Maduro as a
candidate, which may be a point of discussion, two of the sources said. Preparing
groundwork for an election requires a raft of changes to state institutions,
including both the elections council and the supreme court - both of which have
aggressively intervened in election processes to favor Maduro. Another possible
roadblock would be the existence of the Constituent Assembly, an all-powerful
legislative body controlled by Socialist Party supporters that opposition
leaders say could also intervene in any potential vote. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/in-venezuela-talks-maduro-allies-said-they-would-consider-fresh-elections-sources-idUSKCN1V91SF"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/in-venezuela-talks-maduro-allies-said-they-would-consider-fresh-elections-sources-idUSKCN1V91SF</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US talks secretly to Venezuela socialist boss<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The U.S. has opened secret communications with
Venezuela’s socialist party boss as members of Nicolás Maduro’s inner circle
seek guarantees they won’t face retribution if they cede to growing demands to
remove him, a senior U.S. administration official has told The Associated
Press. Diosdado Cabello, who is considered the most-powerful man in Venezuela
after Maduro, met last month in Caracas with someone who is in close contact
with the Trump administration, said the official. A second meeting is in the
works but has not yet taken place. The talks are still preliminary. It’s not
clear whether the talks have Maduro’s approval or not. Cabello, 56, is a major
power broker inside Venezuela, who has seen his influence in the government and
security forces expand as Maduro’s grip on power has weakened. But he’s also
been accused by U.S. officials of being behind massive corruption, drug
trafficking and even death threats against a sitting U.S. senator. The
administration official said that under no circumstances is the U.S. looking to
prop up Cabello or pave the way for him to substitute Maduro. Instead, the goal
of the outreach is to ratchet up pressure on the regime by contributing to the
knife fight the U.S. believes is taking place behind the scenes among competing
circles of power within the ruling party. Similar contacts exist with other top
Venezuelan insiders, the official said, and the U.S. is in a listening mode to
hear what it would take for them to betray Maduro and support a transition
plan. At a press conference Monday, Cabello shied away from discussing any
details of the meeting, at one point likening it to “<i>a lie, a manipulation</i>.”
But he also said he has long stood welcome to talk to anyone, so long as any
discussions take place with Maduro’s approval. An aide said the U.S. has been increasingly
knocking on Cabello’s door, desperately looking to establish contact. The aide
rejected the notion Cabello was somehow betraying Maduro, saying that Cabello
would only meet with Americans if it contributes to lifting sanctions, he
blames for crippling the oil-dependent economy. The aide spoke on the condition
of anonymity because he isn’t authorized to discuss political affairs publicly.
The U.S. has repeatedly said it would offer top socialists’ relief from
sanctions if they take “concrete and meaningful actions” to end Maduro’s rule. As
head of the constitutional assembly, Cabello has the power to remove Maduro, a
position that could come in handy in any negotiated transition. The news site AXIOS
reported Monday morning that Mauricio Claver-Carone is the U.S. official that
has been in contact with Diosdado Cabello, the number two man in Venezuela and
President of the polemical Constituent Assembly legislative. An opposition
politician briefed on the outreach said Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and
Interior Minister Néstor Reverol are among those in indirect contact with the
Americans, underscoring the degree to which Maduro is surrounded by
conspirators even after an opposition-led military uprising in April was easily
quashed. (AP: </span></span><a href="https://www.apnews.com/a3e6b0da8c5648558e61bbaa466fbb42"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.apnews.com/a3e6b0da8c5648558e61bbaa466fbb42</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2482306&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2482306&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">82% of Venezuelans polled believe Maduro should
leave office in 2019<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The latest poll by DATANALISIS shows 85.1% of
the population has a negative view of the Maduro administration, and only 12.9%
called it positive. 64.8% of Venezuelans pointed to the economy as the worst problem
they are facing, and 18.3% mentioned social issues, as well as 16.3% pointed to
political issues. More in Spanish: (El Nacional, </span></span><a href="https://www.elnacional.com/venezuela/datanalisis/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.elnacional.com/venezuela/datanalisis/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US Southern Command head focused on ‘<i>day
after</i>’ in Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The head of U.S. Southern Command says military
officials are focusing on preparing for “<i>the day after</i>” once an “<i>isolated</i>”
Nicolás Maduro leaves power. Navy Adm. Craig Faller warned Monday against
Venezuela’s “<i>formidable weapon system</i>” and criticized Cuba, Russia and
China for assisting Maduro, saying it was important to put “<i>continuous
pressure”</i> on the “<i>illegitimate regime</i>” and organize humanitarian
efforts. (Military Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/video/2019/08/06/saudi-special-forces-go-all-out-for-hajj-display/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.militarytimes.com/video/2019/08/06/saudi-special-forces-go-all-out-for-hajj-display/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Trump has considered naval blockade of
Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">President Trump has reportedly suggested that
the U.S. place ships along the coast of Venezuela to blockade goods from coming
into the fraught nation. According to five current and former officials, the
Pentagon hasn’t taken the suggestions by the president seriously because of its
impracticability and because it would divert naval assets away from countering
Iran and China, Axios reported. “<i>He literally just said we should get the
ships out there and do a naval embargo</i>,” one official said. “<i>Prevent
anything going in</i>.” “<i>I’m assuming he's thinking of the Cuban missile
crisis</i>,” the official added. “<i>But Cuba is an island and Venezuela is a
massive coastline. And Cuba, we knew what we were trying to prevent from
getting in. But here what are we talking about? It would need massive, massive amounts
of resources; probably more than the U.S. Navy can provide.</i>” (Washington
Examiner: </span></span><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-has-considered-naval-blockade-of-venezuela"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/trump-has-considered-naval-blockade-of-venezuela</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia warns US against imposing blockade on
Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Russia on Tuesday warned the U.S. against
"<i>incautious steps</i>" in tightening sanctions on Venezuela, and throwing
a total blockade over the country. Speaking to reporters in Moscow, Deputy
Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov called on Washington to assist Venezuelans in
bridging existing chasms instead of hindering talks between the government and
opposition. He said he would discuss the situation in Venezuela with Delcy
Rodriguez, the country's vice president, who arrived in Russia on Monday for a
working visit. "<i>We will examine the situation, referring to the
strengthening by Washington of illegal, illegitimate sanction measures,
attempts to set up a blockade [on Venezuela]. We warn Washington against
incautious steps in this area</i>," Ryabkov said. </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">(AA: </span></span><a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/russia-warns-us-against-imposing-blockade-on-venezuela/1560476"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.aa.com.tr/en/world/russia-warns-us-against-imposing-blockade-on-venezuela/1560476</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan exodus may soon double, triggering a
bigger regional crisis<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">One of the things that surprised me the most
during a lengthy interview with Juan Guaidó, the Venezuelan National Assembly
president who is recognized by the United States and more than 50 countries as
Venezuela’s legitimate leader, was his forecast that the number of Venezuelan
exiles may “<i>easily</i>” reach 8 million by next year. It’s a mind-boggling
figure because it would be twice the 4 million exiles that, according to a
recent United Nations report, have already fled the country since dictator
Nicolas Maduro took office five years ago. Eight million people would amount to
about 25% of Venezuela’s population. Twice the current number of Venezuelan
exiles would cause a much bigger economic, and perhaps political, earthquake
for many Latin American countries. Asked about the Trump administration’s new
economic sanctions on Venezuela, which ban U.S. transactions with state-owned
Venezuelan businesses, Guaidó told me in the Aug. 12 interview that, “<i>They
seek to prevent the regime’s use of those resources to finance irregular
(paramilitary) groups or to steal the Venezuelan people’s money</i>.” Dismissing
Maduro’s claims that Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis has been caused by U.S.
sanctions, Guaidó said that, “<i>The sanctions went into effect three days ago,
whereas the 65% contraction of the economy has been taking place over the past
six years. The Maduro regime bears total responsibility for the crisis</i>.” Asked
about the Cuban presence in Venezuela, Guaidó told me that there are “<i>between
2,000 and 3,000 Cubans who are carrying out intelligence, counterintelligence,
repression and even torture</i>” for Maduro’s armed forces. I asked Guaidó
whether he’s fearful that international pressure to restore democracy in
Venezuela may weaken soon. Guaidó responded that governments come and go,
noting that El Salvador’s new government, for instance, has switched sides to
support him. He added that Maduro, too, is becoming weaker, as nearly 90% of
Venezuelans want him to leave power, according to a recent MEGANALISIS poll. “<i>Time
is running against (all) Venezuelans, including Maduro, who is collapsing</i>,”
Guaidó told me. “<i>What’s important is to take advantage of the window of
opportunity we have to prevent an even bigger humanitarian catastrophe</i>” and
to “<i>step up international diplomatic pressures to end the suffering of the
Venezuelan people</i>.” (The Oppenheimer Report: </span></span><a href="https://tribunecontentagency.com/article/venezuelan-exodus-may-soon-double-triggering-a-bigger-regional-crisis/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://tribunecontentagency.com/article/venezuelan-exodus-may-soon-double-triggering-a-bigger-regional-crisis/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.N. pleads for more help to relieve Venezuelan
refugee crisis<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Filippo Grandi appealed on Sunday for more humanitarian aid for Venezuelan
refugees pouring into neighboring countries where they are overwhelming social
services and sparking local tensions. Grandi had planned to visit the Brazilian
border town of Pacaraima this weekend, but authorities advised him to cancel
due to protests by residents unhappy with the arrival of more than 500
Venezuelans a day. The UNHCR estimates 4.3 million Venezuelans have fled
economic and political turmoil in their country, mainly to Colombia where there
are 1.2 million and to Peru, Chile and Ecuador. Some 180,000 have stayed in
Brazil. The U.N. and NGOs put out a humanitarian appeal for US$ 770 million at
the start of the year and has received less than US$ 180 million, Grandi said
in a telephone interview after visiting Chile and Brazil. “<i>This is really
one of the most under-funded humanitarian appeals in the world for one of the
biggest crises</i>,” he said. Financial institutions such as the World Bank and
the Inter-American Development Bank are engaged but need to speed up their
help, he said, to help sustain health and education systems. Grandi said there
were signs of anti-immigrant sentiment spreading across the region, reflected
in mounting restrictions on the movement of Venezuelans in Andean countries. But
he praised Chile, which has received 400,000 Venezuelans, for granting safe
passage and a guarantee of asylum. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-brazil-refugees/u-n-pleads-for-more-help-to-relieve-venezuelan-refugee-crisis-idUSKCN1V80M8"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-brazil-refugees/u-n-pleads-for-more-help-to-relieve-venezuelan-refugee-crisis-idUSKCN1V80M8</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Colombia’s armed groups prey on Venezuela migrants<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A new report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) on
violence in the department of Norte de Santander, Colombia, shows how
vulnerable Venezuelan migrants are to the criminal groups that dominate the
region. The report, entitled “<i>The War in Catatumbo</i>” and published August
8, documents abuses by armed groups against Venezuelan and Colombian civilians
in Norte de Santander’s Catatumbo region in northeast Colombia along the border
with Venezuela. It explains that groups like the National Liberation Army
(Ejército de Liberación Nacional – ELN), the Popular Liberation Army (Ejército
Popular de Liberación – EPL), and the dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – FARC), are
responsible for an uptick in killings and other crimes. The affected Venezuelan
citizens live in Catatumbo’s urban areas, including the municipalities of Tibú,
Ocaña, El Tarra, Ábrego, Convención and Sardinata. In these areas, the migrants
— including many minors and women — live in precarious conditions which leave
them at the mercy of criminals, according to HRW. <i>“We have documented on the
ground that armed groups in Catatumbo commit all types of abuses: murders,
disappearances, kidnappings, recruitment of minors, sexual violations, threats
and displacements</i>,” HRW Director José Miguel Vivanco told Semana. There are
currently close to 25,000 Venezuelans in Catatumbo who, despite being aware of
the security risks in the region, have crossed the border in search of work,
food and medicine, according to Vivanco. The Venezuelans have arrived as tens
of thousands of Catatumbo’s residents have been displaced by the conflict among
the various armed groups. Desperate, the migrants find themselves caught in
areas where these groups are vying for territory and control of criminal
economies. Officials with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on the border city of Cúcuta told InSight Crime
that fear of being deported or arrested keeps Venezuelan nationals from seeking
help from local authorities. (InSight Crime: </span></span><a href="https://www.insightcrime.org/news/brief/armed-groups-colombia-receive-venezuela-migrants/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.insightcrime.org/news/brief/armed-groups-colombia-receive-venezuela-migrants/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fears grow of Venezuela malnutrition time bomb<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The graffiti scrawled across a wall in Caracas
is short but heartfelt. “<i>Tengo hambre</i>,” it reads. “<i>I am hungry</i>”. It
is a cry increasingly heard across Venezuela. As Nicolás Maduro and
western-backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó battle for the country’s future
amid an economic collapse that has sparked severe shortages of food, fuel and
medicine, millions of people are going hungry for extended periods and risking
long-term damage to their health, humanitarian organizations have warned. “<i>Six
to eight million people are living in a state of undernourishment</i>,” said
Susana Raffalli, a veteran Venezuelan humanitarian adviser who has worked
across the world with the Red Cross and UNICEF, the UN agency for children.
Speaking before the latest US sanctions, she said: “<i>That means the state cannot
guarantee they have an adequate supply of food.</i>” Ms. Raffalli’ s assessment
is supported by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization. José Graziano da
Silva, outgoing head of the FAO, said in a press interview last month that
there had been a “dizzying increase” in hunger in Venezuela in recent years. In
a recent report on global food security, the FAO estimates that between 2016
and 2018, about 21.2% of the Venezuelan population was undernourished. When
Maduro came to power in 2013 the figure was 6.4%, it says. In a June report, UNICEFs
estimated that 3.2m children in Venezuela were “<i>in need of assistance</i>”. Millions
of poorer Venezuelans rely on monthly deliveries of government-subsidized food
boxes for survival, a system critics denounce as a form of social control,
alleging supplies are skewed towards supporters of the government. Delivery has
become increasingly erratic, and the contents of the boxes are of variable
quality, say aid workers. Washington has meanwhile accused the Maduro
government of skimming off hundreds of millions of dollars from the food
program, and last month-imposed sanctions on Maduro’s three stepsons over their
alleged roles. One businessman with knowledge of the food situation in
Venezuela, who spoke to the Financial Times on condition of anonymity for fear
of government reprisals, said data show a large proportion of Venezuelans are
living on between 1,500 and 1,900 calories a day. Malnutrition is particularly
acute in the provinces, say aid workers. North-western Zulia state, on the
border with Colombia, is one of the worst-hit areas. In a survey late last
year, the Commission for Human Rights in Zulia State (CODHEZ), a local NGO,
found that three-quarters of households in the state capital Maracaibo were
suffering from hunger. Eight in 10 people said they could no longer afford
protein such as chicken and beef and survived largely on arepas — traditional
corn flour patties — margarine, pasta and rice. Since then, the situation has
worsened as wages have failed to keep pace with galloping inflation. “The price
of food went up 8,165% between last October and this June,” said Juan Berríos,
a researcher at CODHEZ. Nine months ago, the monthly minimum wage bought 24kg
of corn flour but now it buys less than 4kg. Venezuela will face long-term
consequences from chronic undernourishment, especially of children, humanitarian
organizations warn. NGO data seen by the FT show the weight and height of
Venezuelan children have fallen significantly below the average for comparable
populations. (Financial Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/b6459434-b531-11e9-8cb2-799a3a8cf37b"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.ft.com/content/b6459434-b531-11e9-8cb2-799a3a8cf37b</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">EDITORIAL: US sanctions are worsening
Venezuela’s agony<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“<i>One of the worst man-made humanitarian
disasters in the modern world</i>.” US secretary of state Mike Pompeo’s
assessment of Venezuela is sweeping, but fair. A nation which has the world’s
biggest oil reserves but has descended into such economic chaos that up to a
quarter of its population has fled should qualify by any standards. Those left
behind face severe shortages of food, medicine and fuel. Malnutrition is
stunting a generation of Venezuelan children. Top officials stand accused of
corruption, drug trafficking and gold smuggling. Sadly, the cure adopted by the
Trump administration is only making the patient sicker. Evidently the blame for
the suffering of the Venezuelan people lies principally at the door of Chávez
and his chosen successor, Nicolás Maduro, under whose rule the country has
plumbed new depths. The Trump administration believes that by choking
Venezuela’s economy harder Maduro can be ejected. The remedy is not working;
other countries under drastic sanctions, such as Cuba, have similarly strangled
economies, but long-lived leaders. The key to ending the agony lies in a much
broader diplomatic effort. EU and Latin American nations have brokered talks
between the government and opposition, but these have failed because Maduro’s
key backers — Cuba, Russia and China — are missing. If Moscow, Beijing and
Havana have nothing to gain from Maduro leaving power, they will continue to
back him. Broad international talks to negotiate Maduro’s exit to a third
country, installation of a respected interim president, equal treatment of all
creditors and fresh elections are the way forward. This will not be popular
with some in Washington. But the Venezuelan people’s suffering is rapidly
worsening. Russian president Vladimir Putin suggested to this newspaper in July
that Moscow’s interests in Venezuela were purely commercial and vowed that if Guaidó
won an election, the Kremlin would work with him. That pledge should be put to
the test. (Financial Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/f7dd72a4-c044-11e9-b350-db00d509634e"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.ft.com/content/f7dd72a4-c044-11e9-b350-db00d509634e</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">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.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-45286439453331457682019-08-08T16:47:00.000-04:002019-08-08T16:47:48.570-04:00August 08, 2019
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">International Trade<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Panama Canal authorities refute Maduro regime
claim over food ship detention<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Panama Canal
administrator Jorge Luis Quijano has denied claims by Nicolás Maduro’s Vice
President, Delcy Rodríguez, who denounced the detaining of a ship headed to
Venezuela with primary materials including 20,000 tons of soy cakes for food
production. Quijano said no vessel was detained and operations were being
conducted normally. More in Spanish: (Noticiero Venevisión, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/canal-de-panama-nego-retencion-de-barco-que-se-dirigia-a-venezuela-con-alimentos"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/canal-de-panama-nego-retencion-de-barco-que-se-dirigia-a-venezuela-con-alimentos</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Logistics & Transport<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">TRANSCARGA’s A300B4 freighter idled with
stoppage of US-Venezuela ops<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">On 1 August, the US
Department of Transportation denied Venezuelan carrier TRANSCARGA’s request for
an exemption to engage in charter cargo transportation between the United
States and Venezuela. The DOT cited the Department of Homeland Security’s
concerns over security in Venezuela as the reason for the denial. TRANSCARGA
requested an exemption from the DOT to engage in charter cargo operations on 5
June, stating in that filing it planned to use its leased A300B4 freighters to
operate between Venezuela and the US via intermediate points. For now,
TRANSCARGA continues to operate one of two leased A300B4 freighters in its fleet.
The aircraft (261) operates in regional service on routes between its main hub
in Caracas (CCS) and other destinations in Colombia and Venezuela such as
Bogota, Puerto Cabello and Valencia. TRANSCARGA’s second freighter (274),
meanwhile, has been idled since mid-May, when flights between Venezuela and the
U.S. ceased. Although TRANSCARGA proposed additional screening via intermediate
points between the US and Venezuela, DOT said the concerns expressed by DHS “<i>make
clear that the conditions in Venezuela that led to the service suspension go
well beyond that sole issue.</i>” In its denial, DOT confirmed that it would
not allow petitions for reconsideration of its decision. (Cargo Facts: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://cargofacts.com/transcargas-a300b4-freighter-idled-with-stoppage-of-us-venezuela-ops/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://cargofacts.com/transcargas-a300b4-freighter-idled-with-stoppage-of-us-venezuela-ops/</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oil & Energy<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What impact will new US sanctions have on
Venezuela's August crude exports?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">New US sanctions against Venezuela will likely
impact the country's planned crude exports in August, but by how much depends
on the US government's willingness to sanction Russian and Chinese companies.
PDVSA plans to export 680,000 b/d of crude in August, of which just 43,000 b/d
is going to a company with a waiver from the US government, Sweden's NYNAS,
according to a PDVSA document seen by S&P Global Platts. That leaves
637,000 b/d of crude exports that could be impacted if buyers are deterred by
the US sanctions. "<i>If US sanctions were extended, they could impact 95%
of the crude exports planned for August</i>," said the PDVSA official who
spoke on condition of anonymity. "<i>PDVSA will have to grant great
discounts and even sell at a loss to export</i>." Roughly 293,000 b/d of
crude is scheduled to be exported to China in August, which will go to repaying
debts, the PDVSA document showed. The PDVSA source said the company was hoping
to export at least 3.9 million barrels in August, or roughly 125,800 b/d, to
ROSNEFT, also to repay debts. Crude exported to pay off debts so far seems to
have fallen outside of the scope of US sanctions. ROSNEFT said in May it had
come to an agreement with US authorities for delivery of Venezuelan crude to
Rosneft's Indian refinery, as the supplies were carried out under prepayment
contracts. The US has yet to officially acknowledge any such agreements, and it
is thought that Monday's executive order signed by President Donald Trump was
intended to address that loophole. In the event of secondary sanctions,
Maduro's allies can find ways to evade consequences, using certain banks with
limited exposure to the dollar payments system or already under sanctions.
(S&P Global Platt’s: </span></span><a href="https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/oil/080719-what-impact-will-new-us-sanctions-have-on-venezuelas-august-crude-exports"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/oil/080719-what-impact-will-new-us-sanctions-have-on-venezuelas-august-crude-exports</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">China comes to the rescue of Venezuela’s
run-down oil refineries<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A Chinese contractor - Shanghai-based WISON Engineering
- has agreed to shore up Venezuela’s derelict refining network to ease fuel
shortages, potentially complicating the Trump administration’s push for regime
change in the oil-rich country. The Maduro regime plans to pay for services
with diesel fuel in barter deal for urgent repairs. (BLOOMBERG: </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-07/china-comes-to-the-rescue-of-venezuela-s-run-down-oil-refineries"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-07/china-comes-to-the-rescue-of-venezuela-s-run-down-oil-refineries</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">CHEVRON says future Venezuela events may have
significant impact<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The last major U.S. oil producer in Venezuela
is warning that developments in this nation could hurt its earnings. “<i>Future
events related to the company’s activities in Venezuela may result in
significant impacts on the company’s results of operation in future periods</i>,” </span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/CVX:US" title="Company Overview"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">CHEVRON Corp.</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> said Wednesday in its latest
10-Q filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The language has
evolved from the company’s previous quarterly filing, when it said developments
in the country could lead to <i>“increased business disruption and volatility
in the associated financial results.</i>” CHEVRON puts the carrying value of
its investments in the country at about US$ 2.7 billion. It recognized US$ 21
million in losses from its share of net income from Venezuelan equity
affiliates in the first half of the year. (Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-07/chevron-says-future-venezuela-events-may-have-significant-impact"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-07/chevron-says-future-venezuela-events-may-have-significant-impact</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia’s ROSNEFT last major petrol supplier to
Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia’s state-owned oil company ROSNEFT has
become the last major supplier of petrol to Venezuela, propping up Nicolás
Maduro’s regime as the US intensifies economic pressure on Caracas. The
lifeline has given Moscow unprecedented leverage over the crisis-hit nation,
frustrating efforts by Washington and the EU to push the socialist president
out and make way for opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Data seen by the Financial
Times show that ROSNEFT supplied Venezuela’s entire imports of petrol in June,
as other suppliers fell away. Eight cargos of petrol totaling 1.7m barrels
arranged by ROSNEFT Trading, the company’s Geneva-based trading arm, were loaded
in ship-to-ship transfers carried out offshore near Malta, Gibraltar and Aruba,
the documents show. The tankers then headed for Venezuelan ports, where the
petrol was delivered to PDVSA, Venezuela’s state oil company. Publicly
available satellite shipping signals, collated by oil analytics company
VORTEXA, confirmed that the deliveries had taken place. It is unclear whether
the companies supplying ROSNEFT with the cargoes, some of which originated in
ports in the Netherlands as well as Greece and Turkey before being transferred
at sea, were aware they were destined for Venezuela. “<i>Venezuela’s gasoline
supplies depend on Russia</i>,” said a person familiar with the supply deal. “<i>The
day Russia stops supplying gasoline, Venezuela grinds to a halt.</i>” Another
person with knowledge of the shipments said they were “<i>a purely commercial
operation</i>” based on “<i>previously agreed contracts</i>”. The supply
arrangement makes ROSNEFT, and the Kremlin, one of the single biggest hurdles
to US plans to spur regime change in Caracas. Venezuela used to refine its own
petrol but years of neglect and under-investment, as well as plunging domestic
crude production, have made the country dependent on imports. There are now
supply shortages and long queues at fuel stations in most parts of the country.
The 1.7m barrels supplied by Rosneft Trading in June correspond to a supply of
about 56,000 barrels per day, or about a quarter of Venezuela’s petrol
consumption two years ago. A senior US government official told the Financial
Times that ROSNEFT’s continued trading with PDVSA had seen the Russian company
discussed as a potential target for sanctions “<i>on multiple occasions</i>”,
but the Trump administration had refrained from hitting the company so far for
fear of broader ramifications. The Moscow-headquartered company produces almost
5m barrels a day of crude and other liquids or approximately 5% of global
supply, so any disruption to its output could lead to a sharp rise in the oil
price. (Financial Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/d0645804-b7a3-11e9-96bd-8e884d3ea203"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.ft.com/content/d0645804-b7a3-11e9-96bd-8e884d3ea203</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Commodities</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Amid rising hunger, Venezuela plantain crops
threatened by fungus<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's banana and plantain crops face
potential infestation of a fungus already effecting neighboring Colombia, an
agronomist association said on Wednesday, potentially devastating one of
Venezuela's main foods amid rising hunger. A hyperinflationary economic
collapse has left millions unable to obtain enough calories and has pushed
diets toward starchy staples that grow readily in its tropical climate.
Venezuela's banana and plantain crops are concentrated in the state of Zulia on
the border with Colombia, where 150 hectares (371 acres) of bananas were
quarantined in July on suspicion they were infested by the Fusarium R4T fungus.
The fungus causes a malady popularly known as Panama disease and can remain in
the soil for up to 30 years by attacking the roots of plants. "<i>The
devastation of the crops would be very fast</i>" if the fungus reached
Venezuela, Saul Lopez, president of Venezuela's Association of Agricultural
Engineers, said at a news conference. Venezuela has a combined total of around
70,000 hectares (173,000 acres) of bananas and plantains under plantation,
Lopez said, adding that the economic crisis has left the country without
personnel to address the problem. The flow of people and food between Venezuela
and Colombia creates a significant possibility that the fungus could reach
Venezuela, said Edison Arciniega of food-security focused non-profit
Citizenship in Action. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="http://news.trust.org/item/20190807183401-dwhs2/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://news.trust.org//item/20190807183401-dwhs2/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Opposition says new Venezuela sanctions protect
CITGO, encourage debt talks -opposition<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s opposition on Tuesday celebrated a
sweeping U.S. sanctions order against the regime of Nicolas Maduro, saying the
measure would protect Venezuela-owned U.S.-based refiner CITGO from seizure by
creditors. Three allies of interim president Juan Guaidó also said the measure
allowed for restructuring negotiations with bondholders, which had been
prohibited under previous sanctions. That could be key to protecting CITGO,
since half of state oil company PDVSA’s shares in the refiner were put up as
collateral for its 2020 bond. The move comes after Guaidó asked the United
States to issue an executive order protecting CITGO, which bondholders and
other parties are eyeing for possible seizure to receive compensation from
Venezuela for unpaid debts. “<i>Today there is no possibility of losing CITGO</i>,”
Guaidó, the leader of the opposition-controlled Congress, who in January
invoked Venezuela’s constitution to assume an interim presidency, told
reporters on Tuesday. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics-usa-citgo/update-3-new-venezuela-sanctions-protect-citgo-encourage-debt-talks-opposition-idUSL2N25213Y"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics-usa-citgo/update-3-new-venezuela-sanctions-protect-citgo-encourage-debt-talks-opposition-idUSL2N25213Y</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics-usa-citgo/new-u-s-sanctions-on-venezuela-protect-citgo-from-seizure-guaido-idUSL2N2520PJ"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics-usa-citgo/new-u-s-sanctions-on-venezuela-protect-citgo-from-seizure-Guaidó-idUSL2N2520PJ</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro halts talks with opposition after US
sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicolas Maduro has ordered his regime's
representatives not to travel to Barbados for scheduled talks with the
political opposition starting on Thursday, blaming the US sanctions for the
impasse. Maduro "<i>has decided to not send the Venezuelan delegation</i>"
for talks on Thursday and Friday with representatives of interim president Juan
Guaidó "<i>due to the grave and brutal aggression</i>" being "<i>continuously
... carried out by the Trump administration against Venezuela</i>," a
government statement said late on Wednesday. "<i>Venezuelans have noted
how the leader of the opposition delegation, Juan Guaidó, has celebrated and
promoted these actions that are harmful to national sovereignty,</i>" the
information ministry said in a statement. Maduro's Vice President Delcy
Rodriguez had called the latest US sanctions a "<i>global threat</i>"
and an attack on private property. Guaidó said on Wednesday that Maduro could
help the country by abandoning the presidential palace, Miraflores, "<i>that
way the sanctions will be lifted tomorrow</i>". Guaidó said the sanctions
are "<i>penalties for those who steal and profit from misery</i>".
(Al Jazeera: </span></span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/venezuela-maduro-halts-talks-opposition-sanctions-190808010151876.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/venezuela-maduro-halts-talks-opposition-sanctions-190808010151876.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; The Wall Street Journal: </span></span><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/venezuela-withdraws-from-planned-talks-with-opposition-11565228327"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.wsj.com/articles/venezuela-withdraws-from-planned-talks-with-opposition-11565228327</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bolton warns foreigners that violate Venezuela
asset freeze<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton
pressed his case Tuesday for sweeping action against Nicolás Maduro, warning
foreign governments and companies that they could face retaliation in the U.S.
if they continue to do business with his socialist administration. Bolton’s
comments came after the White House froze all Venezuelan government assets in
the U.S. late Monday, putting the country on a short list of U.S. adversaries,
including Cuba, North Korea and Iran that have been targeted by such aggressive
financial measures. “<i>The Maduro regime now joins that exclusive club of
rogue states,</i>” Bolton said at a one-day conference in Peru of more than 50
governments aligned against Maduro. The broad ban is the first of its kind in
the Western Hemisphere since an asset freeze against Gen. Manuel Noriega’s
government in Panama and a trade embargo on the Sandinista leadership in
Nicaragua in the 1980s. “<i>We are sending a signal to third parties that want
to do business with the Maduro regime: Proceed with extreme caution,</i>”
Bolton said. “<i>There is no need to risk your business interests with the
United States for the purposes of profiting from a corrupt and dying regime</i>.”
While the order falls short of an outright trade embargo it exposes foreign
entities doing business with the Maduro government to so-called secondary
sanctions in the U.S. — a fact not lost on Maduro’s government as it tries to
rally support at home and abroad. A senior Trump administration official said
the timing of the sanctions reflects the U.S. assessment that those talks,
which started in May and are being sponsored by Norway, are going nowhere and
being used by the Maduro government to buy time. But even some U.S. allies
could be affected by the move, which Bolton acknowledged has been used only
sparingly in the past half-century. Several European countries, from Spanish
oil company REPSOL to AIR FRANCE, continue to operate in Venezuela and could
see their U.S. assets seized unless they cut ties with the government. India
and China are major buyers of crude from state-run oil giant PDVSA. All these
companies rely on the U.S. to process financial payments. “<i>The truth is that
no financial institution wants to run afoul of the Treasury Department</i>,”
said Geoff Ramsey, a researcher at the Washington Office on Latin America. (AP:
</span></span><a href="https://www.apnews.com/7314263d68924c2990e52f1ff1ea99d8"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.apnews.com/7314263d68924c2990e52f1ff1ea99d8</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa/u-s-ready-to-target-other-countries-for-supporting-venezuelas-maduro-idUSKCN1UW1MP"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa/u-s-ready-to-target-other-countries-for-supporting-venezuelas-maduro-idUSKCN1UW1MP</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-bolton/new-u-s-action-forces-choice-between-doing-business-with-caracas-or-washington-bolton-idUSKCN1UW1Q1"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-bolton/new-u-s-action-forces-choice-between-doing-business-with-caracas-or-washington-bolton-idUSKCN1UW1Q1</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Countries supporting Guaidó pledge to maintain
pressure on Venezuela ad US hardline dominates talks<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">An international conference on Venezuela on
Tuesday agreed to maintain diplomatic pressure on President Nicolas Maduro’s
government, while many participants stressed the urgent need for fresh
elections in the country. “<i>We shall maintain the international pressure</i>,”
news reports quoted Peruvian Foreign Minister Nestor Popolizio as saying at the
end of the conference in the capital, Lima. The meeting brought together
representatives of more than 50 countries. Maduro allies China, Russia, Cuba
and Turkey did not attend. Neither did Mexico and Uruguay, which have tried to
remain neutral in the power struggle between Maduro and opposition leader Juan Guaidó.
The International Contact Group on Venezuela (ICG), which includes European and
Latin American countries, warned that “<i>the rapidly deteriorating crisis is
seriously impacting the region, particularly because of massive migration flows
to neighboring countries</i>.” It called for “<i>a negotiated transition that
gives the voice back to the Venezuelan people, through free and credible
presidential elections</i>.” Popolizio urged the international community to
increase humanitarian aid to Venezuelans and support to countries receiving
Venezuelan migrants. “<i>It is time to take decisions</i>,” he said, calling
for “<i>an adequate international atmosphere to favor a peaceful solution,</i>”
including elections. The hardline stance of the Donald Trump administration on
Venezuela, as presented at a Lima conference on Tuesday by US National Security
Adviser John Bolton, dominated the international gathering called to discuss
bringing democracy back to this country. The International Conference for
Democracy in Venezuela, originally convened to hear from countries with
different views on the crisis in Venezuela, was transformed by Bolton into a
platform where he reaffirmed the unilateral US position and explained the
measures taken by Washington to remove embattled incumbent Nicolas Maduro and
install Juan Guaidó in his place. (Havana Times: </span></span><a href="https://havanatimes.org/features/countries-supporting-guaido-pledge-to-maintain-pressure-on-venezuela/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://havanatimes.org/features/countries-supporting-Guaidó-pledge-to-maintain-pressure-on-venezuela/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2481911&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2481911&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. and Colombian military are working on
plans to aid Venezuela after Maduro<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The U.S. is working with Colombia, Brazil and
other regional partners on how to assist Venezuela if the embargo-like
sanctions announced by the White House this week ultimately force President
Nicolás Maduro to step down, the head of the U.S. Southern Command said. Navy
Adm. Craig Faller, the Miami-based head of U.S. forces in South America, said
the nations are working on “<i>planning and discussing what we could do, and
will do for the ‘day after Maduro,’ when there’s a legitimate government, when
we can go in and really assist the people of Venezuela</i>.” Faller said that,
to him, the “‘<i>day after Maduro’ meant a point in time where a legitimate
government, not a Maduro government, has asked the United States and others to
come into Venezuela to help</i>.” At present, “<i>our partners are conducting
their independent planning</i>,” Faller said. “<i>At some point, it will be
very useful to work together, share plans</i>,” he said, noting that any
coordinated plan would have to be approved by each country. “<i>And so, there’s
a willingness from key partners in the region to do that</i>.” From a U.S.
military side, “<i>our focus would be … alleviating human suffering</i>,” Faller
said. “<i>The United States is very good at heavy lift - we are very good at
supporting delivery</i>.” Colombia’s head of military forces, Gen. Luis Navarro
said: “<i>It turns into a security issue for Colombia</i>,” Navarro said. “<i>We
are facing a ... humanitarian crisis in the region. For Colombia it’s a large
problem. We are talking about more than a million displaced citizens from
Venezuela because of the difficult conditions. We have done all we can to host
them in the best conditions, but available resources now are not enough</i>.”
When asked if Colombia needs more resources from the U.S., Navarro said more
support was needed from the international community. “<i>But the biggest help
is to fix the current problem in Venezuela</i>,” he added. The drug trade is
one of many illicit lines of funding that Faller said Maduro is relying upon as
other sources of revenue are frozen by the sanctions, and Colombia’s forces
have increased their eradication efforts in recent months, which Faller said
would help add economic pressure as mainstream trade is cut off. On Tuesday,
the Maduro government called the U.S. sanctions “<i>economic terrorism</i>,”
which Faller called “<i>a pack of lies</i>.” “<i>What does anyone think about
anything Maduro says? It’s generally a pack of lies</i>,” Faller said. “<i>The
additional measures announced by the U.S. are part of that continued pressure
that is designed exactly to influence Maduro and those who make up his mafia</i>.”
Asked if the military was prepared to provide additional assistance if the
sanctions lead to more Venezuelan refugees joining the already estimated 1.3
million in Colombia, Faller said for now SOUTHCOM’s role would be to “<i>continue
to share intel and look for indicators for the range of security threats that
emanate from Venezuela</i>.” (McClatchy: </span></span><a href="https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article233291967.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/nation-world/national/national-security/article233291967.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. embargo on Venezuela raises stakes for
Russia and China<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Behind the administration's recent move is the
untested wager that the renewed threat of extraterritorial sanctions against
Venezuela's trade partners China and Russia could erode their support for
Nicolás Maduro. While it may be rational for China and Russia to back down and
realize the economic benefits of the transition in Venezuela sought by the
U.S., national pride is also at stake. If Washington cannot convince China and
Russia through arguments around economic self-interest, gaining traction with
them becomes much harder. Maduro, always spoiling for a fight with the White
House, will likely use the embargo to further scapegoat the U.S. for
Venezuela's economic collapse. Trump could face a choice to escalate his
embargo to a full blockade if the new economic pressure does not tilt support
toward Guaidó. Reluctant to enter the fray, China and Russia may still be drawn
in should the U.S. turn to military might to enforce its embargo — and it is
unclear what lengths they would go to in defense of Maduro. </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">(AXIOS: </span></span><a href="https://www.axios.com/us-embargo-venezuela-raises-stakes-russia-china-9e4c8fad-e30e-4512-8e27-21071cb087c0.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.axios.com/us-embargo-venezuela-raises-stakes-russia-china-9e4c8fad-e30e-4512-8e27-21071cb087c0.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">China slams US for '<i>bullying</i>' other
countries over Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">China on Wednesday hit back at remarks from a
top US official who warned Beijing and Moscow against supporting the Venezuelan
regime of Nicolas Maduro and called on Washington to stop "<i>bullying</i>"
other countries. On Tuesday, US National Security Advisor John Bolton urged
China and Russia to avoid doing business with the Maduro regime, after
President Donald Trump ordered a freeze on all Venezuelan government assets in
the US and barred transactions with its authorities. Bolton's comments are
"<i>a wanton interference in Venezuela's internal affairs</i>," said
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying in an online statement.
"<i>China urges the US to... let the Venezuelan people decide their own
future and immediately stop the bullying actions of suppressing other countries
at every turn</i>," she said. On Tuesday, delegates from about 60
countries discussed ways of ending the crisis in Venezuela in a meeting called
by the Lima Group, which includes a dozen Latin American countries and Canada,
most of which support Guaidó. During the meeting, Bolton singled out Maduro
allies China and Russia, telling them their "<i>support to the Maduro
regime is intolerable</i>". He also urged Russia not to "<i>double
down on a bad bet</i>," and told China that "<i>the quickest route to
getting repaid</i>" for its loans to Venezuela was by supporting "<i>a
new legitimate government.</i>" (AFP: </span></span><a href="https://news.yahoo.com/china-slams-us-bullying-venezuela-164347903.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://news.yahoo.com/china-slams-us-bullying-venezuela-164347903.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro regime calls latest
US sanctions “<i>economic terrorism</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Washington’s imposition of a freeze on
Venezuelan regime assets and a ban on transactions with Nicolas Maduro’s
administration is “economic terrorism,” Caracas’ representative to the United
Nations said on Tuesday. With this move, the United States has dropped the
pretense of caring about democratic norms in favor of an open attempt to “<i>sabotage</i>”
the dialogue between Maduro and the opposition, Samuel Moncada told a press
conference at UN headquarters. The ambassador cited remarks earlier Tuesday in
US National Security Adviser John Bolton, who told attendees at what was billed
as the International Conference for Democracy in Venezuela: “<i>The time for
dialogue is over. Now is the time for action</i>.” “<i>Mr. Bolton is not
Venezuelan. The dialogue is among Venezuelans. Who is Mr. Bolton to stick his
nose in?</i>” Moncada asked rhetorically. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2481913&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2481913&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-sanctions/venezuela-says-new-trump-executive-order-formalizes-blockade-idUSKCN1UW1KU"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-sanctions/venezuela-says-new-trump-executive-order-formalizes-blockade-idUSKCN1UW1KU</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">…and Russia claims US “<i>economic terrorism</i>”,
citing “<i>popular support</i>” for Maduro…<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Responding to the latest U.S. actions, Russian
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Kazkharova said Tuesday that "<i>Washington
continues to wage economic terrorism against Caracas in its customary 'cowboy'
manner</i>," arguing that "<i>these steps have no legal justification
from the standpoint of international law and domestic Venezuelan law</i>."
"<i>Clearly, U.S. strategists have miscalculated the level of popular
support for the legitimate President and his readiness to defend the genuine
independence of his country</i>," Zakharova said Tuesday. She went on to
cite economists Jeffrey Sachs and Mark Weisbrot whose April report for the
Center for Economic and Policy Research found "<i>an estimated more than
40,000 deaths from 2017 to 2018</i>" in Venezuela due to U.S. sanctions. (Reuters,
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-order-russia/russia-says-u-s-asset-freeze-on-venezuela-is-illegal-ria-idUSKCN1UW1U0"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-order-russia/russia-says-u-s-asset-freeze-on-venezuela-is-illegal-ria-idUSKCN1UW1U0</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
NEWSWEEK: </span></span><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/china-russia-say-us-failed-venezuela-1453165"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.newsweek.com/china-russia-say-us-failed-venezuela-1453165</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US warned that Venezuela sanctions could worsen
crisis<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Donald Trump’s decision to broaden sanctions
against Venezuela is likely to exacerbate the country’s humanitarian crisis and
give Nicolás Maduro a new reason to blame Washington for his failures, Latin
American civil society groups have warned. While the White House says the
measures are necessary to bring Maduro to heel and force him to quit, the civil
society groups, which included some from Brazil, Colombia and Peru as well as
Venezuela, expressed their “<i>deep concern</i>” over the impact on ordinary
Venezuelans. (Financial Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.ft.com/content/3755c832-b938-11e9-8a88-aa6628ac896c"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.ft.com/content/3755c832-b938-11e9-8a88-aa6628ac896c</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Canada looking closely at U.S. freeze of
Venezuelan government assets<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland on Tuesday
said Canada was examining the United States’ move to freeze all Venezuelan
government assets but stopped short of saying whether Canada would take the
same path. “<i>We are looking at them closely</i>,” Freeland said when asked
about the new U.S. actions during a joint press conference with Britain’s new
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab in Toronto. Canada has imposed sanctions on more
than 100 members of President Nicolas Maduro’s government, and is part of the
Lima Group - a bloc of mostly Latin American countries - that recognizes
Venezuelan opposition chief Juan Guaidó as the legitimate leader and is
demanding that Maduro resign. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-venezuela/canada-looking-closely-at-u-s-freeze-of-venezuelan-government-assets-idUSKCN1UW1PK"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-venezuela/canada-looking-closely-at-u-s-freeze-of-venezuelan-government-assets-idUSKCN1UW1PK</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Switzerland updates list of sanctioned Maduro
regime officials<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Switzerland has just updated a list of 18 Maduro
regime officials sanctioned for violating human rights and are barred from
entering that country or carrying out financial operations there. The list
includes Diosdado Cabello, Tareck el Aissami, Freddy Bernal, Maikel
Moreno, Tarek William Saab, Delcy Rodríguez, Elías Jaua, Jesús Suárez Chourio,
Iván Hernández Dala, Antonio José Benavides Torres and Néstor Reverol. </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">Also, </span>Gustavo Enrique
González López, Tibisay Lucena, Socorro Hernández, Katherine Harrington, Sergio
José Rivero Marcano, Sandra Oblitas and Xavier Moreno Reyes. More in
Spanish: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;">(El Nacional; <a href="http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/mundo/gobierno-suiza-actualizo-lista-oficialistas-sancionados_291381"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.el-nacional.com/noticias/mundo/gobierno-suiza-actualizo-lista-oficialistas-sancionados_291381</span></a>;
Noticiero Venevisión, <a href="http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/suiza-anuncio-nuevas-sanciones-contra-11-altos-funcionarios-del-gobierno-venezolano"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/suiza-anuncio-nuevas-sanciones-contra-11-altos-funcionarios-del-gobierno-venezolano</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">WSJ Editorial: Squeezing Venezuela’s comrades<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The people of Venezuela continue to suffer
under socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro, who is sustained by his patrons in
Cuba, Russia and China. So, it’s welcome news this week that the Trump
Administration has toughened sanctions against the regime and its abettors. The
Trump Administration has morality and regional politics on its side. As Mr.
Bolton said on Tuesday from Lima, Peru, the free people of the hemisphere can’t
ignore the humanitarian crisis created and maintained by Caracas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the more than four million Venezuelan
refugees who have fled the once oil-rich nation have landed in neighboring
countries that lack the resources to easily absorb them. Without regime change
in Caracas, the refugee wave could double this year. Mr. Bolton also stressed
U.S. support for democratically elected Venezuelan interim President Juan
Guaidó. “<i>We seek the peaceful transfer of power, but as President Trump has
said from the beginning: All options are on the table</i>,” Mr. Bolton said. A
waiver for operating in Venezuela until October—granted to CHEVRON, HALLIBURTON
and other U.S. companies at the end of July—may not be renewed. That “<i>will
give us an opportunity to land another blow in 80 days</i>,” a senior
administration official told us on Tuesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cuba is desperate to maintain control of Venezuela because it needs Mr.
Maduro’s oil to keep its economy afloat. But U.S. measures to deny ships access
to U.S. ports if they carry oil from Venezuela to Cuba have reduced the number
of available cargo vessels ready to do the job. Shipments to Cuba have been cut
by more than half, which means Cuba isn’t getting the same return on its
investment in secret police and regime enforcers it has sent to Venezuela. Cuba
will try to persuade Mr. Maduro that he can wait out the Trump Presidency,
despite shrinking oil revenues, hyperinflation and rising discontent in the
army. But at some point, Mr. Maduro will have to choose between saving himself
or risking his life for the Cuban elite that he finances. (The Wall Street
Journal: </span></span><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/squeezing-venezuelas-comrades-11565216039"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.wsj.com/articles/squeezing-venezuelas-comrades-11565216039</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's female refugees trafficked at
higher rate amid political crisis<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As the political system of </span></span><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/category/topic/venezuelan-political-crisis" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> continues to collapse, the
country’s women and girls seeking asylum are being trafficked at increased
rates, according to a new report obtained by Fox News. Refugees
International’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>report, “</span></span><a href="https://www.refugeesinternational.org/reports/2019/8/2/searching-for-safety-venezuela-trafficking" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">S<i>eeking
Safety: Confronting Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Venezuelan Women and
Girls</i></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">,” claims
that many of these victims are placed right in the crosshairs of traffickers
because there are not enough “legal pathways” for them to seek asylum in
neighboring countries like Colombia and Ecuador. They are then forced into
fleeing their country through illegal means within the black market, making
them susceptible to traffickers looking to place them into forced sex work or
labor. (Fox News, </span><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/venezuela-female-refugees-human-trafficking"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.foxnews.com/world/venezuela-female-refugees-human-trafficking</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">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.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-66593143310544352692019-07-18T18:24:00.000-04:002019-07-18T18:24:48.205-04:00July 18, 2019
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Logistics & Transport</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. Department of Transportation suspends air
service to and from Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The U.S. Department of Transportation Office
issued a notice this week announcing the suspension of air service to and from
Venezuela. Venezuela imports fresh crab meat that is flown into the U.S., and
the suspension of air service could potentially impact the market. Most of this
product is used on the East Coast of the U.S. With the summer season quickly
approaching, this suspension is coming at a time that is the highest demand
period of the year. (Seafood News: </span></span><a href="https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1141620/US-Department-of-Transportation-Suspends-Air-Service-to-and-from-Venezuela"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.seafoodnews.com/Story/1141620/US-Department-of-Transportation-Suspends-Air-Service-to-and-from-Venezuela</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Opposition-controlled CITGO
plans to borrow US$ 1.9 billion as 2020 bond payment nears<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">CITGO Holding Inc., the refining company whose
operations are largely under the control of Venezuela’s political opposition,
plans to issue new debt to pay back US$ 1.9 billion of bonds that mature in
February. The refinancing would include US$ 1.4 billion of senior secured notes
due in 2024 and a US$ 500 million senior secured term loan B facility that
matures in four years, the Houston-based company said in a statement. It didn’t
say who is advising on the proposed deal. That offering’s success may depend
upon a Delaware court’s ruling about the legitimacy of two rival corporate
boards at state-owned oil giant Petroleos de Venezuela SA, the parent of CITGO.
One board was appointed by Nicolas Maduro; the other one by the National
Assembly leader Juan Guaidó. Oral arguments are set to be held Thursday. (Latin
American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2481128&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2481128&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fitch raises
Venezuela's opposition-controlled Citgo rating on new bond<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fitch Ratings has upgraded the long-term IDR of
CITGO Holding, Inc. (Holdco) to 'CCC+' from 'CCC', upgraded the ratings of all
senior secured debt at Holdco to 'B+'/'RR1' from 'B'/'RR1', and assigned a
'B+'/'RR1(EXP)' rating to the new Holdco secured notes and term loan. Proceeds
from the new secured notes and term loan will be used to pay off the company's
existing 10.75% 2020 Holdco notes. Fitch has also affirmed the long-term IDR of
CITGO Petroleum Corp. (Opco) at 'B and affirmed the 'BB'/'RR1' ratings for
Opco's secured notes, term loan and IRBs. The Outlook at Opco remains
Stable. The main drivers for today's actions are the company's successful
expected refinancing of its US$ 1.875 billion 2020 Holdco maturity, which
addresses near-term refinancing issues at HOLDCO and helps reduce contagion
risk for CITGO through favorable revisions to change in control indenture
language. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2481121&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2481121&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moody's rates new CITGO
US$ 1.9 billion debt issue Caa1<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) assigned a
Caa1, LGD4 rating to CITGO Holding, Inc.'s proposed up to US$ 1.37 billion in
senior secured notes due 2024 and up to US $500 million in proposed senior
secured term loan B due 2023. Proceeds from the transactions will be used to
refinance US$ 1.87 billion in senior secured notes due 2020. The outlook is
stable. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2481133&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2481133&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">S&P rates new US$ 1.9
billion CITGO Debt at B<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">S&P Global Ratings today assigned its 'B'
issue-level rating and '2' recovery rating to CITGO Holding Inc.'s US$ 500
million senior secured term loan B due 2023 and US$ 1.37 billion senior secured
notes due 2024 and put the issue-level ratings on CreditWatch with developing
implications, where we placed all of our ratings on the company on Dec. 7,
2017. The '2' recovery rating indicates our expectation for substantial
(70%-90%; rounded estimate: 80%) recovery in the event of a default. The
company intends to use the net proceeds from the senior notes to refinance its
existing outstanding $1.87 billion 10.75% notes. Therefore, we view this
transaction as leverage neutral. Our issuer credit ratings on CITGO Holding
Inc. and subsidiary CITGO Petroleum and the issue ratings on their debt are
unchanged and remain on CreditWatch with developing implications, where they
were placed Dec. 7, 2017. CITGO Holding Inc. is the direct parent of CITGO
Petroleum Corp., a U.S. refinery and petroleum product marketer and
distributor. The company is owned by Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA),
Venezuela's state-owned oil company. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2481132&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2481132&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's debts to China, Russia would be
restructured through Paris Club<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Loans to Venezuela from Maduro allies Russia
and China would be renegotiated though the Paris Club if Maduro leaves power,
an advisor to the opposition said on Wednesday, responding to concerns about
favorable treatment for the two countries. Ricardo Hausmann, who represents
opposition leader Juan Guaidó at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB),
said Guaidó's team has not determined how loans might be restructured under its
governance because bilateral debt talks typically take place under the auspices
of the Paris Club creditor group. "<i>It is not as if the chapter on
bilateral debt says we are going to treat it differently. It is treated
differently in international practice through the Paris Club</i>," said
Hausmann, a Harvard economics professor and former planning minister, at the
IADB's annual meeting in Guayaquil, Ecuador. "<i>We have not come out with
any specific guidelines on the treatment of bilateral debt for that reason</i>."
Earlier this month, Guaidó's advisers published a plan pledging equal treatment
for creditors during an eventual restructuring process of Venezuela's $200
billion in debt if Maduro leaves power. The document carved out some
exceptions, including for the billions of dollars in loans from Russia and
China, which drew criticism from a group of bondholders known as the Venezuela
Creditors Committee, who said the "<i>burden</i>" should be shared
equally between public and private creditors. (The New York Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/07/17/world/americas/17reuters-latam-economy-iadb-venezuela.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/07/17/world/americas/17reuters-latam-economy-iadb-venezuela.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-latam-economy-iadb-venezuela/venezuelas-debts-to-china-russia-would-be-restructured-through-paris-club-guaido-advisor-idUSKCN1UC2JI"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-latam-economy-iadb-venezuela/venezuelas-debts-to-china-russia-would-be-restructured-through-paris-club-Guaidó-advisor-idUSKCN1UC2JI</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela may switch from SWIFT to Russian
payment system to skirt US sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela is considering using the Russian
alternative to the traditional SWIFT international payment system, as the
country braces for new US sanctions that could further weaken its financial
sector. Venezuela’s central bank has sent a request on the matter to the
Central Bank of Russia (CBR) as the regulator’s approval is necessary if Caracas
wants to use the payment platform, the report said, citing sources. However,
neither of the sides involved, nor the world’s largest payment system, SWIFT,
has commented on the report. The Russian alternative payment system already includes
nearly 400 users, including the country’s major banks. Last month, the Central
Bank of Russia (CBR) said that foreign banks had shown interest in joining the
platform and are already testing it. (RT: </span></span><a href="https://www.rt.com/business/464389-venezuela-russia-swift-alternative/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.rt.com/business/464389-venezuela-russia-swift-alternative/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's opposition congress names ad-hoc
central bank board<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s opposition-controlled National Assembly
on Tuesday appointed an ad-hoc board for the country’s central bank with the
aim of “<i>protecting its international reserves</i>” from Nicolas Maduro’s regime.
The assembly head, Juan Guaidó, named five people to the ad-hoc board. Guaidó
did not explain how the ad-hoc board would function, but the opposition has
previously sought to prevent Maduro’s government from accessing central bank
gold kept at the Bank of England. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelas-opposition-congress-names-ad-hoc-central-bank-board-idUSKCN1UB2HP"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelas-opposition-congress-names-ad-hoc-central-bank-board-idUSKCN1UB2HP</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Colombian president says Maduro regime harbors,
funds leftist guerrillas<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Colombian President Ivan Duque said in an
interview with EFE that the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group is
recruiting minors in Venezuela and has the backing of that neighboring
country's leftist president, Nicolas Maduro. Duque said Maduro supports not
only the ELN but also dissident elements of a former rebel army - the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) - that signed a peace deal three
years ago with Colombia's previous government and has transformed itself into a
leftist political party. “<i>The ELN has a situation and that's that in
Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, the dictator of Venezuela, is protecting them. He's
giving them money and sponsoring their efforts to recruit children to work in
illegal mining in parts of Venezuela. And on top of that, the ELN's leaders are
in Venezuela and protected by Maduro. Alias "Pablito" is there.
Another leader, "Antonio Garcia," is there. They also have groups of
recruiters there, and many of the criminal attacks they're planning in border
areas are planned in Venezuela</i>”, he said; and added: “<i>That dictator in
Venezuela is protecting not only the ELN leaders, but also those dissident
leaders of the FARC. It's no secret to anyone that that's happening, and that
"Ivan Marquez" is in Venezuela and "El Paisa" is in
Venezuela and "Romaña" is in Venezuela. And it'd be no surprise if
"Santrich" were there. All indications are that he's there under the
protection of the Venezuelan dictatorship. That shows that they're looking to
sponsor a sort of union of criminal clans to perpetrate violent actions in
Colombia</i>.” </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(EFE: </span></span><a href="https://www.efe.com/efe/english/portada/colombian-president-venezuela-harbors-funds-leftist-guerrillas/50000260-4024978"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.efe.com/efe/english/portada/colombian-president-venezuela-harbors-funds-leftist-guerrillas/50000260-4024978</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">EU readies sanctions on Venezuelan security
officials<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The European Union is preparing new sanctions
against Venezuelan security forces involved in human rights violations, the
bloc’s foreign policy chief said on Tuesday, following the death in custody of
a navy captain amid allegations of torture. Federica Mogherini said the death
of Rafael Acosta while in custody for alleged participation in a coup plot was
a “<i>stark example</i>” of the deteriorating situation in the country, amid a
crackdown by the government of President Nicolas Maduro. “<i>The EU is ready to
start work toward applying targeted measures for those members of the security
forces involved in torture and other serious violations of human rights</i>,”
Mogherini said in a statement. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-eu/eu-readies-sanctions-on-venezuelan-security-officials-idUSKCN1UB1L9"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-eu/eu-readies-sanctions-on-venezuelan-security-officials-idUSKCN1UB1L9</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">MERCOSUR bloc calls for Venezuela elections<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">South American trade bloc MERCOSUR called for
"<i>free, fair and transparent presidential elections, as soon as possible</i>"
in Venezuela, at its summit in Argentina on Wednesday. The political and
economic crisis in Venezuela was the center of the political debate among the
heads of state that, this Wednesday, met in Santa Fe, Argentina in the MERCOSUR
semi-annual summit, a block from which this country is currently suspended. The
host of the regional meeting, the Argentine president, Mauricio Macri, affirmed
that he recognizes the National Assembly as the legitimate State organ of the
country, and expressed his solidarity with Venezuela and the humanitarian
crisis that he blames the regime of Nicolás Maduro. Also, he called on him to “<i>stop
obstructing the democratic transition and stop with the violations of human
rights of Venezuelans</i>.” The president of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, maintained
that the social, political and economic crisis that Venezuela is experiencing
was born “<i>from the populism and the irresponsibility of a project of a
country that had no limits.</i>” “<i>We do not want what happens unfortunately
with Venezuela. We ask God to give us strength and intelligence and that the
destiny of Venezuela is the same as we have, that is, democracy, freedom, and
prosperity</i>,” said Bolsonaro. For his part, the Paraguayan president, Mario
Abdo Benítez, reminded everyone present that “<i>one of the fundamental pillars
of Mercosur is the political agreement, which must be translated into
mechanisms that guarantee the full validity of the Rule of Law and Democracy</i>.”
Three of Mercosur's members -- Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay -- have backed Guaidó,
while only Uruguay, under a socialist government, has not done so. (France24: </span></span><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190717-south-american-bloc-calls-venezuela-elections"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.france24.com/en/20190717-south-american-bloc-calls-venezuela-elections</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; MERCOSUR Press: </span></span><a href="https://en.mercopress.com/2019/07/18/what-did-the-mercosur-s-leaders-say-about-venezuela-in-santa-fe"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://en.mercopress.com/2019/07/18/what-did-the-mercosur-s-leaders-say-about-venezuela-in-santa-fe</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eight countries call for Inter-American
Commission on Human Rights to enter Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A group of 8 countries submitted a draft
resolution condemning human right violations in Venezuela to the Permanent
Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), demanding an
investigation and requesting access by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
into the country. The draft resolution seeks to <i>“firmly condemn the grave
and systematic violations</i>” of the rights in Venezuela. the project also
seeks to “<i>demand immediate, complete and unimpeded access</i>” to Venezuela by
the IACHR. (2NYZ: </span></span><a href="https://2nyz.com/2019/07/17/eight-countries-call-for-inter-american-commission-on-human-rights-to-enter-venezuela/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://2nyz.com/2019/07/17/eight-countries-call-for-inter-american-commission-on-human-rights-to-enter-venezuela/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In a United Nations report, a Socialist details
Venezuela’s horrors<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Twenty years after Hugo Chávez gained power in
Venezuela, promising a workers’ paradise, the United Nations has finally
acknowledged that his regime and that of his successor, Nicolás Maduro, is a
brutal dictatorship guilty of widespread human-rights abuses and of policies
that have led to economic deprivation. The acknowledgment comes in the form of
a </span></span><a href="https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24788&LangID=E" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">scathing report</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, coincidentally released on July 4,
that officially confirms the Venezuelan inferno that has been obvious for a
long time. That the report was issued by Michelle Bachelet, U.N. high
commissioner for human rights, should have special meaning. Bachelet, a former
president of Chile (2006–10), is a socialist whose father died in prison after
being tortured by the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet. She had long
resisted efforts to condemn the Venezuelan tyranny, preferring to warn against
outside intervention and to call for a new “<i>dialogue</i>” every time
negotiations between the regime and the opposition reached a stalemate. (News
Yahoo, </span><a href="https://news.yahoo.com/united-nations-report-socialist-details-103013098.html;_ylt=AwrC1DFLly9dC2oAYiHQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTBydDI5cXVuBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwM2BHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://news.yahoo.com/united-nations-report-socialist-details-103013098.html;_ylt=AwrC1DFLly9dC2oAYiHQtDMD;_ylu=X3oDMTBydDI5cXVuBGNvbG8DYmYxBHBvcwM2BHZ0aWQDBHNlYwNzcg--</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Opposition calls for mass rally on Tuesday<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela's opposition leader announced a mass
street rally set for Tuesday to move forward the “<i>next stage</i>” of their
US-backed attempt to gain power in the oil-rich country. "<i>We call on
all of Venezuela to mobilize. Together, with the citizen power and the work of
the National Assembly, we will advance to a next stage in our struggle.
Everyone to Caracas!” </i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hampered by
opposition from the Venezuelan army and popular challenges to his legitimacy, Guaidó's
delegation agreed to take part in Oslo and Barbados initiatives for negotiation
talks with the government. Both the EU and MERCOSUR made a fresh call to
Venezuela to hold elections. Addressing the migratory, humanitarian and
political crisis, the MERCOSUR called Venezuela to hold free, fair and
transparent presidential elections "<i>in the shortest time possible</i>",
following Tuesday's EU Council statement. On Tuesday, the EU Council reaffirmed
that crisis in Venezuela requires an "<i>urgent</i>" political solution,
which can only be achieved through "<i>a peaceful, democratic and
Venezuelan-owned</i>" process leading to "<i>free and fair
presidential elections</i>". </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(AA:
</span></span><a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/venezuela-opposition-calls-for-mass-rally-on-tuesday/1535081"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/venezuela-opposition-calls-for-mass-rally-on-tuesday/1535081</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US to redirect Central America aid to
Venezuela's Juan Guaidó<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The US is planning to divert nearly US$ 42
million from development funding for Guatemala and Honduras to Venezuela's
opposition. The move comes just months after the Trump administration announced
it would be ending aid to Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, the three
countries at the center of the current migration wave to the US. In the memo,
USAID, the government's international development agency, said the "<i>deviation</i>”
of the money was "<i>necessary due to unforeseen events and exceptional
circumstances.</i>” USAID stressed in the memo that Venezuela's political
crisis was "<i>a significant, exigent event in the US national interest</i>"
that required the diverted funds. A portion of the money would finance Guaidó
directly. The memo said the funds could cover the "<i>interim government
staff salaries or stipends, work-related travel and other costs necessary to
ensure full deployment of a transparent financial management system and other
activities necessary for a democratic transition</i>." Some US$ 2 million
will go to support diplomatic efforts by Guaidó's supporters as they negotiate
with the Maduro regime, and US$ 7.5 million will be dispensed to support
independent media with the goal of providing Venezuelans with "<i>unbiased
and unfiltered sources of news and information</i>," the memo said. Other
funds will go address other aspects, including strengthening human rights
groups, election monitoring and civil society. (DW: </span></span><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/us-to-redirect-central-america-aid-to-venezuelas-juan-guaido/a-49626538"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.dw.com/en/us-to-redirect-central-america-aid-to-venezuelas-juan-Guaidó/a-49626538</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; France24: </span></span><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190717-us-diverts-central-america-aid-boost-venezuelas-guaido"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.france24.com/en/20190717-us-diverts-central-america-aid-boost-venezuelas-Guaidó</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">… but drags its feet on TPS for Venezuelans<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Trump administration also signaled on
Wednesday that it would not grant protection to Venezuelans seeking refuge in
the US. In a response to a request by Democratic Senator Dick Durbin, the US
Citizens and Immigration Services said it was not planning on adding Venezuela
to the list of countries eligible for its Temporary Protected Status (TPS)
program, which would allow citizens from that country stay in the US until the
situation at home improves. In a letter to U.S. Senators made public on July
16, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Ken
Cuccinelli signaled an unwillingness on the part of the Trump administration to
extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to Venezuelans. According to U.S. Sens.
Dick Durbin and Bob Menendez, the administration will not grant Venezuelans
Temporary Protected Status, or TPS. "<i>President Trump cannot do both. He
cannot warn Americans that Venezuela is such a dangerous place that they should
not travel there, and then tell the Venezuelans in the United States that they
are forced to return</i>," said Senators and Menendez said in a written
statement. In January, Miami U.S. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Donna Shalala
proposed TPS for Venezuelans. That same month, Rep. Darren Soto, an Orlando
Democrat, filed the Venezuela TPS Act of 2019. It would allow Venezuelans who
came to the United States after early 2013 and who don’t have legal status to
temporarily — and legally — stay in this country, shielded from deportation.
They would be able to secure work permits. In March, Florida’s Sen. Marco
Rubio, along with Sens. Patrick Leahy and Cory Booker — plus Menendez and
Durbin — introduced the Venezuela Temporary Protected Status Act of 2019. In
addition, Rubio was one of 24 senators, and the only Republican, to sign a
letter dated March 7 that was sent to the president on this issue. It said, in
part: “In light of the ongoing violence, deteriorating security situation, and
humanitarian crisis in Venezuela <i>caused by the illegitimate regime of
Nicolás Maduro, we respectfully request that your administration promptly
designate Venezuela for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to ensure that
Venezuelan nationals currently present in the United States are not forced to
return to Venezuela at this time. Returning non-violent individuals back to
Venezuela during this critical time of transition is not in the best long-term
interests of the United States or our partners in the region</i>.” In a letter
dated July 11, Kenneth Cuccinelli II, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and
Immigration Services responded, in part: “<i>The U.S. government continues to
monitor the situation in Venezuela. In addition, there may be other relief
measures available to Venezuelan nationals affected by current condition in
Venezuela</i>.” The Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), a leading
research and advocacy organization that advocates a regional response to
broaden access to formal protection status and essential services for
Venezuelan migrants and refugees, is alarmed by the Trump administration’s inaction.
“<i>Inaction on TPS sends the absolute wrong message: The United States is only
concerned about Venezuelans right up until they are forced to flee their
country</i>,” said WOLA Assistant Director for Venezuela Geoff Ramsey. (The Miami
Herald: </span></span><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article232813137.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article232813137.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; WOLA: </span></span><a href="https://www.wola.org/2019/07/venezuela-letter-tps-regional-response/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.wola.org/2019/07/venezuela-letter-tps-regional-response/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan teen blinded after 52 rubber pellets
to the face<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">16-year old Rufo Chacon lost both of his eyes
just two weeks ago, during a July 2 protest in the Andean city of San Cristobal,
Venezuela, which turned bloody when police began firing rubber bullets into the
crowd. The doctors who tried to save his eyes said that 52 rubber buckshot
pellets hit his face, 16 of them flying directly into his eyes. A police report
investigating the accident said state security forces forcefully repressed the
crowd without warning. Two other underage protesters also received head
injuries the report says. One of them was Chacon's younger brother, Adrian, 14,
who received a blow to his skull from a police baton. Both were there with
their mother, Adriana Parada, to protest shortages of cooking gas in the
region. After the protest, Venezuelan authorities announced that two officers
had been charged for "<i>attempted murder, improper use of weapon and
cruel treatment</i>" in dealing with the protesters. They are currently
awaiting trial. The announcement came hours after the Office of the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet published a report that
denounced "<i>patterns of violations of all human rights</i>" at the
hands of the Venezuelan state—a report which the regime of Nicolas Maduro has
refuted as biased. Doctors at San Cristobal Central Hospital say they could
only remove what was left of Chacon's eyes. He is still at risk of infection,
doctors say as pieces of the rubber pellets remain embedded in his face and
head, too deep for the surgeon to reach. After being shot, Chacon's plight
swiftly became known in the Spanish-speaking world. On the same night of the
protest, Puerto Rican music star Don Omar published a picture of the injured
and bloodied Rufo on his Instagram account, blaming the soldiers for allegedly
firing too low. Offers to pay for treatment have come in from around the world,
including Mexico, Spain and the US. One clinic in Colombia has offered to perform
an eyelid transplant on Chacon for free. His mother, Adriana, has also opened
an Instagram account to crowdsource financial help for the family. But due to
currency controls on the country, Venezuela's economy is effectively sealed off
from the outside world, and they can only receive donations from inside the
impoverished country. (ABC News: </span></span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/17/americas/venezuela-rufo-chacon-blind-teenager-protest-intl/index.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/17/americas/venezuela-rufo-chacon-blind-teenager-protest-intl/index.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Regime frees musician jailed after blasting
Maduro online<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Karen Palacios who plays the clarinet and was
cut from the National Philharmonic for criticizing the government, and who was
detained for 6 weeks, was released today. Karen Palacios' Yamaha clarinet still
rests where she left it atop sheet music of a Mozart concerto that she
practiced diligently the night before two strangers dressed in black lured her
away in a luxury SUV. The 25-year-old musician's captors duped her into
believing she was needed for an interview with a victims' unit at the
presidential palace. Instead, they drove her to Venezuela's most-notorious
military prison, locking her up alongside the socialist regime's top opponents
for violating Venezuela's highly subjective hate law. Her crime: posting a
message on social media venting frustration at President Nicolás Maduro's
government over having been cut from the state-funded National Philharmonic,
where she had recently debuted as first clarinetist. On Tuesday, the family's
nightmare ended. After 45 days in jail alongside some of Venezuela's
most-hardened female criminals — and a full month after a judge ordered her
immediate release — Palacios walked through a giant metal gate at a
penitentiary outside Caracas. She remains on probation and is banned from
speaking to the media. But the scars from her confinement will take time to
heal. Meanwhile, her plight has drawn attention to what the United Nations in a
report this month signaled as the government's growing use of arbitrary
detentions to intimidate opponents — real or imagined — and stifle free
expression.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meanwhile, her imprisonment has reopened debate
on Venezuela's hate law, which was passed by the rubber-stamping, pro-Maduro
constitutional assembly in 2017 and carries prison sentences of between 10 and
20 years for anyone found guilty of publicly instigating violence against
people based on their race, ethnicity or political views. Free speech advocates
say the law is selectively enforced and consider it a tool of repression and
censorship. Last year, 24 people were detained for expressing criticism of the
government online, according to local NGO Espacio Publico. (ABC News: </span></span><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/venezuela-frees-musician-jailed-blasting-maduro-online-64383127"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/venezuela-frees-musician-jailed-blasting-maduro-online-64383127</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-8034014151328615002019-07-11T17:41:00.000-04:002019-07-11T17:41:57.222-04:00July 11, 2019
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">CHEVRON's Venezuela oil assets threatened as Trump
weighs extending joint venture waiver<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Trump administration faces an important
decision later this month, one that could either maintain the status quo, or
one that could escalate the “<i>maximum pressure</i>” campaign on Caracas. In
January, the U.S. government tightened sanctions on Venezuela, but issued a
series of waivers to oil companies operating in joint ventures with PDVSA in
Venezuela. The waivers expire later this month, and the U.S. government is
considering letting them expire to force some of the companies out in order to
further tighten the fiscal noose around the Venezuelan government. That could affect
operations for CHEVRON, HALLIBURTON, SCHLUMBERGER, BAKER HUGHES and WEATHERFORD
International, according to S&P Global Platts. If the Trump administration
followed through, the companies would have 60 to 90 days to wind down their
operations, S&P reported. CHEVRON plays a crucial role in keeping Venezuela’s
oil sector running, such as it is. The American oil major is active in four
joint ventures with PDVSA, and its share of production accounts for 42,000 b/d,
although total output from the four sites exceeds 200,000 b/d. The exit of
Chevron and other international companies would be especially painful for
Maduro’s regime because the joint ventures have proven to be much more
resilient than PDVSA’s sole operations. Foreign companies bring capital and
technical expertise, and when the industry really began to deteriorate in 2017
and 2018, output from the joint ventures held up better than production from
projects run only by PDVSA. The upshot is that if the U.S. lets the waivers
expire in late July, Venezuela’s oil production could resume its downward slide,
ending a several-month hiatus that saw output stabilize. “<i>The service
companies leaving will have some additional effect since they are involved in
the operation of at least a third of the rigs in activity</i>. However, the
U.S. government is also wary of allowing oil companies from China and Russia to
step into the void. The prospect of greater influence for Moscow and Beijing in
Venezuela might be enough for the Trump administration to extend the waivers to
CHEVRON. The tradeoff is hardly theoretical. Venezuela's government threatens
to nationalize CHEVRON's oil assets if the Trump administration does not extend
a sanctions waiver that expires July 27. In perhaps an attempt to clarify what
is at stake, an unnamed official in the Venezuelan presidential palace told
Argus Media that if the Trump administration lets the waivers expire, Maduro’s
government would seize Chevron’s assets and “<i>offer Russian, Chinese and
other non-US oil companies an ‘opportunity to acquire’ them,</i>” Argus
reported. In fact, the official said that “<i>discreet discussions</i>” have
already started with ROSNEFT and CNPC. It’s unclear how the Trump
administration will approach what appear to be competing geostrategic goals,
but Venezuela’s oil sector hangs in the balance. White House advisor Larry
Kudlow said yesterday the administration was considering a possible waiver
extension. <i>“It is under discussion</i>,” Kudlow said. “<i>I don’t know about
the license. That will be determined in the future. It’s under discussion right
now</i>,” he said. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-chevron/white-house-discussing-renewing-license-for-chevron-to-operate-in-venezuela-idUSKCN1U42NG"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-chevron/white-house-discussing-renewing-license-for-chevron-to-operate-in-venezuela-idUSKCN1U42NG</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-09/venezuela-license-for-chevron-under-discussion-kudlow-says"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-09/venezuela-license-for-chevron-under-discussion-kudlow-says</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
The Fuse: </span></span><a href="http://energyfuse.org/venezuela-faces-more-outages-as-trump-admin-mulls-escalation/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://energyfuse.org/venezuela-faces-more-outages-as-trump-admin-mulls-escalation/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Seeking Alpha: </span></span><a href="https://seekingalpha.com/news/3476997-chevrons-venezuela-oil-assets-threatened-seizure"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://seekingalpha.com/news/3476997-chevrons-venezuela-oil-assets-threatened-seizure</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vessels change names or go dark to ship Venezuelan
crude to Cuba<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Stopping the flow of Venezuelan oil to its ally
Cuba might prove harder than the U.S. expected. Tankers are being renamed and
vessels are switching off their transponders to sail under the radar of the
U.S. government. The vessel </span></span><a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm685" target="_blank" title="Link to Statement"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Ocean
Elegance</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, an oil
tanker that has been delivering Venezuelan crude to Cuba for the past three
years, was renamed Oceano after being sanctioned in May. The ship S-Trotter,
another one that’s on the sanctions list, is now known as Tropic Sea, according
to data compiled by Bloomberg. (Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-08/vessels-change-names-go-dark-to-ship-venezuelan-crude-to-cuba"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-08/vessels-change-names-go-dark-to-ship-venezuelan-crude-to-cuba</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela creditors push back on Guaidó's debt
restructuring plan<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Creditors holding Venezuelan debt on Tuesday
pushed back on debt restructuring plans backed by opposition leader Juan Guaidó,
urging a “<i>fair and effective”</i> framework for talks and improved
communications with investors holding defaulted bonds. The main committee of
Venezuela creditors said it opposed requests for a U.S. executive order that
would prevent asset seizures by investors and disagreed with a proposal to give
different treatment to debts owed to Russia and China. But the statement added
that restructuring would not begin until the end of a “<i>humanitarian crisis</i>,”
in reference to the hyperinflationary collapse overseen by President Nicolas
Maduro that has fueled malnutrition and disease. “<i>A new government should
work with creditor parties, such as the Committee, to agree on the design of
the restructuring process and to negotiate the financial and other terms of the
restructuring</i>,” the statement said. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/editor/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/TITIQT6S/Venezuela%20creditors%20push%20back%20on%20Guaido's%20debt%20restructuring%20plan"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela
creditors push back on Guaidó's debt restructuring plan</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Politics and International Affairs<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro regime and opposition talks conclude in
Barbados, no deal announced; Putin remains hopeful <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Talks between
Venezuela's government and the opposition about how to address the country's
political crisis concluded on Wednesday (Jul 11) with no announcement of a
deal. "<i>This round of talks for dialogue and peace in Barbados has
concluded,</i>" Information Minister Jorge Rodriguez, who led the
government's delegation, wrote on Twitter late on Wednesday, describing it as
"<i>a successful exchange promoted by the government of Norway</i>." Rodriguez
tweeted that the discussions in Barbados had ended and served as a space for
the "<i>settlement of disputes through constitutional and peaceful
channels</i>." A Venezuelan opposition source who asked not to be
identified said the two sides could meet again on Monday in Barbados. The press
team for opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who has been recognized by more than 50
countries as Venezuela's legitimate leader, said the opposition would make a
statement about the talks in the coming hours. Rumors have been circulating in
recent days that the opposition was seeking a presidential election within nine
months and that Maduro would not be in power during the vote. Socialist Party
Vice President Diosdado Cabello, who is influential in Maduro's regime, on
Wednesday night dismissed the idea that any presidential election was in the
works. "<i>Here there are no presidential elections; here the president is
named Nicolas Maduro,</i>" Cabello said during a televised broadcast. Russian
President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he hoped Norway-brokered talks
between Venezuela's government and the opposition would normalize the situation
in country and bring an end to political turmoil. In referring to the talks,
interim president Juan Guaidó had previously asked one and all “<i>not to
commit the mistake of seeing a single mechanism as the solution</i>,” and for
that reason insisted on maintaining both internal and foreign pressure on the
party in power. (Channel News Asia: </span><a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/venezuela-talks-with-opposition-conclude-in-barbados--no-deal-announced-11712606"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/venezuela-talks-with-opposition-conclude-in-barbados--no-deal-announced-11712606</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
EFE: </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.efe.com/efe/english/world/venezuelan-government-says-talks-with-opposition-concluded-successfully/50000262-4020424"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.efe.com/efe/english/world/venezuelan-government-says-talks-with-opposition-concluded-successfully/50000262-4020424</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; The
Jerusalem Post: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Putin-I-hope-Venezuela-talks-will-normalize-situation-595359"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Putin-I-hope-Venezuela-talks-will-normalize-situation-595359</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; Latin
American Herald Tribune, <a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2480869&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2480869&CategoryId=10717</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. military plans to battle Russia, China and
Iran's <i>'most disturbing</i>' influence in Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The head of the
Pentagon's Southern Command warned that Russia, China and Iran were expanding
their influence in Latin America, particularly in Venezuela, where they support
a government the United States seeks to depose. In his testimony to the Senate
Armed Services Committee, Southern Command chief Air Force Admiral Craig Faller
identified Moscow, Beijing and Tehran as the primary international obstacles to
Washington's interests as the trio backed Nicolás Maduro in the face of a
challenge posed by interim leader Juan Guaidó. The National Assembly head
declared him acting president in January and was almost immediately recognized
by the U.S., which cut ties with Maduro and has attempted to isolate him
globally. "<i>Russia, in their own words, is protecting their 'loyal
friend,' to quote, by propping up the corrupt, illegitimate Maduro regime with
loans and technical and military support</i>," Faller said. "<i>China,
as Venezuela's largest single-state creditor, saddled the Venezuelan people
with more than $60 billion in debt and is exporting surveillance technology
used to monitor and repress the Venezuelan people. Iran has restarted direct
flights from Tehran to Caracas and reinvigorated diplomatic ties.</i>" "<i>Along
with Cuba, these actors engage in activities that are profoundly unhealthy to
democracy and regional stability and counter to U.S. interests</i>," he
added, calling for the "<i>right, focused and consistent military presence</i>"
to counter these countries' "<i>most disturbing</i>" growing
influence in the region. "<i>These geopolitical tensions are inimical to
stability across the world and we look forward to world leaders to continue to
do their best to ensure that conflicts on trade and military are avoided”</i>,
he added. (NEWSWEEK: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/venezuela-us-battle-russia-china-iran-influence-most-disturbing-1448545"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.newsweek.com/venezuela-us-battle-russia-china-iran-influence-most-disturbing-1448545</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russian equipment to be part of military drills
in Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Russia on Thursday
said its military equipment will be part of military drills in Venezuela
scheduled for July 24. "<i>Weapons and military equipment that are
currently present in Venezuela and that the National Bolivarian Armed Forces
use is mostly Russia-made. So, it just cannot be otherwise. I don't know if
they have purchased any kinds of equipment in other countries, but the army is
equipped with our weapons to a significant extent, so it will be used as well</i>,"
Sputnik quoted Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov as saying. Ryabkov
also noted that there are almost no Russian military experts in Venezuela right
now. "<i>A rotation has taken place. As I see it, the presence of our
personnel there is close to zero. However, this does not mean that it will not
appear there when the need may arise to maintain the equipment",</i> he
said. "<i>We are concerned about a continuous melody from Washington,
where there is a tendency to talk about all options being on the table and
nothing can be excluded. That deliberately creates a sense of uncertainty, of
what is possible and what is not in terms of U.S. participation</i>,"
Ryabkov told Spanish newspaper El Pais on Wednesday. (Business Standard: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/russian-equipment-to-be-part-of-military-drills-in-venezuela-119071100712_1.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/russian-equipment-to-be-part-of-military-drills-in-venezuela-119071100712_1.html</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; NEWSWEEK:
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/venezuela-us-battle-russia-china-iran-influence-most-disturbing-1448545"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.newsweek.com/venezuela-us-battle-russia-china-iran-influence-most-disturbing-1448545</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Against family wishes, Venezuela government
buries navy captain who died in captivity<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Maduro regime on
Wednesday buried the remains of a navy captain who died in military custody
last month, despite the opposition of family members who say he was tortured to
death and want an independent autopsy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rafael
Acosta was detained in June 21 for alleged participation in a coup plot but
died following a week in custody of military intelligence agency DGCIM. Lawyers
said he showed signs of severe beatings. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i>What can be interpreted is that government
authorities are (saying) ‘I killed him, I bury him</i>,’” said Alonso Medina, a
lawyer representing Acosta’s family. Acosta’s wife, Waleswka Perez, had
demanded that the government hand over his body and called for an U.N.
investigation into his death, which was condemned by the United States as well
as the Lima Group of Latin American nations. An official autopsy showed that
Acosta died of “<i>polytrauma with a blunt object</i>,” Medina said. (Reuters: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-captain/against-family-wishes-venezuela-government-buries-navy-captain-who-died-in-captivity-idUSKCN1U52M0"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-captain/against-family-wishes-venezuela-government-buries-navy-captain-who-died-in-captivity-idUSKCN1U52M0</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. sanctions Venezuela's counter-intelligence
agency after death of navy captain<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The United States on
Thursday imposed sanctions against Venezuela's military counter-intelligence
agency following the death in custody of a Venezuelan navy captain amid
allegations of torture. The U.S. Treasury said on its website that it had
sanctioned the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence. U.S.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the "<i>politically motivated
arrest and tragic death</i>" of Rafael Acosta was "<i>unwarranted and
unacceptable</i>." The Maduro regime confirmed the death on June 29 of Acosta,
who was arrested eight days earlier for alleged participation in a coup plot.
Human rights organizations and political leaders have accused Maduro's
government of torturing Acosta to death and refusing to clarify the
circumstances. (CBC: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/us-sanctions-venezuela-counterintelligence-navy-death-1.5208073"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/us-sanctions-venezuela-counterintelligence-navy-death-1.5208073</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ex-Venezuela spy chief says Maduro ordered
illegal arrests<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As Nicolás Maduro
began to lean on the brawny 55-year-old General Manuel Cristopher Figuera to do
his dirty work — ordering him to jail opponents and victims of torture — the
Cuban and Belarusian-trained intelligence officer gradually lost faith. In a
show of nerve, he betrayed the leader he met with almost daily and secretly
plotted to launch a military uprising that he said came close to ousting
Maduro. Now one of the most prominent defectors in two decades of socialist
rule in Venezuela has come to Washington seeking revenge against his former
boss. It’s unclear whether Cristopher Figuera still has influence inside the
government and can collect evidence against his former comrades. But he’s
talking a big game. Cristopher Figuera for the first time provided details of
what he said was Maduro’s personal commissioning of abuses, including arbitrary
detentions and the planting of evidence against opponents. As the deputy head
of military counterintelligence and then director of the feared SEBIN
intelligence police, Cristopher Figuera stood alongside Maduro as Venezuela was
coming apart. During the freefall, he said, he witnessed and played a role in
abuses, including not speaking out when confronted with evidence of torture by
others and the arbitrary detention of a prominent journalist. But he said
Maduro’s most-brazen order — and one of Cristopher Figuera’s biggest regrets —
was his role trying to break opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s resolve by going
after his inner circle. Initially, he said, Maduro wanted to arrest Guaidó’s
mother. When Cristopher Figuera pointed out that she was undergoing cancer
treatment, the focus shifted to Roberto Marrero, Guaidó’s chief of staff, who
has been held since March on accusations of running a “terrorist cell” bent on
carrying out assassinations. Cristopher Figuera said he then told Maduro that
he did not have legal cause. “<i>How can I jail him?</i>” Cristopher Figuera
recalled asking Maduro in a tense meeting with top officials at Fort Tiuna in
Caracas less than 72 hours before a violent raid on Marrero’s house. <i>“He
told me, ‘That’s not my problem. Plant some weapons on him. Do what you have to
do.</i>'” Cristopher Figuera expects one day to be called as a witness by the
International Criminal Court, which is carrying out a preliminary investigation
into the Maduro government at the request of several Latin American nations,
France and Canada. Still, he acknowledges that he obediently carried out orders
to spy on 40 or so of Maduro’s top opponents, using wiretaps as well as
electronic and on-the-streets surveillance, and reporting to his boss every two
hours any noteworthy movements. He claims to have tried to persuade Maduro to
change course, sending him a two-page letter in early April that urged him to
appoint a new electoral council and call early elections. He thought the move
would have been a strategic retrenchment to regain the upper hand amid mounting
international pressure. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said he’s in
constant contact with high-level officials — generals, deputy ministers and
heads of government institutions — all of whom despise Maduro and want to see
him leave but are afraid to act. (AP: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/jul/04/ex-venezuela-spy-chief-says-maduro-ordered-illegal-arrests/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.columbian.com/news/2019/jul/04/ex-venezuela-spy-chief-says-maduro-ordered-illegal-arrests/</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With tenacity and torture, Venezuela’s awful
regime is hanging on<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Almost six months
since Juan Guaidó began his attempt to remove Venezuela’s leftist dictatorship,
the strain is showing. The 35-year-old’s jet-black hair is peppered with grey.
His eyes seem weary. He has dropped his snappy slogan, “<i>vamos bien</i>” (“<i>we
are doing well</i>”). Now his demoralized supporters utter it sarcastically. But
the need to end the rule of Nicolás Maduro is as strong as ever. His
mismanagement, plus sanctions imposed in January on Venezuela’s oil industry by
the United States, will cause the economy to shrink by more than 25% this year.
In dollar terms, the drop in output since Maduro became president in 2013 will
be around 70%. Francisco Rodríguez, an economist in New York who has advised
the moderate opposition, warns of famine. On July 5th the un High Commissioner
for Human Rights published evidence that security forces loyal to the
government, such as the FAES, had murdered at least 6,800 people from January
2018 to May 2019. It documented cases of torture, including the use of electric
shocks and waterboarding. Days before it was published, Rafael Acosta, a
reserve naval captain accused of plotting to overthrow Maduro, appeared in
court in Caracas, bruised and unable to say anything but “help me” to his
lawyer. He died hours later. Mr. Guaidó, the head of the opposition-controlled
legislature, had hoped to lead a velvet revolution. That plan has suffered one
reversal after another. Although Maduro claims to “<i>sleep like a child</i>” he
has cause for insomnia. The April uprising revealed splits in the regime. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The state-owned oil giant PDVSA, the main
foreign-exchange earner, is trying to shift exports from the United States to
Asia. Corruption, mismanagement by executives chosen for their loyalty to the
regime and now sanctions has caused output to plunge. Although Venezuela has
the world’s largest proven oil reserves, much of the country is suffering from
shortages of petrol. “<i>The regime’s entire focus now is survival</i>,” says a
Caracas-based diplomat. “<i>The rulebook has been thrown away</i>.” Maduro has
quietly abandoned elements of the socialism brought in by his predecessor. The
dollar has become accepted almost everywhere. Inflation has plummeted, to a
still stratospheric 445,482%. But these moves towards saner economic policies
have so far done little to ease hardship for most people. The main hope for a
political transition. It is hard to imagine a resolution to Venezuela’s agony
that does not include Maduro’s departure and a plan to hold elections with
international monitoring. If that is to happen, the president will have to
sleep less and worry more. (The Economist: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2019/07/13/with-tenacity-and-torture-venezuelas-awful-regime-is-hanging-on"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.economist.com/the-americas/2019/07/13/with-tenacity-and-torture-venezuelas-awful-regime-is-hanging-on</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">John Bolton uses Twitter to try to flip
Venezuela's defense minister<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">It looks like the White
House national security adviser is trying to get Venezuela's defense secretary
and military chief to flip. Four out of six John Bolton tweets since Monday
evening have targeted Venezuelan defense minister Vladimir Padrino. Bolton's
focus has been warning Padrino that he serves an illegitimate leader and that
he will be held accountable for deaths that the Venezuelan military inflict
under Nicolás Maduro's orders. In the first of what would be a three-day series
of tweets addressed to the Maduro regime’s Defense Minister General Vladimir
Padrino, Bolton argued that Maduro "<i>deprived your soldiers, relied on
illegal armed groups & 'colectivos' to violate the rights of Venezuela's
people & has systematically executed political opponents</i>." "<i>Why
do you support a tyrant whose inability to govern is visible for all to see?</i>"
Bolton asked. Shortly after Guaidó tried and failed to overthrow Maduro in late
April, Bolton alleged that Padrino was among the socialist leader's top
officials who agreed to switch sides, but ultimately failed to do so. Padrino
has denied the claim and Monday was neither the first nor last time Bolton went
off against Maduro and his administration on Twitter. "<i>Do you want to
be held to account for the arrest, torture and extrajudicial killings of your
fellow Venezuelans, including members of the FANB? The atrocities are being
documented for the world to see</i>," Bolton tweeted Tuesday, using an
acronym for Venezuela's National Bolivarian Armed Forces. "<i>Are you
proud to serve Maduro, a despot who has ordered the killing of thousands of
your fellow Venezuelans in the last 18 months?</i>" On Wednesday, Padrino
responded, tweeting that Bolton "<i>insists on an unhealthy attitude
against me, like an obsessive-compulsive disorder, through recurrent,
persistent and intrusive statements, characteristic of the insidious political
blindness to which they resort to failing to divide the FANB</i>." Padrino
linked Bolton's "<i>obsessive doubt</i>" to the "<i>clumsy and
failed strategy he sold to Trump</i>" and said that his continued position
as defense minister "<i>represents a mental torture for Bolton</i>." Bolton
hit back about 15 minutes later, arguing that the "<i>Venezuelan
Constitution does not call for the death of over 9,000 of your fellow
Venezuelans because they voice disagreement with Maduro." He continued:
"Remember your responsibilities to defend the constitution and the
Venezuelan people</i>." <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It's not at
all clear that Bolton's latest effort here will have any more success than the
last time around. For one, Maduro has just reappointed Padrino as defense
minister. While that might be a case of friends close and enemies closer, it's
equally likely to reflect Maduro's increased confidence. (NEWSWEEK: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/us-twitter-iran-venezuela-bolton-1448591"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.newsweek.com/us-twitter-iran-venezuela-bolton-1448591</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; The
Washington Examiner: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/john-bolton-uses-twitter-to-try-to-flip-venezuelas-defense-minister"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/john-bolton-uses-twitter-to-try-to-flip-venezuelas-defense-minister</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro regime’s war on children at a <i>'breaking
point'</i> over lack of medical care<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The cries of millions
of children still languishing inside Venezuela all too often go unanswered as
the deteriorating conditions and the iron-grip of the Maduro regime has set the
stage for once eradicated diseases to run rampant, trauma medicine to vanish,
infant mortality to drastically spike, and for simple health skirmishes to
morph into life-threatening plagues. “<i>The current health situation is at a
very delicate breaking point,</i>” Ephraim Mattos, executive director of
Stronghold Rescue & Relief, told Fox News. “<i>We will never know the exact
numbers of people who have died due to the corruption of the Maduro government,
but what is happening in Venezuela – especially to the children – is nothing
short of genocide</i>.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i>One of the
biggest health crises facing children fleeing Venezuela is simple dysentery
caused by the contaminated food and water they are forced to eat and drink just
to survive in Venezuela.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The dysentery
causes the children to become even more malnourished and dehydrated which only
compounds the issue further</i>,” Mattos, who endeavors to reach some of the
most famished and dangerous pockets of Venezuela with vital assistance, said. “<i>Children
who should be able to not only survive but also thrive, are needlessly dying
every single day</i>.” Paloma Escudero, the Global Director of Communication
for UNICEF, concurred to Fox News that the UN children’s agency is concerned
that Venezuela has reduced children’s access to essential services and
increased their vulnerability. “<i>Under-5 mortality increased by more than
half between 2014 and 2017. Venezuela went from being a model for malaria
eradication in the Americas, with its northern region declared malaria-free by
the WHO in 1961, to becoming the largest contributor to the malaria burden in
the region,</i>” she said. “<i>Between 2016 and 2017, reported malaria cases
increased by over 70 percent. The number of people who died from malaria
increased from 54 in 2010 to 456 in 2017.”</i> In addition, UNICEF has recorded
190 suspected cases of diphtheria since the beginning of 2019, leading to 13
deaths. Escudero continued, noted that families are being forced to wake at the
crack of dawn to trek their children across the border to the ravished Colombian
city of Cucuta, to get them immunized or treated for common childhood
illnesses. (Fox News: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/health/venezuelas-war-children-medical-care-lacking"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.foxnews.com/health/venezuelas-war-children-medical-care-lacking</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Trinidad criticized for lack of action as
Venezuelan migrants flee to the island nation<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">While large numbers
of desperate Venezuelans have flocked to their Spanish-speaking neighbors in
South America, more than 98,500 have fled to the Caribbean, according to a 2018
report from the United Nations. There are an estimated 40,000 Venezuelans
residing in Trinidad and Tobago, just 10 miles off the coast of Venezuela. With
unrest at their shores, Trinidad and Tobago’s government continues to avoid
formal asylum legislation. The island nation remains the only country to take
in large numbers of Venezuelan migrants without having an official asylum
policy in place. It has also not taken political sides on the unraveling
situation in Venezuela, instead choosing to remain officially neutral. As a
result, the islands’ government is receiving condemnation from world leaders,
the country’s own opposition, and asylum-seekers who say the country needs to
do more. This leaves desperate families to choose between remaining in their
divided homeland or moving to islands where they are unsure if they are safe
and welcome. The side effects have led to reports of unlawful detention by the
police and the deportation of 82 refugees, actions which the U.N. condemned as
illegal. The uncertainty has Venezuelans there living in fear and seeking
financial assistance on the black market, where reports of human trafficking
are rampant. (NBC News: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/trinidad-criticized-lack-action-venezuelan-migrants-flee-island-nation-n1028246"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/trinidad-criticized-lack-action-venezuelan-migrants-flee-island-nation-n1028246</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spain arrests suspect sought by Venezuela for
deadly arson<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A Spanish National
Court spokesman says that a man sought by Venezuela for allegedly burning a
22-year-old man during anti-government protests two years ago has been jailed
in Madrid. Enzo Franchini Oliveros’ arrest was first announced on Wednesday by
Venezuela’s top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab. Saab tweeted that Oliveros was
sought for public disorder, intentional homicide and terrorism charges related
to the burning of Orlando Figuera during a demonstration in May 2017. A Spanish
National Police spokeswoman said Oliveros was arrested on Monday in a town near
Madrid. A National Court spokesman says the man told Judge Santiago Pedraz
during questioning Thursday that he didn’t want to be extradited. A hearing
needs to be scheduled for magistrates to decide. (CBS: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.cbs42.com/news/international/spain-arrests-suspect-sought-by-venezuela-for-deadly-arson/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.cbs42.com/news/international/spain-arrests-suspect-sought-by-venezuela-for-deadly-arson/</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-63624661044107543312019-07-09T19:50:00.000-04:002019-07-09T19:50:23.314-04:00July 09, 2019
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oil & Energy<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Squeezed by sanctions, Venezuela sells oil to
tiny Turkish firm<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">With U.S. sanctions
blocking Venezuela from selling oil to the United States, state-owned energy
firm PDVSA has turned to several little-known buyers that include a tiny
Turkish company with no refineries but ties to Nicolas Maduro’s regime. U.S.
sanctions have driven away many customers. PDVSA’s exports have slumped by more
than a fifth since sanctions were imposed. Its biggest buyers today are Chinese
and Indian companies. Directors at a March 14 meeting of Maduro’s PDVSA board
temporarily waived some requirements for new customers or suppliers, including
that of having at least two years’ experience in the oil industry. In the wake
of the changes, a Turkish company called Grupo IVEEX INSAAT started buying
Venezuelan oil in April. Istanbul Chamber of Commerce records show that IVEEX
INSAAT was formed less than a year ago with capital of just US$ 1,775 and
listed “<i>residential construction</i>” as its main activity. It was one of
only five firms that loaded tankers to take Venezuela’s upgraded crude - among
its most valuable oil - from April through June, the documents showed. IVEEX
loaded four cargoes of Venezuelan crude and products in April - equivalent to
just under 8% of Venezuela’s oil exports - and nothing in May or June,
according to PDVSA documents. Turkish corporate records show IVEEX INSAAT is
owned by Miguel Silva, a Venezuelan businessman who heads the Caracas-based
Venezuelan Exporters’ Chamber and served as a housing ministry commissioner in
Maduro’s administration. Silva registered IVEEX INSAAT with a Turkish partner
named Erhan Kap, an Istanbul tour guide, on Sept. 27, 2018, just a week after
Maduro visited Istanbul. IVEEX reportedly has agreed to deliver refined
products to Venezuela in exchange for receiving crude. With its refinery
network crippled by maintenance issues, the OPEC nation has struggled with
severe fuel shortages in recent months. The two other companies that only began
chartering tankers to take PDVSA’s oil after sanctions hit are Panama-registered
MELAJ Offshore Corp and Sahara Energy, a unit of Nigeria-based Sahara Group.
The two loaded PDVSA oil cargoes shortly after the sanctions were announced. (REUTERS:
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-turkey/squeezed-by-sanctions-venezuela-sells-oil-to-tiny-turkish-firm-idUSKCN1U324M"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-turkey/squeezed-by-sanctions-venezuela-sells-oil-to-tiny-turkish-firm-idUSKCN1U324M</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">OPEC wants quick resolution to tensions between
US and Iran, Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">OPEC has asked on
Monday for a timely settlement to the tensions that have flared up between the
United States and Iran and Venezuela. Iran and Venezuela, both founding members
of OPEC, are both exempt once again from the production cut extensions that the
cartel announced last week and will remain exempt for as long as they remain
under sanction. Both Iran’s and Venezuela’s production woes have contributed
significantly to the cartel’s over compliance to the group’s production cut
quota, with Iran’s crude production falling from an average of 3.813 million
barrels per day in 2017 to 2.370 million barrels per day in May 2019, and
Venezuela’s crude production falling from 1.911 million bpd on average in 2017,
to an abysmal 741,000 bpd in May 2019. But while the two countries combined
seemingly did OPEC a favor by taking more than 2.6 million barrels of crude oil
per day out of the market within that time frame, the tensions in the Persian
Gulf and the dire situation in Venezuela are creating a market that OPEC is
finding it difficult to both predict and manage. (Oil Price: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/OPEC-Wants-Quick-Resolution-To-Tensions-Between-US-And-Iran-Venezuela.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/OPEC-Wants-Quick-Resolution-To-Tensions-Between-US-And-Iran-Venezuela.html</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Amuay and Cardon refineries halted by blackout<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s Amuay and
Cardon refineries are halted following a blackout in the early morning hours,
two oil industry sources with knowledge of the issue said on Sunday. The twin
refineries together form the 955,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Paraguana Refining
Center, which has been operating well below capacity for years because of
chronic operational problems that have been aggravated by Venezuela’s economic
crisis. “<i>Blackout in both refineries</i>,” one employee who works in the
complex wrote in a text message. “<i>It’s going to be difficult to get the
system back up</i>.” (Reuters, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/refinery-operations-pdvsa-amuay/update-1-venezuelas-amuay-and-cardon-refineries-halted-by-blackout-sources-idUSL2N24802S"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/refinery-operations-pdvsa-amuay/update-1-venezuelas-amuay-and-cardon-refineries-halted-by-blackout-sources-idUSL2N24802S</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">CHEVRON is playing a long game in Venezuela’s oil
fields<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Donald Trump may have
slammed Venezuela with sanctions in an effort to change the regime of President
Nicolás Maduro, but the country’s energy industry has an unlikely ally: CHEVRON
Corp. Despite the U.S. administration’s push to disrupt the financial resources
available to Venezuela’s leadership, the second-biggest U.S. oil company is
working to bolster one of the Maduro government’s chief economic pillars—its
ability to produce crude oil. CHEVRON is helping tap four fields in the country
while testing new injection technologies to maximize production in one. CHEVRON
is also helping pay for supplies, expenses, and even health care for workers at
state-owned oil producer PDVSA to keep the crude flowing. CHEVRON’s actions are
an attempt to play the long game in economically ravaged Venezuela. If Maduro
retains power, CHEVRON will keep its tenuous—but still profitable—foothold in
Venezuela. If he’s forced out and U.S. sanctions end, the company could be
first in line to gain from the country’s vast geologic riches. The gamble puts CHEVRON
in the same group as state-controlled producers from Russia and China that have
been supportive of the Maduro regime—and potentially at odds with its home
country. The company is working under a Department of the Treasury waiver of
U.S. sanctions against Venezuela that expires on July 27. A decision by the
U.S. government not to renew the waiver could cripple the production of more
than 200,000 barrels a day at the four projects Chevron is keeping afloat, even
though most of that production goes to PDVSA. And it could lead Maduro to hand CHEVRON’s
stakes in these fields to other explorers. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Positioning itself to outlast Maduro won’t be
easy. Last year two Chevron employees were arrested and held for seven weeks
for reasons neither the government nor the company disclosed. Still, the oil
producer continues to work with the government to keep its operation intact. That
could mean braving Trump administration pressure and weathering the worsening
humanitarian crisis, but the payoff might be worth the risks. <i>“Whatever
government that is coming in will be dealing with very diverse issues and doing
it with very little cash in the bank, and that presents a unique opportunity,</i>”
says Schreiner Parker, vice president for Latin America at consulting firm RYSTAD
Energy. <i>“In the medium to long term with regime change, we believe Venezuela
will become very investor-friendly, out of necessity more than anything</i>.”
(Bloomberg: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-09/chevron-is-playing-a-long-game-in-venezuela-s-oil-fields"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-09/chevron-is-playing-a-long-game-in-venezuela-s-oil-fields</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">JP Morgan to cut Venezuela weight to zero in
key indexes over five months<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">JP Morgan will reduce the weight of Venezuela's
sovereign and PDVSA bonds to zero in its widely tracked indexes, the bank said
on Tuesday, phasing them out over five months starting on July 31. Venezuela's
weight was 0.5%, 0.9% and 1.2% in the EMBI Global Diversified, EMBI Global and
EMBI+ indices, respectively, it added. As a result of dialing down the weighting,
JP Morgan said the headline EMBIGD yield and spread were estimated to compress
by about 45 basis points. JP Morgan said it could open another index watch
process in "<i>the event of any favorable official guidance around easing
of trading restrictions or consistent, observable improvements in liquidity and
replicability of Venezuela bonds</i>." </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(NASDAQ: </span></span><a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/article/jp-morgan-to-cut-venezuela-weight-to-zero-in-key-indexes-over-five-months-20190709-00584"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nasdaq.com/article/jp-morgan-to-cut-venezuela-weight-to-zero-in-key-indexes-over-five-months-20190709-00584</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro regime says U.S. sanctions hit debt
refinancing, oil sales<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicolas Maduro’s Vice foreign minister William
Castillo also Venezuela charged on Friday that U.S.-led sanctions had stopped
foreign debt refinancing, blocked vital food and medicine imports, and cost billions
of dollars in lost oil assets. Maduro’s government says Venezuela is the victim
of a U.S. plot to topple him, eradicate socialism and hand the world’s largest
oil reserves to multinationals. (Reuters,<b> </b><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-un/venezuela-says-u-s-sanctions-hit-debt-refinancing-oil-sales-idUSKCN1U014B"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-un/venezuela-says-u-s-sanctions-hit-debt-refinancing-oil-sales-idUSKCN1U014B</span></a>)<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bitcoin trading activity goes ballistic in
Venezuela as rule of law erodes<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The worse the political, social, and economic
conditions in Venezuela get, the more that residents suffering under the Maduro
regime pile into Bitcoin. According to Coin Dance, more than 47 billion
Venezuela bolivars were traded against Bitcoin in the first week of July. This
broke a previous record that had been set in mid-June. While the rising amounts
of bolivars being spent on buying Bitcoin could be attributed to the fact that
the Venezuelan currency is perpetually weakening, it also coincides with the
price of the flagship cryptocurrency appreciating considerably in the last
couple of weeks. As of April, the inflation rate in Venezuela was estimated to
have hit 1,300,000%. Mid last month, the country announced a 50,000-bolivar
bill designed to ease business transactions. Maduro will have released new
banknotes for the second time in less than a year. Still, Venezuela ranks among
the top 30 countries whose national currencies are the most traded for Bitcoin,
according to Coinhills. While BTC/VES volumes have been on a steady increase
since the beginning of 2018, Venezuela now has a national cryptocurrency, the Petro,
which is competing for attention with Bitcoin. With Venezuelans already
witnesses to how government-issued money can quickly lose its purchasing power
in the face of hyperinflation, this move will only be beneficial to Bitcoin: The
Maduro regime may be force-feeding the Petro on the people, but that will
likely just serve as a gateway drug to Bitcoin. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(CCN: </span></span><a href="https://www.ccn.com/crypto/bitcoin-trading-volume-venezuela/2019/07/08/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.ccn.com/crypto/bitcoin-trading-volume-venezuela/2019/07/08/</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guaido announces fresh talks with Maduro regime<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido on
Sunday announced fresh talks with the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Guaido,
who became acting president earlier this year, said the Norway-brokered talks
aim "<i>to establish a negotiation on the end of the dictatorship</i>,"
referring to Maduro's regime. "<i>The Venezuelan people, our allies and
the world's democracies recognize the need for a truly free and transparent
electoral process that will allow us to surpass the crisis and build a
productive future</i>," he said. Guaido is hoping the negotiations
eventually lead to Maduro stepping down and "<i>free elections with
international observers</i>." In May, delegations representing both
parties met in Oslo under Norwegian mediation. However, the talks have yet to
provide a path forward for the political impasse here. But Venezuela's
opposition is wary of talks with Maduro's regime. Previous attempts to end the
country's political crisis have failed, with critics saying they have only
served to further solidify his rule. Norway which hosted the preliminary talks
and is mediating the protracted process says the aim of the upcoming round of
discussions in Barbados, is to move further forward towards a constitutional settlement.
The opposition led by Juan Guaido wants a transitional government to replace
the regime of Nicolas Maduro, and then free elections monitored by
international observers. Guaido insists he`s the legitimate Interim President,
recognized by more than fifty nations all around the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While Maduro states he`s the democratically
elected President. (DW: </span></span><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/venezuelas-guaido-announces-fresh-talks-with-maduro-regime/a-49507748"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.dw.com/en/venezuelas-guaido-announces-fresh-talks-with-maduro-regime/a-49507748</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Vatican News: </span></span><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2019-07/venezuela-cardinal-government-opposition-dialogue.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2019-07/venezuela-cardinal-government-opposition-dialogue.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-opposition-says-it-will-meet-maduro-envoys-in-norway-mediated-talks-idUSKCN1U20TF"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-opposition-says-it-will-meet-maduro-envoys-in-norway-mediated-talks-idUSKCN1U20TF</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-norway/venezuela-talks-to-resume-this-week-norway-idUSKCN1U30GU"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-norway/venezuela-talks-to-resume-this-week-norway-idUSKCN1U30GU</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Barbados welcomes being the site for talks as
CARICOM leverages ties with Caracas<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Barbados Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley Monday
welcomed plans by both sides to hold talks in Barbados. “<i>Since January, the government
of Barbados along with other CARICOM governments has made it clear that the
time for dialogue is never over. As a zone of peace, we will want to see a very
peaceful resolution to the problems in Venezuela</i>,” Mottley told reporters. Caribbean
Community (CARICOM) leaders who have in the past adopted a position of
non-interference and non-intervention in the affairs of this country, last week
re-affirmed that position during their annual summit held in St. Lucia. Mottley
made it clear that apart from hosting the meeting, Barbados will be playing no
major role in the discussions. “<i>This is a matter that requires the utmost
patience, so it is not something that you should be asking me or anybody about
on a daily basis, let the people talk. When you have deep divisions, it takes
time and I have every confidence in the government of Norway being able to do
what CARICOM has wanted done since January</i>,” she said. Caribbean nations
that used to rely on cheap Venezuelan oil are now hoping to leverage their ties
with Caracas to help broker a negotiated settlement to the political crisis
there. "<i>This issue is one for the Venezuelans to work out</i>,"
Trinidad´s prime minister Keith Rowley said. Norway's prime minister Erna
Solberg was a guest at the CARICOM summit, and the group is playing the role of
an honest broker in the Venezuelan crisis, St. Kitts-Nevis prime minister
Timothy Harris said. (Caribbean Broadasting Corporation: </span></span><a href="http://www.cbc.bb/wordpress/2019/07/09/pm-pleased-with-plans-for-negotiations-to-end-venezuela-crisis/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.cbc.bb/wordpress/2019/07/09/pm-pleased-with-plans-for-negotiations-to-end-venezuela-crisis/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Argus Media: </span><a href="https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1935802-caribbean-sets-stage-for-thorny-venezuela-talks"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1935802-caribbean-sets-stage-for-thorny-venezuela-talks</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro <i>'optimistic'</i> as crisis talks
resume<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicolás Maduro said he was "<i>optimistic</i>"
as talks between his regime and the opposition to resolve the country's
political crisis resumed on Monday. Preliminary talks held in May in Oslo
petered out without an agreement. Maduro said a six-point agenda was being
discussed at the meeting which is being hosted by Barbados. He did not give
further details. The Norwegian foreign ministry is again acting as a mediator,
as it did at the previous meeting in Oslo, but has so far only commented to
confirm the meeting was taking place. Maduro revealed that Monday's meeting
lasted five hours. He also said he thought "<i>a path to peace</i>"
could be found. Just a week ago Guaidó ruled out a return to negotiations,
citing as a reason the death in custody of an army captain whose body showed
signs of torture. Guaidó has not said why his stance has changed. Some in the
opposition say the talks are a ruse by the government to buy itself more time
in power. On Friday Maduro said he doesn’t think it necessary to hold
presidential elections in the country right now. "<i>What does the people
of Venezuela need today? Elections? I don’t think so</i>," he told
journalists. "<i>The people of Venezuela needs economic revival, peace and
constitutional stability. And it is necessary to reelect the National Assembly
for that</i>," he said. "<i>The opposition wants no elections</i>,"
he said. "<i>If we say elections will be held in 30 days, they will begin
inventing reasons to dodge them</i>." (BBC: </span></span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-48904193"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-48904193</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; TASS: </span></span><a href="https://tass.com/world/1043923"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://tass.com/world/1043923</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's rule of law has crumbled under
Maduro, international legal group reports<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The rule of law has crumbled in Venezuela under
the regime of Nicolas Maduro which has usurped the powers of the legislative
and judicial branches, an international legal watchdog said on Monday. The
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) called on Venezuelan authorities to
reinstate democratic institutions as part of a solution to the political,
economic and humanitarian crisis engulfing the OPEC member. The government and
a compliant Supreme Court effectively stripped the National Assembly of most
powers after the opposition won a majority in 2015 elections. Lawmakers loyal
to Maduro generally do not attend the sessions but go to meetings of the
Constituent Assembly, a legislative body that meets in the same building. The
Constituent Assembly, created in a 2017 election boycotted by the opposition,
is controlled by the ruling Socialist Party and its powers supersede the
National Assembly. Sam Zarifi, ICJ secretary-general, presented its latest
report on Venezuela: “<i>No Room for Debate</i>”. “<i>The focus of this report
is on the usurpation of the authority of the legislative by the government in
Venezuela. This comes after the judiciary was taken over</i>,” he told a news
briefing. The Constituent Assembly was “<i>formed improperly and illegitimately</i>”
and has gone far beyond its stated role, Zarifi said, adding: “<i>In fact it
seemed to do everything but really discuss a new Constitution</i>”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i>Addressing the problem of the National
Constituent Assembly is a crucial step in any political solution to the crisis
that has gripped Venezuela</i>,” ICJ’s Zarifi said, urging the government to
engage with the opposition-led legislature. (NBC News: </span></span><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/venezuela-crisis/venezuela-s-rule-law-has-crumbled-under-maduro-international-legal-n1027406"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/venezuela-crisis/venezuela-s-rule-law-has-crumbled-under-maduro-international-legal-n1027406</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Poll shows 64,6% of Venezuelans would vote in any
new presidential election<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A recent poll by the Catholic University’s Center
for Political Studies and Government, along with DELPHOS, shows that 64.6% of
Venezuelans are willing to vote if new presidential elections are called; and
the number goes up to 70.2% if Nocolás Maduro resigns and stays out of the
process, the National Elections Council is changed and there are international
observers. An opposition candidate would get 67% of all votes (12.9 million) and
a regime candidate would receive 33% (6.3 million). Another 15.1% of those
polled indicated they might vote. More in Spanish: (El Universal, </span></span><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/44895/646-de-los-venezolanos-votarian-en-elecciones-presidenciales"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/44895/646-de-los-venezolanos-votarian-en-elecciones-presidenciales</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelans deserve
better life, free from fear, UN Human Rights Chief says<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights said on Friday that Venezuelans deserve a better life that is free from
fear and whereby they have access to food, water and health services during the
presentation of her report on Venezuela before the Human Rights Council. “<i>The
fate of more than 30 million Venezuelans rests on the leadership’s willingness
and ability to put the human rights of the people ahead of any personal,
ideological or political ambitions</i>,” Michelle Bachelet said during
presentation of her report in Geneva. The report accuses the Nicolas Maduro
regime of grave human rights violations and documents, among other serious
incidents, more than 6,800 extra-judicial killings by the Venezuelan armed
forces between January 2018 and May 2019. These killings, “<i>should be fully
investigated, with accountability of perpetrators, and guarantees of
non-recurrence</i>,” added Bachelet. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
also denounced a pattern of torture reports during arbitrary detentions and
mentioned the recent death of Rafael Acosta, a retired navy captain, who died
in custody. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2480704&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2480704&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro slams UN human rights report, says it's
full of lies<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nicolás Maduro on Monday said he had demanded
the rectification of what he described as lies included in the latest United
Nations report on human rights in this country. He also said that the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and former president of Chile,
Michelle Bachelet, had "<i>made a wrong call</i>" with the report's
outcome. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(EFE: </span></span><a href="https://www.efe.com/efe/english/world/venezuela-s-maduro-slams-un-human-rights-report-says-it-full-of-lies/50000262-4018799"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.efe.com/efe/english/world/venezuela-s-maduro-slams-un-human-rights-report-says-it-full-of-lies/50000262-4018799</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan bishops condemn death of naval
captain while in custody, other atrocities<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Venezuelan bishops' justice and peace
commission have condemned the death in custody of Rafael Acosta Arévalo, a
naval captain who was arrested over an alleged assassination plot against
president Nicolas Maduro. Acosta's lawyer alleges the officer had been tortured
while in custody. Two members of Venezuela's military counterintelligence
agency have been charged in relation to Acosta's death. The bishops also
protested that police had allegedly disfigured and left blind Rufo Chacón
Parada, a youth, as he was demonstrating about the lack supplies in the
country. “<i>The Venezuelan state is responsible. We will not consent to the
manipulation, dissimulation and downplaying of these grave incidents</i>,” the
bishops' justice and peace commission stated July 4. The bishops said that “<i>the
forced disappearance, torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, excesses
committed by the police … against Venezuelans are practices that have taken
hold in the military and police corps, and are occurring on an ongoing basis,
like a secret that cries out in our consciences.</i>” “<i>Silence is not an
option in face of so much outrage</i>,” the bishops said. The bishops noted
that the men charged in relation to Acosta's death, Lt Ascanio Tarascio and Sgt
Esteban Zarate, are 22 and 23, and asked: “<i>This is the generation the armed
forces are passing the baton to? Who taught these young men how to do so much
harm to their brothers? What are the responsibilities of their superiors in the
chain of command in these institutions</i>?” They emphasized that “<i>these
young perpetrators are also victims of a system that has allowed this moral and
spiritual degradation in our country</i>.” In addition, a Venezuelan Cardinal
is accusing the Maduro regime of intimidation and has reiterated his appeal to Nicolas
Maduro to engage in dialogue. In an interview with the Pontifical Foundation ‘<i>Aid
to the Church in Need’</i>, Archbishop Baltasar Porras of Merida, apostolic
administrator of Caracas and President of Caritas Venezuela, shone the light on
the limitations and intimidation perpetrated by the government against Church
officials and organizations. He decried the fact that those who are bringing
aid to the impoverished population and even parishes are continuously under
pressure to stop their work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Catholic
News Agency: </span></span><a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/venezuelan-bishops-condemn-death-of-naval-captain-while-in-custody-74364"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/venezuelan-bishops-condemn-death-of-naval-captain-while-in-custody-74364</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Vatican News: </span></span><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2019-07/venezuela-cardinal-government-opposition-dialogue.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2019-07/venezuela-cardinal-government-opposition-dialogue.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan journalist Braulio Jatar
conditionally released, barred from leaving country<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan online and radio journalist Braulio
Jatar was formally released from house arrest today after receiving official
notification from a criminal court in his home state of Nueva Esparta. As
mandated by the court, Jatar - who was charged but not tried for money
laundering -- is barred from leaving Nueva Esparta and is required to present
himself before that court every 15 days, according to his statement. Jatar's
release was first announced by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle
Bachelet on July 5, according to press reports. According to the reports,
Bachelet had requested the release of Jatar and other high-profile prisoners
during her June visit to Venezuela. The news came after the U.N. Human Rights
Council held a debate on Bachelet’s report of a visit to Venezuela in June. The
report accused Venezuelan security forces of sending death squads to murder
young men but a vice minister rejected that in a speech to the Geneva forum on
Friday. “<i>The welcome releases of 62 detainees then (in June), with a further
22 – including journalist Braulio Jatar and judge (Maria) Lourdes Afiuni – set
free yesterday and the authorities’ acceptance of two human rights officers in
the country, signify the beginning of positive engagement on the country’s many
human rights issues</i>,” Bachelet said. (Committee to Protect Journalists: </span></span><a href="https://cpj.org/2019/07/venezuelan-journalist-braulio-jatar-conditionally-.php"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://cpj.org/2019/07/venezuelan-journalist-braulio-jatar-conditionally-.php</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-un-prisoners/venezuela-releasing-judge-journalist-20-students-u-n-idUSKCN1U016V"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-un-prisoners/venezuela-releasing-judge-journalist-20-students-u-n-idUSKCN1U016V</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US expresses concerns for wrongfully detained
U.S. persons (CITGO 6) in Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The United States demands that the former
Maduro regime release the wrongfully detained “CITGO 6” in Venezuela. These men
are suffering serious health conditions and must be released immediately. Maduro
loyalists continue to prevent the families and attorneys of American prisoners
from assisting with basic access to food and medicine, without regard for
mental health and general well-being of those detained. These affronts to basic
dignity will not be ignored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Department of State continues to press Maduro’s representatives for their
assurance of the safety and welfare of Americans wrongfully detained in
Venezuela. (US Department of State: </span></span><a href="https://www.state.gov/concerns-for-wrongfully-detained-u-s-persons-citgo-6-in-venezuela/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.state.gov/concerns-for-wrongfully-detained-u-s-persons-citgo-6-in-venezuela/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">UN agencies welcome regional road map to help
integrate ‘<i>continuing exodus of Venezuelans’</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A new road map adopted by Latin American and
Caribbean countries, to help better integrate refugees and migrants from
crisis-hit Venezuela into new host societies, drew a warm welcome from two UN
agencies on Monday. UN refugee agency UNHCR, and the International Organization
for Migration (IOM) lauded the joint declaration that agrees to reinforce
cooperation, communication and coordination between the countries of transit
and destination; strengthen measures against people-smuggling and trafficking;
and protect the most vulnerable by combatting discrimination, xenophobia and
sexual and gender-based violence. The road map was adopted late last week
during the International Technical Meeting of the Quito Process, in the
Argentine capital, Buenos Aires, with the participation of 14 Latin American
and Caribbean governments, UN agencies, regional organizations, development
banks and civil society The meeting highlighted the actions and efforts of the
regional countries, not only in terms of reception, documentation and
humanitarian assistance, but also in promoting access to health, education,
employment, and housing on behalf of Venezuelan refugees and migrants. The Road
Map of the Buenos Aires Chapter sets out specific actions on human trafficking,
healthcare and for recognizing academic qualifications of Venezuelan
professionals, as well as establishing information and reception centers. A
so-called Information Card for Regional Mobility is a priority commitment, to
complement and strengthen the documentation and registration processes at
national levels where it exists or is being developed. According to data from
national immigration authorities and other sources, the number of refugees and
migrants from Venezuela around the world has now exceeded four million. (UN
News: </span></span><a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/07/1042041"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/07/1042041</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Venezuelan Independence
Day Maduro called for “<i>dialogue”</i> as Guaido slammed '<i>dictatorship'</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s bitterly divided political factions
held competing commemorations of the country’s independence day on Friday, with
President Nicolas Maduro calling for dialogue and opposition leader Juan Guaido
decrying alleged human rights violations by Maduro’s “<i>dictatorship</i>.” Speaking
to a gathering of top military officials, Maduro reiterated his support for a
negotiation process mediated by Norway between his socialist government and
Guaido, the leader of the opposition-held National Assembly who argues Maduro’s
2018 re-election was a fraud. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/on-venezuelan-independence-day-maduro-calls-for-dialogue-as-guaido-slams-dictatorship-idUSKCN1U022E"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/on-venezuelan-independence-day-maduro-calls-for-dialogue-as-guaido-slams-dictatorship-idUSKCN1U022E</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro ratified General
Padrino as Defense Minister<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nicolas Maduro on Sunday announced he will maintain
Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino in his post, following months of
rumors that top military brass would be replaced after a failed uprising in
April. The Trump administration identified Padrino among the top officials
involved in negotiations with opposition leader Juan Guaido to create a
transition government on April 30, in response to the country’s economic
meltdown. Since then, General Padrino has publicly professed loyalty to Maduro
along with the majority of the armed forces, which are seen as the main reason
why Maduro held on to power despite a hyperinflationary collapse. (Reuters, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-military/venezuelas-maduro-ratifies-padrino-as-defense-minister-idUSKCN1U305G"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-military/venezuelas-maduro-ratifies-padrino-as-defense-minister-idUSKCN1U305G</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">OP-ED: Will more talks that do not include the
military resolve Venezuela’s crisis?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Representatives from Venezuelan President Nicolás
Maduro’s government and the opposition are expected to meet this week in
Barbados for another round of talks mediated by Norway. Previous discussions to
end the country’s ongoing political crisis have ended in deadlock. The talks so
far have involved two parties: Maduro’s government, which still controls state
institutions largely due to military backing; and the opposition led by Juan
Guaidó, who is recognized as Venezuela’s acting president by more than 50
countries. Guaidó, like many in the opposition, is skeptical of dialogue.
Maduro’s critics see it as a stalling tactic. What to expect: Guaidó has
demanded a solution this time, but the talks could again be limited by the
two-party approach, said Moises Rendon, the associate director of the Americas program
at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “<i>The new round of
negotiations has a flaw that hasn’t been addressed in the last rounds: who is
representing Maduro’s government and who is representing Guaidó’s government</i>,”
Rendon said. “<i>I don’t think it’s going anywhere, because you don’t have the
full representation of all the forces within the Maduro regime”—including the
military</i>.” Last week, the United Nations released a report alleging
thousands of extrajudicial killings carried out by Venezuelan special forces
over the past 18 months. “<i>That will help on the leverage of the Guaidó side</i>,”
Rendon said. But it could have limited impact on this week’s negotiations. “<i>The
[U.N.] report did not go that far in terms of connecting the human rights
violations they described to the Maduro government</i>,” he added. “<i>It’s not
shedding light on who’s responsible</i>.” (Foreign Affairs: </span></span><a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/07/09/another-round-of-talks-for-venezuela-maduro-guaido-iran-europe-trump-uk-darroch/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/07/09/another-round-of-talks-for-venezuela-maduro-guaido-iran-europe-trump-uk-darroch/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-4988380065299982912019-06-20T19:39:00.000-04:002019-06-20T19:39:45.614-04:00June 20, 2019
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">International Trade</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela received a new shipment of humanitarian
technical assistance<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On Monday, June 17th, the second shipment of
Humanitarian Technical Assistance arrived, with 24 tons of medicines and
medical supplies, as part of the cooperation between the Maduro regime and the
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Maduro’s Health Minister,
Carlos Alvarado, said that with this shipment increases to 48 tons received
through the Federation, totaling 569 tons of medicines and medical surgical
equipment. (AVN, </span><a href="http://www.avn.info.ve/node/474357"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.avn.info.ve/node/474357</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">CHEVRON could finally be forced to leave
Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">CHEVRON's nearly century-long relationship with
Venezuela might not survive the Maduro regime's fight with the United States.
Not only is Venezuela's infrastructure crumbling, but the national oil company
has been sanctioned by the Trump administration. CHEVRON, the last major US oil
company still operating in Venezuela, could be forced to leave unless US
officials extend sanctions waivers scheduled to expire on July 27. A CHEVRON
exit would follow on the heels of other major American companies that have
retreated from the chaos in Venezuela in recent years. A loss of CHEVRON's
expertise and resources would only make matters worse for Venezuela's oil
industry, which is already on the brink of collapse under Nicolas Maduro. And
it could trigger losses for CHEVRON in a major market it's spent decades
sinking time, money and sweat into. CHEVRON currently has five onshore and
offshore production projects in Venezuela with PDVSA, the national oil company.
CHEVRON even established its Latin American headquarters in Caracas. In
January, US President Donald Trump imposed tough sanctions on PDVSA in a bid to
push out Maduro. Those sanctions prohibited American companies from doing
business with PDVSA. However, the US Treasury Department granted six-month
waivers to CHEVRON and five oil services companies: HALLIBURTON, SCHLUMBERGER,
BAKER HUGHES and WEATHERFORD International. Those waivers, set to expire on
July 27, allow the companies to conduct transactions and activities with PDVSA.
If the waivers lapse and US sanctions remain in place, analysts said that CHEVRON
would need to suspend its joint ventures with PDVSA. CHEVRON said that "<i>future
events</i>" could cause the environment in Venezuela to become "<i>more
challenged</i>," leading to "<i>increased business disruption and
volatility</i>" in financial results. Today, CHEVRON owns a 39% stake in a
joint venture with PDVSA that produced 16,000 barrels per day of oil in the
Boscan Field, which is in the state of Zulia. CHEVRON also owns stakes in three
other onshore production joint ventures, two of which operate in Venezuela's
Orinoco Belt. If the sanctions waivers aren't renewed and CHEVRON Leaves, the
hope is that the company would be able to resume its operations once relations
between the United States and Venezuela improve. However, analysts warn that
would be no easy task. Venezuela's energy infrastructure is falling apart --
and a pause in activity would only worsen it. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(CNN: </span></span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/19/business/chevron-venezuela-oil-sanctions/index.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/19/business/chevron-venezuela-oil-sanctions/index.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia squeezing embattled Maduro for tax-free
gas expansion<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia’s state-controlled oil giant, ROSNEFT
PJSC, is extracting concessions from crisis-ridden Venezuela to enter the
offshore natural gas market on the cheap, a potential headache for the U.S. and
Europe. An accord signed by both Russia and Venezuela earlier this month will
give ROSNEFT tax breaks to produce and export gas from the Patao and Mejillones
fields off Venezuela’s east coast. The document, which also includes a “<i>fair
market price</i>” in the event of an expropriation, makes changes to a
bilateral agreement reached in 2009, according to a filing by the Russian
government. The deal underscores how Russia is both propping up and gaining
from the Nicolas Maduro regime at a time when the U.S. is sanctioning Maduro
and China has cut its support. Venezuelan gas could eventually offer Russia new
entry points into both Asia and Europe. As a result of the changes signed by
Russian President Vladimir Putin, ROSNEFT and its suppliers will be exempt from
value added and import taxes to develop the two gas fields, which are near to
where EXXON MOBIL Corp. is rushing to extract oil in neighboring Guyana. The
agreement was filed online by the Russian legal information website, which
publishes orders by the president and applied international treaties. ROSNEFT is
also considering entering another natural gas block, known as Deltana 5, that’s
much closer to a border that’s been hotly contested. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ROSNEFT would have two options to export the
gas. It could build a liquefied natural gas plant in Venezuela, or it could
pipe the gas to Trinidad where there are LNG trains with spare capacity. (Bloomberg:
</span></span><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russia-squeezing-embattled-venezuela-tax-040001813.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russia-squeezing-embattled-venezuela-tax-040001813.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. seeks info from ad-hoc CITGO board named
by Venezuela's Guaidó<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">An ad-hoc board of directors for U.S. oil
refiner CITGO, named by Venezuelan interim president Juan Guaidó, said on
Wednesday it has received a request for information from U.S. officials, who
are probing its parent company PDVSA for alleged corruption. "<i>Recently,
the U.S. Department of Justice ... has also requested information from CITGO</i>,"
the board said on its Twitter account. "<i>CITGO has communicated to the
Department of Justice its complete disposition to cooperate to clear up
presumed irregular actions or corruption.</i>" The CITGO board added that
it was conducting an internal investigation into "<i>the company's actions
in the recent past</i>." (The New York Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/06/19/world/americas/19reuters-venezuela-politics-citgo.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/06/19/world/americas/19reuters-venezuela-politics-citgo.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No end in sight, families of CITGO executives
jailed in Venezuela push for answers<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It's been 570 days, say family members, who
worry about the men's health and insist they're innocent as they worry their
situation has been forgotten. Carlos Añez, 34, says he was upset when his
stepfather, a Citgo executive, was called for a last-minute meeting in
Venezuela the weekend before Thanksgiving 2017. Once in the conference room at
the PDVSA headquarters in Caracas, armed and masked security agents arrested
the men — five American citizens and one U.S. resident. Later that day, Maduro’s
chief prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, announced at a news conference that the
executives had been detained on charges stemming from a deal to refinance CITGO’s
debt. Saab accused them of signing off on a deal to refinance the company's
debt with terms unfavorable to Venezuela and offering CITGO as collateral. The
alleged agreement was with the investment fund Apollo Global Management and Dubai-based
Frontier, a firm that was working to source deals for Apollo. But a deal was
never signed. About seven weeks after Apollo declined a deal, the executives were
arrested. Maduro called them “<i>corrupt thieving traitors</i>” and said they
should go to the worst prison. The detained include former Citgo President Jose
Pereira and five former company vice presidents: Jorge Toledo, Tomeu Vadell,
Gustavo Cardenas, Jose Luis Zambrano, and Alirio Zambrano. After more than a
year-and-a-half in detention, the six Americans finally had a preliminary
hearing. The judge ordered they stand for trial, after they declared their
innocence. No date was set. Some of the families say they are concerned that CITGO
and the State Department may not be doing enough to secure the release of the
executives. A State Department spokesperson said it is gravely concerned about
the welfare and safety of these and other U.S. prisoners in Venezuela and are
closely monitoring the cases. (NBC: </span></span><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/no-relief-sight-families-citgo-executives-jailed-venezuela-seek-answers-n1018071"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/no-relief-sight-families-citgo-executives-jailed-venezuela-seek-answers-n1018071</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Canadian crude Gulf Coast exports rise as
Venezuelan gap is filled<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Heavy crudes have poured into the United States
this spring, offsetting the loss of Venezuelan oil and producing a mini surplus,
with Canadian heavy crude this month being exported from the U.S. Gulf Coast. U.S.
refiners have lined up larger supplies from Canada, Iraq and Colombia since
Washington in January began choking off the flow of dollars to Venezuela’s
socialist government by barring transactions with PDVSA, Venezuela’s state oil
company and once among the top three providers of heavy crude to U.S. refiners.
The United States went from importing 561,000 barrels per day (bpd) of
Venezuelan oil in January to zero barrels in May. This month, more than 130,000
bpd of heavy Canadian crude is scheduled to depart from Texas, four times the
average exported in 2018, trade sources said. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crude-exports/canadian-crude-gulf-coast-exports-rise-as-venezuelan-gap-is-filled-trade-sources-idUSKCN1TJ2AC"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crude-exports/canadian-crude-gulf-coast-exports-rise-as-venezuelan-gap-is-filled-trade-sources-idUSKCN1TJ2AC</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Is Maduro trafficking Nazi gold stolen from
Holocaust victims?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Simon Wiesenthal Center is looking into
whether Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro has been trafficking Nazi gold that
includes ingots made from fillings taken from Jews murdered in the Holocaust. The
Center said in a statement on Wednesday that it’s studying information exposed
by the Wall Street Journal indicating that Maduro has managed to hold onto his
regime through selling some 73.3 tons of gold valued at US$ 3 billion, to
Middle East and Turkish companies between 2017 and February 2019. In March, it
was reported that a further 7.4 tons of gold ingots, valued at US$ 300 million,
were sent in two flights of a Russian aircraft from Caracas to Entebbe, for
"<i>refining</i>" and sent on to a Middle Eastern country. “<i>Despite
the African Gold Refinery claims that the final destination was Dubai, via
Turkey, if the final destination was a ‘Muslim country,’ possibly to Iran as
end-user to fund terror, Maduro may be the agent of a historic irony: Gold
stolen from Jews in the Shoah to finance another genocidal intent, this time
against the Jewish State</i>,” the Center stated. "<i>We urge a full
investigation into the activities of African Gold Refinery and its management’s
reportedly nefarious role in the theft of the Venezuelan people’s property, the
dubious origin of its gold transport and involvement in a possible Holocaust travesty</i>,”
it added. (The Jerusalem Post: </span></span><a href="https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Is-Veneeulas-Maduro-trafficking-Nazi-gold-stolen-from-Holocaust-victims-593042"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.jpost.com/Diaspora/Is-Veneeulas-Maduro-trafficking-Nazi-gold-stolen-from-Holocaust-victims-593042</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Midtown’s Tower Fifth gets pushback from Venezuelan
leader<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Real estate tycoon Harry Macklowe’s proposed
Midtown Manhattan skyscraper, dubbed Tower Fifth, is now likely to get skinnier
— thanks to US sanctions against the Venezuelan regime. After the Post reported
Wednesday that Macklowe’s Tower Fifth skyscraper will be built partially in a
space where the Venezuelan consulate now stands on East 51st Street, the
Venezuelan Ambassador to the US tweeted out the story with some harsh words to Nicolas
Maduro. “<i>None of [Venezuela’s] assets are for sale in the US</i>,”
Ambassador Carlos Vecchio tweeted with a link to The Post story. “<i>Maduro
regime attempted to sell VZ consulate in NY, one of the usurper’s criminal acts
that we stopped to protect assets of the nation</i>,” said Vecchio, who was
appointed by Juan Guaidó, who the US recognizes as the interim president of the
country. (New York Post: </span></span><a href="https://nypost.com/2019/06/19/midtowns-tower-fifth-gets-pushback-from-venezuelan-leader/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://nypost.com/2019/06/19/midtowns-tower-fifth-gets-pushback-from-venezuelan-leader/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet arrives
in controversial Venezuela visit<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet arrived
in Venezuela on Wednesday for a three-day visit where she is expected to hold
separate talks with both Nicolas Maduro and interim president Juan Guaidó. She
is also expected to speak to civil society leaders and "<i>victims of
human rights violence and abuses</i>", the UN rights office said. Her
visit, at the invitation of the government, comes in advance of a UN Human
Rights Council three-week session. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bachelet
will deliver a statement at the end of her visit on June 21, and she is also
expected to submit a report to the UN Human Rights Council in the next month. In
recent months, the rights chief has been critical of Maduro's crackdown on
opponents. In a report to the UN Human Rights Council in March, Bachelet said
Venezuelan security forces, backed by pro-government armed groups, had quashed
peaceful protests with excessive use of force, killings and torture. She has
also criticized US sanctions against Maduro's government, cautioning that they
are exacerbating the crisis and possibly hurting "<i>people's basic rights
and wellbeing</i>". Some analysts believe her visit will reflect
positively for Maduro. <i>"With this visit the UN Commissioner,
indirectly, recognizes the legitimacy of the government of Nicolas Maduro</i>,"
said Luis Vicente from DATANALISIS, a think-tank in Venezuela. The fact that
her three-day trip is even taking place is also seen as something of a minor
triumph for rights activists. Bachelet’s predecessor, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein,
was repeatedly denied access to the country for criticizing what he said was the
government’s refusal to recognize a humanitarian crisis. In contrast, Maduro
appears to be rolling out the red carpet for Bachelet, who survived jail and
exile during Chile’s military dictatorship. On the eve of her arrival, the
government freed 21 opposition activists considered political prisoners,
including a substitute lawmaker and 18 people detained during recent
anti-government protests. Previously, Maduro began allowing the Red Cross to
deliver humanitarian aid. But several politicians close to Guaidó who have been
arrested in recent weeks remain behind bars, including his chief of staff
Roberto Marrero and National Assembly Vice President Edgar Zambrano. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to meeting with Maduro, Bachelet
will meet with socialist party boss Diosdado Cabello, as well as the Supreme
Court head and attorney general. She also plans to see victims of human rights
violations and their relatives, the U.N. agency said. Notably absent from a
draft agenda are visits to detention centers such as the Helicoide prison,
where many of the nearly 700 activists considered to be political prisoners by
the opposition are being held. José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director for Human
Rights Watch, urged Bachelet to insist on receiving access to a prison and the
JM de los Rios Children’s Hospital in Caracas, which doctors describe as a
waiting room for sick and dying children. He warned Bachelet’s visit will be a
disappointment if she just meets with officials, opposition leaders and civil
society representatives. “<i>She can do that via Skype from Geneva</i>,” he
said. “<i>She’s there to represent the victims. The litmus test is whether she
can gain access to a prison of her choice, inspect conditions and meet in
private with political prisoners. That’s the only thing that will give purpose
to this trip</i>.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Supporters of Guaidó,
however, have called for protests out of fear Bachelet will get a highly
curated, unrealistic view of the crisis. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Geoff Ramsey, a Venezuela researcher
at the human rights group Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), said the
visit would still be worthwhile, telling AP: "<i>Any progress we see of
releasing political prisoners or efforts to organize new elections I don't
think are going to be providing oxygen to Maduro. This could be a galvanizing
moment for the opposition at a time when they badly need it</i>." (Al
Jazeera: </span></span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/rights-chief-bachelet-heads-venezuela-day-visit-190619061657764.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/rights-chief-bachelet-heads-venezuela-day-visit-190619061657764.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Newsweek: </span></span><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/maduro-trump-venezuela-guaido-1444914"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.newsweek.com/maduro-trump-venezuela-Guaidó-1444914</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; France 24: </span></span><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190620-venezuela-united-nations-bachelet-human-rights-chief-first-visit-crisis"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.france24.com/en/20190620-venezuela-united-nations-bachelet-human-rights-chief-first-visit-crisis</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">NSC denies Washington Post report that Trump is
losing patience and interest on Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to The Washington Post, President
Donald Trump is losing interest in Venezuela after a bid to oust Nicolas Maduro
by US backed opposition figures in April failed. An official told the Post that
Trump had always thought of Venezuela as "<i>low-hanging fruit</i>"
on which he "<i>could get a win and tout it as a major foreign policy
victory</i>." "<i>Five or six months later.... it's not coming
together</i>," the official said. Two senior White House officials told
The Post that the president "<i>chewed out the staff</i>" <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- national security adviser John Bolton and
Latin America policy director Mauricio Claver-Carone - after the failure on
April 30 to shift Maduro from power because they "<i>got played</i>"
both by US-backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó, and Maduro regime figures -
who claimed to have supported ousting Maduro. The time, the White House had
been assured that key figures in the security forces and government were ready
to switch their allegiance, The Washington Post reported. The issue has largely
fallen off Trump's Twitter feed, with the president last mentioning Venezuela
on June 4, when he claimed Russian forces had withdrawn from the country. However,
the report was rejected by National Security Council spokesman Garrett Marquis
who described the official's claims as, "<i>patently false</i>." "<i>The
United States never said that its effort in Venezuela would be limited to one
round. The administration's maximum-pressure policy relies upon consistency and
discipline to achieve the ultimate goal,</i>" another senior official told
the paper. (Business Insider: </span></span><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-bored-of-venezuela-as-maduro-clings-to-power-report-2019-6"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-bored-of-venezuela-as-maduro-clings-to-power-report-2019-6</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; </span></span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.washingtonpost.com/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Newsweek: </span></span><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/maduro-trump-venezuela-guaido-1444914"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.newsweek.com/maduro-trump-venezuela-Guaidó-1444914</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pence thanks Latin America
for generosity in supporting Venezuela’s freedom<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vice President Mike Pence renewed on Tuesday
the “<i>firm”</i> commitment of the Donald Trump administration to Venezuela’s <i>“legitimate</i>”
president, Juan Guaidó, and the Venezuelan people and thanked other Latin
American countries for their “<i>generosity”</i> in helping defend the cause of
freedom in Venezuela. The US government stands “<i>with our neighbors ... We
will continue to stand strong until freedom, democracy and the rule of law are
restored</i>” in Venezuela, Pence said on a visit to the US Navy hospital ship
USNS Comfort at the Port of Miami, a vessel which on Wednesday will set sail on
an 11-country tour of the Caribbean, Central and South America, the ship’s
second visit to the region in the past six months. Pence said he was happy to
visit Miami “<i>for the departure of the USNS Comfort, bringing the compassion
of the American people to those suffering here in our hemisphere and around the
world</i>.” (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2480035&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2480035&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Colombian armed groups recruiting desperate
Venezuelans, army says<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s crisis is spilling across the
border into Colombia as Marxist rebels and right-wing paramilitaries recruit
migrants to strengthen their ranks, according to five Colombian military
commanders. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Violence still simmers in
Colombia despite a 2016 peace deal with leftist FARC rebels, meant to end five
decades of conflict. Dissident FARC fighters, the rebel National Liberation
Army (ELN), right-wing paramilitaries and drug-trafficking gangs are battling
each other and the military. Keen for recruits, these armed groups are
targeting Venezuelans as they traverse the porous 2,219-km (1,380-mile) frontier
at illegal border crossings, according to the military officials, human rights
officials and migrants themselves. Five military commanders told Reuters that
as many as 30% of insurgents in Colombia’s eastern border region are
Venezuelans, willing to take up arms in return for food and pay. Nationwide, an
estimated 10% of fighters are Venezuelan, the commanders said. Their estimates
were based on information from informants, deserters, captured rebels and
residents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reuters was not able
independently to confirm the information provided by the commanders or speak
directly to any Venezuelans who had been recruited by an armed group. Several
Venezuelan migrants told Reuters they had been approached by armed groups for recruitment
on entering Colombia. A FARC dissident, who asked not to be identified, told
Reuters the group was also present on Venezuelan soil and was recruiting
Venezuelans. Colombia’s right-wing paramilitary groups, which battled the ELN
and FARC for decades, are also recruiting migrants, the military officials
said. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-colombia-exclusive/exclusive-colombian-armed-groups-recruiting-desperate-venezuelans-army-says-idUSKCN1TL14E"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-colombia-exclusive/exclusive-colombian-armed-groups-recruiting-desperate-venezuelans-army-says-idUSKCN1TL14E</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After loss at sea, Venezuelan archbishop calls
for trafficking probe<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A top Vatican official in Venezuela has called
on authorities to investigate a rise in human trafficking after an apparent
smuggling operation gone wrong left more than a dozen people missing. Archbishop
Roberto Luckert in an open letter published on Facebook on Tuesday said the
sinking of a boat carrying Venezuelan migrants to Trinidad and Tobago in April
showed the dire consequences of trafficking. The letter urged authorities “<i>to
investigate, follow, prosecute and convict those responsible for the crimes of
human trafficking</i>.” It was signed by Luckert and another clergyman. Thirty-seven
passengers were on board the boat which left Venezuela and sank on April 23.
Rescuers found nine survivors and one body, and the other migrants remain
unaccounted for. It was unclear whether the passengers left Venezuela voluntarily
or were forced as part of a trafficking operation, as the Archbishop’s letter
suggested. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-trafficking-archbishop/after-loss-at-sea-venezuelan-archbishop-calls-for-trafficking-probe-idUSKCN1TK392"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-trafficking-archbishop/after-loss-at-sea-venezuelan-archbishop-calls-for-trafficking-probe-idUSKCN1TK392</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">OP-ED: Can negotiation actually break the
stalemate in Venezuela? by Felix Seijas<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The announcement of negotiations in Oslo
between Nicolás Maduro’s government and the Venezuelan opposition took most of
the country by surprise. Though the basis for the talks was built quietly over
several months, their beginning marked a new phase in the country’s political
conflict. Exploratory talks began just two weeks after the April 30 uprising,
indicating that the opposition had already been testing the possibility of
negotiations while pursuing its preferred path of a dramatic rupture within the
government. With those talks underway, Guaidó now faces two fundamental
problems. The first is that he must deal with currents within the opposition
that do not want a negotiated exit for Maduro. Pressure from international
actors, especially the Lima Group and the European Union, which have been
consistent in calls for a peaceful resolution to the conflict, may help in this
regard. A second, related problem is how to sell the benefits of dialogue to a
skeptical public that remembers the fruitless attempts at negotiation with
Maduro in Caracas in 2016 and the Dominican Republic in 2018. But despite the
risks, the circumstances today are very different. Maduro is likely to still
feel that he’s holding most of the cards, but time is not on his side as it
once was. Thus, the possibility of success in Oslo, while perhaps slim, should
not be discounted. The challenge lies in convincing those with the weapons that
clinging to their trenches will cost them more in the long run than reaching an
agreement and exiting the stage. To do this, it is essential to continue to
increase pressure on Maduro, and Guaidó should concentrate his efforts on three
goals: keeping the opposition coalition as unified as possible, keeping the
public mobilized, and coordinating with international allies to continue to
create effective mechanisms to pressure the regime. If any of these fails, the
goals at Oslo may well be unattainable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Trump administration does not have a seat at the table in Oslo, but it is
difficult to imagine that anything is happening without its full knowledge and
consent. Diosdado Cabello is another player to keep an eye on. If Cabello were
to get backing from Cuba, it could lead to consequential changes in the balance
of power within chavismo. If talks are successful, the most likely outcome will
be a call for new elections with safeguards to ensure a fair result. The two
sides, for now, are far from such an agreement, and the odds of success at this
point do not seem high. But for Venezuela, it is well worth the attempt. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- <i>Seijas is a Venezuelan political analyst
and statistician, Ph.D. He is the director of the Delphos poll</i>. (Americas Quarterly:
</span></span><a href="https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/can-negotiation-actually-break-stalemate-venezuela"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.americasquarterly.org/content/can-negotiation-actually-break-stalemate-venezuela</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">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.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-75139024604667337712019-06-13T19:34:00.000-04:002019-06-13T19:34:39.432-04:00June 13, 2019
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">International Trade<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Miranda Governor announces Venezuela exported
10 tons of avocadoes and mangoes to Spain<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Miranda State
governor Hector Rodriguez has announced that Venezuela has exported 10 tons of
avocadoes and mangoes to Spain, as a part of his state’s export drive. He made
the announcement flanked by La Guaira Mayor José Alejandro Terán, and Hector
Silva, President of the Miranda State Export Corporation. More in Spanish:
(Ultimas Noticias, </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/noticias/economia/venezuela-exporto-10-toneladas-de-aguacates-y-mango-a-espana/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/noticias/economia/venezuela-exporto-10-toneladas-de-aguacates-y-mango-a-espana/</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oil & Energy<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">S&P withdraws ratings on Venezuela state
oil company PDVSA<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Standard and Poor’s
withdrew its ratings On Venezuela's state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela
S.A. after multiple events of default and the company repeatedly failed to
submit its audited financials since 2017. “</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i>S&P Global Ratings withdrew
its 'SD' issuer credit rating on Venezuela-based oil and gas company Petroleos
de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA). At the same time, we withdrew our 'D' issue-level
rating on the company's debt.<br />
The withdrawal of our ratings on PDVSA follows our repeated attempts to obtain
timely information of satisfactory quality from the company in order to
maintain our ratings in accordance with our criteria and policies. PDVSA has
been unable to meet the coupon payments on its 2017, 2021, 2024, 2026, 2027,
and 2037 notes since November 2017 (or we have been unable to obtain a
confirmation that the bondholders had received the funds by that date). This
constitutes an event of default under our methodology</i>.” (Latin American
Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2479770&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2479770&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s massive blackout sparks boom in
generator sales<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As Venezuela's crisis
deepens, the sale of electric generators is one of the few growth industries in
the once-wealthy oil nation, whose residents struggle to get through each day
as public services crumble. Millions of poor live at the mercy of Venezuela's
unstable power grid, but middle- and upper-class residents able to scrape
together enough dollars are buying backup generators to regain a normal life.
Even this solution isn't foolproof. Gasoline shortages are creeping across the
country, imperiling access to fuel for newly bought generators. A catastrophic
power failure has led to a scramble for generators by residents and small
businesses fearing another big outage could hit without warning, plunging their
lives once again into chaos. Some have opted for small units costing a few
hundred dollars that can pump out enough power to run a few appliances at a
time, such as using the lights and water heater for a shower. A household
living with all the amenities requires a large generator that can cost upward
of US$ 1,000 — a small fortune in a country where the typical worker earns US$
6.50 a month. The situation is especially dire in Maracaibo, once known as
Venezuela's Saudi Arabia for being at the hub of the country's now-decaying oil
industry. Power plants put out a fraction of their potential, and the lights
have flickered on and off since late-2017, when a major transmission line
burned up. The nationwide blackout in March took the lights out for eight days
in Maracaibo and sparked massive looting that shuttered many businesses. Lines
to fill up a car with gasoline stretch a mile and often require a two-day wait.
(The Miami Herald: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article231504798.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article231504798.html</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shell stays course on Trinidad, Venezuela gas<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Shell was asked by
Trinidad and Tobago to study development options for an offshore natural gas
field that straddles the maritime border with Venezuela, while it continues
work on Venezuelan offshore gas, the European major told Argus. The cross-border
Loran-Manatee field, estimated to hold about 10 trillion cf of gas, has long
been seen by Trinidad as a key source of feedstock for its extensive gas-based
industries, led by the 14.8mn t/yr Atlantic liquefaction complex. Trinidad's
domestic gas production has been recovering since late 2017, but demand still
outstrips supply, forcing costly curtailments. Loran-Manatee covers block 6 on
Trinidad's side of the border, and block 2 on Venezuela's side. Shell acquired
a 50% operating stake in Manatee, on Trinidad's side, from fellow major Chevron
in June 2017. Chevron still holds the remaining 50%. Trinidad needs the gas to
supply its industries, while Venezuela needs export revenue and has no
infrastructure to monetize the gas on its own. Shell, like Chevron, has been
careful to reiterate that its "<i>activities relating to Venezuela are in
strict adherence to all applicable laws, regulations, trade controls and
sanctions</i>." PDVSA has long neglected its abundant gas reserves in
favor of oil, despite enormous suppressed demand from domestic refineries,
power stations and petrochemical plants. Little is expected to change in the
near term. Venezuela's oil-based economy is nearly paralyzed against the
backdrop of a power struggle between the Maduro regime and the US-backed
opposition. Under a transition government that National Assembly leader Juan Guaidó
is campaigning to establish, legislative reforms would open the door for
foreign oil companies to quickly tap dormant Venezuelan hydrocarbon deposits. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(ARGUS: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1920237-shell-stays-course-on-trinidad-venezuela-gas"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/1920237-shell-stays-course-on-trinidad-venezuela-gas</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Commodities<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gas shortages, sky-high food prices plague Venezuelans
amid economic crisis<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Dozens of cars lined
up alongside a gas station just after dawn on a highway in the Venezuelan city
of Maracay, in the central state of Aragua. The drivers had been waiting for
hours to buy gas, partaking in an all too common ritual in the hopes that when
it was their turn, there would be enough gas left to fuel up. The wasted trips
used up what little was left in his gas tank, and last Tuesday three men had to
push his truck from the highway down a long hill to a pump, where he was
finally able to fuel up. Venezuelans described lost days of work, anxiety at
being unable to feed their families, and endless hours waiting in lines because
of a gas shortage that's hitting the country with the world’s largest
producible oil reserves. For Venezuelans who make it to a gas pump with fuel,
filling a tank is basically free. Drivers tip gas station workers a small
amount, but there is no real fixed price to fill your tank with the government
keeping gas prices low but with the shortages it's a major problem. Hours-long
lines for gas have become more and more common, especially in states within the
interior of Venezuela, but the shortages have increasingly crept closer to
Venezuela’s capital, hitting cities like Maracay. While Caracas has been
largely spared the long lines thus far, Venezuelans in other states are in such
desperate need of gas they'll sleep overnight outside gas stations. The gas
shortages also meant disruptions to the once-reliable public transportation
system in Caracas, lengthening commutes and exposing Venezuelans to more
dangerous situations. They are also delaying food traveling from different
states in the Venezuelan interior, leading to rising costs. Even when there is
food available, the problem for many families is being unable to afford it with
hyperinflation and low wages. Many Venezuelan families rely on government
subsidized food-aid program, known in Spanish by its initials, CLAP. (NBC News:
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/gas-shortages-sky-high-food-prices-plague-venezuelans-amid-economic-n1016496"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/gas-shortages-sky-high-food-prices-plague-venezuelans-amid-economic-n1016496</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Economy & Finance<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela: hyperinflation leads to new
banknotes for second time in a year<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Venezuela is
releasing new banknotes for the second time in less than a year, the central
bank said on Wednesday, after hyperinflation eroded the effects of an August
2018 monetary overhaul meant to improve availability of cash. The Maduro regime
last year cut five zeroes off the currency and prices. The move was supposed to
ease shortages of cash that pushed most of the economy toward debit and credit
card operations and put heavy strain on digital commerce platforms. Banknotes
of 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000 bolivar denominations will begin circulating on
Thursday to “<i>make the payment system more efficient and facilitate
commercial transactions</i>”, the central bank said in statement. The largest
of those bank notes, equivalent to about US$8, is more than the minimum wage of
40,000 bolivars a month. Following the 2018 overhaul, the highest denomination
notes were 500 bolivars, which now would not be enough to buy a piece of candy.
Inflation in May reached 815,000% after peaking earlier this year above 1.7m%,
according to the opposition-run congress. (The Guardian: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/12/venezuela-releases-new-bank-notes-bolivars-hyperinflation"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/12/venezuela-releases-new-bank-notes-bolivars-hyperinflation</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; Reuters,
<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/venezuela-economy/venezuela-adds-bigger-bank-notes-due-to-hyperinflation-idUSL2N23J167"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/venezuela-economy/venezuela-adds-bigger-bank-notes-due-to-hyperinflation-idUSL2N23J167</span></a>;
Bloomberg, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-12/hyperinflation-forces-venezuela-to-roll-out-three-new-bills"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-12/hyperinflation-forces-venezuela-to-roll-out-three-new-bills</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3M to take about US$ 160 million charge as it
deconsolidates Venezuelan operations<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">3M Co said on Tuesday
it would incur a pretax charge of about US$ 160 million, or 27 cents per share,
in the second quarter, as the company suspended local operations in Venezuela. The
maker of Post-it notes, and Scotch tape said in a regulatory filing that
it deconsolidated its Venezuelan subsidiary as of May 31. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-3m-venezuela/3m-to-take-about-160-million-charge-as-it-deconsolidates-venezuelan-operations-idUSKCN1TC2AW"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-3m-venezuela/3m-to-take-about-160-million-charge-as-it-deconsolidates-venezuelan-operations-idUSKCN1TC2AW</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela hit with default in Saint-Gobain's
US$42 million award row<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">A Delaware court
clerk entered a default against Venezuela and state-owned oil company Petróleos
De Venezuela SA considering their silence in the French plastics company’s
litigation aimed at registering and enforcing a 2017 arbitral award. (Law360: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.law360.com/articles/1168575/venezuela-hit-with-default-in-saint-gobain-s-42m-award-row"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.law360.com/articles/1168575/venezuela-hit-with-default-in-saint-gobain-s-42m-award-row</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Convicted Venezuelan official’s Palm Beach
mansion goes for US$ 11 million in auction<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For just US$ 11
million, a little piece of corrupt Venezuelan history was sold to the highest
bidder last month, courtesy of the United States government. On May 30, a Palm
Beach mansion forfeited by convicted money launderer and former national
treasurer of Venezuela Alejandro Andrade was quietly auctioned off by Customs
and Border Protection (CBP) agents. The 4,600 square-foot estate is a
5-bedroom, 4.5-bath beach getaway, complete with a spa and pool. Andrade bought
the property, located at 1290 N. Ocean Blvd., for $8 million in 2013 and
apparently let the place fall into disrepair. In 2016, neighbors complained
that renovations of the home were disruptive and had been drawn out for too
long. The home — the latest of Andrade's illegitimate riches to be auctioned
off — is markedly more luxurious than the ex-treasurer's current digs in
federal prison. In November, Andrade received a maximum ten-year sentence in a
West Palm Beach federal court after pleading guilty to accepting a stunning $1
billion in bribes as part of an illicit foreign currency scheme. Andrade began
his prison sentence in February. He is reportedly being kept in a low- to
medium-security prison in Loretto, Pennsylvania, about 80 miles outside of
Pittsburgh. (Miami New Times: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/government-auctions-off-palm-beach-mansion-owned-by-former-venezuelan-treasurer-alejandro-andrade-11195909"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/government-auctions-off-palm-beach-mansion-owned-by-former-venezuelan-treasurer-alejandro-andrade-11195909</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Politics and International Affairs<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Trump on disputed claim of Russian withdrawal
from Venezuela: <i>'Ultimately I'm always right'</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">President Trump on
Wednesday stood by his claim that Russia had withdrawn its forces from
Venezuela despite the Kremlin's denials, asserting that he would be proven
right in the end. Trump was asked during an Oval Office meeting with Polish
President Andrzej Duda what he knows about Russia's involvement in Venezuela
given the conflicting statements. "<i>Well, let's just see who's right.
You know what you're going to do? You're going to see in the end who's right</i>,"
Trump said. "<i>You just watch it, OK?" he added. "And we'll see
who's right. Ultimately, I'm always right.</i>" Trump tweeted earlier this
month that Russia had informed the U.S. that it had removed "<i>most of
their people from Venezuela</i>." He offered no further information, and
officials did not elaborate on Trump's announcement. The next day, a Kremlin
spokesman told reporters that most of Russia's military specialists were still
working in Venezuela. Trump on Wednesday described the situation in Venezuela
as "<i>in flux</i>," and blamed the country's leaders for its descent
into a worsening economic and humanitarian crisis. "<i>It's a very sad
thing</i>," he said. "<i>We're watching Venezuela very closely</i>."
(The Hill: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/448247-trump-on-disputed-claim-of-russian-withdrawal-from-venezuela"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/448247-trump-on-disputed-claim-of-russian-withdrawal-from-venezuela</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Secretary Pompeo urges world leaders to find
solutions to Venezuela’s hunger crisis<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo implored world leaders to continue to stand against Venezuela’s
Maduro’s regime amid the country’s ongoing economic and humanitarian crisis. At
a World Food Prize event Monday, Pompeo highlighted the need for progress in
agriculture to help hungry nations. He pointed to starvation in Venezuela as
evidence. “<i>More than 60% of the country goes to bed hungry each and every
night, and many have resorted to rummaging through garbage bins to feed
themselves and their children</i>,” he explained. “<i>Malnourishment is so
widespread that Venezuelans refer to it as the Maduro diet</i>.” Hunger in
Venezuela is such problems that soup kitchens have rapidly cut down on food
donations due to Maduro cutting off humanitarian aid. The Trump administration
has sent aid to neighboring Colombia to get food to Venezuelans after aid being
sent to Venezuela was blocked because Maduro claimed it was sent to embarrass
his regime. Pompeo believes the U.S. government alone can’t solve the issue. “<i>We
all have an obligation to work each of these problems, it isn’t just a human
tragedy when we see hunger</i>,” he stated. “<i>When it takes hold of a
country, it can perpetuate a destructive cycle of crime and violence and
instability</i>.” (OAN: </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.oann.com/secretary-pompeo-urges-world-leaders-to-find-solutions-to-venezuelas-hunger-crisis/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.oann.com/secretary-pompeo-urges-world-leaders-to-find-solutions-to-venezuelas-hunger-crisis/</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moldova's parallel leader warns incumbent
against new Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moldova’s newly
declared Prime Minister Maia Sandu said her decision to form a parallel
government in the former Soviet Republic is perilous and urged the former
ruling party still claiming power not to turn the country into a second
Venezuela. Speaking in a phone interview from Chisinau, the 47-year-old former
World Bank adviser insisted that her administration -- assuming it survives --
will be wholly pro-European even though it depends on the support of pro-Russia
Socialist Party. (Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-11/moldova-s-parallel-leader-warns-incumbent-against-new-venezuela"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-11/moldova-s-parallel-leader-warns-incumbent-against-new-venezuela</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-55506190563600795742019-06-06T17:57:00.000-04:002019-06-06T17:57:09.501-04:00June 06, 2019
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's oil exports drop 17% in May as
sanctions kick in<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan PDVSA’s oil exports took another hit
in May, following a deadline for customers to wind-down purchases in order to
comply with U.S. sanctions, according to documents from the state-run company
and Definitive Eikon data. The energy firm’s exports of crude and refined
products fell 17% in May from the previous month to 874,500 barrels per day
(bpd), mainly due to difficulty in selling off barrels of upgraded crude that
used to be bought by U.S. refiners. Venezuela has drained oil inventories since
late January, when Washington imposed sanctions on PDVSA, to offset declining
crude output, according to analysts. That allowed the firm to maintain exports
around 1 million bpd for the following three months despite the measures. But
some customers ended purchases of Venezuelan oil in late April to comply with
sanctions, leaving PDVSA with an accumulation of upgraded oil and further
reducing its portfolio of regular buyers, according to the reports and data.
(Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-exports/venezuelas-oil-exports-drop-17-in-may-as-sanctions-kick-in-data-idUSKCN1T521H"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil-exports/venezuelas-oil-exports-drop-17-in-may-as-sanctions-kick-in-data-idUSKCN1T521H</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro’s PDVSA to open
Moscow office this month<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">PDVSA plans to open an office in Moscow this
month, Interfax cited the Maduro regime's oil minister as saying on Thursday
during a trip to the Russian city of St. Petersburg. Caracas said earlier this
year that it was moving its Lisbon-based office to Moscow in order to safeguard
the country's assets. (The Moscow Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/06/06/venezuelas-oil-company-office-to-open-in-moscow-this-month-a65901"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/06/06/venezuelas-oil-company-office-to-open-in-moscow-this-month-a65901</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Commodities</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro claims that Venezuela has 1.2 billion
Euros in mineral reserves<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In a recent televised speech, Nicolas Maduro claimed
that Venezuela has 1.2 billion Euros in mineral reserves, including gold, diamonds,
nickel, bauxite, iron, and others. He added that Venezuela has been legally
certified to have 2236 tons of gold, according to the regime’s news agency.
More in Spanish: (AVN, </span></span><a href="http://www.avn.info.ve/node/472987"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.avn.info.ve/node/472987</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela defaults on
gold swap with Deutsche <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela has failed to make interest payments
on a gold swap agreement valued at US$ 750M with Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB),
leading the lender to take possession of the precious metal used as collateral.
The loan that Deutsche Bank made in 2016 was backed by 20 tons of gold as
collateral. The agreement was set to expire in 2021 but was settled early due
to the missed interest payments. Meanwhile, Venezuela opposition leader Juan
Guaido's parallel government has asked the bank to deposit US$ 120M into an
account outside of Nicolas Maduro's control; that amount represents the
difference in price from when the gold was acquired to its current level. Venezuela's
gold holdings, one of Maduro's few sources of capital to keep his regime going
and his military forces loyal, have been shrinking. In March Venezuela's Central
Bank missed a March deadline to buy back gold from CITIGROUP For almost US$ 1.1B.
And earlier, the Bank of England refused to give back US$ 1.2B worth of
Venezuelan gold. (Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-04/venezuela-is-said-to-default-on-gold-swap-with-deutsche-bank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-04/venezuela-is-said-to-default-on-gold-swap-with-deutsche-bank</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">90% drop in construction industry reported here<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mauricio Brin, head of Venezuela’s construction
industry chamber, reports that construction here has dropped by 90% since 2019;
and is currently totally paralyzed. He added that most public works have been
paralyzed since 2010, “because the state has been unable to finance” them. More
in Spanish: (El Universal, </span></span><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/economia/42003/reportan-caida-de-mas-de-90-en-el-sector-construccion"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.eluniversal.com/economia/42003/reportan-caida-de-mas-de-90-en-el-sector-construccion</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Leaked audio reveals
Pompeo saying US has struggled to keep Maduro opposition united<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In a closed-door meeting last week, Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. has struggled to keep the opposition to
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro united, according to The Washington Post. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Our conundrum, which is to keep the
opposition united, has proven devilishly difficult,</i>” Pompeo said in audio
obtained by the Post. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The moment Maduro
leaves, everybody’s going to raise their hands and [say], ‘Take me, I’m the
next president of Venezuela.’ It would be forty-plus people who believe they’re
the rightful heir to Maduro</i>.” The secretary of State made the remarks last
week during a meeting with Jewish leaders, according to the Post, at one-point
declining to answer a sensitive question because “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">someone’s probably got a tape recorder on</i>.” Pompeo added that while
he believed Maduro would inevitably be ousted, he “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">couldn’t tell you the timing</i>.” The secretary of State said the
problems in uniting the opposition have been present since he became director of
the CIA in 2017 and that internal squabbles among Maduro’s enemies were
preventing a successful uprising. Maduro, Pompeo said in the recording, "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is mostly surrounded by Cubans</i>,"
adding, "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He doesn’t trust
Venezuelans a lick. I don’t blame him. He shouldn’t. They were all plotting
against him. Sadly, they were all plotting for themselves</i>." The
sentiments Pompeo expresses in the recording are “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a sober but accurate view</i>,” Shannon O’Neil, a Venezuela expert at
the Council on Foreign Relations, told the newspaper. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They remain divided over how to take on the Maduro regime — whether or
not to enter into dialogue, whether or not to engage with the military, whether
or not to run a presidential candidate or boycott elections</i>,” she told the
Post. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They don’t even retweet each other</i>.”
Pompeo blamed the disarray among the opposition for the failure of the April 30
coup attempt by a group of soldiers, which fizzled out within 24 hours. The
Washington Post said Pompeo made the comments at a meeting last week in New
York of which it had a recording, despite the official US support for interim
president Juan Guaido. Diosdado Cabello, the US-sanctioned head of Maduro’s
puppet “Constitutional Assembly” quickly called Pompeo “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">incompetent</i>” for failure to unite the opposition and for “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">believing in their lies</i>”; and invited
him to visit Venezuela. (The Washington Post: </span></span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/...pompeo...venezuelas.../85385a33-8eae-4ba5-a9ac-6"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.washingtonpost.com/...pompeo...venezuelas.../85385a33-8eae-4ba5-a9ac-6</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; The Hill: </span></span><a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/americas/447159-pompeo-reveals-in-leaked-audio-us-has-struggled-to-keep-maduro"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://thehill.com/policy/international/americas/447159-pompeo-reveals-in-leaked-audio-us-has-struggled-to-keep-maduro</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; RT: </span></span><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/461180-pompeo-opposition-unite-fail/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.rt.com/news/461180-pompeo-opposition-unite-fail/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; France24: </span></span><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190606-pompeo-warns-divided-venezuela-opposition-report"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.france24.com/en/20190606-pompeo-warns-divided-venezuela-opposition-report</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; and more in Spanish: El Universal,
</span></span><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/42042/cabello-ravell-debe-pagar-30-mil-millones-de-bolivares-para-la-construccion-de-escuelas-para-ninos"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/42042/cabello-ravell-debe-pagar-30-mil-millones-de-bolivares-para-la-construccion-de-escuelas-para-ninos</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan troops
trained rebels to fire rockets, Colombia says<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan soldiers loyal to embattled Nicolas
Maduro have trained members of South America’s most dangerous guerrilla force
to use heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles, according to Colombian authorities.
National Liberation Army fighters were instructed in how to use the
Russian-manufactured IGLA surface-to-air missile system, according to General
Luis Navarro, Colombia’s top-ranking soldier. The Marxist force known as the
ELN has long used Venezuelan territory as a refuge and has a close ideological
affinity with Maduro’s socialist government, which the U.S. is trying to
topple. Colombia’s intelligence services don’t know whether the ELN actually
has acquired its own missile launchers, nor do they know whether the training
was organized by a faction within Venezuela’s military or sanctioned at the
highest levels in Caracas. The ELN received training clandestinely rather than
at Venezuelan army bases, Navarro said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">These
are weapons used by the Venezuelan armed forces</i>,” he said in an interview
at a Bogota air base. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We have the clear
evidence and the necessary intelligence to affirm that the ELN is considered as
part of the defense of the revolution of the Maduro regime</i>.” Now, the
military intelligence report says, 45% of the ELN’s fighters - including its commanders
- are hiding in Venezuela and receiving protection from Maduro. Venezuela’s
Socialist regime has over the years acknowledged that the ELN enters the country
but denies supporting the rebel group. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
ELN considers Venezuelan states bordering Colombia as their strategic rearguard</i>,”
said Navarro, adding that growth in the ELN and FARC ranks was “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a risk and we have to contain them</i>.” The
ELN is present in 12, or roughly half, of Venezuela’s states, according to Insight
Crime, a Washington-based research organization that monitors Latin America, a
report recently underscored in Twitter by the US Southern Command. (Bloomberg: </span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-06/venezuelan-troops-trained-rebels-to-fire-rockets-colombia-says"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-06/venezuelan-troops-trained-rebels-to-fire-rockets-colombia-says</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; SOUTHCOM: </span></span><a href="https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/1136314020162654209"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://twitter.com/Southcom/status/1136314020162654209</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN1T62LM"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFKCN1T62LM</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. Bars Cruises to Cuba in Retaliation for
Venezuelan Role<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The U.S. State Department is barring cruise
ships from going to Cuba as part of a crackdown on travel to the island, citing
government repression and its role in the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The United States will no longer permit
visits to Cuba via passenger and recreational vessels, including cruise ships
and yachts, and private and corporate aircraft</i>,” the department said
Tuesday. The action threatens to cut off a burgeoning tourist trade with Cuba
that got underway during the Obama administration. Major cruises operators,
including market leader Carnival Corp. and No. 2 </span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/RCL:US" title="Company Overview"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, have regular itineraries
delivering thousands of American tourists to Havana and other Cuban cities. The
decision caught industry analysts and executives by surprise. Even as the
threat of a Trump crackdown loomed, cruise lines had been adding sailings to
the island, and Havana was making plans to </span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-05-23/havana-cruise-terminal-to-triple-in-size-as-cuba-chases-tourists" target="_blank" title="Havana Cruise Terminal to Triple in Size as Cuba Chases Tourists"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">triple</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> the size of its cruise-ship terminal.
(Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-04/u-s-to-bar-cruise-ships-from-cuba-in-retaliation-for-venezuela"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-04/u-s-to-bar-cruise-ships-from-cuba-in-retaliation-for-venezuela</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brazilian President accepts
credentials of Guaido’s envoy<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">President Jair Bolsonaro accepted on Tuesday
the credentials of Maria Teresa Belandria, the envoy to Brazil of Venezuela’s
National Assembly speaker, Juan Guaido, who is recognized by Brasilia as that
country’s “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">legitimate and interim</i>”
head of state. Belandria arrived in Brazil in February, less than a month after
Guaido took oath as Venezuela’s interim president following the National
Assembly’s refusal to accept the legitimacy of Nicolas Maduro, who was sworn in
for a new six-year term in January that the opposition and dozens of countries
do not recognize following what they called “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fraudulent</i>” elections in May 2018. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2479470&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2479470&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-brazil/brazils-bolsonaro-formally-recognizes-venezuelan-opposition-envoy-idUSKCN1T5312"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-brazil/brazils-bolsonaro-formally-recognizes-venezuelan-opposition-envoy-idUSKCN1T5312</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan reporters
push past police to enter Parliament<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A group of reporters backed by several
opposition lawmakers forced their way into Venezuela’s National Assembly after
more than a month of being kept out by police. Led by the National Press
Workers Union (SNTP), the reporters broke through the security cordon by
pushing past some officers lined up in front of an entrance to the Federal
Legislative Palace. On hand were several lawmakers who helped the journalists
get into the building after a brief argument with the police. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Today, by a decision, and I have to say it,
of the lawmakers of the National Assembly, we have finally been able to enter
the building and do the work we are supposed to do</i>,” said the president of
the SNTP, Marco Ruiz. The legislators welcomed the press, while accusing the Maduro
regime of seeking to censor the news. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://wwwaht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2479467&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://wwwaht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2479467&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Putin says Russia and
China want situation in Venezuela to stabilize, denies military support for Maduro<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russian President Vladimir Putin said on
Wednesday after talks in Moscow with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that Moscow and
Beijing wanted the situation in Venezuela to stabilize. Putin also said that
Moscow has no plans to send troops to shore up Nicolás Maduro. Asked about US
President Donald Trump's tweet earlier this week that Moscow had informed
Washington it had pulled its personnel out of Venezuela, Putin said that
Russian experts come and go to service Russian-made weapons bought by Caracas. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We aren't building any military bases there,
we aren't sending troops there, we have never done that</i>," Putin said.
"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But we have fulfilled our contract
obligations in the sphere of military-technical cooperation, and we will keep
doing that</i>." He warned US military intervention in Venezuela would be
a disaster. Even Washington's allies did not support such a course of action,
Putin said. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-putin-xi/russia-and-china-want-situation-in-venezuela-to-stabilize-putin-idUSKCN1T61VC"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-putin-xi/russia-and-china-want-situation-in-venezuela-to-stabilize-putin-idUSKCN1T61VC</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; TRT World: </span></span><a href="https://www.trtworld.com/americas/putin-says-no-plans-to-send-troops-venezuela-crisis-26278"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.trtworld.com/americas/putin-says-no-plans-to-send-troops-venezuela-crisis-26278</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lavrov confirms Russia’s
contacts with Venezuelan opposition<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in
a recent interview that Moscow hasn't ended contact with Venezuela's
opposition. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As for your question
about working with the opposition, we are not quitting this work. As I said, in
Venezuela we responded several times to requests for contact. These contacts
took place</i>", Lavrov said in an interview with RBC. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">During these conversations, we reaffirmed
our position in favor of a national dialogue, expressed disagreement with the
fact that in response to the call by the 'Montevideo Mechanism' to start such a
dialogue, when President [Nicolas] Maduro agreed, [opposition leader Juan]
Guaido haughtily refused</i>", he said. (Sputnik International: </span></span><a href="https://sputniknews.com/russia/201906061075669431-russia-venezuela-oslo-talks/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://sputniknews.com/russia/201906061075669431-russia-venezuela-oslo-talks/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Xi says China will play 'constructive role' on
Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">China will work with the international
community to play a constructive role with Venezuela and help the country to
get back on a normal development path as soon as possible, Chinese President Xi
Jinping told Russian media. Xi told TASS news agency and Rossiyskaya Gazeta
newspaper that China opposes foreign interference, unilateral sanctions, the
use of force, or threats of the use of force, when it came to Venezuela. (Reuters,
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-china/xi-says-china-will-play-constructive-role-on-venezuela-idUSKCN1T606W"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-china/xi-says-china-will-play-constructive-role-on-venezuela-idUSKCN1T606W</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela, now a top
source of U.S. asylum claims, poses a challenge for Trump<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nearly 3.9 million people have fled Venezuela,
with millions more expected to follow this year, according to William Spindler,
spokesman for the United Nations refugee agency. As a result, Venezuela has
overtaken China to become the No. 1 country of origin for those claiming asylum
in the U.S. upon arrival or shortly after, with nearly 30,000 Venezuelans
applying for asylum with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2018.
Nearly one-third of claims filed with the agency come from Venezuelans, the
most of any country by far, according to the latest data. That has created a
dilemma for the Trump administration in which its foreign policy, which
considers Maduro’s government an oppressive dictatorship, is colliding with its
immigration policy, which has sought aggressively to hold down the number of
people admitted to the country through asylum. President Trump has railed
against asylum applicants, saying that many are engaging in a “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hoax</i>” and a “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">big, fat con job</i>.” Many Central American asylum seekers, who are
Trump’s primary target, fall into a different category than the Venezuelans.
But because of the foreign policy focus on Venezuela, the asylum seekers from
that country pose a more direct challenge to the administration’s anti-immigration
agenda. Only about 2% of those granted asylum in the U.S. are Venezuelan,
according to a Homeland Security report in March. While approval rates appear
to be increasing, about 50% of Venezuelan asylum claims are denied, on average.
Those denied asylum are at risk of deportation back to their home country. The
administration has resisted a bipartisan push — including from Florida
Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, an avowed hawk on Venezuela — to grant Venezuelans
the right to stay in the U.S. under so-called temporary protected status. That
program, designed to deal with people fleeing natural disasters or civil
unrest, offers recipients protection from removal and the right to work legally
in the U.S. But administration officials have sought to dismantle the program
as part of their wider efforts to reduce immigration. In fact, the Trump
administration has stepped up deportations of Venezuelans. U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement deported 336 Venezuelans last year, far fewer than the tens
of thousands of Central Americans being removed each year, but a 35% increase
over the year prior. Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), who has pushed for
granting temporary status to Venezuelans, said Trump’s policy is
counterproductive. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Blocking Venezuelan refugees
from seeking safe haven and forcing them to return home at this very dangerous
time plays right into Maduro’s hands,</i>” Durbin said. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(Los Angeles Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-venezuela-asylum-immigration-20190605-story.html"><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-na-pol-trump-venezuela-asylum-immigration-20190605-story.html</span></span></a><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro court forces publication
to pay US$ 4.7 million to alleged socialist drug lord<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s Supreme Court, run by loyalists to
socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro, ordered the online news outlet La Patilla to
pay senior chavista official, television show host, and alleged cartel chief
Diosdado Cabello US$ 4.7 million for aggregating a 2015 article in which Hugo
Chávez’s former security chief accused Cabello of drug trafficking. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>La Patilla is a Venezuelan online publication
that posts anti-socialist material, usually curating news from other sources
rather than publishing original reports, as well as entertainment and lifestyle
news. The story that Cabello sued over was an original report in the Spanish
newspaper ABC revealing that the former security chief, Leamsy Salazar, had
left Venezuela and was under DEA protector, willing to testify to Cabello being
the head of the Cartel de los Soles (“cartel of the suns”). The Cartel de los
Soles is thus named because it is made up of members of the Venezuelan
military, who wear sun medallions on their uniforms. It is an intercontinental
cocaine trafficking operation, according to American law enforcement. Cabello
responded to the report with a lawsuit rampage targeting La Patilla, two other
Venezuelan outlets, ABC, and the Wall Street Journal. A U.S. court threw the
case against the Wall Street Journal out in 2018 because, the judge ruled,
Cabello did not provide any evidence that disproved “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that he is, in fact, under investigation for his potential involvement
in drug trafficking and money laundering activities</i>.” Responding to the
ruling, La Patilla owner Alberto Ravell called it “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">judicial terrorism</i>.” Cabello is one of several senior Maduro
officials under severe U.S. sanctions. The U.S. Treasury accused him in a 2018
statement announcement sanctions on him of being “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">directly involved in narcotics trafficking activities</i>.” A June 2018
report revealed that the Treasury had confiscated US$ 800 million in assets
that Cabello had hidden in the United States. (Breitbart: </span></span><a href="https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2019/06/05/venezuela-court-forces-publication-to-pay-4-7-million-to-alleged-socialist-drug-lord/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2019/06/05/venezuela-court-forces-publication-to-pay-4-7-million-to-alleged-socialist-drug-lord/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">How Maduro <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'spent thousands of state funds on Cuban
rituals'</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicolas Maduro allegedly spent thousands of
state funds on religious rituals in Cuba, according to a former intelligence
official. Hugo Carvajal, former director of the country’s military
intelligence, lashed out at Maduro in an open letter. Responding to a claim
from the Venezuelan ruler that he was dismissed for gross misconduct, Carvajal
made several explosive claims about Maduro’s religious beliefs and financial
conduct. He wrote: "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The people
should also know that your religious sacrifice rituals in Cuba were paid by
your minister of finance, who on at least one occasion sent a briefcase with US$
500,000 in cash to Havana in a PDVSA plane</i>." Maduro was accused of
performing Santeria rituals in Cuba while leaving ordinary citizens with
desperate shortages back in Venezuela. Carvajal continued: “How dare you call
yourself Christian when you follow any belief you come across? “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You are a devout Santero, follower of Sai
Baba and who knows what other religion. I suppose that you must by some means
justify all the atrocities you have committed against the Venezuelan people</i>.”
Maduro was raised as a Roman Catholic and claims to maintain his Christian
beliefs – but some fear his relationship with Cuba is religious as well as
political. The Santero faith combines Roman Catholicism and Yoruba beliefs. (Express:
</span></span><a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1136689/venezuela-crisis-maduro-cash-cuba-ritual-santeria-spt"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1136689/venezuela-crisis-maduro-cash-cuba-ritual-santeria-spt</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">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.</span><div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-6799075109646374032019-05-28T17:38:00.001-04:002019-05-28T17:38:41.682-04:00May 28, 2019
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">International Trade</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shippers raise rates for cargo from U.S. to
Venezuela: documents, sources<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two major shipping lines this month have raised
their rates for transporting goods from the United States to Venezuela, as U.S.
sanctions limit transit between the two nations. Washington on May 15 banned
direct flights between the United States and Venezuela, citing safety concerns,
as part of a broad package of sanctions meant to pressure Nicolas Maduro into
resigning as president of the crisis-stricken country. Citizens and social
service organizations often depend on air and sea shipments for basic food and
medicine in the hyperinflationary nation where a monthly minimum-wage salary
barely pays for a single meal. Shipping lines Hamburg Sud and King Ocean
Services have added a surcharge of US$ 1,200 per container of cargo that leaves
the United States for Venezuela after May 15. That service has in recent months
been costing between US$ 3,000 and US$ 5,000, depending on the cargo. (Reuters,
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-shipping/shippers-raise-rates-for-cargo-from-u-s-to-venezuela-documents-sources-idUSKCN1SX1TD"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-shipping/shippers-raise-rates-for-cargo-from-u-s-to-venezuela-documents-sources-idUSKCN1SX1TD</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro claims sabotage
prevents ships with gasoline, food from reaching Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vessels carrying gasoline and food to the
crisis-stricken Venezuela are being prevented from reaching the country's coast
because of sabotage attacks, Nicolas Maduro says, adding that Caracas was
trying to find a solution to the issue. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Last week, sabotage was committed against ten tankers [with gasoline]
to prevent them from reaching the Venezuelan coast. In any case, this problem
is being dealt with and we are stabilizing the situation</i>," he said
late on Monday as broadcast on Twitter; and added that ships carrying food for
Venezuelan citizens have were facing similar challenges, without specifying
where the vessels were coming from, and who could have been responsible for the
sabotage. (SPUTNIK: </span></span><a href="https://sputniknews.com/latam/201905281075400834-maduro-sabotage-gasoline/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://sputniknews.com/latam/201905281075400834-maduro-sabotage-gasoline/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro regime receives
4th batch of humanitarian aid from China<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Maduro regime received 68 tons of
humanitarian aid offered by China on Monday, the 4th such batch with a shipment
of medicine and other medical items. The Maduro regime’s Health Minister Carlos
Alvarado and Chinese Ambassador to Venezuela Li Baorong jointly hosted the
handover ceremony of the shipment at the international airport in Caracas. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This fourth shipment consists of 68 tons of
medicine brought as part of this technical humanitarian aid: antihypertensives,
antibiotics and medication for cardiovascular ailments. We are also receiving
analgesics</i>," Alvarado said. The medicine "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is going to be distributed immediately through the national public
health network</i>," he added. For his part, Li said "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We are convinced this is going to help the
Venezuelan people facing the serious harm caused by the foreign sanctions</i>".
(XINHUANET: </span></span><a href="http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-05/28/c_138096906.htm"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-05/28/c_138096906.htm</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro announces
investment in HUAWEI<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Leftist incumbent Nicolas Maduro announced on
Thursday an immediate investment in the Chinese telecommunications firm HUAWEI,
which has been accused of espionage by the United States. The investment seeks
to help Venezuela in installing a 4G mobile network technology, which currently
functions only sporadically and in the major cities here. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I have ordered an immediate investment with our Chinese brothers,
Chinese technology, that of HUAWEI, of ZTE, and of all the Chinese and Russian
companies, so that we can enhance the capacity of the whole telecommunications
system and make 4G a reality</i>,” Maduro said at a military event. (Latin
American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2479016&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2479016&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">PDVSA tankers to be
detained for lack of payment<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Three PDVSA tankers that are late with payments
to German operator Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM) are being detained, as
BSM gives up on waiting for payments while conducting business as usual with
floundering state-run PDVSA. BSM operates almost half of PDVSA’s fleet of
tankers and has made a move to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">arrest”</i>
three tankers due to the outstanding debt PDVSA has amassed. The three tankers
BSM arrested are the ARITA in Singapore, and the PARNASO and the RIO ARAUCA in
Portugal. (Oil Price: </span></span><a href="https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/PDVSA-Tankers-To-Be-Detained-For-Lack-Of-Payment.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/PDVSA-Tankers-To-Be-Detained-For-Lack-Of-Payment.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Aruba to form committee to decide fate of idled
refinery<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The government of Aruba said on Monday it will
form an advisory committee to decide the future of a 209,000-barrel-per-day
refinery that remains idled amid sanctions on operator CITGO Petroleum’s parent
company, Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). Prime Minister Evelyn Wever-Croes said
there are three possible scenarios for the Aruba refinery: to continue working
with CITGO on an overhaul, to negotiate a CITGO contract termination and
continue with the plant, or to use the facility for a different activity. The
committee should issue recommendations within two months of its formation,
Wever-Croes said in a publicly broadcast message. Its members have yet to be
announced. “Very possibly, we will not continue (working) with CITGO, but that
is being evaluated, how to leave the contract without problems,” she said.
(Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-refinery-aruba/aruba-to-form-committee-to-decide-fate-of-idled-refinery-prime-minister-idUSKCN1SX1NA"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-refinery-aruba/aruba-to-form-committee-to-decide-fate-of-idled-refinery-prime-minister-idUSKCN1SX1NA</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Northern Brazil power line to avoid impact on
tribe<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The builders of a new power transmission line
to the northern Brazilian state of Roraima have pledged to deploy 200
inspectors to reduce the environmental impact on an indigenous reservation
where they will erect 250 pylons. It said they also had committed to keeping
secret any geological information on the discovery of mineral resources to
avoid drawing illegal mining interests that have long set their sights on the
land of the Waimiri Atroari tribe. State-run utility Centrais Elétricas
Brasileiras SA and private energy sector holding company Alupar Investimentos
SA will build the 720-km (450-mile) line from Manaus to Roraima’s capital Boa
Vista, connecting the state to the national grid. The companies won the
contract in 2011 but the project, which became a priority after Venezuela
suspended electricity supplies to Roraima last year, was delayed by
environmental licensing and concerns over laying the line over 122 km (76 miles)
of tribal lands. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-energy-roraima/northern-brazil-power-line-to-avoid-impact-on-tribe-document-idUSKCN1SX1X8"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-energy-roraima/northern-brazil-power-line-to-avoid-impact-on-tribe-document-idUSKCN1SX1X8</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's economic
crisis is now so bad that criminals can't afford to buy bullets<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's crippling economic spiral is having
a negative impact on an unlikely group in society: criminals, who are
struggling to afford bullets, and unable to find things to steal as the
country's wealth declines rapidly. While bullets are widely available on the
black market, many muggers cannot afford the US $1 price tag anymore, a criminal
known as "Dog" told the news organization. The average Venezuelan
only earns US$ 6.50 a month, and skyrocketing hyperinflation renders cash more
worthless every day. Violent deaths have decreased since the Venezuelan economy
started spiraling. In 2015, the South American country had a homicide rate of
90 people per 100,000 thousand inhabitants, according to the Venezuelan
Observatory for Violence. That rate went down by nearly 10% last year— though Venezuela
remains one of the most violent countries in the world. The non-profit, which
aggregates the data from morgues and media reports, partly attributes this
decrease to the reduction in muggings — because there is nothing to steal. As
many Venezuelans struggle to pay for basics like food, medicine, or clothes,
there are fewer cars or luxury items that criminals can take from them. And
most people barely use cash anymore because of soaring inflation. Bank vaults
are also mostly empty, the observatory's report said. Even if criminals were to
steal cash from there, they would not be able to transport the mounds of bills
it would take to get a substantial amount of money. Another reason violence is
decreasing, according to the non-profit, is that many Venezuelans are leaving
the crisis-stricken country. More than three million people have emigrated. Most
of these migrants and refugees are young men — gangs' key recruitment
demographic. Robert Briceño, the observatory's director, said the economic
crisis is affecting every part of society. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">These days, nobody is doing well — not honest citizens who produce
wealth or the criminals who prey on them</i>". But as a result of the
chaos, crime has not so much disappeared as simply morphed in form. While
assaults are down, reports of theft and pilfering of everything from copper
telephone wires to livestock are surging. Meanwhile, drug trafficking and
illegal gold mining have become default activities for organized crime. (NBC
News: </span></span><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/venezuela-criminals-feel-pinch-economic-crisis-n1010696"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/venezuela-criminals-feel-pinch-economic-crisis-n1010696</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; INSIDER: </span></span><a href="https://www.insider.com/venezuela-crisis-so-bad-criminals-cannot-afford-bullets-2019-5"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.insider.com/venezuela-crisis-so-bad-criminals-cannot-afford-bullets-2019-5</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guaidó plays down prospects for Oslo mediation<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan interim president Juan Guaidó on
Sunday played down the prospects for success at a new round of mediation with
the government to be hosted by Norway next week, saying protests would continue
until Nicolas Maduro resigned. Norway said on Saturday that representatives of
Venezuela’s government and opposition will return to Oslo next week following
an initial round of preliminary talks about how to address a long-running
political crisis. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is not
negotiation. This is not dialogue</i>,” Guaidó told reporters after a rally in
the western Venezuelan city of Barquisimeto, adding that his team was simply
responding to an offer from the Norwegian government to mediate. Guaidó
reiterated that any solution to Venezuela’s crisis required Maduro to stand
down, allowing a transitional government to steer the nation to fresh
presidential elections. Nicolas Maduro said on Saturday his delegation was
preparing to travel to Norway for a fresh round of negotiations with the
opposition. The delegation which will represent the regime in the meetings in
Norway is headed by Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez, accompanied by
Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza and Hector Rodriguez, the governor of
Miranda state, Maduro said. Norway said on Saturday that representatives of
Venezuela’s government and opposition will return to Oslo next week following
an initial round of preliminary talks about how to address the country’s
political crisis.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We
announce that the representatives of the main political actors in Venezuela
have decided to return to Oslo next week to continue a process facilitated by
Norway</i>,” the Scandinavian country’s foreign ministry said in a statement. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We reiterate our commitment to continue
supporting the search for an agreed-upon solution between the parties in
Venezuela</i>,” it said. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelas-opposition-leader-guaido-plays-down-prospects-for-oslo-mediation-idUSKCN1SW0ZH"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelas-opposition-leader-Guaidó-plays-down-prospects-for-oslo-mediation-idUSKCN1SW0ZH</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/norway-says-venezuela-government-opposition-to-hold-new-round-of-talks-idUSKCN1SV0OT"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/norway-says-venezuela-government-opposition-to-hold-new-round-of-talks-idUSKCN1SV0OT</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-norway/venezuela-government-opposition-will-return-to-norway-for-talks-oslo-says-idUSKCN1SV0P7"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-norway/venezuela-government-opposition-will-return-to-norway-for-talks-oslo-says-idUSKCN1SV0P7</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Latin
American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2479087&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2479087&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia says it is ready to play role in
Venezuela crisis talks in Oslo<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on
Monday that Moscow was ready to play a role in talks between the Venezuelan
government and opposition in Oslo if the participants felt it was useful. The
Russian foreign ministry said in a statement it welcomed the fact that the
talks were continuing but warned against any external powers trying to foist
ultimatums on the Venezuelan leadership. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-russia/russia-says-it-is-ready-to-play-role-in-venezuela-crisis-talks-in-oslo-idUSKCN1SX0RB"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-russia/russia-says-it-is-ready-to-play-role-in-venezuela-crisis-talks-in-oslo-idUSKCN1SX0RB</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Federica Mogherini
appoints Enrique Iglesias as Special Adviser for Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In line with the European Union's firm
commitment to contribute to a peaceful and democratic solution to the
Venezuelan crisis and as a follow-up to discussions held in the context of the
International Contact Group, High Representative/Vice-President Federica
Mogherini decided today to appoint Enrique Iglesias as her Special Adviser for
Venezuela. The appointment of Mr. Iglesias - a Spanish-Uruguayan economist who
is a former secretary-general of the Ibero-American General Secretariat and was
also President of the Inter-American Development Bank as well as Foreign
Minister of Uruguay - will enable a more sustained and reinforced political and
diplomatic engagement on the situation in Venezuela. Mr. Iglesias will support
the work of the EU and of the ICG to help promote a peaceful, democratic
solution to the crisis in Venezuela, through free and fair elections. (European
External Action Service: </span></span><a href="https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-Homepage/63282/federica-mogherini-appoints-enrique-iglesias-special-adviser-venezuela_en"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-Homepage/63282/federica-mogherini-appoints-enrique-iglesias-special-adviser-venezuela_en</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US balks as Maduro
representative heads up UN-backed disarmament body<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations' main
disarmament body walked out of its session on Tuesday to protest that Venezuela
had taken the chair. The move by Robert Wood, who insisted "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a rogue state</i>" was taking over,
came shortly after the Maduro regime’s Ambassador Jorge Valero began hosting a
public plenary session of the Conference on Disarmament. Wood said that nothing
that comes out of the current session will be legitimate and said the United
States will boycott Venezuela's four-week presidency starting this week. He
said a dozen members of the so-called Lima Group of countries from Latin
America also decided not to take part. The walkout and boycott appeared mostly
to be political theatrics, however. Wood acknowledged that the conference
"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">isn't doing very much right now.</i>"
Venezuela's turn as the conference's president follows a regular rotation by
alphabetical order. (FOX News: </span></span><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-balks-as-venezuela-heads-up-un-backed-disarmament-body"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.foxnews.com/us/us-balks-as-venezuela-heads-up-un-backed-disarmament-body</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Leopoldo López Sr.
elected to European Parliament<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Leopoldo López Gil, father of Venezuelan leader
and political prisoner Leopoldo López, has been elected to the European
Parliament elections on May 26th. López Gil, who was nominated by the
conservative People’s Party (PP) has said that he hopes “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to speak faithfully not only for the Kingdom of Spain, but also for
Latin American countries and especially Venezuela before the European
Parliament</i>.” López Gil received the Spanish nationality in December 2015,
when former PP leader Mariano Rajoy was head of government. More in Spanish: (El
Universal; </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/41132/leopoldo-lopez-gil-fue-electo-al-parlamento-europeo-por-el-pp-espanol"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/41132/leopoldo-lopez-gil-fue-electo-al-parlamento-europeo-por-el-pp-espanol</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan Ambassador publishes
video of trash left by communists in Washington embassy<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan Ambassador to the United States
Carlos Vecchio published a video Monday showing the extensive state of disrepair
in which a small group of communists left the U.S. embassy after illegally
occupying it for days. Vecchio, appointed by legitimate Venezuelan President
Juan Guaidó, published a video on Twitter that showed the building full of
trash, loose cables, unwashed dishes, and in a state of general disrepair. This
month, local police evicted a group of communist protesters identified as Code
Pink agitators working in tandem with the Maduro regime to occupy the building
after Maduro’s representatives returned to Caracas. The protesters attracted
dozens of Venezuelans who surrounded the building demanding the return of their
embassy to their people. Vecchio, whom Guaidó appointed in January following
his presidential inauguration by the National Assembly, said the state of the
building reflects what the Maduro regime has done to Venezuela as it
experiences the worst economic and humanitarian crisis in the country’s
history. Now that the embassy has returned to the hands of the Venezuelan
government, Vecchio and his team will have the opportunity to use the building
as the diplomatic headquarters for relations between the U.S. and Guaidó’s
administration. (Breitbart: </span></span><a href="https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2019/05/27/venezuelan-ambassador-publishes-video-piles-trash-communists-left-u-s-embassy/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2019/05/27/venezuelan-ambassador-publishes-video-piles-trash-communists-left-u-s-embassy/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela called to
appear in Canberra court over missed embassy rent payments<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Maduro regime has been taken to court by a
Canberra family who alleges the country owes them thousands in unpaid rent
money. The regime sought to have the claim dismissed but failed. The Rosa
family claimed the South American nation had missed more than $50,000 in rent
payments for two properties in O'Malley it had previously used as an embassy. In
documents seeking a hearing in the ACT Civil and Administrative Appeals
Tribunal, the family claimed that from 2017 the republic began to fall behind
in payments, and eventually vacated under contentious circumstances. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I do appreciate that the respondent may be
placed in a difficult, and perhaps even diplomatically embarrassing, situation
by being required to respond to proceedings in this tribunal</i>," senior
tribunal member H Robinson said in his decision. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That alone is not a basis upon which this tribunal can or should
dismiss these proceedings</i>." Mr. Robinson conceded that, even if a
ruling could be made against the Republic of Venezuela, it was questionable
whether that could be enforced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(ABC: </span></span><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-28/venezuela-called-to-appear-in-canberra-court-over-missed-rent/11151010"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-28/venezuela-called-to-appear-in-canberra-court-over-missed-rent/11151010</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro approves
machine gun manufacture plan despite firearm ban<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Socialist dictator Nicolas Maduro approved a
plan on Thursday to manufacture machine guns across Venezuela despite a
nationwide ban on the use of firearms. In a video streamed by Venezuelan state
propaganda outlet VTV, Maduro announced the approval of funds for a new line of
machine guns to be produced in Venezuela. As Maduro openly admitted, the use of
such weapons would only be for the military and state security services,
allowing them to step up their repression and control of the country’s
population to create a Cuba-style communist dictatorship. (Breitbart: </span></span><a href="https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2019/05/24/venezuela-maduro-approves-machine-gun-manufacture-plan-despite-firearm-ban/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2019/05/24/venezuela-maduro-approves-machine-gun-manufacture-plan-despite-firearm-ban/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">29 die in disturbance at
Venezuelan jail<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Twenty-nine prisoners were killed, and 19
police wounded on Friday in a disturbance at a pre-trial detention facility in
the central state of Portuguesa, a source in the Venezuelan Attorney General’s
Office told EFE.<br />
The events unfolded in a police lockup in the town of Acarigua. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There was an attempted escape and a fight
broke out among gangs</i>,” the state’s public safety secretary, Oscar Valero,
told the media. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">With police intervention
to prevent the escape, well, there were 29 deaths</i>.” Prisoners detonated
three grenades, resulting in injuries to 19 police officers, Valero said. The
lockup in Acarigua holds more than 350 people awaiting trial, he said.<br />
The Venezuelan Prisons Observatory (OVP), an independent advocacy group, said
blame for the deaths lay with the Ministry of Penitentiary Services, created
eight years ago to address chronic overcrowding, corruption and violence in the
nation’s 30 prisons. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2479058&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2479058&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-89399404524473994602019-05-16T16:42:00.000-04:002019-05-16T16:42:13.378-04:00May 16, 2019
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Logistics & Transport</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US suspends all
passenger, cargo flights to Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">conditions in Venezuela
threaten the safety and security of passengers, aircraft, and crew</i>,"
according to a DHS statement. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo approved the
suspension and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao implemented it. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“This determination is based on the ongoing
political instability and increased tensions in Venezuela and associated
inadvertent risk to flight operations</i>,” 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: </span></span><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-suspends-all-passenger-cargo-flights-to-venezuela"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-suspends-all-passenger-cargo-flights-to-venezuela</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-airlines/u-s-orders-suspension-of-flights-between-the-u-s-and-venezuela-idUSKCN1SL2F2"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-airlines/u-s-orders-suspension-of-flights-between-the-u-s-and-venezuela-idUSKCN1SL2F2</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Putin could cut his
loss as Venezuelan oil output nosedives<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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: </span></span><a href="https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Putin-Could-Cut-His-Loss-As-Venezuelan-Oil-Output-Nosedives.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://oilprice.com/Energy/Crude-Oil/Putin-Could-Cut-His-Loss-As-Venezuelan-Oil-Output-Nosedives.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's crude upgraders scale back output
as exports dwindle<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">recirculating</i>” - 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. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The upgraders are recirculating because
there is an excess of production, and there are no buyers</i>,” one PDVSA
source said. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil/venezuelas-crude-upgraders-scale-back-output-as-exports-dwindle-sources-idUSKCN1SL22U"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil/venezuelas-crude-upgraders-scale-back-output-as-exports-dwindle-sources-idUSKCN1SL22U</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rising U.S. oil output helps fill gap left by
Iran, Venezuela: IEA<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.” “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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,</i>” the Paris-based IEA said in its monthly report. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iea-oil/rising-u-s-oil-output-helps-fill-gap-left-by-iran-venezuela-iea-idUSKCN1SL0TG"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iea-oil/rising-u-s-oil-output-helps-fill-gap-left-by-iran-venezuela-iea-idUSKCN1SL0TG</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan oil tanker
captain refused to ship gasoline to Cuba<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">but during the voyage, it disconnected its
satellite systems to avoid being detected</i>.” 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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">intimidate and pressure the crew</i>” 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: </span></span><a href="https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2019/05/15/report-venezuelan-oil-tanker-captain-refused-to-ship-gasoline-to-cuba/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2019/05/15/report-venezuelan-oil-tanker-captain-refused-to-ship-gasoline-to-cuba/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. resists Guaidó's request
to shield Venezuela from creditors<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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: </span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-14/u-s-resists-guaido-s-request-to-shield-venezuela-from-creditors"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-14/u-s-resists-Guaidó-s-request-to-shield-venezuela-from-creditors</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Study finds Venezuela
criminal enterprise is blunting effects of U.S. sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> Maduro’s last stand —
Venezuela’s survival through the Bolivarian joint criminal enterprise</i>. 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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">network of networks</i>” 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: </span></span><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article230420019.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article230420019.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro regime
representatives, opposition travel to Norway in hopes of resolving crisis<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very important</i>”
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: </span></span><a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/venezuelas-government-opposition-travel-to-norway-in-hopes-of-resolving-crisis-2019-05-15"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.marketwatch.com/story/venezuelas-government-opposition-travel-to-norway-in-hopes-of-resolving-crisis-2019-05-15</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; AP: </span></span><a href="https://www.apnews.com/a2776110b08649dba0725aadb0b53575"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.apnews.com/a2776110b08649dba0725aadb0b53575</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-norway/venezuela-opposition-government-leaders-travel-to-norway-for-possible-talks-idUSKCN1SL2WI"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-norway/venezuela-opposition-government-leaders-travel-to-norway-for-possible-talks-idUSKCN1SL2WI</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; DW: </span></span><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/venezuela-envoys-head-for-talks-in-norway-as-us-halts-flights/a-48756071"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.dw.com/en/venezuela-envoys-head-for-talks-in-norway-as-us-halts-flights/a-48756071</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">EU mission heads to
Venezuela to meet dueling political factions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">concrete options for
a peaceful and democratic solution</i>.” (BLOOMBERG: </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-15/eu-mission-heads-to-venezuela-to-meet-dueling-political-factions"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-15/eu-mission-heads-to-venezuela-to-meet-dueling-political-factions</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Opposition-led
congress in Venezuela returns to chambers<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>,” he told a press conference. (AP: </span></span><a href="https://wtop.com/latin-america/2019/05/opposition-led-congress-in-venezuela-returns-to-chambers/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://wtop.com/latin-america/2019/05/opposition-led-congress-in-venezuela-returns-to-chambers/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BBC News: </span></span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-48276140"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-48276140</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478621&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478621&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478628&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478628&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro regime strips immunity from five more
opposition lawmakers<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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 </span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-09/arrest-of-guaido-s-top-ally-tests-opposition-s-power-to-resist" target="_blank" title="Maduro Hunts Guaido’s Allies, Exacting Revenge for Uprising (2)"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">hiding, exile</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> or to foreign embassies
seeking asylum. (Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-15/maduro-regime-strips-immunity-from-5-more-opposition-lawmakers"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-15/maduro-regime-strips-immunity-from-5-more-opposition-lawmakers</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelas-top-court-accuses-more-lawmakers-of-treason-congress-building-closed-idUSKCN1SK288"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelas-top-court-accuses-more-lawmakers-of-treason-congress-building-closed-idUSKCN1SK288</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">EU condemns Venezuela's 'flawed' court case
against opposition lawmakers<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The European Union condemned what it called
Venezuela’s “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">flawed judicial decisions</i>”
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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">are part of a pattern of blatant violations
of due process and unfair legal proceedings</i>,” the EU’s foreign service said
in a statement. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Such measures only
contribute to further polarization of the situation in the country</i>,” it
added. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-eu/eu-condemns-venezuelas-flawed-court-case-against-opposition-lawmakers-idUSKCN1SL2DX"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-eu/eu-condemns-venezuelas-flawed-court-case-against-opposition-lawmakers-idUSKCN1SL2DX</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chavista legislator sides
with Guaidó<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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!</i>” 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, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478633&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478633&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guaidó tells Canada PM he wants elections as
soon as possible: Ottawa<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>,” it said. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-canada/venezuelas-guaido-tells-canada-pm-he-wants-elections-as-soon-as-possible-ottawa-idUSKCN1SK2N9"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-canada/venezuelas-Guaidó-tells-canada-pm-he-wants-elections-as-soon-as-possible-ottawa-idUSKCN1SK2N9</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Canada’s Freeland to
visit Havana as tensions rise over Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>,"
Freeland said in a statement. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>." 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: </span></span><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/freeland-visit-havana-cuba-trump-1.5137413"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/freeland-visit-havana-cuba-trump-1.5137413</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia denies sending
mercenaries to protect Nicolas Maduro amid power struggle<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What role will Russia play in
the control of strategic resources? That is what is being decided in Venezuela</i>,”
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.
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“[Sechin] knows Latin America quite well,
he is very influential</i>,” said Davydov. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He
wants to maintain ROSNEFT’s position in Venezuela and there are different ways
to do that</i>.” 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. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We didn’t conclude
deals with [Hugo] Chavez or Maduro, we concluded deals with the parliament of
Venezuela</i>,” said David Rozental, a researcher at the Institute, during a
radio broadcast last week. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In this
sense, I don’t think that there’s a serious threat to Russian assets</i>.” (South
China Morning Post: </span></span><a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/2183898/russia-denies-sending-mercenaries-protect-venezuela-president"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.scmp.com/news/world/americas/article/2183898/russia-denies-sending-mercenaries-protect-venezuela-president</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brazil sees Venezuelan military deciding
Maduro's fate<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">(Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-brazil/brazil-sees-venezuelan-military-deciding-maduros-fate-security-aide-idUSKCN1SK2LP"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-brazil/brazil-sees-venezuelan-military-deciding-maduros-fate-security-aide-idUSKCN1SK2LP</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro regime tried to
talk to US authorities about Washington Embassy issue<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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: </span></span><a href="https://sputniknews.com/latam/201905161075044550-venezuela-tried-talk-washington-dc-embassy/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://sputniknews.com/latam/201905161075044550-venezuela-tried-talk-washington-dc-embassy/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro’s 'colectivos'
strike terror while trying to win support of Venezuela's most vulnerable<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">colectivos</i>” 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. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>,” said
Johan Obdola, president of Latin America-focused global intelligence and
security firm IOSI and former Venezuelan counter-narcotics official. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Their biggest numbers are in the main cities
of Venezuela – Caracas, Valencia, Maracay, and Maracaibo</i>.” 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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">heart and minds</i>” 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 style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>,” Maduro declared last week, just hours after members opened
fire on rallying anti-government Venezuelans. (FOX News: </span></span><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/maduro-collectivo-terror-venezuela-vulnerable"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.foxnews.com/world/maduro-colectivo-terror-venezuela-vulnerable</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-32828615309268572722019-05-10T14:42:00.000-04:002019-05-10T14:42:04.114-04:00May 10, 2019
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">International Trade</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Something is happening
with Venezuela’s agriculture<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s agricultural exports rose to US$ 322.3
million in 2017 from US$ 47. 4 million in 2013. They increased again in 2018 to
US$ 337.1 million. In 2013 that modest level of agricultural exports accounted
for 2.32% of exports different from oil and gold. In 2017 that percentage had
increased to 12.34%. Over the past year – given the low export levels of
commodities different from oil and gold, and an increase in agricultural
exports – the latter accounted for 15.26% of total exports. The increase of
agricultural exports has taken place despite a national productive collapse
with many adverse conditions, the vast majority of which relate to the lack of
favorable economic policies, such as a myriad of tighter controls and permits,
the lack of inputs, lack of physical infrastructure and disrespect for the
agrarian property. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478291&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478291&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">PDVSA ad-hoc board to
finance bond payment with uncollected oil revenue<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA will use
uncollected oil revenue to make a bond payment due this month, the board of
directors named by interim president leader Juan Guaidó said on Thursday. The
opposition-controlled National Assembly on Tuesday approved the US$ 71 million
payment on PDVSA’s 2020 bond, as it seeks to avoid losing control of PDVSA’s
U.S. refining subsidiary CITGO. The Maduro regime had remained current on that
bond even as it defaulted on billions of dollars in other bonds, because the
PDVSA 2020 is backed by shares in Citgo, the country’s crown jewel overseas. In
a statement, the board said the funds to pay the bond would come from “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">PDVSA’s overseas accounts receivable</i>,”
referring to invoices to customers that had not yet been paid. The board did
not specify the value of PDVSA’s accounts receivable abroad but said it would
make the payment within the 30-day grace period that began on April 27. If the
payment is not made, bondholders could move to seize half the shares in Citgo,
which PDVSA posted in collateral for the bond. Guaidó has sought to protect
Venezuelan assets abroad from possible seizure by creditors since invoking the
country’s constitution to assume an interim presidency in January. He has been
recognized as the country’s rightful leader by dozens of countries, including
the United States. Maduro retains control of PDVSA within Venezuela, as well as
state functions. Any effort by a Maduro-linked entity to make the payment would
have been complicated by sanctions the United States placed on PDVSA in January
in a bid to squeeze Maduro’s government financially. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-bonds/venezuelas-pdvsa-ad-hoc-board-to-finance-bond-payment-with-uncollected-oil-revenue-idUSKCN1SF2KE"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-bonds/venezuelas-pdvsa-ad-hoc-board-to-finance-bond-payment-with-uncollected-oil-revenue-idUSKCN1SF2KE</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">: Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-08/venezuela-money-at-new-york-fed-may-be-key-to-pdvsa-bond-payment"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-08/venezuela-money-at-new-york-fed-may-be-key-to-pdvsa-bond-payment</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Firms flock to power auction for troubled
Brazil state near Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Developers have presented more than 150
proposals for power plants ahead of an auction this month to supply electricity
to the Brazilian state of Roraima, which has struggled with a rash of blackouts
due to reliance on the shaky Venezuelan power grid. Roraima, which is not
connected to Brazil’s national grid, has begun depending on expensive emergency
fuel-burning plants in the absence of reliable power from its northern
neighbor, which has sunk into a profound economic and political crisis. Brazil’s
federal government set an auction for May 31 to close long-term contracts with
new suppliers using any available source, from oil to wind or solar. Canadian
Solar Inc and Brazilian companies Casados Ventos, Eneva SA and Equatorial
Energia SA are among the potential bidders, according to industry sources.(Reuters,
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-power-venezuela/firms-flock-to-power-auction-for-troubled-brazil-state-near-venezuela-idUSKCN1SF2MA"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-power-venezuela/firms-flock-to-power-auction-for-troubled-brazil-state-near-venezuela-idUSKCN1SF2MA</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meet Venezuela's
jilted creditors<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Since December a handful of lawsuits have been
brought against Venezuela and its state-owned oil company, PDVSA, over unpaid
debts. One of the most recent comes from Siemens-owned DRESSER RAND. The
oil-and-gas-equipment manufacturer is seeking US$ 132 million from PDVSA to
cover missed interest payments and other fees. That suit followed another by
Connecticut-based hedge fund CONTRARIAN Capital Management for US$ 182 million
in unpaid promissory notes from PDVSA. Its subsidiary, Red Tree Investments,
snapped the securities up from GE Capital at the start of the year. Given the
ongoing power struggle at the highest echelons of the Venezuelan state, one
firm has been told to wait for now, while the other is likely to face a similar
fate. Earlier this week, US District Judge Alison Nathan granted the opposition
government led by Juan Guaidó its request for a stay in the ongoing case with
Red Tree. The stay is set to last 120 days, meaning no legal proceedings will
take place during that time. Other firms have also filed lawsuits, including
London-based hedge fund PHARO Management and another hedge fund registered in
Panama City, BROKWEL Management. Given the opposition government's recent
success in the courts, however, the more litigious of the creditors might want
to rethink their strategy. (FT Alphaville: </span></span><a href="https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2019/05/10/1557486677000/Meet-Venezuela-s-jilted-creditors/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2019/05/10/1557486677000/Meet-Venezuela-s-jilted-creditors/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Arrest of key
legislator draws condemnation as Maduro tightens pressure on opposition<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">European and Latin American countries have
condemned the arrest of a top lawmaker who backed calls for a military uprising
against Nicolás Maduro. Edgar Zambrano, vice president of the
opposition-controlled National Assembly in Venezuela, was leaving his
Democratic Action party’s headquarters on Wednesday when he was detained by
members of Maduro’s intelligence agency who surrounded his car. Zambrano was
arrested by the regime's intelligence services on Wednesday. The SEBIN intelligence
police towed Zambrano's car with the 64-year-old lawmaker inside it after he
refused to step out outside the headquarters of his Democratic Action
Party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a half-hour standoff, the
SEBIN simply towed his car away while he remained in it. People who witnessed
the incident shouted “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">assassins!</i>” at
the armed intelligence agents, who are loyal to the Maduro government. Zambrano
tweeted, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Democrats will keep fighting!</i>”
as he was being whisked away to prison. The detention of Zambrano – who was among
those who joined Guaidó’s fruitless attempt to spark a pre-dawn uprising
against Maduro on 30 April – sparked a wave of domestic and international
condemnation. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Maduro’s arrest of …
Zambrano breaches parliamentary immunity and is a clear violation of the
constitution</i>,” tweeted the British foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Feels like the act of a desperate man on
borrowed time</i>.” The US state department slammed Zambrano’s “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">illegal and inexcusable</i>” detention and
warned: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If he is not released
immediately, there will be consequences</i>.” US President Donald Trump himself
spoke out against the arrest on Twitter and signaled his support to Guaidó. He
wrote: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I am returning to Washington,
D.C. with Senator Rick Scott and Senator Marco Rubio, discussing the terrible
abuses by Maduro. America stands with the GREAT PEOPLE of Venezuela for however
long it takes!</i>” The Lima Group, which includes a dozen Latin American
countries and Canada, said his arrest was unconstitutional because his
parliamentary immunity was illegally lifted. The European Union condemned the
arrest of Zambrano, saying it formed part of Maduro's strategy to subjugate the
opposition-held legislature. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zambrano's
arrest is a politically motivated action aimed at silencing the National
Assembly</i>," said an EU spokesperson. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The EU will continue to react, through its different policy
instruments, to further erosion of democratic institutions, the rule of law and
human rights</i>." Legislators Américo de Grazia and Mariela Magallanes
are both in the Italian embassy, while their colleague Richard Blanco has gone
to the Argentine embassy. They are among 10 lawmakers stripped of immunity
after a pro-Maduro tribunal said they should be investigated for conspiracy,
rebellion and treason. Seven other National Assembly lawmakers remain at risk
of being arrested. Maduro has not tried to arrest National Assembly President
Juan Guaidó, who invoked the constitution to assume the position of interim
president, arguing that Maduro's re-election last year is considered
illegitimate. The arrest of Zambrano appears to be part of a carefully
calibrated crackdown on the opposition. Diosdado Cabello, a leading political
ally of Maduro, suggested that the government is taking a methodical approach
in its struggle with the opposition. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We're
not in a rush</i>,” Cabello said. On Thursday, General Miguel Rodríguez Torres,
a former spy chief who became a government critic, was also transferred by
military police to a maximum-security cell at a Caracas military base, his
political movement said. Rodríguez Torres was arrested a year ago. In a
televised address on Wednesday night, Maduro claimed “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">victory</i>” over the 30 April plotters and promised to dedicate
himself to rescuing Venezuela’s collapsed economy. But other top Chavistas are
more cautious and warn there may be further attempts to topple their embattled
leader in the days ahead – a view shared by many political observers in
Caracas. “T<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">here could be a repeat –
today, in two hours, in a week, in a fortnight</i>,” Freddy Bernal, a senior
Socialist party figure, told state television on Tuesday. Maduro’s regime has
so far avoided arresting Guaidó, which would likely provoke a stronger
international backlash. But the recent measures suggest the ruling Socialist
Party is seeking to isolate him by pursuing key political allies. (PBS: </span></span><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/arrest-of-venezuelan-opposition-figure-draws-condemnation"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/arrest-of-venezuelan-opposition-figure-draws-condemnation</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; BBC News: </span></span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-48224790"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-48224790</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; VOA: </span></span><a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/venezuela-maduro-tightens-pressure-on-opposition/4910662.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.voanews.com/a/venezuela-maduro-tightens-pressure-on-opposition/4910662.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelan-lawmakers-seek-refuge-in-embassies-after-crackdown-on-guaido-allies-idUSKCN1SF1YK"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelan-lawmakers-seek-refuge-in-embassies-after-crackdown-on-Guaidó-allies-idUSKCN1SF1YK</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Local 10: </span></span><a href="https://www.local10.com/news/venezuela/venezuela-s-maduro-defies-trump-s-warnings-on-guaido"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.local10.com/news/venezuela/venezuela-s-maduro-defies-trump-s-warnings-on-Guaidó</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; VOX: </span></span><a href="https://www.vox.com/2019/5/9/18540091/venezuela-guaido-maduro-zambrano-arrest"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.vox.com/2019/5/9/18540091/venezuela-Guaidó-maduro-zambrano-arrest</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><u><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; </span></u></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Express: </span></span><a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1124978/venezuela-news-nicolas-maduro-juan-guaido-arrest-donald-trump"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1124978/venezuela-news-nicolas-maduro-juan-Guaidó-arrest-donald-trump</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela's opposition
vow to defy Maduro after key figure detained<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Opposition politicians battling to bring down
Venezuela’s strongman leader, Nicolás Maduro, have vowed to continue their
struggle after the detention of one of their movement’s key figures signaled
the start of a major crackdown. Interim president Juan Guaidó on Thursday
called for nationwide rallies to protest the arrest of Edgar Zambrano, an
opposition figure and vice president of the democratically elected National
Assembly. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This Saturday, we return
to streets across the country to defend every Venezuelan represented in the
National Assembly</i>," Guaidó said, referring to the opposition-held
legislature. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It is up to us to
remain united and mobilized until we achieve freedom</i>." “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We take it as a given that the regime is
going to keep escalating its repression</i>,” Guaidó said at a news conference,
referring to Zambrano’s arrest. Guaidó accused Maduro’s regime of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kidnapping</i>” Zambrano, who was taken to
El Helicoide, a notorious political prison in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas. He
portrayed the arrest and targeting of members of the assembly as acts of desperation
by a government whose leaders don’t know who to trust. He also called for
Venezuelans to take to the streets on Saturday for fresh protests against
Maduro on Saturday. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They won’t get us
out of the streets</i>,” said Guaidó, whose public appearance in Caracas
reflected his belief that Maduro does not have the confidence to arrest him. Juan
Andrés Mejía, one of the targeted deputies, told the Guardian the group would
not be cowed by Maduro’s “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">absolutely
illegal and unconstitutional</i>” counterattack. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is not going to work … You are not going to solve Venezuela’s
problems by persecuting and imprisoning people. There are just too many of us
who want change</i>,” said Mejía, a close Guaidó ally and member of his party,
Voluntad Popular (Popular Will).(DW: </span></span><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/venezuelas-juan-guaido-calls-for-return-to-streets/a-48681844"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.dw.com/en/venezuelas-juan-Guaidó-calls-for-return-to-streets/a-48681844</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; The Guardian: </span></span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/09/venezuela-maduro-guaido-crackdown-edgar-zambrano"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/09/venezuela-maduro-Guaidó-crackdown-edgar-zambrano</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">=<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">'We need to know why'</span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">: Lawmakers wary as Trump aides weigh military options for Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Talk of possible U.S. military action in
Venezuela is prompting bipartisan concern in Congress, where Democrats and
Republicans alike cautioned against a rush toward intervention amid escalating
rhetoric from Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Adviser John
Bolton. U.S. intervention would be highly controversial and could spark a
political backlash, in the United States and across the hemisphere. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What would our military’s mission be in
Venezuela?</i>” said Sen. Todd Young, an Indiana Republican, who sits on the
Foreign Relations Committee. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Would the
administration push for our military to conduct regime change?</i>” The Marine
Corps veteran has called for immediate congressional hearings on the issue and
said he wants several “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">threshold questions</i>”
answered by President Donald Trump's top advisers. On Thursday, Trump denied a
Washington Post report he is frustrated with Bolton's hardline position on
Venezuela and that Bolton was pushing him into a war he didn't want. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">John’s very good. He has strong views on
things which is okay</i>," Trump told reporters on Thursday. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m the one who tempers him ... I have John
Bolton and I have people who are a little more dovish than him</i>.” Any move
by the Trump administration to send American forces to Venezuela would require
congressional authorization, Young and other lawmakers said. That, in turn,
would require Pompeo and others to make a compelling case to Congress and the
American public that such a move is warranted. And there seems to be little
political appetite among lawmakers for approval of such a move. Even some
hawkish Republicans who have championed a U.S. military role in Venezuela
seemed to shy away from a direct U.S. confrontation with Maduro’s military
forces when pressed on the matter. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It’s
too early</i>,” Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, said Tuesday.
Military options should be “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on the table</i>,”
he said on Tuesday, but “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we should really
be putting a lot of pressure on Cuba right now</i>.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Other Republicans said U.S. military
involvement in Venezuela, despite a strong desire to see Maduro step down,
would only play into Maduro's hands. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The first step…is calling on the
administration to explain their thinking for threatening military action in the
press</i>,” said Young, who sits on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">If hostilities are imminent, then we need to
know why</i>.” Young said the committee's GOP chairman, Sen. James Risch of
Idaho, shares his concerns and has promised to work on his request for
hearings, although those might be closed-door sessions. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(USA Today: </span></span><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/05/09/lawmakers-not-comfortable-us-troops-venezuela-back-guaido-maduro/1137011001/"><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2019/05/09/lawmakers-not-comfortable-us-troops-venezuela-back-Guaidó-maduro/1137011001/</span></span></a><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pence warns
Venezuela’s Maduro harboring Iran-backed terrorists<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Iranian regime has been working with
Venezuela’s corrupt dictatorship to establish a safe haven for its terrorist
proxies</i>,” U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said in a May 7 address to the
Council of the Americas. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hezbollah is
working to extend its dangerous network throughout Venezuela, and from there,
throughout our hemisphere</i>,” Pence said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Venezuela is a failed state</i>,”
Pence said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And as history teaches,
failed states know no boundaries. Drug traffickers, criminal gangs, terrorist
groups seeking to destabilize the region and profit from the misery of the
Venezuelan people every day</i>.” Pence pointed to an Iranian connection in
Venezuela by citing last month’s “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very
public launch of direct air service between Caracas and Teheran by Mahan Air, a
blacklisted airline controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps, which
President Trump recently designated as a terrorist organization</i>.” The vice
president also denounced Maduro confidant and cabinet member Tareck El Aissami,
who has been sanctioned by the United States as a drug kingpin and the European
Union as a human rights violator. Pence described him as “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a drug runner and a money launderer who partners with terrorist
networks to bring Iran-backed terrorists into the country.</i>” <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“The
struggle in Venezuela is the struggle between dictatorship and democracy</i>,”
Pence said Tuesday. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nicolas Maduro is a
dictator with no legitimate claim to power, and Nicolas Maduro must go</i>.”
(World Tribune: </span></span><a href="https://www.worldtribune.com/pence-warns-venezuelas-maduro-harboring-iran-backed-terrorists/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.worldtribune.com/pence-warns-venezuelas-maduro-harboring-iran-backed-terrorists/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sen. Marco Rubio:
China ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">controlling defense cyber
operations</i>’ in Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Chinese government has actively helped
Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro control, censor, and shut down the Internet
in his quest to keep the legitimate president of the country, Juan Guaidó, from
governing, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) told Breitbart News in an interview Monday. Rubio
suggested that Beijing may be distancing itself from Maduro because the tide
has shifted so definitively against him in Latin America that the rest of the
region may sour on investments with China if it interferes to help him. That
does not mean China is not helping Maduro, merely that it cannot afford the bad
press, Rubio stated. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Chinese are
very involved. First, they are owed a bunch of money, so they want to get paid</i>,”
he explained. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Number two is they are
single-handedly helping conduct the Internet control operation. They have
basically taken a commercial version of their great Internet firewall and given
it to Maduro, and it is a service they are providing him, so they are the ones
that are shutting down the Internet and access to social media</i>.” Maduro’s
regime regularly cuts nationwide access to the Internet to prevent Guaidó and
other opposition leaders from being able to communicate with the masses or
organize rallies against him. Guaidó, according to Rubio, has “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no access to the media. Any time he tries to
speak or communicate on social media, they shut down the Internet. … Literally,
every time he holds a rally, they shut down the Internet</i>.” As the Chinese
are “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">single-handedly controlling the
defensive cyber operations shutting down the Internet</i>,” they are
responsible for silencing Guaidó. Yet being more open about their role could
jeopardize investments in other parts of the continent. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Chinese play a tricky game because on the one hand, they are trying
to grow in influence and presence throughout Latin America, so they are seeing
all of these countries supporting Guaidó, and they don’t want to … antagonize
these countries by being cheerleaders for the Maduro regime</i>,” Rubio noted.
(Breitbart: </span></span><a href="https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2019/05/09/marco-rubio-china-controlling-defense-cyber-operations-venezuela/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.breitbart.com/latin-america/2019/05/09/marco-rubio-china-controlling-defense-cyber-operations-venezuela/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Is Trump failing in Venezuela?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We finally may have found a
peak </span></span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-frustrated-trump-questions-his-administrations-venezuela-strategy/2019/05/08/ad51561a-71a7-11e9-9f06-5fc2ee80027a_story.html?utm_term=.7b4450f68221" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">Donald Trump
headline</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A frustrated Trump questions his
administration’s Venezuela strategy</i>.” The Washington Post story that goes
with it is a classic. It seems that Trump hired John Bolton to be his national
security adviser, </span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-03-06/john-bolton-is-exploiting-donald-trump-s-weakness" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">cleared the
path</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> for him
to be the main policy maker on foreign affairs, and … is now shocked
that Bolton is something of a warmonger and that his schemes don’t produce
perfect and painless results overnight. Trump and his aides also aren’t eager
to disguise that the president is something of an outsider to his own
administration’s policy-making process. Remember: It’s not uncommon for
presidents to fight with executive-branch departments and agencies for control
over policy. Those bodies have multiple masters. But splits between the
president and his own staffers in the White House are far rarer,
since such people work directly for, and answer only to, the president himself.
Trump has said in recent days that Bolton wants to get him “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">into a war</i>” — a comment he has made in
jest in the past but that now belies his more serious concerns, one senior
administration official said. Despite Trump’s grumbling that Bolton had gotten
him out on a limb on Venezuela, Bolton’s job is safe, two senior administration
officials said, and Trump has told his national security adviser to keep
focusing on Venezuela. Trump also spoke approvingly of Russian actions in
Venezuela following a lengthy phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin
on Friday, saying that Putin “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is not
looking at all to get involved in Venezuela other than he’d like to see
something positive happen for Venezuela. And I feel the same way. We want to
get some humanitarian aid.</i>” U.S. officials think time is on their side and
that Maduro will fall of his own weight. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has
been influential in shaping the administration’s Venezuela response, said Trump
and Bolton are on the same page. Rubio, who said he spoke to Trump about
Venezuela on Tuesday evening, backs the policy of waiting out Maduro. Rubio
said some of the harshest U.S. sanctions are only now having full effect,
including sowing dissension among Maduro aides.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>(Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-05-09/why-donald-trump-is-failing-in-venezuela"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-05-09/why-donald-trump-is-failing-in-venezuela</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
The Washington Post: </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-frustrated-trump-questions-his-administrations-venezuela-strategy/2019/05/08/ad51561a-71a7-11e9-9f06-5fc2ee80027a_story.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/a-frustrated-trump-questions-his-administrations-venezuela-strategy/2019/05/08/ad51561a-71a7-11e9-9f06-5fc2ee80027a_story.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US Secretary of State
Pompeo to meet Russian President Putin, FM Lavrov on May 14<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mike Pompeo is to meet Russian President
Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov when he travels to Russia
next week, the US State Department said in a statement. The visit comes as the
relations between Moscow and Washington are at a new low over accusations of
Russian meddling and disagreements over approaches to Venezuela and Iran’s
nuclear program. The State Department says they will discuss “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the full range of bilateral and multilateral
challenges</i>” during a meeting in the southern city of Sochi on May 14. (RT: </span></span><a href="https://www.rt.com/news/458985-pompeo-travel-russia-date/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.rt.com/news/458985-pompeo-travel-russia-date/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russian FM Lavrov
speaks on prospects for US-Russia deal on Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has
announced that there won’t be any “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">deals</i>”
on Venezuela between Moscow and Washington. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Trump is the one who usually prepares deals</i>", Lavrov remarked.
The foreign minister delivered this statement ahead of the upcoming meeting
between him and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, which is scheduled to take
place on 14 May in Sochi. Earlier this week, Lavrov also dismissed speculations
about the possibility of a military intervention in Venezuela, stating that
Russia opposes “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hostilities anywhere in
violation of international law</i>”, and that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the use of force may only be authorized by the UN Security Council, or
force may be used in response to aggression against a sovereign state</i>”.
(Sputnik News: </span></span><a href="https://sputniknews.com/world/201905091074854135-russia-us-venezuela-deal/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://sputniknews.com/world/201905091074854135-russia-us-venezuela-deal/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia not planning to
send more military specialists to Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Moscow does not plan to send more Russian
military specialists to Venezuela, RIA news agency quoted Russian Deputy Prime
Minister Yuri Borisov as saying on Thursday. The Kremlin said in March that
Russian military specialists are in Venezuela to service pre-existing contracts
for the supply of Russian arms. (Journal Pioneer: </span></span><a href="https://www.journalpioneer.com/news/world/russia-not-planning-to-send-more-military-specialists-to-venezuela-ria-309646/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.journalpioneer.com/news/world/russia-not-planning-to-send-more-military-specialists-to-venezuela-ria-309646/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ex-Venezuelan spy chief says Venezuelans should
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'build a new state'</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The ex-head of Venezuela’s SEBIN intelligence
service, who was replaced last week after an attempted military uprising
against Nicolas Maduro, urged Venezuelans on Thursday to build a new state and
combat corruption.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In his first public appearance since Maduro
replaced him on April 30, Manuel Christopher said Venezuelans “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">deserve a better country</i>,” according to
a video of Christopher posted on Twitter by Venezuelan TV outlet NTN24.
(Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-intelligence/ex-venezuelan-spy-chief-says-venezuelans-should-build-a-new-state-idUSKCN1SF2PO"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-intelligence/ex-venezuelan-spy-chief-says-venezuelans-should-build-a-new-state-idUSKCN1SF2PO</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan Embassy’s power
cut off in tense Washington standoff<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A chaotic political standoff with international
diplomatic implications began unfolding quietly weeks ago on a leafy side
street in the upscale Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, as a group of
American activists moved into the five-story Venezuelan Embassy and made
themselves at home. With some 100 Venezuelan diplomats still working inside
during the day, the activists from Code Pink and other antiwar groups brought
their things to spend the night, sleeping on couches to keep the building
occupied around the clock. They said they were guests, invited by the regime of
Nicolás Maduro, and their mission was to oppose any American military
intervention in the troubled nation. The antiwar activists have been alone in
the embassy building since late April, when the American visas for the
shoestring embassy staff expired, forcing the diplomats to go home. Appointees
of Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader recognized by the United States and some
50 other countries as Venezuela’s interim president, had pledged to take over
the embassy, a move those now occupying the facility fear could lead to a
reciprocal siege of the American Embassy in Venezuela, and an armed conflict. Late
last month, local Venezuelans who support Mr. Guaidó learned of the occupation
and descended on the building, demanding that the activists, whom they view as
unlawful trespassers, get out. In the ensuing days, tense clashes between the
occupiers and the Venezuelans, who are camped in tents surrounding the
building, have escalated, prompting nine arrests by the Secret Service. Late on
Wednesday, the power company shut off electricity to the embassy, thrusting its
occupants into darkness. The protesters outside cheered. The extraordinary
stalemate has challenged local authorities and the Trump administration,
turning the inoperative embassy into a stand-in for the much larger crisis
vexing Venezuela, as Mr. Maduro’s supporters maintain control despite of
efforts by the opposition and the United States. The State Department has said
it considers their presence to be “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unauthorized</i>.”
Washington police and the Secret Service have set up a barrier separating the
pro-Guaidó camp from Maduro sympathizers and other activists across the street.
Late on Wednesday, the power company shut off electricity to the embassy,
leaving the activists inside in darkness. Only about 15 people remain in the
building, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The New York Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/venezuela-embassy-protests.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/09/us/venezuela-embassy-protests.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">OP-ED: Can the U.S.
help Venezuela militarily without use of force? by Sarah Lee <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lawmakers are debating whether the U.S. should
proceed with military action in Venezuela to help end the socialist Maduro
regime even as debate about whether the U.S. has a responsibility to protect
Venezuela — and if there are ways the military can be utilized without use of
force. Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the OAS, detailed the reasons he
believes the U.S. and other nations would be justified in entering Venezuela
and using force if necessary, under UN guidelines covering the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">responsibility to protect</i>” policy, or
R2P.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the Trump administration
continues conversations with nations such as Russia and Iran, as Secretary of
State Mike Pompeo did this week, some are noting that military intervention
doesn’t necessarily have to mean use of force. How would it work? U.S. special
forces, next door in Colombia to assist that country’s armed forces, would
train the Venezuelan opposition in best practices of nonviolent resistance.
This includes teaching tactics of dispersal, evading tear gas, erecting
barricades, and maintaining command and control in the face of government
repression. But can nonviolent resistance work? A new report by the Joint Special
Operations University on Support to Resistance (STR) operations suggests it
can. With the Maduro regime arresting interim president Juan Guaidó’s ally,
National Assembly Vice President Edgar Zambrano, Wednesday, the U.S. may need
to decide quickly on just how to help its neighbor to the south. (Town Hall: </span></span><a href="https://townhall.com/tipsheet/sarahlee/2019/05/09/can-the-us-help-venezuela-militarily-without-use-of-force-n2546111"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://townhall.com/tipsheet/sarahlee/2019/05/09/can-the-us-help-venezuela-militarily-without-use-of-force-n2546111</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-14888735790923831522019-05-02T18:03:00.003-04:002019-05-02T18:03:54.963-04:00May 02, 2019<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Logistics
& Transport</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">FAA issues Venezuela emergency order<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Tuesday evening issued an order
prohibiting “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all flight operations in the
territory and airspace of Venezuela at altitudes below FL260</i>” until further
notice. This order came out due to the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">increasing
political instability and tensions</i>”. This order is applied to all U.S. air
carriers, commercial operators, and “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all
persons exercising the privileges of an airman certificate issued by the FAA</i>,”.
Except for pilots flying foreign-registered aircraft or foreign air carriers
operating U.S.-registered aircraft. But pilots can deviate if necessary, in
case of an emergency that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">requires
immediate decision and action for the safety of the flight</i>.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The FAA also said that any air operators
currently in Venezuela, which would include private jets, should depart within
48 hours. Yesterday some airlines like Iberia or DHL cancel their flights to
Caracas. The flight of Air France returned to Paris probably because of the
political situation. (Sam Chui: </span></span><a href="https://samchui.com/2019/05/02/faa-issues-venezuela-emergency-order/#.XMrv6Y5KhPY"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://samchui.com/2019/05/02/faa-issues-venezuela-emergency-order/#.XMrv6Y5KhPY</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics
and International Affairs</span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US doing everything short of ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the ultimate’</i>, says Trump as protests
continue<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The United
States is doing everything short of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the
ultimate</i>” to resolve Venezuela’s crisis, Donald Trump has vowed, after
clashes between protesters and security forces broke out in Caracas following a
dramatic but so far fruitless bid to force Nicolás Maduro from power by
triggering a massive military rebellion. In an interview with Fox News, the US
president, who is Venezuelan interim president Juan Guaidó’s most powerful
international backer, vowed to continue supporting him in his battle against
Maduro, who Trump called “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a tough player</i>”.
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We are doing everything we can do, short
of, you know, the ultimate</i>,” Trump said, adding: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There are people who would like to have us do the ultimate.</i>” Asked
what the options were, Trump said: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Well,
some of them I don’t even like to mention to you because they are pretty tough</i>.”
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It’s an incredible mess … The place is
so bad and so dangerous … so something is going to have to be done</i>,” the US
president added in the rambling 10-minute interview. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A lot of things will be going on over the next week and sooner than
that. We will see what happens.” </i>David Smilde, a Venezuela expert from the
Washington Office on Latin America, said the defection of the head of
Venezuela’s intelligence services, SEBIN, showed Maduro’s military support was
fragile. Jair Bolsonaro said Brazilian intelligence suggested “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">there is indeed a fracture which is moving
closer and closer to the top of the armed forces. So, it is possible the
government will collapse because some of those at the top switch sides</i>,”
Bolsonaro added. The US national security adviser, John Bolton, also claimed
the Maduro regime was close to falling. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Our
judgment is that the overwhelming number of military service members in the
country support Juan Guaidó and the opposition</i>,” Bolton said: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It’s just a matter of time before they come
over the opposition and some of that could happen today</i>.” (The Guardian: </span></span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/01/venezuela-protests-latest-guaido-calls-peaceful-coup-against-maduro"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/01/venezuela-protests-latest-Guaidó-calls-peaceful-coup-against-maduro</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-01/trump-s-bet-on-guaido-is-tested-as-maduro-remains-in-caracas"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-05-01/trump-s-bet-on-Guaidó-is-tested-as-maduro-remains-in-caracas</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pompeo says military action in Venezuela '<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">possible</i>'<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">US Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo reiterated Wednesday that US military action in Venezuela
is an option in the wake of this week's violent protests, despite military
officials and experts casting doubt on the prudence of such a move. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The President has been crystal clear and
incredibly consistent. Military action is possible. If that's what's required,
that's what the United States will do</i>," Pompeo said on Fox Business
Network. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We're trying to do
everything we can to avoid violence. We've asked all the parties involved not
to engage in the kind of activity. We'd prefer a peaceful transition of
government there, where Maduro leaves and a new election is held. But the
President has made clear, if there comes a moment -- and we'll all have to make
decisions about when that moment is -- and the President will have to
ultimately make that decision. He is prepared to do that if that's what's
required." </i></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(CNN: </span></span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/01/politics/mike-pompeo-venezuela-military-action/index.html"><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/01/politics/mike-pompeo-venezuela-military-action/index.html</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. military acknowledged exhaustive
contingency planning for Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
Pentagon on Wednesday appeared to downplay any active preparations to directly
intervene in Venezuela to topple Nicolás Maduro but acknowledged detailed
contingency planning as political turmoil here deepens. Hours after U.S.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States was prepared to take
military action, if necessary, acting U.S. Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan
said the United States had carried out "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">exhaustive planning</i>" on Venezuela. But he and other officials
continued to emphasize diplomatic and economic pressure to help oust Maduro, as
opposed to a U.S.-military led regime change. Asked at one point whether the
U.S. military had been given instructions to prepare for a conflict in
Venezuela, perhaps by prepositioning U.S. troops, Kathryn Wheelbarger, the
acting assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, said:
"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We, of course, always review
available options and plan for contingencies. But in this case, we have not
been given (the) sort of orders that you're discussing, no</i>,"
Wheelbarger told the House Armed Services Committee. So far, the U.S. military
has been largely a spectator amid the unfolding U.S. foreign policy decisions
on Venezuela, although it offered small contributions, like helping shuttle
humanitarian aid to Colombia for further transport to Venezuela. It has also
ramped up its intelligence collection and intelligence sharing with allies, like
Colombia, while planning for a possible non-combatant evacuation of Americans
from Venezuela, should the need arise. Such planning is standard in any crisis
of Venezuela's magnitude. The top uniformed U.S. military officer, Marine
General Joseph Dunford, said he was focused on intelligence gathering and being
prepared to respond, if Trump sought greater involvement by the Pentagon. But
he stressed that the military should act in a way that deepens its partnerships
in Latin America -- where the prospect of U.S. military intervention is deeply
unpopular. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I think it really is
very, very important that we work with others in the region to solve this
problem</i>," Dunford said. U.S. Navy Admiral Craig Faller, commander of
U.S. Southern Command, which oversees U.S. forces in Latin America, said a big
focus for the United States and its partners in the region would be helping to
restore vital Venezuelan economic infrastructure after Maduro's exit --
something he called "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Day Now</i>"
planning. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We call it 'Day Now'
because there is going to be a day when the legitimate government takes over,
and it's going to come when we least expect it -- and it could be right now</i>,"
Faller said. When asked if he saw a role for the U.S. military in overthrowing
Maduro's government, Faller said: "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Our
leadership's been clear: It has to be, should be, primarily a democratic
transition</i>." Still, he said Southern Command was ready to act if called
upon for any scenario. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We're on the
balls of our feet</i>," he said. Despite the normally apolitical role of
members of the military, Faller voiced a direct -- and political -- message to
the Venezuelan armed forces, calling on them "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to do the right thing</i>." "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A transition to legitimate democracy is underway, and I have a message
for the professionals in the Venezuelan military and security forces -- the
brutal dictatorship of Maduro has led to this man-made crisis. Cuba and Russia
have invaded your country and disgraced your sovereignty. You have a chance to
do the right thing and alleviate the suffering of your people and your families
-- those you have sworn an oath to protect</i>," he said. In a sign the
crisis was grabbing the full attention of Trump's national security leaders,
Shanahan canceled a planned trip to Europe on Wednesday, in part to help
coordinate with the White House National Security Council and State Department
on Venezuela. (The New York Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/05/01/world/americas/01reuters-venezuela-politics-usa-military.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/05/01/world/americas/01reuters-venezuela-politics-usa-military.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-military/u-s-military-not-given-orders-to-prepare-for-war-in-venezuela-idUSKCN1S744M"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-military/u-s-military-not-given-orders-to-prepare-for-war-in-venezuela-idUSKCN1S744M</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-planning/u-s-has-done-exhaustive-planning-on-venezuela-scenarios-shanahan-idUSKCN1S74CP"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-planning/u-s-has-done-exhaustive-planning-on-venezuela-scenarios-shanahan-idUSKCN1S74CP</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia hits back at U.S. over Venezuela, warns
of ‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">most serious consequences’</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia has
hit back at repeated warnings from the United States over Moscow's alleged role
in Venezuela, where Washington has endorsed an attempt to oust the country's
socialist regime. As the three-month standoff between Nicolás Maduro and
opposition-controlled National Assembly speaker Juan Guaidó grew violent
Tuesday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo alleged that the Venezuelan leader
"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">had an airplane on the tarmac, he
was ready to leave</i>" to Cuba, but "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the Russians indicated he should stay</i>." Russia dismissed this
narrative Wednesday, with the two country's top diplomats reportedly having it
out during a telephone call. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
focus was on the situation in Venezuela, where yesterday the opposition, with
the clear support of the United States, attempted to seize power. It was
stressed on the Russian side that Washington’s interference in the internal
affairs of a sovereign state and the threat against its leadership is a gross
violation of international law</i>," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in
a readout of the talk between Pompeo and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It was indicated that the
continuation of aggressive steps would be fraught with the most serious
consequences,"</i> the statement added. The State Department later
released its own readout of the call, during which Pompeo "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stressed that the intervention by Russia and
Cuba is destabilizing for Venezuela and for the U.S.-Russia bilateral
relationship</i>," according to spokesperson Morgan Ortagus. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Secretary noted the Russian Foreign
Ministry’s April 30 statement calling for the renunciation of violence and
support for Venezuela’s return to stability and prosperity</i>," the
statement read. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Secretary urged
Russia to cease support for Nicolas Maduro and join other nations, including
the overwhelming majority of countries in the Western Hemisphere, who seek a
better future for the Venezuelan people.</i>" (Newsweek: </span></span><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/russia-us-venezuela-conflict-warns-serious-consequences-1411720"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.newsweek.com/russia-us-venezuela-conflict-warns-serious-consequences-1411720</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa/tension-grows-between-u-s-and-russia-over-venezuela-standoff-idUSKCN1S73VN"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa/tension-grows-between-u-s-and-russia-over-venezuela-standoff-idUSKCN1S73VN</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-russia/pompeo-urges-end-to-russian-involvement-in-venezuela-state-department-idUSKCN1S74G8"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-russia/pompeo-urges-end-to-russian-involvement-in-venezuela-state-department-idUSKCN1S74G8</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-russia-usa/russia-warns-u-s-over-aggressive-moves-in-venezuela-idUSKCN1S74BF"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-russia-usa/russia-warns-u-s-over-aggressive-moves-in-venezuela-idUSKCN1S74BF</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-russia/russia-denies-u-s-claim-it-told-venezuelas-maduro-not-to-flee-idUSKCN1S73K3"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-russia/russia-denies-u-s-claim-it-told-venezuelas-maduro-not-to-flee-idUSKCN1S73K3</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thousands of Venezuelans have taken to the
streets in Caracas heeding Juan Guaidó ‘s call<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As tens of
thousands of Venezuelan returned to the streets on Wednesday, Juan Guaidó, the
young opposition leader who led that attempted mutiny on Tuesday morning, told
demonstrators in the capital, Caracas, they needed to intensify their “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">peaceful rebellion</i>” against Maduro. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Every day there will be acts of protest
until we achieve our liberty</i>,” Guaidó announced. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They thought they could suffocate our protest yesterday and they
failed. We will remain in the streets until Venezuela is free</i>.” The
country’s political crisis returned to a protracted standoff punctuated by violence
on Wednesday, with the government and protesters seeking to project strength at
rival May Day rallies. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There’s no
turning back</i>,” Juan Guaidó, the opposition leader, told supporters in
Caracas, the capital, where tear gas fired by riot police officers shrouded
some protest sites. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Despite the repression,
we’re still here.</i>” There were reports late in the day that armed
pro-government forces used live fire against some protesters in Altamira, part
of a Caracas area where the opposition is strong. A 27-year-old woman died from
a gunshot wound to the head while protesting there. Thousands of Mr. Guaidó’s
supporters in Caracas and elsewhere heeded his call to demonstrate, although
not enough to meet his promise to stage “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the
biggest march in history</i>.” Still, his ability to remain at large and to
rally supporters — after his attempt to recruit the military to his side
sputtered on Tuesday — underlined the weaknesses in the regime of his opponent,
Nicolás Maduro. Mr. Guaidó called on Venezuelan workers to begin “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rolling strikes</i>” starting Thursday,
building to a general strike later in the month. It was unclear how much
pressure that would apply since most companies already operate at minimum
capacity after five years of recession. Momentum on the street has flagged.
Protest fatigue and constant power and water outages have sapped morale. Attempts
by Mr. Guaidó’s supporters to gather at rallying points in Caracas’s downtown
Wednesday were swiftly repressed by police officers and national guard members
with tear gas, forcing them to fall back to the middle-class opposition
stronghold of Chacao in the east of the capital. But by late afternoon, many of
the protesters in the capital Caracas had drifted home. National Guards fired
tear gas at a hardcore of demonstrators who remained. Chacao’s health
authorities said 39 protesters were injured on Wednesday. The defense minister,
General Vladimir Padrino, said on Twitter that eight soldiers had been wounded
by firearms while “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">confronting coup
violence</i>.” He added, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How long will
the impunity last?</i> Across town in central Caracas, thousands of Maduro’s
supporters dressed in red marched along the main highway toward the
presidential palace. Most appeared to be retirees or public sector workers. Many
were brought in from across the country by public buses that stretched for
miles on the side of the highway, underlining the government’s desire to
portray strength and tenacity after the failed uprising. (The New York Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/world/americas/venezuela-protests-guaido-maduro.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/01/world/americas/venezuela-protests-Guaidó-maduro.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelan-protests-peter-out-as-maduro-hangs-on-u-s-and-russia-squabble-idUSKCN1S734M"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelan-protests-peter-out-as-maduro-hangs-on-u-s-and-russia-squabble-idUSKCN1S734M</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-05-01/venezuela-s-guaido-takes-a-big-risk-for-a-small-win"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-05-01/venezuela-s-Guaidó-takes-a-big-risk-for-a-small-win</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-30/guaido-s-high-risk-gamble-flops-as-maduro-keeps-grip-on-military"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-30/Guaidó-s-high-risk-gamble-flops-as-maduro-keeps-grip-on-military</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
The Guardian: </span></span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/01/venezuela-protests-latest-guaido-calls-peaceful-coup-against-maduro"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/01/venezuela-protests-latest-Guaidó-calls-peaceful-coup-against-maduro</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There weren't enough military defectors for Guaidó
to declare a victory yesterday, he admits<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Speaking to
a crowd in Caracas, Juan Guaidó admitted that he did not have enough military
defectors on his side to declare victory during yesterday's unrest. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We have to acknowledge that yesterday there
weren't enough [pro-Guaidó military defectors]</i>," the National Assembly
President and opposition leader said. He added: "We <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have to insist that all the armed forces [show up] together. We are not
asking for a confrontation. We are not asking for a confrontation among
brothers, it’s the opposite. We just want them to be on the side of the people</i>."
</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(CNN: </span></span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/americas/live-news/venezuela-crisis-live-may-day-protests-intl/index.html"><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.cnn.com/americas/live-news/venezuela-crisis-live-may-day-protests-intl/index.html</span></span></a><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Head of Venezuela's secret police turns his
back on Nicolas Maduro <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The head of
Venezuela's secret police has broken ranks with Nicolas Maduro as the country
braces for a second day violence following the turmoil surrounding a military
uprising. In a possible sign that Maduro's inner circle could be fracturing,
the head of Venezuela's secret police wrote a letter on Tuesday breaking ranks
with the embattled leader.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a letter
directed to the Venezuelan people, Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera - the head
of Venezuela's feared SEBIN intelligence agency - said he had always been loyal
to Maduro but now it is time to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'rebuild
the country'</i>. He said corruption has become so rampant that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'many high-ranking public servants practice
it like a sport</i>'. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'The hour has
arrived for us to look for other ways of doing politics,</i>' Figuera wrote. The
authenticity of the letter circulating on social media was confirmed by a
senior U.S. official. (The Daily Mail: </span></span><a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6979389/Head-Venezuelas-secret-police-turns-Nicolas-Maduro.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6979389/Head-Venezuelas-secret-police-turns-Nicolas-Maduro.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US: Venezuelan officials who were negotiating Maduro
exit have gone dark<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US Special
Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams said on Wednesday that top
officials with the Venezuelan government who allegedly were negotiating with
the opposition for Nicolas Maduro to step down have “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">turned off their cellphones</i>.” “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’ve
run across the fact that many of them have turned off their cellphones</i>,”
Abrams said in an interview with EFE. The US government said on Tuesday that
three key officials with the Maduro government – Defense Minister Vladimir
Padrino Lopez, Supreme Court of Justice president Maikel Moreno and
Presidential Honor Guard commander Ivan Rafael Hernandez Dala – were
negotiating with the opposition to break with Maduro and back Juan Guaidó, who
has been recognized as the country’s interim president by 54 nations.<br />
When asked if Padrino Lopez, Moreno and Hernandez Dala are the ones who have
turned off their cellphones, Abrams said only that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I’m referring to many people at top levels of the Venezuelan government</i>.”
(Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478022&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478022&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro vows retaliation for “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">coup attempt</i>” as he denies attempts to
flee to Cuba<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nicolas
Maduro declared victory in a defiant televised address late on Tuesday over the
attempted uprising, vowing retaliation against those who plotted a "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">coup</i>" to remove him from office. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This will not go unpunished</i>," Maduro
said in his first address, broadcast on television and the radio, since the
pre-dawn attempt to remove him by a group of soldiers led by opposition leader
and interim president Juan Guaidó. Maduro also used his speech to deny claims
by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that he had intended to flee to Cuba amid
a military uprising against him. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mike
Pompeo said that... Maduro had a plane ready to take him to Cuba, but the
Russians prevented him from leaving the country. Mister Pompeo, please, this
really is a joke</i>," Maduro said. Maduro insisted he had seen off
Tuesday’s attempt to topple him with the backing of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">loyal and obedient</i>” members of Venezuela’s Bolivarian armed forces.
Flanked by Venezuela’s military and political elite, Maduro blamed Venezuela’s
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">coup-mongering far right</i>” and Donald
Trump’s deranged imperialist <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“gang</i>”
for what he called Tuesday’s attempted coup. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I truly believe … that the United States of America has never had a
government as deranged as this one</i>,” On Tuesday night at least 25
Venezuelan troops sought asylum in Brazil's embassy in Caracas, a senior
Brazilian official said. A spokesman for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
said soldiers and lieutenants were among the applicants. The petitions for
asylum came as Bolsonaro threw his support behind Venezuelans "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">enslaved by a dictator</i>" "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brazil is on the side of the people of
Venezuela, President Juan Guaidó and the freedom of Venezuelans</i>,"
Bolsonaro said in a series of tweets. (The Telegraph: </span></span><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/30/venezuela-latestviolent-clashes-opposition-leader-juan-guaido/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/04/30/venezuela-latestviolent-clashes-opposition-leader-juan-Guaidó/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; The Guardian: </span></span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/01/venezuela-protests-latest-guaido-calls-peaceful-coup-against-maduro"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/01/venezuela-protests-latest-Guaidó-calls-peaceful-coup-against-maduro</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Opposition leader Lopez and family in Spain’s
Venezuela Embassy<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuelan
opposition figure Leopoldo Lopez, his wife Lilian Tintori and their
15-month-old daughter are currently in the Spanish embassy in Caracas just a
day after the activist was released from house arrest in a dramatic operation
orchestrated by interim President Juan Guaidó and a group of defecting
soldiers, Spain’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday. Lopez, who had been
serving an almost 14-year sentence under house arrest for charges linked to
anti-regime protests back in 2014, was released Tuesday morning. (Latin
American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478002&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2478002&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.N.
rights office concerned by use of force in Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The United
Nations human rights office said on Wednesday it was “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">extremely worried</i>” by reports of excessive use of force against
demonstrators across Venezuela. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In light
of the mass protests planned for today, we call on all sides to show maximum
restraint and for the authorities to respect the right to peaceful assembly. We
also warn against the use of language inciting people to violence</i>,” it said
in a statement. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-un/u-n-rights-office-concerned-by-use-of-force-in-venezuela-idUSKCN1S74DA"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-un/u-n-rights-office-concerned-by-use-of-force-in-venezuela-idUSKCN1S74DA</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela social media blackout lifted minutes
before President Maduro's speech<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
Venezuelan regime is clamping down on social media as Nicolas Maduro battles Juan
Guaidó's calls for a popular uprising. Network data collected by internet
observatory Netblocks shows the country's state-run internet provider
restricted access to social media on Tuesday. The restrictions were imposed on
Twitter, Periscope, YouTube, Facebook and several other services shortly after Guaidó
announced what he called the final phase of Operation Freedom. Unrestricted
internet access was finally restored just 20 minutes before a live-streamed
speech by Maduro in which he accused the US and Colombia of backing opponents
of his regime. According to Netblocks, the network data is consistent with
state censorship events during other public appearances by Mr. Guaidó, as well
as during "a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">politically significant
session of the Venezuelan National Assembly</i>" which was live-streamed. Access
to each of the targeted services was intermittently available, as it was in
previous filtering events, but Netblocks stated the extent of Tuesday's blocks
was unprecedented in Venezuela. The online crackdown has been accompanied by a
physical response to demonstrations in the streets. (SKY News: </span></span><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/venezuela-social-media-blackout-lifted-minutes-before-president-maduros-speech-11708427"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://news.sky.com/story/venezuela-social-media-blackout-lifted-minutes-before-president-maduros-speech-11708427</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brazil backs Venezuela uprising, but says it
won't intervene militarily<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brazil’s government
threw its support behind Venezuelan interim president Juan Guaidó’s push to
oust Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday and called on other nations to do the same. Brazil’s
President Jair Bolsonaro, a former army officer, wrote on his official Twitter
account that the people of Venezuela are “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">enslaved
by a dictator</i>” and that he supports “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">freedom
for our sister nation to finally become a true democracy.</i>” His security
adviser, retired general Augusto Heleno, said he was shocked by an image of an
armored car of Venezuela’s National Guard apparently running over protesters. But
he said the situation was not clear, Guaidó’s support among the military
appeared to be “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">weak</i>” and it was uncertain
whether military officers were abandoning Maduro. Presidential spokesman
General Otavio Rego Barros told reporters Brazil had completely ruled out
intervening militarily in Venezuela and was not planning to allow any other
country to use its territory for any potential intervention in its neighbor. Earlier,
Brazil’s foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo said it was “positive” to see movement
of some Venezuelan military toward recognizing Guaidó as the legitimate
president of their country. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Brazil
supports the democratic transition process and hopes the Venezuelan military
will be part of that</i>,” Araujo said. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-brazil/brazil-backs-venezuela-uprising-but-says-it-wont-intervene-militarily-idUSKCN1S61MK"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-brazil/brazil-backs-venezuela-uprising-but-says-it-wont-intervene-militarily-idUSKCN1S61MK</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Number
of Venezuelans fleeing to Brazil surges during attempt to oust Maduro<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Close to
triple the usual number of Venezuelans fled to Brazil on Tuesday, when
Venezuelan interim president¿ Juan Guaidó led an attempt to oust socialist
leader Nicolas Maduro from power, according to Brazilian government data
released on Wednesday. Some 850 Venezuelans came to Brazil on Tuesday by foot,
the government said, compared with the usual range of between 250 and 300. The
migrants arrived in Brazil’s Roraima state, one of the country’s most isolated
and poor, which borders Venezuela and has seen thousands of migrants arrive in
recent months. A wider exodus has pushed millions of Venezuelans largely to
Colombia and Peru. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-brazil/number-of-venezuelans-fleeing-to-brazil-surges-during-attempt-to-oust-maduro-idUSKCN1S740W"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-brazil/number-of-venezuelans-fleeing-to-brazil-surges-during-attempt-to-oust-maduro-idUSKCN1S740W</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We must
protect our citizens first</i>”: Peru expels 40 Venezuelans<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Peru has
deported more than 40 Venezuelan migrants for concealing they had criminal
records or for residing illegally in the country, Interior Minister Carlos
Moran said in the wake of first large expulsion since hundreds of thousands of
Venezuelans fled to Peru to escape their country's economic crisis. The
migrants were arrested in different districts of the capital, Lima, in a police
operation early on Monday, and were put on a military plane headed to Venezuela
hours later. Moran said most of the Venezuelans expelled had provided false
sworn declarations in their residency applications that they had no criminal
record, a violation of Peru's migration law punishable with deportation. Others
were deported for residing illegally in the Andean country, Moran added,
without providing details. Peru, which has a population of 32 million, has the
second-largest population of Venezuelan migrants after Colombia. Most of the
700,000 Venezuelans in Peru arrived in the past year. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As a country, we have fraternally welcomed
thousands of Venezuelans who have come to seek a better future</i>," Moran
told reporters. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But as a
government, we must protect our citizens first, and these people who have
entered lying, falsifying information, had criminal records, and that's a
threat.</i>" Peru created temporary residency permits for Venezuelans in
early 2017, allowing them to work and receive health and education services. But
last year, the government of President Martin Vizcarra stopped allowing new
applicants into the program, which has granted permits to more than 330,000
Venezuelans and is processing requests for 160,000 others. 67% of Peruvians now
view Venezuelan immigration as negative, compared with 43% in February 2018,
according to an Ipsos poll published in daily El Comercio on Monday. Crime was
listed as the top concern, followed by fears about jobs. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(Al Jazeera: </span></span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/protect-citizens-peru-expels-venezuelans-190430052927726.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/protect-citizens-peru-expels-venezuelans-190430052927726.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)
</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
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</div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cubans
protest U.S. sanctions as Trump raises pressure on Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Millions of
Cubans took to the streets on Wednesday in protest over new sanctions imposed
on the Caribbean island by the Trump administration and U.S. efforts to topple
the government of socialist ally Venezuela. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We will give a strong, firm and revolutionary response to the
statements loaded with threats, provocations, lies and slander of the Yankee
empire</i>,” tweeted Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel as dawn broke over
Havana. The annual marches across the Communist-run country, marking
International Workers Day, provided the first opportunity to publicly protest a
U.S. offensive against socialism in the region declared by U.S. national
security advisor John Bolton late last year. That was followed by a series of
new sanctions against Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua and the appearance of
shortages of basic goods on the island. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-protests-usa/cubans-protest-u-s-sanctions-as-trump-raises-pressure-on-venezuela-idUSKCN1S742Q"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cuba-protests-usa/cubans-protest-u-s-sanctions-as-trump-raises-pressure-on-venezuela-idUSKCN1S742Q</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">OP-ED: How an elaborate plan to topple Venezuela’s
President went wrong, by Uri Friedman<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the
effort to topple Nicolás Maduro, Colombia’s ambassador to the United States
once told me, the military men propping up Venezuela’s authoritarian president
are like chess pieces. If they defect from the regime, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you lose that chess piece</i>,” Francisco Santos explained. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They work better from the inside</i>.” As
Tuesday, April 30, began, the United States and its allies thought they finally
had checkmate, after months of building up the opposition leader Juan Guaidó as
Venezuela’s legitimate president and recruiting more than 50 nations to their
cause. By the end of the day, the board had been flipped upside down, pieces
were scattered everywhere, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on CNN
blaming the kingmakers, Russia and Cuba, for sabotaging the game. Donald
Trump’s administration has at the same time continued issuing warnings to
Maduro and his associates, though it’s unclear what effect they will have or
whether they will save Guaidó. (In the latest sign that major U.S. actions
could still be in the offing, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan has
canceled a trip to Europe in order to coordinate with the National Security
Council and State Department on Venezuela.) Maduro’s airplane was on the tarmac
and he was prepared to depart for Cuba on Tuesday morning, but “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the Russians indicated he should stay</i>,”
the U.S. secretary of state revealed. (The Russians have disputed this
account.) The Cubans, he added, are “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">protecting
this thug</i>” and are “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">at the center of
this malfeasance</i>.” Donald Trump, who earlier in the day had cheered on the
pro-democracy demonstrators on Twitter, returned to the site to threaten a “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">complete embargo</i>” and “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">highest-level sanctions</i>” on Cuba if “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cuban Troops and Militia do not immediately
CEASE military and other operations</i>” in Venezuela. As Operation Freedom
went sideways, U.S. officials began divulging details of an effort that had
gone spectacularly wrong. Bolton named three top Venezuelan officials—Defense
Minister Vladimir Padrino; Supreme Court Chief Justice Maikel Moreno; and the
commander of the presidential guard, Iván Rafael Hernández Dala—who he claimed
had been engaged in lengthy talks with the Venezuelan opposition and had “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all agreed that Maduro had to go</i>,” only
to renege this week (at least so far) on their commitments to facilitate a
democratic political transition. In a tweet addressed to the three men, Bolton
suggested that the terms of the deal had been to help remove Maduro from power
in exchange for amnesty from Guaidó and the lifting of U.S. sanctions against
them. Wednesday, Bolton outlined how the plan was supposed to work. The senior
officials and Guaidó would sign documents memorializing their agreement. The
Venezuelan Supreme Court would declare Maduro’s Constituent Assembly
illegitimate and thereby legitimize the Guaidó-led National Assembly. Military
leaders like Padrino would then have the political and legal cover to act
against Maduro. Yet “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for reasons that are
still not clear, that didn’t go forward yesterday</i>,” Bolton admitted. Another
senior official, the head of Venezuela’s intelligence service, did in fact
split with Maduro, according to U.S. officials. Bolton offered one theory for
why the plan never came to fruition: The Cuban government had prevailed on the
three officials to stick with their boss. Fear of the tens of thousands of
Cuban security forces in the country, he argued, is keeping military officials
in check. On television and Twitter on Tuesday, the defense minister repeatedly
backed Maduro. But by ratting out Padrino and the other officials, and thus
exposing them to Maduro’s retribution, U.S. officials seemed to be deliberately
sowing dissension and mistrust in the upper echelons of the Maduro government—as
a means of deepening its dysfunction and pressuring top officials to move
against Maduro before he moved against them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ahead of more anti-Maduro demonstrations on Wednesday, Bolton tried to
put a rosy spin on Tuesday’s tumultuous events. Maduro’s support within the
military has cratered and his support among the Venezuelan public is
nonexistent, he argued, forcing the Venezuelan dictator to desperately cling to
Cuba, a cadre of corrupt officials, and paramilitary groups known as
colectivos. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that if the campaign to dethrone
Maduro fails, Venezuela could “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sink into
a dictatorship from which there are very few possible alternatives</i>.” The
results of that campaign now—something utterly unsettled, halfway between
kleptocracy and democracy—were on display in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday at
the Venezuelan embassy. Pro-Maduro activists affiliated with Code Pink and
other groups, who had occupied the abandoned building and plastered it with
messages denouncing American imperialism and regime change, confronted
pro-Guaidó protesters across steel barricades and expressionless Secret Service
agents. The dueling chants and posters punctuated the confusion of the present
moment. (The Atlantic: </span></span><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/05/white-house-venezuela-maduro-failed/588454/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/05/white-house-venezuela-maduro-failed/588454/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #cccc00; font-family: "Franklin Gothic Medium","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: black;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-53229358971333777532019-04-11T16:34:00.000-04:002019-04-11T16:34:18.592-04:00April 11, 2019
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela reports
collapse in oil supply, tightening global market<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s oil output sank to a new long-term
low last month due to U.S. sanctions and blackouts, the country told OPEC,
deepening the impact of a global production curb and further tightening
supplies. In a monthly report released on Wednesday, the Organization of the
Petroleum Exporting Countries said Venezuela told the group that it pumped
960,000 barrels per day (bpd) in March, a drop of almost 500,000 bpd from
February. Venezuela’s production figure brings its numbers closer to outside
estimates, which have been saying the country’s economic collapse has taken a
bigger toll on its oil industry. Output in Venezuela, once a top-three OPEC
producer, has been declining for years due to economic collapse. In March,
supply dropped due to U.S. sanctions on state oil company PDVSA designed to
oust President Nicolas Maduro, and power blackouts. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-opec-report/venezuela-reports-collapse-in-oil-supply-tightening-global-market-opec-idUSKCN1RM1BT"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oil-opec-report/venezuela-reports-collapse-in-oil-supply-tightening-global-market-opec-idUSKCN1RM1BT</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oil edges higher as
Venezuela output collapses<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oil prices rose to their highest in more than
five months Wednesday as a sharp decline in Venezuelan oil production more than
offset the effect of a weekly report showing another increase in U.S.
inventories of crude oil. West Texas Intermediate futures, the U.S. oil
benchmark, ended 1% higher at US$ 64.61 a barrel on the New York Mercantile
Exchange, the highest since Oct. 31. (The Wall Street Journal: </span></span><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/oil-edges-higher-as-venezuela-output-collapses-11554911649"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.wsj.com/articles/oil-edges-higher-as-venezuela-output-collapses-11554911649</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela congress authorizes parallel PDVSA
board to negotiate foreign debt<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s opposition-controlled National
Assembly on Tuesday allowed a parallel board of directors of state-run oil
company PDVSA to negotiate foreign debt ahead of a looming payment deadline
that could put its crown jewel overseas asset, U.S. refiner CITGO, at risk. The
board’s new head will be former PDVSA executive Luis Pacheco, said lawmaker
Elias Matta, head of the assembly’s energy commission. The expanded board would
also be able to represent the company overseas, Matta said in congress. The ad
hoc board, which the Assembly on Tuesday expanded to nine members from five, is
part an effort by opposition leaders who have disavowed the regime of Nicolas
Maduro to control PDVSA’s overseas assets. Maduro’s ruling Socialist Party
continues to control the company’s day-to-day operations. The move will allow
the board to decide whether to make a US$ 71 million interest payment due April
27 on PDVSA’s 2020 bond, which is backed by a 49% stake in CITGO, said
opposition lawmaker Elias Matta, the head of the Assembly’s energy commission. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They will evaluate if they are going to pay
the bonds. That is now their decision</i>,” Matta said in a telephone
interview, adding that the board would have to inform the Assembly should it
decide to pay. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We will do everything we
have to do to protect the republic’s assets</i>.” (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-pdvsa/venezuela-congress-allows-parallel-pdvsa-board-to-negotiate-foreign-debt-idUSKCN1RL2CQ"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-pdvsa/venezuela-congress-allows-parallel-pdvsa-board-to-negotiate-foreign-debt-idUSKCN1RL2CQ</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics-pdvsa/venezuela-national-assembly-approves-expansion-to-pdvsa-ad-hoc-board-idUSL1N21R14F"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics-pdvsa/venezuela-national-assembly-approves-expansion-to-pdvsa-ad-hoc-board-idUSL1N21R14F</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two of Venezuela's four crude upgraders restart
after blackout: document<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two of Venezuela’s four crude oil upgraders,
which are necessary to process the country’s extra-heavy crude into exportable
grades, have restarted after halting activities due to blackouts in March. The
PETROCEDENO upgrader, a joint venture between state oil company PDVSA, France’s
TOTAL SA and Norway’s EQUINOR ASA, and the PETROPIAR joint venture with U.S. CHEVRON
Corp both restarted, according to the document. The upgraders, together with
the Petrosinovensa mixing facility, were set to produce 298,000 barrels of
upgraded crude on Tuesday. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil/two-of-venezuelas-four-crude-upgraders-restart-after-blackout-document-idUSKCN1RL2FE"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil/two-of-venezuelas-four-crude-upgraders-restart-after-blackout-document-idUSKCN1RL2FE</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro is cut off from
US$ 400 million in cash held at the IMF<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As Nicolas Maduro steps up his search for cash
overseas, another door is slamming shut. The International Monetary Fund
suspended the Venezuelan strongman’s access to almost US$ 400 million of
special drawing rights, citing political chaos since National Assembly
President Juan Guaidó claimed in January that he was the nation’s rightful
leader, said two people familiar with the matter. Venezuela already whittled
its SDR holdings down from almost US$ 1 billion in March 2018. The IMF’s
caution marks at least a temporary defeat for Maduro’s government as it seeks
to gather money held abroad to stave off a devastating economic collapse that
could undermine key support from top military commanders. The SDRs represent
one of the regime’s last remaining sources of cash. Almost two-thirds of
Venezuela’s US$ 9 billion in foreign reserves are in the form of gold, which
has been difficult to liquidate because of U.S. sanctions. Guaidó’ s camp has
all but declared victory in the battle over who has access to the SDRs. Ricardo
Hausmann, a Harvard professor and economic adviser to Guaidó, said the IMF is
safeguarding the assets until a new government takes over. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Those funds will be available when this
usurpation ends</i>,” he said in an interview at Bloomberg headquarters in New
York. Venezuela’s relationship with the IMF has long been contentious. In 2007,
then-President Hugo Chavez pledged to cut ties with the fund. That plan was
never carried out because leaving the IMF risked triggering a technical default
in which investors could demand immediate repayment on some bonds. Since then,
Venezuela has defaulted on more than US$ 10 billion in payments. (Bloomberg: </span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-10/imf-freezes-venezuela-funds-as-members-debate-who-s-president"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-10/imf-freezes-venezuela-funds-as-members-debate-who-s-president</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela removes eight tons of gold from
central bank<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela removed eight tons of gold from the
central bank’s vaults last week, and the cash-strapped socialist regime is
expected to sell the bullion abroad as it seeks to raise hard currency in the
face of U.S. sanctions, a lawmaker and one government source said. With
sanctions imposed by Washington choking off revenues from exports by state oil
company PDVSA, Nicolas Maduro’s increasingly isolated regime has turned to
sales of Venezuela’s substantial gold reserves as one of the only sources of
foreign currency. The government source said the central bank’s reserves had
fallen by 30 tons since the start of the year before U.S. President Donald
Trump tightened sanctions, leaving the bank with around 100 tons in its vaults,
worth more than US$ 4 billion. At that rate of decline, the central bank’s
reserves would nearly disappear by the end of the year, leaving Maduro’s regime
struggling to pay for imports of basic goods. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold-exclusive/exclusive-venezuela-removes-eight-tonnes-of-gold-from-central-bank-sources-idUSKCN1RL247"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold-exclusive/exclusive-venezuela-removes-eight-tonnes-of-gold-from-central-bank-sources-idUSKCN1RL247</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fund sues Venezuela for US$ 26 million in
unpaid bonds, interest<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Global fund manager PHARO has sued Venezuela
for US$ 26 million in unpaid bond principal and interest, a U.S. court filing
showed, as legal claims by creditors piled up against this nation whose economy
is suffering from a hyperinflationary collapse. In a complaint filed with the
New York State Supreme Court late on Monday, PHARO said two funds that it
controls own US$ 1.5 million in bonds that matured in 2018 and more than US$ 200
million in bonds set to mature in October 2019. Venezuela failed to pay
interest and principal on the 2018 bonds and missed three interest payments on
the 2019 bonds, it added. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-bonds/fund-sues-venezuela-for-26-million-in-unpaid-bonds-interest-idUSKCN1RL25D"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-bonds/fund-sues-venezuela-for-26-million-in-unpaid-bonds-interest-idUSKCN1RL25D</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela unemployment nears that of war-ruined
Bosnia, IMF says<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s unemployment rate is soaring to
levels unseen in the world since the Bosnian war came to an end more than two
decades ago, according to the International Monetary Fund. Joblessness will
reach 44.3% in 2019 and will slam nearly half of Venezuela’s labor force in
2020, the IMF said in its World Economic Outlook published on Tuesday. Bosnia
and Herzegovina’s joblessness was 50% in 1996, immediately after its 3 1/2-year
domestic war, according to the multilateral’s database. The Venezuelan
depression is among the deepest economic catastrophes ever suffered by a nation
outside of wartime. This year alone, the Andean nation’s output will shrink by
a quarter -- the most worldwide since the 2014 start of the Libyan civil war,
according to the IMF. The contraction has become so large that it’s generating
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">sizable drag”</i> on growth not just in
Latin America, but also in emerging markets as a whole. (Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-09/venezuela-unemployment-nears-that-of-war-ruined-bosnia-imf-says"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-09/venezuela-unemployment-nears-that-of-war-ruined-bosnia-imf-says</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">OAS votes to recognize
Juan Guaidó’ s ambassador<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The members of the Organization of American States
(OAS) voted on Tuesday to recognize Juan Guaidó’ s ambassador as the country's
official representative to the organization. The move solidifies Nicolas
Maduro's exit from the regional body, further isolating Venezuela from its
neighbors. The OAS is the second multilateral organization in the hemisphere to
recognize representatives designated by Guaidó, after the Inter-American
Development Bank accepted Ricardo Hausmann as its Venezuelan envoy last month. With
18 votes in favor, nine against, six abstentions and one absence, the OAS
confirmed Gustavo Tarre as Venezuela's new delegate. After a heated debate, the
OAS permanent council made the decision by a vote of 18 in favor, nine against,
and six abstentions. One delegate was absent. The council asked OAS Secretary
General Luis Almagro to send the text to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
The text states that "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nicolas
Maduro's presidential authority lacks legitimacy and his designations for
government posts, therefore, lack the necessary legitimacy</i>." The
countries that voted against Tuesday's decision were Venezuela, Antigua and
Barbuda, Bolivia, Dominica, Grenada, Mexico, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines,
Suriname and Uruguay. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(DW: </span></span><a href="https://m.dw.com/cda/en/oas-votes-to-recognize-juan-guaidos-ambassador/a-48269376"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://m.dw.com/cda/en/oas-votes-to-recognize-juan-Guaidós-ambassador/a-48269376</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; France24: </span></span><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190409-oas-recognizes-guaido-envoy-until-new-venezuela-polls"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.france24.com/en/20190409-oas-recognizes-Guaidó-envoy-until-new-venezuela-polls</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You shouldn’t
be here’</i>: U.S. pushes U.N. to pull Maduro envoy’s credentials<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Vice President Mike Pence on Wednesday urged
the United Nations to revoke the credentials of Nicolás Maduro’s ambassador to
the world body, portraying him as a loyalist to the country’s disputed
president, Nicolás Maduro, and to a government that has allowed crime, violence
and starvation to rise. In a 20-minute speech to the United Nations Security Council,
Mr. Pence called for a formal recognition of Juan Guaidó as the rightful leader
of Venezuela, which he called “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a failed
state — and as history teaches, failed states know no boundaries</i>.” Mr.
Pence turned to Maduro’s representative, Samuel Moncada Acosta, telling him, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You shouldn’t be here</i>.” “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You should return to Venezuela and tell
Nicolás Maduro that his time is up</i>,” Mr. Pence said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It’s time for him to go</i>.” The Council meeting addressed the
situation in Venezuela, which officials and experts are increasingly describing
as a humanitarian crisis that has led about 3.5 million citizens to flee the
country. Mr. Pence also accused China and Russia of meddling in efforts to
remove Mr. Maduro. While “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Russia and
China continue to obstruct at the Security Council</i>,” Mr. Pence said, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">rogue states like Iran and Cuba are doing
all they can to prop up the Maduro regime</i>.” But on Wednesday, he did not
give a firm answer when asked by a reporter where the United States would draw
a line on Russia’s involvement. He also did not give a timeline when asked if
the possibility of American military intervention, an option long played up by
administration officials, was drawing closer as conditions in Venezuela
worsened. In briefings held before Mr. Pence arrived to speak, (The New York Times:
</span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/world/americas/pence-venezuela-un-envoy.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/world/americas/pence-venezuela-un-envoy.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-10/pence-demands-un-expel-venezuela-s-ambassador-support-guaido"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-10/pence-demands-un-expel-venezuela-s-ambassador-support-Guaidó</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.N. Aid Chief says <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'very real humanitarian problem'</i> in Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">United Nations aid chief Mark Lowcock told the
U.N. Security Council on Wednesday that there is a "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very real humanitarian problem</i>" in Venezuela and that the
world body is ready to do more if it gets more help and support from all
parties. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The scale of need is
significant and growing. The United Nations is working in Venezuela to expand
the provision of humanitarian assistance</i>," Lowcock said. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We can do more to relieve the suffering of
the people of Venezuela, if we get more help and support from all stakeholders</i>."
He briefed the council on a recent U.N. report on the situation that estimates
about a quarter of Venezuelans are in need of humanitarian assistance and
painted a dire picture of millions of people lacking food and basic services. Some
3.4 million Venezuelans have left the country, Lowcock said. This number was
expected to rise to some 5 million by the end of the year, said Eduardo Stein,
the joint envoy for Venezuelan refugees and migrants for the U.N. refugee
agency and the U.N. migration agency. Lowcock stressed the need for
humanitarian efforts to be neutral, impartial and independent. Lowcock said the
number of U.N. staff in Venezuela had nearly doubled since 2017 to some 400 and
that U.N. agencies were working in all 24 Venezuelan states. (The New York
Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/04/10/world/americas/10reuters-venezuela-politics-un.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/04/10/world/americas/10reuters-venezuela-politics-un.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US, EU at odds over Venezuela
sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The crisis in Venezuela is causing divisions
between the Trump administration and EU governments, which have failed to back
Washington's call for tougher sanctions against Nicolas Maduro. Disregarding
evidence presented at a NATO summit last week indicating that Maduro is digging
in with the aid of Russia, the EU decided against widening Venezuelan sanctions
during a foreign ministers’ meeting Monday. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The EU is against implementing sanctions on Venezuela as a country</i>,”
said Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrel at a press briefing following the
meeting. He left open the possibility of applying individual sanctions against
some members of Maduro’s government. Last week, the United States expanded
sanctions to block Venezuela’s oil exports by targeting its tanker fleet,
declaring that 34 of its vessels could be embargoed or seized through new
measures announced by the U.S. Department of Energy. Europe, on the other hand,
continues receiving oil from Venezuela despite crippled production. Spain’s oil
company REPSOL recently reached an agreement with the cash-strapped Maduro
government to pay down the company’s US$ 2 billion investment with added
shipments of oil. And almost 100 Spanish companies continue operating in
Venezuela, including one of Spain’s largest banks, BBVA, which could be
vulnerable to future sanctions. Borrel has said he discussed Spain’s financial
stake at a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week in
Washington and complained about administration plans to toughen the embargo on
Cuba. Spain’s large presence in Venezuela — where the Spanish expatriate
community numbers about 250,000 dual nationals — makes Madrid the lead
government on EU policy toward the Latin American country. Italy and Portugal
also have substantial expatriate communities and commercial interests in
Venezuela including investments by Italy’s oil company ENI. The Trump
administration used last week’s NATO summit to argue Venezuela presented a new
threat from Russia, which has supplied sophisticated arms and military advisors
to revamp Maduro’s air force, armored units and special forces. Borrel has said
Russia’s presence in Venezuela is small and should not constitute a “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">problem</i>” for NATO. Spanish Prime
Minister Pedro Sanchez has said that Spain would “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">roundly oppose</i>” any U.S. military action against Venezuela and that
he would urge the rest of the European Union to do the same. Spanish officials
say they are doubling down on efforts to find a political solution through
negotiations between Maduro and Guaidó. Speaking from Brussels Monday, Borrel
said Maduro had requested an “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">activation</i>”
of the EU-led Montevideo group, which includes Mexico, Uruguay and other Latin
American governments offering mediation. (VOA: </span></span><a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/us-eu-at-odds-over-new-sanctions-against-venezuela/4869617.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.voanews.com/a/us-eu-at-odds-over-new-sanctions-against-venezuela/4869617.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Honduran, Nicaraguan, Venezuelan leaders not
invited to Salvadoran's swearing-in<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">El Salvador’s incoming president Nayib Bukele
said on Tuesday he would not be inviting the leaders of Honduras, Nicaragua and
Venezuela to his June 1 inauguration after criticizing them as illegitimate
rulers. In a Twitter post, the 37-year-old Bukele confirmed news reports that
invitations were not being extended to Juan Orlando Hernandez, president of
neighboring Honduras, Daniel Ortega, president of Nicaragua, or Venezuelan
President Nicolas Maduro. Bukele, who won an election in February, did not say
why the presidents would not be asked, but he has previously criticized all
three as men who did not deserve to be in power due to controversies that have
clouded their administrations. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-elsalvador-inauguration/honduran-nicaraguan-venezuelan-leaders-not-invited-to-salvadorans-swearing-in-idUSKCN1RM0BD"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-elsalvador-inauguration/honduran-nicaraguan-venezuelan-leaders-not-invited-to-salvadorans-swearing-in-idUSKCN1RM0BD</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Maduro says Venezuela
ready to receive international aid<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nicolas Maduro has said his country was ready
to receive international aid following a meeting with the Red Cross chief, as
this nation plunged into a new round of blackouts<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. "We confirm our readiness to establish cooperation mechanisms
for international assistance and support</i>," Maduro said on Twitter on
Tuesday. Maduro, who denies that the current situation in Venezuela can be
described as a humanitarian crisis, reiterated after the meeting that
collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) should
respect <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"the Venezuelan legal order</i>."
An ICRC delegation led by its president Peter Maurer has been here since
Saturday and is due to finish its visit on Wednesday. The ICRC said last Friday
in a statement it was "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">concerned by
the serious impact that the current situation has on Venezuelans, especially
those who do not have access to basic services</i>." </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(Al Jazeera: </span></span><a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/maduro-venezuela-ready-receive-international-aid-190410083550252.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/04/maduro-venezuela-ready-receive-international-aid-190410083550252.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)</span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Red Cross regains
access to Venezuela jails, military prisons</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The International Committee of the Red Cross
has regained access to prisons in Venezuela, including highly guarded military
facilities where dozens of inmates considered political prisoners are being
held, as strongman Nicolas Maduro seeks to counter mounting criticism of his
government’s human rights record. International Red Cross President Peter
Maurer on Wednesday wraps up a five-day visit to Venezuela, where the
Geneva-based group is among international organizations trying to carve out a
space to deliver badly needed humanitarian aid and technical assistance free of
the winner-take-all politics contributing to the country’s turmoil. The group
had been denied access in Venezuela at least since 2012. The renewed visits in
Venezuela began March 11 when a Red Cross delegation visited a model prison in
Caracas, the Simon Bolivar Center for the Formation of New Men. Eighty-seven
foreigners are being held. But more significant was the visit two weeks later
to the military-run Ramo Verde prison outside Caracas, which holds 69 people
the opposition considers political prisoners. Most people held at the Ramo
Verde are military personnel accused of plotting to overthrow Maduro. Many
more, including five oil executives with U.S. passports, are being held in the
basement jail of the military counterintelligence headquarters in the capital. In
another attempt to counter growing criticism, Maduro last month welcomed a
delegation sent by the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Human Rights. He
previously had called s999uch visits a politically biased threat to Venezuela’s
sovereignty. (NBC News: </span></span><a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/red-cross-regains-access-venezuela-jails-military-prisons-n992981"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/red-cross-regains-access-venezuela-jails-military-prisons-n992981</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Raúl Castro pledges
Cuba will never abandon Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Raúl Castro has promised that Cuba will never
abandon its leftist ally Venezuela despite US “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">blackmail</i>”, even as the Trump administration threatened more
sanctions over its support. In a speech to the national assembly, the head of
the Cuban Communist party said the island had been increasing defense
preparedness in recent months in view of mounting US hostility. The island
nation had also been adopting economic measures to contend with the Trump administration’s
tightening of the decades-old US trade embargo, Castro told legislators. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We will never abandon our duty of acting in
solidarity with Venezuela</i>,” Castro said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We reject strongly all types of blackmail</i>.” Shortages of basic goods
have increased recently, including flour, eggs and chicken, with the state even
reducing the size and circulation of its newspapers due to a lack of newsprint.
The situation could worsen further in coming months in view of the tightening
US trade embargo, Castro warned. (The Guardian: </span></span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/10/raul-castro-cuba-never-abandon-venezuela"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/10/raul-castro-cuba-never-abandon-venezuela</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. ready to take on Russia
and other <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'foreign powers'</i> in Venezuela,
John Bolton says<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">President Donald Trump's national security
adviser John Bolton has warned nations seen as obstacles to U.S. plans for
Latin America that they must leave Venezuela and stop defending the socialist
government opposed by the Trump administration. Responding to Tuesday's
Newsweek article discussing the recent arrival of Russian, Chinese and Iranian
planes intended to support Maduro and his government, Bolton told radio host
Hugh Hewitt that "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">President Trump is
determined not to see Venezuela fall under the sway of foreign powers</i>."
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Look, our objective is a peaceful transition of power to Juan Guaidó
and the opposition</i>," Bolton said during Wednesday's program. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But let’s not forget we’ve got between
40,000 to 50,000 American citizens in Venezuela</i>." "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We’ve got countries, as you mentioned,
Colombia and Brazil on the border with millions of Venezuelan refugees who have
come across. We’ve got terrorist organizations like the ELN [National
Liberation Army] and FARC [Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia] who threaten
Colombia</i>," he added. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We’re
going to protect American national interest, and Maduro and his cronies ought
to know that President Trump is very serious when he says all options are on
the table</i>." (Newsweek: </span></span><a href="https://www.newsweek.com/bolton-russia-china-iran-venezuela-powers-1392304"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.newsweek.com/bolton-russia-china-iran-venezuela-powers-1392304</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-47743190941721942122019-04-09T15:40:00.000-04:002019-04-09T15:40:33.282-04:00April 09, 2019<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b>Logistics & Transport</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">US-blacklisted Iranian
airline may begin direct flights to Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">A plane belonging to MAHAN Air, a private
Iranian airline accused by the West of transporting military equipment to
Middle East war zones, landed in Caracas on Monday, and the two countries will
discuss launching a direct flight “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in the
coming months</i>,” Minister Jorge Arreaza told reporters. An Iran Foreign
Ministry delegation left Tehran early Monday on a MAHAN Air flight in route to
Caracas, Iran’s IRNA news agency reported. The spokesman of Iran's Civil
Aviation Organization, Reza Jafarzadeh, told MEHR news agency the delegation
included a group representing the private airline that was traveling to Caracas
to discuss maintaining regular flights between the two countries. MAHAN Air,
established in 1992 as Iran’s first private airline, has the country’s largest
fleet of aircraft. But the U.S. blacklisted MAHAN in 2011 after accusing it of
providing support to Quds Force, an elite unit of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard.
The carrier recently halted flights to Germany and France due to U.S. sanctions
over its military transport flights to Syria, where Iran supports President
Bashar Assad’s forces. The United States views private Iranian airline Mahan
Air’s launch of a direct flight from Tehran to Caracas as a “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">politically motivated gesture</i>” with “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">no commercial reason</i>,” a White House
official said on Monday. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is a
politically motivated gesture that is unhelpful to the Venezuelan people
because it doesn’t accelerate the change that we’re looking for</i>,” the
official said. (Fox News: </span></span><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-blacklisted-iranian-airline-begins-direct-flights-to-venezuela"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-blacklisted-iranian-airline-begins-direct-flights-to-venezuela</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">; Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-venezuela-airlines-usa/no-commercial-reason-for-irans-mahan-air-flights-to-venezuela-white-house-official-idUSKCN1RK2CJ"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-venezuela-airlines-usa/no-commercial-reason-for-irans-mahan-air-flights-to-venezuela-white-house-official-idUSKCN1RK2CJ</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-venezuela-airlines/iranian-delegation-travels-to-venezuela-to-discuss-direct-flight-route-idUSKCN1RK1VM"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-venezuela-airlines/iranian-delegation-travels-to-venezuela-to-discuss-direct-flight-route-idUSKCN1RK1VM</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/iran-venezuela-airlines/irans-mahan-air-launches-direct-flights-to-venezuela-idUSL8N21Q11T"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/iran-venezuela-airlines/irans-mahan-air-launches-direct-flights-to-venezuela-idUSL8N21Q11T</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">As the Maduro regime
blocks aid and makes arbitrary arrests, locals turn to an app as a lifeline<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">In a crumbling country where almost all but
state-owned media outlets have been shuttered, food and medicine are scarce,
unrest is rising, and authorities could throw you behind bars at any moment –
there is an app that is being accredited as something of a lifeline for
desperate Venezuelans and for their compadres abroad. ZELLO, which functions
akin to a walkie-talkie and is a push-to-talk voice messaging app, introduced
the Venezuela-specific channel Venezuela Hasta Los Tuétanos to provide
information about the burgeoning political, social, economic, and humanitarian
calamity. The app creators are purporting not only to help Venezuelans
coordinate protests, elude security and mobilize their marches, but it also endeavors
to assist in pinpointing where crucial humanitarian resources such as food and
medicine can be located. Since the contested Nicolas Maduro took a self-styled
oath for a new term, which has not been recognized by most of the international
community, there has been a 135% uptick in downloads. Overall, there have been 735,696
downloads in Venezuela, and over 13,600 in the ailing nation this year alone. Furthermore,
the 24/7 channel itself is documented to now has over 70,000 subscribers and on
average, there are 200 to 2,000 listeners connected at any given time. And as
the once oil-swathed and wealthy nation continues to fall apart at the seams,
the app doesn’t come at a cost. Yet on the ground in the poverty-stricken
country, views on the app were mixed. Some expressed concern that it had been
penetrated by government intelligence and that even though identities were not
disclosed, efforts to challenge the regime could still be intercepted and
ultimately crushed. (Fox News: </span></span><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/tech/as-venezuelas-government-blocks-aid-and-arbitrarily-arrests-locals-turn-to-an-app-as-a-lifeline"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.foxnews.com/tech/as-venezuelas-government-blocks-aid-and-arbitrarily-arrests-locals-turn-to-an-app-as-a-lifeline</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela pledges to
honor oil commitments to Cuba despite sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela will “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fulfill its commitments</i>” to Cuba despite United States sanctions
targeting oil shipments from this country to its ideological ally, Foreign
Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Monday. Washington on Friday imposed sanctions
on 34 vessels owned or operated by state-run oil company Petroleos de Venezuela
as well as on two companies and a vessel that have previously delivered oil to
Cuba, aiming to choke off a crucial supply of crude to the Communist-run
island. Venezuela has long sent subsidized crude to Cuba. The United States
describes the arrangement as an “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">oil-for-repression</i>”
scheme in which Havana helps socialist Nicolas Maduro weather an economic
crisis and power struggle with the opposition in exchange for fuel. Arreaza
said he would not reveal Venezuela’s “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">strategy</i>,”
but that the sanctions would not stop the shipments. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When the conventional power of capitalism attacks you, you have to know
how to respond through non-conventional means, always respecting international
law</i>,” Arreaza told reporters. Venezuela’s legislature last month ordered an
end to oil shipments to Cuba, but PDVSA - controlled by military officers loyal
to Maduro - has continued the exports. The most recent fuel shipment to Cuba
left Venezuela’s Jose port on April 4, carrying liquefied petroleum gas,
according to REFINITIV EIKON data. In the second half of March, two tankers
carrying crude and two tankers carrying refined products left for Cuba. The
only tanker sanctioned on Friday, the Despina Andrianna, is currently returning
to Jose after unloading crude at Cuba’s Cienfuegos refinery in March. Another
three vessels are waiting off Venezuela to load with shipments destined for
Cuba. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-cuba/venezuela-pledges-to-honor-oil-commitments-to-cuba-despite-sanctions-idUSKCN1RK2HZ"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-cuba/venezuela-pledges-to-honor-oil-commitments-to-cuba-despite-sanctions-idUSKCN1RK2HZ</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">US sanctions 34
tankers that transport oil from Venezuela to Cuba<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The US Treasury Department announced on Friday
economic sanctions against 34 oil tankers that transport petroleum from
Venezuela to Cuba, a new pressure tactic against the regime of Nicolas Maduro. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The United States is holding accountable
those responsible for Venezuela’s tragic decline and will continue to use the
full suite of its diplomatic and economic tools to support Interim President
Juan Guaidó, the National Assembly, and the Venezuelan people’s efforts to
restore their democracy</i>,” Treasury Secretary Treasury Steven Mnuchin said
in a statement on Friday. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Cuba continues
to profit from, and prop up, the illegitimate Maduro regime through
oil-for-repression schemes as they attempt to keep Maduro in power</i>,”
Mnuchin said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The United States remains
committed to a transition to democracy in Venezuela and to holding the Cuban
regime accountable for its direct involvement in Venezuela’s demise</i>,” he
added. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2477067&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2477067&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">;
Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-pence-houston/u-s-ratchets-up-pressure-on-venezuela-cuban-backers-idUSKCN1RH1B5"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-pence-houston/u-s-ratchets-up-pressure-on-venezuela-cuban-backers-idUSKCN1RH1B5</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">;
Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-05/u-s-sanctions-two-companies-over-venezuela-cuba-oil-shipments"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-05/u-s-sanctions-two-companies-over-venezuela-cuba-oil-shipments</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Lawyers for
Venezuela's Guaidó ask U.S. court to protect CITGO<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Representatives of Venezuelan interim president
Juan Guaidó have asked a U.S. court to overturn a prior ruling allowing
Canadian miner CRYSTALLEX to seize part of U.S. refiner CITGO, which is owned
by state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela. Last year, a judge ruled CRYSTALLEX
could seize shares in CITGO and auction them in its bid to get paid on a US$ 1.4
billion award tied to the 2008 nationalization of its gold mining operations by
the now cash-strapped country. That conflicts with Guaidó’s efforts to preserve
the country’s assets abroad, especially CITGO, which is pledged as collateral
to multiple creditors. His lawyers argued to an appeals court that a lower
court’s ruling in favor of CRYSTALLEX be reversed considering the new political
circumstances. In its March 20 ruling allowing Guaidó’ s representatives to
intervene in the case, the judge said CRYSTALLEX would have until April 10 to
respond to its arguments. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-crystallex/lawyers-for-venezuelas-guaido-ask-u-s-court-to-protect-citgo-idUSKCN1RH2JA"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-crystallex/lawyers-for-venezuelas-Guaidó-ask-u-s-court-to-protect-citgo-idUSKCN1RH2JA</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Restoring Venezuela's
electricity system may take up to one year —</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">regime
to cut electricity 18 hours per week<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Works to restore Venezuela's electricity system
may take up to a year, the country's Electricity Minister Igor Gavidia told
Venezolana de Television TV channel on Monday. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We will solve the problem in accordance with the plan set for us by
President Nicolas Maduro. We are talking about plans for several terms - for up
to 30 days, for 30-60 days, for 60-90 days, and for a year,</i>" Gavidia,
who was appointed as Electricity Minister on April 1, said. The Nicolas Maduro
regime released on Friday its schedule for electricity rationing for Venezuela,
with the exception of Caracas and three other states, according to which the
general public will be without electric power for at least 18 hours per week. The
Electric Energy Ministry and the state-run CORPOELEC electricity company
designed a schedule dividing 20 of the country’s 23 states into five sectors
with different rationing schemes with the idea of implementing daily three-hour
blackouts six days per week. According to this plan, on one day per week each
sector will have electricity for the full 24 hours. The rationing measure
specifically excludes the state of Vargas near Caracas where Venezuela’s main
airport is located, along with the southern state of Amazonas and the
northeastern state of Delta Amacuro, border regions far from the capital. (TASS:
</span><a href="http://tass.com/world/1052742"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">http://tass.com/world/1052742</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">; Latin
American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2477054&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2477054&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">UNICEF sends
generators to Venezuela’s hospitals<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">With no end to the political crisis in sight,
UNICEF has provided generators to guarantee power to 7 hospitals. Many regions
of Venezuela continue to be deprived of electricity and drinking water, as more
and more supplies are cut off due to the ongoing political crisis. In response
the charity UNICEF has deployed portable generators to guarantee a supply of
electricity to pediatric hospitals and maternity wards. Much of UNICEF’s work
is being coordinated with the government ministry for health. UNICEF reports
supplying generators to 7 state run hospitals to guarantee enough electricity
to allow surgeries and births to take place. It is estimated that up to 24,000
children will benefit as a result of these measures. UNICEF has also increased
its supply of vaccines for diseases such as measles, diphtheria, malaria and
HIV, aiding another 150,000 people. The country’s water supply has also been
affected by the crisis, with much of the infrastructure being neglected,
depriving many areas of a reliable supply of clean water. UNICEF reports that
it has distributed water purification tablets to over 12,000 families, with a
further 4,200 receiving oral rehydration salts as well. (Vatican News: </span></span><a href="https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2019-04/unicef-sends-generators-to-venezuela-s-hospitals.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2019-04/unicef-sends-generators-to-venezuela-s-hospitals.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela oil production 'bad, getting worse,'
IHS Markit's Yergin says<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Daniel Yergin, vice chairman at IHS Markit,
discusses Venezuela's oil production, the Trump administration's sanctions on
Iran, and possible Permian basin energy firm consolidation. He speaks with
Bloomberg's David Westin and Alix Steel on "Bloomberg Markets: Balance of
Power." (Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-04-05/venezuela-oil-production-bad-getting-worse-ihs-markit-s-yergin-says-video"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-04-05/venezuela-oil-production-bad-getting-worse-ihs-markit-s-yergin-says-video</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">World Bank sees
Venezuela GDP contracting another 25% by year end<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The economy in crisis-hit Venezuela is expected
to contract a further 25% in 2019, the World Bank said on Thursday. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Real GDP contracted by 17.7% in 2018 and is
likely to fall by 25.0% in 2019, which would imply a cumulative fall in GDP of
60% since 2013</i>," the bank said in its most recent biannual report on
Latin America and the Caribbean. The report attributes this "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">continuing implosion</i>" in Venezuela,
which has the most oil reserves of any country in the world, to the management
of the country's economy rather than the global drop of oil prices and called
the Venezuelan crisis "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by far the
worst in the region's modern history.</i>" Together with declining oil
prices, "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">highly distortionary
policies, from price controls to directed lending, a disorderly fiscal
adjustment, monetization of the public sector deficit, and overall economic
mis-management have led to hyperinflation, devaluation, debt defaults, and a
massive contraction in output and consumption</i>" in Venezuela, according
to the World Bank. The bank repeated the estimate that the country would see
inflation of 10 million per cent by the end of the year, a figure that was
already predicted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in October. The
report, by the World Bank's Latin America and Caribbean chief economist Carlos
Vegh, stressed the "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tragic growth
collapse</i>" here as "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">economic
and social conditions continue to deteriorate rapidly</i>." "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Hunger and disease are spreading throughout
the country</i>," it said, citing the 90% poverty rate (according to
unofficial estimates) and highlighting a rising infant mortality rate of 26 per
every thousand live births between 2013 and 2017, a rate similar to the 1980s. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"Crime and violence have also increased
substantially, with Venezuela becoming the country with the highest homicide
rate in the region (89 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants), a rate almost three
times as high as that of countries at war</i>," it added. (Times Now: </span></span><a href="https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/world-news/article/world-bank-sees-venezuela-gdp-contracting-another-25-by-year-end/394956"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.timesnownews.com/business-economy/world-news/article/world-bank-sees-venezuela-gdp-contracting-another-25-by-year-end/394956</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Without water,
Venezuela Central Bank said to send workers home<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela’s central bank has been operating
with an emergency team of only about 100 workers since a power outage left its
headquarters without running water two weeks ago, according to four people with
direct knowledge of the situation. Most of the bank’s 2,000 employees were sent
home when the lights went off in Caracas on March 25 -- and haven’t been able
to return since, said the people on condition of anonymity. The emergency group
has been working from a library with the help of water tanks, focused on vital
tasks to keep operations going, such as transactions between local banks and
reserves, they added. The central bank’s situation underscores the disarray
inside President Nicolas Maduro’s administration. Bathrooms have no water and
the building has no air conditioning as a power crisis exacerbated water
shortages in the Venezuelan capital amid a drought. Employees don’t know when
they will be able to return to work. While a power rationing announced by
Maduro late last month has so far exempted the capital, electricity has been
intermittent, keeping vital pumps from reservoirs off line. Caracas, 900 meters
(2,950 feet) above sea level, gets its water from the Tuy system of reservoirs,
whose pumping stations require a minimum of 600 megawatts to operate. Venezuelans
poured into the streets on Saturday, demonstrating against the near-total
breakdown in public services and rallying behind National Assembly leader Juan Guaidó,
who claims to be the country’s rightful president. (Bloomberg: </span></span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-09/without-water-venezuela-central-bank-said-to-send-workers-home"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-04-09/without-water-venezuela-central-bank-said-to-send-workers-home</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela Needs Recovery Before Bond Talks,
Hausmann Says<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Ricardo Hausmann, professor at the John F.
Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and former Venezuela
minister of planning, discusses opposition leader Juan Guaidó’ s plans to
address the economic and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. He speaks with
Bloomberg's Vonnie Quinn and Amanda Lang on "Bloomberg Markets."
(Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-04-05/venezuela-needs-recovery-before-bond-talks-hausmann-says-video"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-04-05/venezuela-needs-recovery-before-bond-talks-hausmann-says-video</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuelans demand
power, water, Maduro's ouster<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">After weeks of power cuts and limited access to
water, tens of thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets Saturday to back
opposition leader Juan Guaidó and protest Nicolas Maduro, whom they accuse of
wrecking the economy. Venezuelans, already suffering from hyperinflation and
widespread shortages of food and medicine, say the crisis has worsened over the
past month. That is when crippling nationwide power outages began to leave vast
swaths of territory in the dark for days at a time, cutting off water supplies
and cellphone service. Guaidó, head of the opposition-controlled National
Assembly and recognized as Venezuela's legitimate head of state by most Western
nations, had called for rallies on Saturday to mark the start of what he has
billed as a new wave of "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">definitive</i>"
protests to oust Maduro. In Caracas, thousands of opposition supporters
assembled at a main rally point in the eastern El Marques district. Protesters
said their homes had been without water for days and many had taken to drawing
it from unsanitary pipes or streams running off the Avila mountain overlooking
Caracas. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We haven't just come to
demand water and power. We've come to demand freedom and democracy</i>," Guaidó
said at the Caracas rally, surrounded by a cheering crowd. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We can't let ourselves become used to this.
We can't put up with it. We aren't going to let these crooks keep hold of our
country</i>." While no protest-related violence was reported in Caracas,
witnesses reported clashes between protesters and police in the steamy oil hub
of Maracaibo. Demonstrators in the city, in the western state of Zulia, told
Reuters that police had fired rubber bullet rounds and tear gas to disperse
them. The National Assembly, on its Twitter account, said two of its lawmakers
had been arrested and then released by authorities at the Maracaibo protest. The
ruling Socialist Party staged a rival march in Caracas' center on Saturday,
with mostly state workers clad in red shirts and red baseball caps, banging
drums and dancing salsa. The U.S. government on Friday took another step in its
efforts to force Maduro out, by imposing new sanctions on Venezuelan oil
shipments, and promising "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">stronger
action</i>" against key ally Cuba for helping to keep his government
afloat. (VOA: </span></span><a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/venezuelans-demand-power-water-maduro-s-ouster/4864903.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.voanews.com/a/venezuelans-demand-power-water-maduro-s-ouster/4864903.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">; France24: </span></span><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190407-venezuela-protest-juan-guaido-declares-escalation-maduro"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.france24.com/en/20190407-venezuela-protest-juan-Guaidó-declares-escalation-maduro</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Guaidó to host world
leaders in Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela’s interim President Juan Guaidó
announced on Saturday an upcoming gathering of world leaders here to address
what the opposition calls a humanitarian emergency in this nation. “W<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">e will have a great global encounter here in
Venezuela of leaders to talk about the situation in Venezuela, about the
humanitarian emergency, about the solution and the alternatives for change in
Venezuela,</i>” he told thousands of supporters in Caracas. The speaker of the
opposition-controlled National Assembly provided no details about the date of
the encounter and did not name the participants, but his press team said that
more information would be provided in the coming days.<br />
The rally Guaidó addressed in the capital was one of more than 350 planned
demonstrations across Venezuela to denounce the leftist regime of Nicolas
Maduro for a series of nationwide power blackouts, including one that lasted
five days. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2477093&CategoryId=10718"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2477093&CategoryId=10718</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">U.S., Brazilian Vice
Presidents discuss Venezuela pressure at White House<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">U.S. Vice President Mike Pence met with his
Brazilian counterpart Hamilton Mourao at the White House on Monday to discuss
sanctions and diplomatic efforts aimed at increasing the pressure on Venezuelan
President Nicolas Maduro to exit. In his first-ever talks with Mourao, Pence
aimed to encourage the former Brazilian general to use his experience and
influence to urge Venezuelan military leaders - as well as China and Russia -
to pull back on their support of Maduro, a White House official said. Mourao,
who was a defense attaché in Caracas, "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">has
a very unique perspective</i>" when it comes to helping convince
Venezuelan military leaders to switch sides, the White House official said,
speaking on condition of anonymity. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He
speaks with a unique credibility from within the region as a senior political
leader with a military background. That voice is very important, and he is
using that voice to advance the cause,</i>" the official said. Mourao is
also well-positioned to confront Russia and China over their support of Maduro,
since Brazil is a partner with the nations in the BRICS group of largest
emerging markets economies, the official said. (The New York Times: </span></span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/04/08/world/americas/08reuters-venezuela-politics-usa-brazil.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/04/08/world/americas/08reuters-venezuela-politics-usa-brazil.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Brazil's Bolsonaro says
working with U.S. to sow '<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dissent'</i> in
Venezuela army<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on
Monday he is working with the U.S. government to sow dissent within the
Venezuelan Army. Bolsonaro, during an interview with Jovem Pan radio, said that
if there is a military invasion in Venezuela, he would ask to seek the counsel
of Brazil’s National Defense Council and Congress on what, if any, action his
country should take. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We cannot allow
Venezuela to become a new Cuba or North Korea</i>,” the right-wing president
said. Bolsonaro said that if any military intervention deposed Nicolas Maduro,
it is quite likely that the country would see guerrilla warfare waged by
Maduro’s diehard backers and whomever took power. (Reuters: </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-brazil/brazils-bolsonaro-says-working-with-u-s-to-sow-dissent-in-venezuela-army-idUSKCN1RK2JC"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-brazil/brazils-bolsonaro-says-working-with-u-s-to-sow-dissent-in-venezuela-army-idUSKCN1RK2JC</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">U.S. military wary of
China’s foothold in Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">As U.S. President Donald Trump’s national security
team mulls a military intervention to oust Venezuela’s strongman Nicolás
Maduro, the Pentagon is watching China’s commercial and financial creep in the
crisis-gripped nation with growing alarm. In an interview with Foreign Policy,
Adm. Craig Faller, the four-star military officer who heads U.S. Southern
Command, pointed to a Chinese disinformation campaign designed to blame the
United States for the blackouts that devastated Venezuela in recent weeks. Maduro
has himself publicly accused the U.S. Defense Department of causing the
blackouts. Following the power failures, Beijing offered to help the Venezuelan
government restore its grid. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">China came
out publicly, a state spokesman, implying the blackouts were attributable to U.S.
cyberattacks</i>,” Faller said during a recent trip to Washington, D.C. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That is just such a blatant lie. The
blackouts are attributed to Maduro’s inept leadership, corruption, inattention
to his people, and lack of concern for any humanity</i>.” “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I think the biggest threat to democracy and the way of life around the
world is the trend that we see in China</i>,” Faller said. He said China was
trying to assert economic control in Venezuela by investing in infrastructure
and providing hefty loans that Caracas would have difficulty paying back. Faller
would not discuss specific U.S. plans for a military intervention to oust
Maduro in favor of opposition leader Juan Guaidó. He said the military is “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">looking at a range</i>” of options and “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will be ready</i>” for whatever decision the
president makes. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We are on the balls of
our feet</i>,” Faller said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The crisis
in Venezuela could approach that degree by the end of this year if Maduro still
remains in power. It’s that bad</i>,” said Faller, who served previously as the
director of operations at U.S. Central Command. (Foreign Policy: </span></span><a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/04/08/us-military-wary-of-chinas-foothold-in-venezuela-maduro-faller-guaido-trump-pentagon/"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/04/08/us-military-wary-of-chinas-foothold-in-venezuela-maduro-faller-Guaidó-trump-pentagon/</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Pompeo to visit
Venezuela border on South America tour<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will travel
to the Venezuela border in Colombia to highlight the plight of refugees during
a four-nation trip to Latin America, the State Department announced Monday. Pompeo
will pay a brief visit on Sunday to the Colombian city of Cucuta after stops in
Chile, Paraguay and Peru -- all four countries led by right-wing or
center-right leaders favorable to the tough US approach on Venezuela. In Cucuta,
Pompeo will "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">visit entities
supporting Venezuelan refugees and assess the challenges due to the closed
border</i>," the State Department said in a statement. In Peru, the State
Department said Pompeo on Saturday will discuss support for Venezuelan refugees
as well as the country's role in leading the Lima Group -- the group of Latin
American nations and Canada that meets on the crisis in Venezuela. (France24: </span></span><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190408-pompeo-visit-venezuela-border-south-america-tour"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.france24.com/en/20190408-pompeo-visit-venezuela-border-south-america-tour</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Special Representative
Abrams to discuss Venezuela crisis with Portuguese and Spanish officials<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott
Abrams will meet with Portuguese and Spanish officials in Lisbon and Madrid
April 9-11 to discuss the deteriorating situation in Venezuela. The United
States, Portugal, and Spain support a Venezuelan-led transition toward free and
fair elections. The United States is committed to supporting the restoration of
democracy in Venezuela, as outlined in their constitution and through the
actions of Interim President Juan Guaidó and the National Assembly. (US State
Department: </span></span><a href="https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2019/04/290958.htm"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2019/04/290958.htm</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">EU must step up
diplomacy on Venezuela crisis: Spain<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">EU and Latin American efforts to resolve the
Venezuela crisis peacefully are too slow and must be accelerated, Spain's
foreign minister Josep Borrell said Monday. In Montevideo on February 7, an International
Contact Group of European Union and Latin American countries gave themselves 90
days to pave the way for new elections in Venezuela, which President Nicolas
Maduro rejects. With less than a month before the deadline, the work of the
Contact Group is "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">too slow</i>",
Borrell said at talks in Luxembourg with fellow EU foreign ministers. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We did not feel a sense of urgency</i>,"
Borrell said of the last Contact Group talks Thursday in Ecuador. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">After today's meeting (in Luxembourg), we
all left convinced that the work must be speeded up</i>." A diplomat added
that the foreign ministers were "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">disappointed</i>"
with the lack of progress made by the contact group. In Ecuador, EU foreign
policy chief Federica Mogherini last week reiterated her "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">firm rejection of the use of force to
address the current crisis</i>". She called for "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the full restoration of the democratic constitutional order and the
rule of law"</i>. Borrell raised the possibility of more sanctions against
members of the Maduro government. (France24: </span></span><a href="https://www.france24.com/en/20190408-eu-must-step-diplomacy-venezuela-crisis-spain"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.france24.com/en/20190408-eu-must-step-diplomacy-venezuela-crisis-spain</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Mexico is open to
mediating Venezuela crisis, president says<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said
Monday that Mexico was willing to serve as a mediator between the opposing
sides in Venezuela after Nicolas Maduro announced that he was open to having a third-party
help end the political crisis here. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mexico
has its doors open so that a peaceful path can be found to resolving Venezuela's
conflict</i>," Lopez Obrador, the founder and leader of the leftist
National Regeneration Movement (Morena), said during his daily press conference
at the National Palace. The president said Mexico proposed that the parties sit
down and talk. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That's the best
thing, find a peaceful way (out of) the conflict in Venezuela,</i>" Lopez
Obrador, popularly known as AMLO, said. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We're willing to help so that a dialogue can take place</i>," the
president said, noting that this was the Mexican tradition in foreign policy. The
president warned, however, that there must be "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">acceptance by the opposition group</i>" before a dialogue could
take place. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The two parties have to
request it. Request it, and we will help. We have already said that there are
very good diplomats in Mexico and we even talked about mediation by diplomats</i>,"
Lopez Obrador said. AMLO said it would be a positive move to use Mexico as the
location for any dialogue. On Saturday, Maduro asked Mexico, Bolivia, Uruguay
and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to reactivate the Montevideo process, an
initiative to promote dialogue between the opposing sides in Venezuela. The
opposition, led by National Assembly Speaker Juan Guaidó, has said on numerous
occasions that it would only back a dialogue that resulted in Maduro stepping
down. (EFE: </span></span><a href="https://www.hoylosangeles.com/efe-3947552-15313250-20190408-story.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.hoylosangeles.com/efe-3947552-15313250-20190408-story.html</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Maradona fined after
dedicating win to Venezuela's Maduro<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Diego Maradona has been fined for dedicating a
recent victory by his Mexican club to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro,
Mexico's football federation said on Monday (Apr 8). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Argentine, who coaches Dorados de Sinaloa,
had dedicated a 3-2 win over Tampico Madero to Maduro and Venezuela in a news
conference at the end of last month. The body said in a statement that Maradona
had been fined an unspecified sum for violating the federation's code of ethics
which mandates political neutrality. Maradona had said he was dedicating the
victory to Maduro and Venezuelans caught up in an economic crisis. He also
criticized US President Donald Trump. (Channel News Asia: </span><a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/football-maradona-fined-after-dedicating-win-to-venezuela-s-11424974"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/football-maradona-fined-after-dedicating-win-to-venezuela-s-11424974</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">OP-ED: Showdown of
world powers in Venezuela enters dangerous, new phase, by Fred Kempe<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The first major showdown of our new era of
great power competition, unfolding with accelerating speed over the past ten
weeks in Venezuela, has entered a dangerous new phase. How this drama turns out
may mark the most significant test yet of the Trump administration’s
credibility, following a highest-level chorus this week of President Donald
Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John
Bolton, who all declared – in one way or another – that Russia had to get out
of the country. What raised the stakes was Russia’s well-publicized and
provocative move on March 23 to land two planes with some 100 soldiers in
Caracas. The ostensible reason for their arrival was to service Venezuela’s
Russian-made S-300 air defense systems, which are said to have been damaged in
recent energy blackouts. Other Russian military contractors and mercenaries are
already believed to be providing security support for the Maduro regime. That
was accompanied by this week’s decision of Maduro’s puppet National Constituent
Assembly to strip interim President Juan Guaidó of his immunity. That raises
the possibility, perhaps as early as this weekend, that the Maduro regime could
arrest and imprison Guaidó. What concerns US officials is that Vladimir Putin
may be laying the ground for making Venezuela the defining foreign policy
debacle for President Trump in the same way Syria became that for the Obama
administration. Though there is a great deal that differentiates Venezuela and
Syria, what connects them is considerable: a weakened dictator, who would be
much more likely to fall without Moscow’s support, a U.S. declared red-line
that the Kremlin finds unconvincing, and a chance for Putin to shore up his global
reputation at the expense of Washington –this time in the Western Hemisphere. As
is so often the case in the Trump administration, there is also a personal
element for a president who has refrained from the tough language toward Putin
and Russia employed by the top US officials around him. Putin is betting big
that Trump has neither the will nor a plan. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(CNBC: </span></span><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/05/showdown-of-world-powers-in-venezuela-enters-dangerous-new-phase.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.cnbc.com/2019/04/05/showdown-of-world-powers-in-venezuela-enters-dangerous-new-phase.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-996069196976994292019-03-27T17:55:00.000-04:002019-03-27T17:55:15.655-04:00March 26, 2019
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oil & Energy<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As new blackout hits,
Venezuelans brace for more hardship<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Much of Venezuela remained without electricity
Tuesday as a new power outage spread across the country in what many feared
will be a repeat of the chaos during the nation's largest-ever blackout earlier
this month. The Maduro regime canceled work and school again as the second
major blackout this month left streets mostly empty in Caracas and residents of
the capital wondering how long power would be out amid a deepening economic and
political crisis. The outage began around midday Monday and appeared to have
affected most of Venezuela's 23 states. While the lights flickered back on in
many parts after officials declared service would be restored within hours, the
grid collapsed again in the late evening, knocking out communications and
leaving much of the country bracing for the worst. As with the previous outage,
Nicolas Maduro's regime blamed U.S.-backed opponents, accusing them of
sabotaging the Guri dam, which supplies the bulk of Venezuela's electricity.
Officials said the "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">attack</i>"
had been controlled, but their assurances, similar to ones the last time
around, did little to calm the anger of residents in Caracas who filled
traffic-clogged streets as they walked home after subway service in the capital
was suspended on Monday. Their patience grew increasingly thin when a second
outage struck late into the night, with residents in some neighborhoods banging
on pots and pans in pitch black to express their growing frustration. On
Tuesday morning, banks, shops and other businesses in Caracas were closed. Lights
were out in the Maiquetia airport near Caracas, a Reuters witness said, though
flights were not canceled. A worker checked passengers’ passports with a hand
lamp, while the belt carrying checked luggage was running with power from a
backup generator. NETBLOCKS, a non-government group based in Europe that
monitors internet censorship, said the late evening outage had knocked offline
nearly 90% of Venezuela's telecommunications infrastructure. Even the powerful
state TV apparatus was down. The Trump administration, which is campaigning to
remove Maduro, has denied any role in the outages. Meanwhile, electricity
experts and opposition leader Juan Guaidó fault years of state graft and
incompetence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Guaidó, who the U.S. and
dozens of other countries recognize as Venezuela's rightful leader, said he was
meeting with aides to determine actions <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"to
express the indignation of the entire population</i>." The government
seeks to discredit Guaidó, presenting what it claims to be evidence purporting
to show opposition plans to hire mercenaries from Central America to carry out
targeted killings and acts of sabotage. During a news conference in the middle
of the blackout Monday, Communications Minister Jorge Rodriguez showed
screenshots of what are purportedly private text messages between Guaidó, his
mentor Leopoldo Lopez and other opposition insiders discussing payment details
to the hired guns through banks in Europe and Panama. Late Monday, Lilian
Tintori, the wife of Lopez, said a group of government loyalists on motorcycles
besieged her home in eastern Caracas, shouting epithets against her husband and
warning he would soon be thrown back in jail. Lopez has been under house arrest
following his conviction for stirring anti-government unrest in 2014 in a case
marred by irregularities. (The Miami Herald: </span><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article228416374.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/article228416374.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Reuters: </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-blackout-leaves-streets-empty-school-and-work-canceled-idUSKCN1R71SU"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-blackout-leaves-streets-empty-school-and-work-canceled-idUSKCN1R71SU</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-blackout/venezuela-blames-attack-as-another-crippling-blackout-hits-idUSKCN1R62A7"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-blackout/venezuela-blames-attack-as-another-crippling-blackout-hits-idUSKCN1R62A7</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Fox News: </span><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/new-power-outage-leaves-much-of-venezuela-in-the-dark"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.foxnews.com/world/new-power-outage-leaves-much-of-venezuela-in-the-dark</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Bloomberg: </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-25/venezuela-can-t-keep-the-lights-on"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-25/venezuela-can-t-keep-the-lights-on</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oil rebounds as growth
angst eases and Venezuela tensions mount<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Oil rebounded along with global markets as
pessimism over the global growth outlook eased a little, while rising tension
in Venezuela revived fears of supply losses. Futures rose as much as 1.4% in
New York after falling about 2% over the previous two sessions. Crude futures
have rallied about 30% in New York and London this year as the Organization of
Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies implement production cuts to stave
off a global surplus. American sanctions on Iran and Venezuela have further
squeezed supplies, but the demand outlook remains clouded by a slowing world
economy and uncertainty over whether the U.S.-China trade war will be resolved.
West Texas Intermediate for May delivery rose 717cents, or 1.3%, to US$ 59.59 a
barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange as of 11:12 a.m. in London. It
closed 0.4% lower on Monday after swinging between a 1.5% loss and an 0.5% gain
earlier in the day. Brent for May settlement advanced 0.9% to US$ 67.79 a
barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange, rising for a second
day. The global benchmark crude was at a premium of U$ 8.18 to WTI. (The
Houston Chronicle: </span><a href="https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Oil-Rebounds-as-Growth-Angst-Eases-and-Venezuela-13716649.php"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.chron.com/business/energy/article/Oil-Rebounds-as-Growth-Angst-Eases-and-Venezuela-13716649.php</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">America imported no
oil from Venezuela last week. Here's why that's a big deal<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">America's once-robust imports of crude oil from
Venezuela have ground to a halt because of Trump administration sanctions and
chaos gripping this nation. The United States imported exactly zero barrels of
crude from Venezuela last week, according to government statistics. That's
never happened since the US Energy Information Administration began tracking
this weekly metric in 2010.It marks a sharp decline from the prior week, when
the United States imported 112,000 barrels per day from Venezuela. The plunge
in oil shipments from Venezuela helped lift US oil prices above US$60 a barrel
this week for the first time since November. The United States has never gone a
full month without importing oil from Venezuela since the EIA started measuring
this monthly data in 1973.Getting cut off from the United States adds to the
misery for Venezuela. Before the sanctions, the United States was Venezuela's
No. 1 oil customer. And the Venezuelan government relied on oil exports for 90%
of its revenue. The good news for the United States is that it's pumping tons of
oil at home. Powered by the shale revolution, US output has soared to record
highs. In fact, the United States is now the world's leading oil producer. The
bad news is that US refineries can't rely on American shale oil alone. That's
because not every barrel of crude is created equally. While US shale oil is a
high-quality light grade, the decades-old Gulf Coast refinery system is
configured to run on a healthy dose of lower quality heavy crude, the likes of
which is abundant in Venezuela. The situation has caused a strange phenomenon,
where heavy crude is trading on par or even at a premium to light crude.(CNN: </span><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/21/business/venezuela-oil-imports-united-states/index.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://edition.cnn.com/2019/03/21/business/venezuela-oil-imports-united-states/index.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Economy & Finance<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">IADB cancels China
meeting after Beijing bars Venezuela representative<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Inter-American Development Bank on Friday
called off next week’s meeting of its 48 member countries in China after
Beijing refused to allow a representative of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó
to attend, two sources with knowledge of the decision said. The sources said the
decision was made in Washington on Friday at a meeting of the executive board
of the IADB, Latin America’s largest development lender, after China refused to
change its position. The sources said the board would vote within 30 days to
reschedule the annual meeting for another date and location. On Thursday, the
United States threatened to derail the March 26-31 meeting unless Beijing
granted a visa to Guaidó’s representative, Harvard economist Ricardo
Hausmann.The meeting, slated to bring together finance and development
ministers from the lender’s members, was meant to mark the bank’s 60th
anniversary. One source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters on
Thursday that China had proposed that no representative from either Maduro’s or
Guaidó’s camps attend the meeting to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">depoliticize</i>”
the gathering. In a statement posted later on its website, the IADB confirmed
that the meeting would not take place on March 28-30 in the city of Chengdu as
planned, but it did not give a reason. China’s foreign ministry said in its own
statement it regretted the decision but bore no responsibility. Spokesman Geng
Shuang said China “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">had difficulty
allowing</i>” Guaidó’s representative to attend because Guaidó himself lacked
legal standing.“ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Changing Venezuela’s
representative at the IADB won’t help solve Venezuela’s problems and (the
proposal) damaged the atmosphere of the IADB annual meeting and disturbed
preparations for the meeting</i>,” he said. The Washington-based IADB was the
first multilateral lender to replace a Maduro-selected representative with one
backed by Guaidó. The move would eventually open lines of credit to Venezuela
should Maduro step down. The International Monetary Fund and World Bank have so
far not made a decision on whether to recognize Guaidó officially as head of
state. (Reuters: </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-china-iadb-exclusi/exclusive-iadb-cancels-china-meeting-after-beijing-bars-venezuela-representative-idUSKCN1R32NU"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-china-iadb-exclusi/exclusive-iadb-cancels-china-meeting-after-beijing-bars-venezuela-representative-idUSKCN1R32NU</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. blacklists
Venezuelan state banks after arrest of Guaidó aide<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The United States imposed sanctions on Friday
on Venezuela’s development bank, BANDES, a day after the Trump administration
warned there would be consequences for the arrest by Venezuelan authorities of
opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s top aide. The U.S. Treasury said it was slapping
the sanctions on Banco de Desarrollo Economico y Social de Venezuela, including
its subsidiaries in Uruguay and Bolivia. It also imposed sanctions on
state-owned Venezuelan commercial banks, including Banco de Venezuela and Banco
Bicentenario. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The United States will not
tolerate the arrest of peaceful democratic actors, including members of the
democratically-elected Venezuelan National Assembly and those Venezuelans
working with interim President Juan Guaidó</i>,” the White House said in a
statement. The U.S. Treasury said Maduro tried to move US$1 billion out of
Venezuela through Banco BANDES Uruguay in early 2019 as he came under
increasing pressure from the United States and other countries in the region to
step down. BANDES has received billions of dollars over the past decade from the
China Development Bank, in exchange for oil, which the Venezuelan government
used to fund infrastructure projects. Uruguay has stayed neutral on Venezuela’s
political crisis and has called for dialogue, while China, Russia and regional
ally Cuba have backed Maduro. But the sanctions on BANDES could test Beijing’s
ties with Caracas, since it would impede Venezuela from restructuring its US$20
billion debt with China, opposition lawmaker Angel Alvarado said on Friday. The
sanctions freeze assets belonging to the banks and subsidiaries, and prevent
U.S. citizens from any dealings with them. They follow a raft of other
sanctions imposed by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump in
recent months against Maduro, top government officials, and state oil firm
PDVSA. Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton tweeted earlier on Friday:
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">BANDES bank is to Venezuela’s financial
sector what PDVSA is to its oil sector. This action will severely affect any
attempted currency movements by Maduro and his cronies moving forward. Do not
test the resolve of this Administration</i>.” (</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-sanctions/u-s-blacklists-venezuelan-state-banks-after-arrest-of-guaido-aide-idUSKCN1R32FQ"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-sanctions/u-s-blacklists-venezuelan-state-banks-after-arrest-of-Guaidó-aide-idUSKCN1R32FQ</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Politics and
International Affairs<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">2 Russian military
planes land in Venezuela, exacerbating political tension<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A visit to Venezuela by two military airplanes
from Russia, which landed in broad daylight at the international airport in
Caracas, has set off alarms that the Kremlin might be acting more brazenly to
protect President Nicolás Maduro from the uprising against him. Russian and
Venezuelan officials have not disputed the arrival of the airplanes, which were
first seen at the airport on Saturday. Such flights ordinarily would be sent to
a protected military air base beyond the sight of the public. The planes
brought supplies and technical advisers to Caracas, Venezuela’s capital,
according to a Russian state news agency and a Russian diplomat. The visit was
related to military cooperation contracts signed years ago between Russia and
Venezuela, said the news agency, Ria Novosti, suggesting it was routine. A
Russian diplomat in Caracas, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the
diplomat was not authorized to speak to the media, confirmed the Ria Novosti
account and said there was nothing unusual. But opposition members said the
visibility of the military planes was unusual and had been meant to send a
message. The timing showed that both Russian and Venezuelan officials wanted to
convert a routine technical stop into a show of strength, said Rocio San
Miguel, a Venezuelan security analyst. Russia has maintenance contracts for
weapons sold to Venezuela under late President Hugo Chávez, including air
defense systems, fighter jets and tanks, that are worth billions of dollars.
Flight tracking websites showed an Ilyushin IL-62 jet and an Antonov AN-124
cargo plane flew from Moscow’s military airport to Caracas’s international
airport via Syria. The cargo plane flew back to Syria on Monday, according to
flight tracking website bosphorusobserver.com. The arrival of the advisers came
as Venezuela activated Russian-made S300 air defense systems last week,
according to satellite imagery analysis firm IMAGESAT Intl. Russia has also
recently deployed the S300 in Syria. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke
with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday and called on Russia
"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to cease its unconstructive
behavior</i>" in Venezuela, State Department spokesman Robert Palladino
said in a statement. The United States "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will not stand idly by as Russia exacerbates tensions in Venezuela</i>,"
the statement said. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The continued
insertion of Russian military personnel to support the illegitimate regime of
Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela risks prolonging the suffering of the Venezuelan
people who overwhelmingly support interim President Juan Guaidó</i>," the
statement said. The United States on Monday accused Russia of "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">reckless escalation</i>" of the
situation in Venezuela. (The New York Times: </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/world/americas/russian-planes-caracas.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/25/world/americas/russian-planes-caracas.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Military Times: </span><a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2019/03/25/pompeo-says-russian-troops-in-venezuela-increases-tensions/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2019/03/25/pompeo-says-russian-troops-in-venezuela-increases-tensions/</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Haaretz: </span><a href="https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/u-s-calls-russia-deployment-of-planes-to-venezuela-reckless-escalation-1.7059121"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/u-s-calls-russia-deployment-of-planes-to-venezuela-reckless-escalation-1.7059121</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
CNN: </span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/25/americas/venezuela-news-roundup/index.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/25/americas/venezuela-news-roundup/index.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
The Wall Street Journal: </span><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-chides-russia-for-military-aid-to-venezuela-11553553299"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-chides-russia-for-military-aid-to-venezuela-11553553299</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
McClatchy: </span><a href="https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article228377779.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/white-house/article228377779.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Guaidó accused of
plotting <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'terrorist acts'</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jorge Rodriguez, the nation's minister of
communication, spoke on national television Saturday to accuse opposition
leaders, including National Assembly President Juan Guaidó, of plotting "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">terrorist acts</i>" in the
country. Rodriguez said some of the evidence was collected from the personal
phone of Roberto Marrero, Guaidó's chief of staff, who was detained in Caracas
on Thursday and later accused of being involved in an alleged "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">terrorist cell</i>" planning attacks
against high-level political figures. According to Rodriguez, Marrero
coordinated the arrival of "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hitmen</i>"
from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras to "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kill members of the Venezuelan government</i>." He said that about
60 "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">hitmen groups</i>" were
prepared and "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">trained in Colombia</i>,"
but that given the closure of the Colombian-Venezuelan border, only "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">30 groups entered Venezuela</i>." Marrero's
lawyers have denied the claims and accused Maduro's regime of planting
evidence. Rodriguez did not present any evidence to support his claim. This is
not the first time the Venezuelan government has presented strong accusations
against the Venezuelan opposition based on text messages, emails or pictures.
And, with frequency, the elements are not presented by the Attorney General's
Office, but by Rodriguez himself. Surrounded by hundreds of people waving flags
and flashing cameras, Guaidó asked his followers to stay on the streets
demanding freedom and to not be afraid. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We have the support of important countries ... we are not alone,"</i>
he said. Guaidó closed the rally by singing the national anthem and once again
spoke directly to Maduro: "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You
believe you are going to intimidate us. Well, here we are, moving forward,
holding our heads high, taking it all for the freedom of Venezuela</i>,"
he said. (CNN: </span><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/25/americas/venezuela-news-roundup/index.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/25/americas/venezuela-news-roundup/index.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">House passes bills to
expand humanitarian aid in Venezuela and hurt Maduro<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The House of Representatives passed three bills
on Monday to expand U.S. humanitarian assistance in Venezuela, examine Russia’s
growing military presence in the country and prohibit U.S. exports of crime
control materials that Nicolás Maduro can use against pro-democracy protesters.
The bills, led by South Florida Democrats Donna Shalala, Debbie Mucarsel-Powell
and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, are the first legislative responses to
Venezuela’s ongoing humanitarian crisis since the U.S. recognized Juan Guaidó
as the country’s legitimate leader in January. The bills were sent to the U.S.
Senate without opposition.“ <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The world has
witnessed the violent actions of Maduro’s security forces and their use of
arms, rubber bullets, tear gas, and other dangerous weapons to violently
disperse crowds during peaceful protests</i>,” Shalala said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">With the passage of the Venezuela Arms
Restriction Act, we will move one step closer to ensuring that no weapons
originating in the United States are used to silence dissent through
intimidation, repression, or execution</i>.” Republicans allowed the bills to
pass by a voice vote, meaning there was no significant opposition to any of the
proposals. Though some Democrats have questioned the U.S. decision to recognize
Guaidó, there was no formal opposition to the bills on the House floor.
Mucarsel-Powell’s bill compels the Trump administration to outline a long-term
humanitarian aid strategy in Venezuela and allocate at least US$ 150 million in
federal funding for humanitarian aid in 2020 and 2021. Wasserman Schultz’s bill
would compel the State Department to monitor and provide Congress with steps to
limit Russian military influence in Venezuela. The three South Florida
Democrats are in lockstep with Florida Republicans in support of Guaidó’s
nascent government and Wasserman Schultz and Shalala recently visited the
Colombia-Venezuela border. But their efforts have been overshadowed by
Democrats who argue that recognizing Guaidó is a prelude to a U.S.-backed coup
and Republicans like Sen. Marco Rubio who communicate directly with the
president on the importance of maintaining a hard line against Maduro. Another
piece of legislation that would expand Temporary Protected Status for
Venezuelans has the support of Democrats and Republicans from South Florida,
though some of Trump’s advisers are wary of expanding immigration protections
after they sought to cut TPS for countries like Haiti, Nicaragua and El
Salvador. Rubio is also planning to reintroduce a bill that expands
humanitarian assistance in Venezuela and provide funds for pro-democracy
groups. (The Miami Herald: </span><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article228383199.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article228383199.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
AP: </span><a href="https://www.apnews.com/3affa036dbea48b794ef33c19fd5e0a4"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.apnews.com/3affa036dbea48b794ef33c19fd5e0a4</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US warns it will protect its 40,000 citizens in
Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The US government took the unprecedented step
of revealing the number of US citizens currently living in Venezuela. Spain’s
ABC daily has published an interview with US State Department spokesman Robert
Palladino where the Trump Administration warns Nicolás Maduro directly that it
Will not tolerate abuses against US citizens on Venezuelan soil. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The US is seriously concerned for the
wellbeing and safety of all Americans detained in Venezuela, and for deports
that prison officials are blocking their families and lawyers from delivering
food to them. We will make Maduro and his jailers responsible for their safety
and wellbeing</i>”. Previously, US National Security Advisor John Bolton had
revealed that there are at least 40,000 US citizens living in Venezuela. More
in Spanish: (Globovision, </span><a href="http://globovision.com/article/eeuu-advierte-que-protegera-a-sus-40-mil-nacionales-en-venezuela"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://globovision.com/article/eeuu-advierte-que-protegera-a-sus-40-mil-nacionales-en-venezuela</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">OP-ED: Russia is making
the US look weak in Venezuela, by Erin Dunne<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It’s no secret that President Trump wants
illegitimate Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro out. But as the Trump
administration pressures Maduro’s regime and continues to back opposition
leader Juan Guaidó, Russia has successfully positioned itself as a roadblock to
Washington-backed regime change. And if existing shadowy ties between the
Moscow and Caracas weren’t already a serious concern for Washington, the two
Russian air force planes that touched down in Caracas over the weekend
certainly are. Those planes carried 100 troops, a Russian defense official and
almost 40 tons of cargo. They not only provide much-needed materiel assistance
for Maduro, but they also send a clear message to Washington that the U.S.
isn’t the only international player interested in Venezuela. That Russia would
take stronger steps to back Maduro isn’t entirely unexpected. Indeed, at the
end of January there were already Moscow-linked military contractors on the
ground in Venezuela to support Maduro. Moreover, Russia has been a staunch
backer of Maduro’s regime, investing billions of dollars in military contracts
and other projects. That has left Moscow with a vested interest in keeping
Maduro in power, both to cash in on their monetary investments and to reap the
rewards of their influence. But the real motive for Russian President Vladimir
Putin seems to be what Russian and before them Soviet leaders have always
relished: challenging U.S. authority in what Washington views as its own backyard.
Putin is complicating U.S. plans to end Maduro’s grip and restore stability to
the region. Russia's investment in the government of a failed state is likely
to yield few if any long-term direct returns on investment. That makes this
challenge to the U.S. the most plausible reason behind Moscow’s continued
support for Maduro. Likewise, the 100 Russian troops that Moscow has put on the
ground, even backed by a generous shipment of equipment, is hardly enough to
secure an embattled regime, although it could be enough to create a headache
for Washington. Russia's actions not only make U.S. involvement more dangerous
by introducing the potential to spark engagement with Russia, but they also
undercut existing efforts against Maduro limiting the impact of sanction. They
give Maduro new military power to rely on and lend him international backing
even as the U.S. and other countries have increasingly isolated him. Secretary
of State Mike Pompeo warned on Monday that the U.S. does not take these actions
lightly. As he put it, U.S. and its allies “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">will
not stand idly by as Russia exacerbates tensions in Venezuela.” </i>Just what
Pompeo has in mind is unclear. What is obvious, however, is that Russia has
made Washington look weak. (The Washington Examiner: </span><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/russia-is-making-the-us-look-weak-in-venezuela"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/russia-is-making-the-us-look-weak-in-venezuela</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">OP-ED: Maduro faces
mounting pressure to quit, yet he persists, by Philip Reeves<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two months have elapsed since the Trump
administration threw its weight behind a multipronged campaign to oust Nicolás
Maduro, after an economic collapse that has led more than 3 million Venezuelans
to move abroad and created widespread hunger and shortages. Since then, Maduro
— who is fond of comparing himself to a boxer in the ring — has been absorbing
one body blow after another. Yet, somehow, Maduro remains in the ring — still
on his feet, on TV in front of a crowd, cheerfully goading his enemies.
Maduro's adversaries had hoped for success by now. They are beginning to ask
what else they and their international supporters need to do to topple him. No
one doubts that Maduro would fall if the men in charge of Venezuela's armed
forces withdraw their support. Some heavy hitters on the world stage continue
to back him — notably China, Iran, Turkey and Russia. Fractures have appeared
in the lower ranks. Yet Venezuela's military high command has remained loyal,
despite Guaidó's offer of amnesty to armed forces that abandon the government.
Maduro's opponents explain the continued support by saying senior army
commanders pocket millions from illicit black-market activities, including food
and currency rackets and narcotics and gold smuggling. Venezuelans also
frequently attribute their generals' dogged loyalty to the role played by Cuba,
Maduro's closest foreign friend. Large numbers of Cuban agents operate within
the Venezuelan military, monitoring the ranks for signs of betrayal. The
National Assembly voted to block the government's long-running shipments of
heavily discounted oil to Cuba, in the hope this will encourage the Cubans to
withdraw their spies. But the state-run oil company is not expected to abide.
As Guaidó's U.S.-backed campaign to assume power enters its third month, Maduro
appears to be stepping up the use of force against his opponents. After
Venezuela's huge power outage, Maduro called for the mobilization of
colectivos, an armed pro-government motorcycle militia with a reputation for
using extreme violence. Many Venezuelans feel the same about other security
forces: Thirty-seven people were reported killed in Caracas during house raids
in January by the national police's special force, according to United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet. Most of the victims were
from poor neighborhoods and were suspected of participating in anti-government
protests, she said. Many Venezuelans believe — and often hope — the U.S. will
lead a military intervention that will finally drive out Maduro. That
conviction is reinforced by the Trump administration and Guaidó: Both regularly
emphasize that "all options are on the table." Yet the idea is widely
opposed in the international arena, and there is little sign of enthusiasm for
it in Washington. Maduro's hard-core support is small: just 14%, according to a
February survey by the Caracas-based polling company DATANALISIS. Guaidó scored
61%. The same survey included another striking statistic: 47% still support
Chávez, who died of cancer in 2013. Luis Vicente León, head of DATANALISIS,
cites this as evidence that in the long term, the Chavistas could eventually
make a comeback in Venezuela, "even with transparent and clear
elections." Maduro now faces an even tougher test. Blows are raining down
on him, as he dodges and weaves to somehow keep his broken economy running. The
oil sanctions the U.S. imposed on Venezuela in late January are making an
impact. With the world's largest proven oil reserves, Venezuela's production
dropped by 142,000 barrels per day from January to February, according to OPEC.
That is far below Venezuela's output from a few years ago. The industry's
infrastructure is falling apart; many thousands of engineers have left; the
state-run oil company finds it increasingly difficult to import diluents needed
to raise Venezuelan crude to export grade. The Maduro government is scrambling
to find fresh clients for crude oil that it is no longer exporting to the U.S.
Despite this, it is far from certain Maduro will fall. That concerns rights
groups, which fear U.S. sanctions are deepening the hardship of a
long-suffering population and weakening their ability to organize against
Maduro's government. Crashing an economy alone does not always bring a
government down. Pollster León recalls: "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Everyone thought the same with Cuba, Iran, Syria, Zimbabwe and North
Korea</i>." (NPR: </span><a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/03/25/706635580/venezuelas-maduro-faces-pressure-from-much-of-the-world-yet-he-persists"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.npr.org/2019/03/25/706635580/venezuelas-maduro-faces-pressure-from-much-of-the-world-yet-he-persists</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-2858966880244122232019-03-21T19:16:00.000-04:002019-03-21T19:16:53.187-04:00March 08, 2019<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Oil & Energy<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela restores electricity to some parts of
Caracas: state television<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela has
restored electricity to some parts of the capital of Caracas, state television
said on Friday, following a major blackout on Thursday that knocked out service
in much of the struggling OPEC nation. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-blackout-caracas/venezuela-restores-electricity-to-some-parts-of-caracas-state-television-idUSKCN1QP1ZV"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-blackout-caracas/venezuela-restores-electricity-to-some-parts-of-caracas-state-television-idUSKCN1QP1ZV</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela grinds to a halt as blackout drags
into a second day<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela shut
schools and suspended the workday on Friday as the worst blackout in decades
paralyzed most of the troubled nation for a second day, spurring outrage among
citizens already suffering from hyperinflation and a crippling recession.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Power went out late
on Thursday afternoon due to a problem at Venezuela’s main hydroelectric plant,
the government said, calling the event an act of “sabotage” by ideological
adversaries.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“We will once again
defeat this electrical sabotage. We are going to recover this important service
for the population,” Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said in comments broadcast
over state television.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">While blackouts are
routine in many Venezuelan provinces, particularly along the western border
with Colombia, nationwide power outages under the ruling Socialist Party have
never extended for more than a day.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“This is a severe
problem. It is not just any blackout,” said Luis Martinez, a 53-year-old
construction worker walking to work in eastern Caracas.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">SABOTAGE<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">President Nicolas
Maduro always attributes major power outages to sabotage by opposition
adversaries.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Maduro, who was
re-elected last year in a vote widely viewed as fraudulent, blames the crisis
on a U.S.-backed sabotage campaign.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">His critics say his
government has mismanaged the power sector since late socialist leader Hugo
Chavez nationalized it in 2007 while setting aside billions of dollars for
power projects that were swallowed by corruption.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Opposition leader
Juan Guaido slammed the government for bungling the country’s energy supply and
dismissed sabotage accusations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Sabotage is stealing
money from Venezuelans. Sabotage is burning food and medicine. Sabotage is
stealing elections,” he wrote via Twitter, referring to humanitarian aid trucks
that went up in flames last month when opposition leaders attempted to bring
relief supplies across the Colombian border.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">More than 3 million
people are believed to have fled Venezuela amid a deep economic crisis marked by
shortages of food and medicine and hyperinflation. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-blackout/venezuela-grinds-to-a-halt-as-blackout-drags-into-a-second-day-idUSKCN1QP1AL"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-blackout/venezuela-grinds-to-a-halt-as-blackout-drags-into-a-second-day-idUSKCN1QP1AL</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">PDVSA declares emergency as tankers returning<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Plans by the German
operator of a portion of the Venezuelan state oil company’s tanker fleet to
return 10 vessels because of unpaid fees prompted a unit of state-run PDVSA on
Tuesday to declare a maritime emergency, according to a document from the
state-run firm and sources. PDVSA’s weak finances, the result of mismanagement,
a sharp decline in oil output and U.S. sanctions designed to oust President
Nicolas Maduro, have prompted dozens of suppliers and partners to stop working
for the company. PDVSA’s maritime arm, PDV Marina, lacks about 160 people,
including captains, machinists and operators, to immediately take back the 10
vessels from Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM), according to a notification
by PDV Marina’s security department that was viewed by Reuters. BSM officially
notified PDV Marina’s top authorities of its “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unilateral decision to deliver the fleet operated by the company due to
lack of payment and cash flow for paying pending salaries and staff onboard</i>,”
putting PDVSA in a “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">critical situation to
receive the tanker fleet</i>,” the document said. BSM last month confirmed its
crews would abandon PDVSA vessels Rio Arauca and Parnaso, held in Portugal due
to unpaid fees to several companies. A third vessel operated by BSM, the Icaro,
was seized in Curacao by a group of shipping companies claiming unpaid bills
from PDVSA. BSM operated a fleet of 13 tankers owned by PDVSA and two very
large crude carriers jointly owned by PDVSA and China’s PetroChina. The amount
owed by PDV Marina to BSM is at least $15 million, according to a source at the
company and a document seen by Reuters. Over a dozen tankers with Venezuelan
oil around the world have been arrested in recent years by authorities or
otherwise prevented from leaving because PDVSA has not paid for services. (Reuters:
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-tanker/venezuelas-pdvsa-declares-emergency-as-tankers-returning-document-idUSKCN1QN2J3"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-tanker/venezuelas-pdvsa-declares-emergency-as-tankers-returning-document-idUSKCN1QN2J3</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Gas scarcity could turn Venezuela's crisis to
catastrophe<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Waiting hours to fill
up is the high cost one pays for gasoline that's nearly free in socialist
Venezuela. Lines stretching a mile (1.6 kilometers) or more to fuel up have
plagued the western region of Venezuela for years — despite the country's
status as holder of the world's largest oil reserves. Now, shortages threaten
to spread countrywide as supplies of petrol become even scarcer amid a raging
struggle over political control of Venezuela. The Trump administration hit
Venezuela's state-run oil firm PDVSA with sanctions in late January in a
sweeping strategy aimed at forcing President Nicolas Maduro from power in favor
of opposition leader Juan Guaidó. Doomsday predictions immediately followed —
mostly fueled by Maduro's opponents and U.S. officials — that Venezuela's
domestic gasoline supplies would last no more than a week or so. That hasn't
happened yet, but more misery is feared as expected shortages have economic
implications far beyond longer gas lines, turning Venezuela's crisis to a
catastrophe. Ixchel Castro, a Mexico City-based analyst at the Wood Mackenzie
energy research firm, said Venezuela's domestic gasoline supply has been down
by as much as 15% in recent years as the country's refineries and
infrastructure fail — a trend that is expected to accelerate. PDVSA provided
160,000 barrels a day for domestic use last year, but with the U.S. sanctions
and ongoing infrastructure challenges, that supply can be expected to fall to
60,000 barrels a day, she said, meeting just 38% of the country's needs. Exacerbating
the problem are shortages of diluent, a critical product needed to thin
Venezuela's tar-like heavy crude so it can be piped over 100 miles (160
kilometers) from the field to be turned into gasoline. Russia has stepped in,
sending two tankers of the thinner, but these supplies will last just five to
10 days. Gasoline won't completely dry up in Venezuela, which still has access
to waning domestic production, as well as fuel in storage and shipments from
India and European countries that aren't subject to sanctions. But the fuel
quality will suffer and there will be shortages, Castro said. (VOA: </span><a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/gas-scarcity-could-turn-venezuela-s-crisis-to-catastrophe/4816315.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.voanews.com/a/gas-scarcity-could-turn-venezuela-s-crisis-to-catastrophe/4816315.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Oil edges up on Venezuela and Iran sanctions,
OPEC supply cuts<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Oil prices rose on
Thursday on the back of ongoing OPEC-led supply cuts and U.S. sanctions against
exporters Venezuela and Iran, but gains were capped by record U.S. crude
output, rising inventories and falling estimates of global demand growth. Brent
crude futures were at US$ 66.83 per barrel at 1143 GMT, up 84 cents or 1.2%
from their last close. U.S. sanctions against the oil industries of OPEC
members Iran and Venezuela have also had an impact, traders said. Venezuela's
state-run oil firm PDVSA this week declared a maritime emergency, citing
trouble accessing tankers and personnel to export its oil due to sanctions. Despite
these factors, oil remains in plentiful supply thanks to surging U.S. production.
(Reuters: </span><a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/oil-edges-opec-cuts-u-024547817.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://finance.yahoo.com/news/oil-edges-opec-cuts-u-024547817.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Commodities<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela, Palestine sign agreement on diamond
production<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela and
Palestine have concluded a strategic agreement on the production of diamonds,
the live broadcast of the signing ceremony on Nicolas Maduro’s Twitter account
showed. According to the Venezuelan official figures, 85% of diamonds, found in
the country’s Bolivar state, especially in the area of the Orinoco River, were
the highest quality diamonds that met various international standards. (Sputnik
News: </span><a href="https://sputniknews.com/business/201903071073021080-venezuela-palestine-agreement-diamond-production/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://sputniknews.com/business/201903071073021080-venezuela-palestine-agreement-diamond-production/</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Economy & Finance<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">U.S. puts financial institutions <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'on notice'</i> on Venezuela transactions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">White House national
security adviser John Bolton on Wednesday warned foreign banks and other
financial institutions that they will face U.S. sanctions for “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">illegitimate</i>” transactions that benefit
Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and his network. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The United States is putting foreign financial institutions on notice
that they will face sanctions for being involved in facilitating illegitimate
transactions that benefit Nicolas Maduro and his corrupt network</i>,” Bolton
said in a statement released by the White House. (Reuters: </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-bolton/u-s-puts-financial-institutions-on-notice-on-venezuela-transactions-bolton-idUSKCN1QN279"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-bolton/u-s-puts-financial-institutions-on-notice-on-venezuela-transactions-bolton-idUSKCN1QN279</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">U.S. set to punish foreign banks who deal with
Venezuela's Maduro: official<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The United States has
identified efforts by Nicolas Maduro to work with foreign banks to move and
hide money and is ready to punish the banks with sanctions soon, a senior U.S.
administration official said on Wednesday. The White House said earlier on
Wednesday that banks would face sanctions for “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">illegitimate transactions</i>” that helped Maduro and his network. The
warning was prompted by efforts by Maduro, his officials, their family members,
and state-owned entities to find ways to keep revenues flowing. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They’re trying to move their money and hide
that money in different places. Some banks - some foreign banks in particular -
are being complicit in this behavior,”</i> the official said in an interview,
declining to provide further details. The U.S. government was getting ready to
name and impose sanctions on banks that have ignored warnings, the official
said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">You’ll definitely see some named
in the near future</i>,” the official said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We will be sanctioning some in the days and weeks to come.</i>”
(Reuters: </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-banks/u-s-set-to-punish-foreign-banks-who-deal-with-venezuelas-maduro-official-idUSKCN1QN2QE"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-usa-banks/u-s-set-to-punish-foreign-banks-who-deal-with-venezuelas-maduro-official-idUSKCN1QN2QE</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Russia's sanctioned RUSFINCORP to take on PDVSA
accounts<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Russian accounts
of Venezuelan companies, including state oil firm PDVSA, will be moved to the
Russian Financial Corporation Bank (RUSFINCORP), which is sanctioned by the
United States. The decision had been agreed with the Russian government, the
source, who is familiar with the negotiations, said, confirming an earlier
report by the RIA news agency. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This is
not the Kremlin’s direct responsibility to open accounts and coordinate with
business</i>,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. Reuters reported last month
that Russian lender GAZPROMBANK had decided to freeze the accounts of PDVSA and
halted transactions with the firm to reduce the risk of the bank falling under
U.S. sanctions. Russian authorities made the decision to move the Venezuelan
accounts after consultations with their counterparts and business in Venezuela.
The United States imposed sanctions against RUSFINCORP, which is owned by
Russian arms exporter ROSOBORONEKSPORT, and some businessmen in April 2018 in
one of Washington’s most aggressive moves to punish Moscow for its alleged
meddling in the 2016 U.S. election and other “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">malign activity</i>.” (Reuters: </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-banks/russias-sanctioned-rusfincorp-to-service-venezuelas-pdvsa-accounts-ria-idUSKCN1QN0UG"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-banks/russias-sanctioned-rusfincorp-to-service-venezuelas-pdvsa-accounts-ria-idUSKCN1QN0UG</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Guaidó asks CITIBANK to delay gold repurchase<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Interim president
Juan Guaidó has asked Citibank to delay by 120 days Venezuela’s scheduled
repurchase of gold that President Nicolas Maduro’s government put up as
collateral for a loan in 2015, three members of the team advising Guaidó said. Advisers
to Guaidó, who has been recognized by most Western nations as Venezuela’s
legitimate head of state, have met with CITIBANK officials to ask them to hold
off claiming the gold that Maduro’s cash-strapped regime committed to give up
if it failed to pay off the loan by its March due date. One of the sources told
Reuters that CITIBANK has not yet informed them whether it will agree to the
request. The request is part of the opposition’s strategy to safeguard
Venezuela’s foreign assets and prevent the socialist Maduro government from
selling off gold reserves to raise hard currency amid tightening sanctions. In
a public report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in
February, CITIBANK said the Venezuelan Central Bank (BCV) had agreed to
repurchase an undisclosed amount of gold in March as part of an agreement
signed by both institutions in 2015. (Reuters: </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-gold/venezuelan-opposition-asks-citibank-to-delay-gold-repurchase-sources-idUSKCN1QM2T3"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-gold/venezuelan-opposition-asks-citibank-to-delay-gold-repurchase-sources-idUSKCN1QM2T3</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">IMF undecided on Guido’s recognition<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The International
Monetary Fund (IMF) has not decided on recognizing a new government in
Venezuela, the organization's spokesperson said on Thursday. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The determination of the recognition of the
government in Venezuela by the IMF has yet to be made</i>," IMF
spokesperson Gerry Rice told reporters during a press briefing. He noted that
the situation remains very fluid both on the ground in terms of international
recognition of National Assembly president Juan Guaidó, who has declared
himself president. The situation with Guido’s recognition in the International
Monetary Fund which comprises of 189 countries has been complicated by the fact
that some member states have an opposing political stance on the issue.
(SPUTNIK News: </span><a href="https://sputniknews.com/latam/201903071073041344-imf-venezuela-guaido/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://sputniknews.com/latam/201903071073041344-imf-venezuela-guaido/</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Politics and International Affairs<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">EU laments Maduro's expulsion of German envoy,
Guaidó calls for more sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The European Union
said it was disappointed that the Maduro regime has ordered the German
ambassador to leave the country after he expressed support for interim
president leader Juan Guaidó. European Commission spokeswoman Maja Kocijancic
said Thursday that the EU wants to continue its dialogue with all political
forces in the country. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Despite the
tense and complex political context, the EU has been keen to maintain lines of
communication with all key parties including the government</i>,"
Kocijancic said. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In that respect,
the EU hopes that this decision can be reconsidered</i>." On Wednesday,
the Maduro announced it was giving Kriener 48 hours to leave the country, a
move seen as a response regime to Germany's support for Guaidó. The German
ambassador and other diplomats greeted Guaidó when he returned to Venezuela on
Monday — a gesture the Venezuelan government condemned. In Berlin on Thursday,
German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called the attempted expulsion of German
Ambassador to Venezuela Daniel Kriener "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">incomprehensible</i>" and "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unacceptable</i>." He added that Germany's support for interim president
Juan Guaidó in his power struggle with Acting President Nicolas Maduro was
"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">unshakable</i>." Guaidó,
however, said he had asked Kriener to stay on as ambassador in Caracas, since
Maduro was not empowered to expel a diplomat as he was “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">occupying the post of president illegally.</i>” In an interview with German
news magazine "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Der Spiegel</u></i>,"
Guaidó said the expulsion of Kriener was an act of desperation on Maduro's
part. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">He's trying to fool the
public into thinking he still has power by expelling an ambassador</i>," Guaidó
declared. " He also urged Europe to tighten financial sanctions against
the Maduro regime “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I hope that Europe
reacts sharply to this serious threat against an ambassador</i>,” Guaidó said.
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Above all, they should tighten financial
sanctions against the regime</i>.” Maas said Kriener had acted on explicit
instructions from the German Foreign Ministry. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It was my express wish and request that Ambassador Kriener turn out
with representatives of other European nations and Latin American ones to meet
acting President Guaidó at the airport</i>," Mass told reporters. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We had information that he was supposed to
be arrested there. I believe that the presence of various ambassadors helped
prevent such an arrest</i>." Maas also stated that he had recalled Kriener
to Berlin for "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">consultations</i>"
and that he would arrive back in Germany on Saturday. But German foreign policy
experts are outraged at Maduro's behavior. Juergen Hardt, foreign policy
spokesman for the conservative bloc in Germany’s parliament, backed Guaidó’ s
call for further sanctions against Maduro and said the goal should be for
Kriener to return to Caracas as soon as possible. (The New York Times: </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/03/07/world/europe/ap-venezuela-political-crisis-the-latest.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/03/07/world/europe/ap-venezuela-political-crisis-the-latest.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">;
Reuters: </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-germany/venezuelas-guaido-urges-more-sanctions-after-german-expulsion-idUSKCN1QO0II"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-germany/venezuelas-Guaidó-urges-more-sanctions-after-german-expulsion-idUSKCN1QO0II</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">;
DW: </span><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/germany-slams-nicolas-maduros-venezuela-over-ambassador-expulsion/a-47809669"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.dw.com/en/germany-slams-nicolas-maduros-venezuela-over-ambassador-expulsion/a-47809669</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">US pushes Russia to keep Venezuela's interim
president safe from harm<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">U.S. officials are
pressing Russia to ensure that Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro doesn’t harm
his nemesis Juan Guaidó, who major Western powers recognize as the country's
interim president. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We are discussing the
urgent issues affecting Venezuela with many countries, including Russia</i>,” a
representative for the State Department’s Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs
told the Washington Examiner. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We hold
Nicolas Maduro and those who surround him fully responsible for the safety and
welfare of Interim President Guaidó and his family</i>.” Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo spoke to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Saturday, as Guaidó
prepared to return home from meetings around the region. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">An arrest of Juan Guaidó</i>,” a senior administration official told
the Washington Examiner, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">would essentially
ensure that the doors would be shut on Russia throughout the Americas for a
generation</i>.” That message was delivered with increased urgency considering
“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">serious and credible threats [against Guaidó]
and his family, which have recently intensified</i>,” as the Colombian Foreign
Ministry described it on Sunday. Pompeo’s call with Lavrov coincided with a
warning from the European Union that an attack on Guaidó “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">would represent a major escalation of tensions.</i>” Brazil, another
regional heavyweight supporting Guaidó, also demanded Saturday that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">those still in control of the regime's repressive
apparatus</i>” prevent him from coming to harm. Those warnings were heard,
raising U.S. hopes that the regime’s grip on power is slipping, given the
non-enforcement of the travel ban. Lavrov said Russia is willing “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to hold bilateral consultations</i>” with Pompeo
about the crisis but reiterated the charge that President Trump’s
administration is meddling in Venezuelan affairs. (The Washington Examiner: </span><a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/us-pushes-russia-to-keep-venezuelas-interim-president-safe-from-harm"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/us-pushes-russia-to-keep-venezuelas-interim-president-safe-from-harm</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">US envoy dismisses military force in Venezuela <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The U.S. envoy for
Venezuela dismissed the possibility of American military action here in a
recording made by two Russian pranksters and released Wednesday. Special
Representative Elliott Abrams said in the recording that the U.S. wouldn’t use
force in Venezuela unless the government did something “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">completely crazy</i>” like attack the American Embassy. But Abrams, who
apparently believed he was speaking with a Swiss official, said the U.S. seeks
to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">make the Venezuelan military nervous</i>”
by not publicly ruling out military action to oust President Nicolas Maduro. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We think it is a mistake tactically to give
them endless reassurances that there will never be American military action</i>,”
he said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">But I can tell you this is not
what we are doing. What we are doing is exactly what you see, financial
pressure, economic pressure, diplomatic pressure</i>.” The Abrams recording was
released online and published by Russian media Wednesday. Asked for comment,
the State Department said in an email that “w<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">e are well aware in general, and were aware in this case, of Russia’s
propaganda playbook and the lengths they will go to prop up the Maduro regime</i>.”
(AP News: </span><a href="https://apnews.com/a2ca552b73f146e4a532470d75f28958"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://apnews.com/a2ca552b73f146e4a532470d75f28958</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">UN’s Bachelet slams Maduro regime, says she will
send mission here, criticizes sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">UN rights chief
Michelle Bachelet slammed the Maduro regime's "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">violations of civil and political rights</i>" in her annual report
to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Venezuela clearly illustrates the way violations of civil and political
rights - including failure to uphold fundamental freedoms, and the independence
of key institutions - can accentuate a decline of economic and social rights</i>,"
said former Chile president socialist Bachelet. Yet she claimed that: "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">This situation has been exacerbated by sanctions</i>,"
generally targeting individuals within the Maduro regime. She also announced she
was sending a mission to Venezuela to evaluate conditions here. (Channel News
Asia: </span><a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/venezuela-crisis-worsened-by-sanctions-un-11318318"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/venezuela-crisis-worsened-by-sanctions-un-11318318</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)
and more in Spanish: (Noticiero Venevisión, </span></span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/michelle-bachelet-informo-que-una-mision-de-la-onu-visitara-venezuela-la-proxima-semana"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/michelle-bachelet-informo-que-una-mision-de-la-onu-visitara-venezuela-la-proxima-semana</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Guaidó seeks Venezuela’s public workers’
support, announces strikes<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Immediately after he
returned to Caracas Venezuela’s interim president Juan Guaidó announced to tens
of thousands of supporters his plans for new protests. As part of his challenge
to Maduro, Guaidó is attempting to take control of the state bureaucracy, which
he considers having been "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">kidnapped</i>"
through blackmail and persecution. He met on Tuesday with union representatives
as he escalated his campaign to topple Maduro with an appeal for support from
state unions, long reliant on government handouts. Unions from the oil
industry, basic services, the public bank and local government took part in
Tuesday's meeting, union leader Ana Yanez told AFP. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The public administration is practically paralyzed. In the town halls,
people only go to work three days a week and even then, barely half the day</i>,"
said Yanez. Guaidó announced that the unions will launch a staggered strike
within the public administration to continue exerting pressure to leave office
on leftist incumbent Nicolas Maduro<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. </i>"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Public sector workers have lost practically
all their rights, we have no other option but to call for a civic strike</i>,"
said Guaidó. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“We’re definitively moving
toward a staggered strike in the public administration, a proposal made by the
unions</i>,” Guaidó said at a press conference. He added that at the meetings
the participants promised to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">build their
abilities so as not to continue collaborating with the dictatorship, so that
public employees will not find themselves obligated to cooperate any more or to
be forced to do anything</i>” by the Maduro regime. Hours earlier, Guaidó said
police officials were among those at a meeting that he held with leaders of
public employee unions, which rely heavily on subsidies from Maduro's
government to get by in a country suffering from hyperinflation and shortages
of food and other necessities. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We're
not going to collaborate any longer with the dictatorship</i>," Guaidó
said after a meeting at the offices of an engineers' association in Caracas. He
urged state workers to prepare for a strike, though no date was given, and he
said an immediate priority will be to promote a law guaranteeing rights for
public workers and said he would call a meeting of the legislature on Wednesday
to craft the law. Guaidó announced that starting Wednesday, the National
Assembly will begin meeting with the biggest union confederations, which gather
together more than 600 unions, to coordinate future actions. Guaidó said: "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They thought the pressure had already maxed
out... They better know that the pressure has barely begun</i>." Maduro
immediately countered by offering to hold long-postponed collective bargaining
talks nationwide with the unions. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475770&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475770&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">;
Local10: </span><a href="https://www.local10.com/news/venezuela/venezuela-s-adversaries-seek-to-show-resolve-in-crisis"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.local10.com/news/venezuela/venezuela-s-adversaries-seek-to-show-resolve-in-crisis</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">;
Channel News Asia: </span><a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/venezuela-crisis-worsened-by-sanctions-un-11318318"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/venezuela-crisis-worsened-by-sanctions-un-11318318</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">;
BBC News: </span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47464414"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47464414</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">);
and more in Spanish: (Noticiero Venevisión, </span></span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/economia/nicolas-maduro-ordeno-discutir-contratos-colectivos-de-empresas-a-nivel-nacional"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/economia/nicolas-maduro-ordeno-discutir-contratos-colectivos-de-empresas-a-nivel-nacional</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; AVN, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/presidente-maduro-ordena-discutir-contratos-colectivos-empresas-b%C3%A1sicas-guayana"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/presidente-maduro-ordena-discutir-contratos-colectivos-empresas-b%C3%A1sicas-guayana</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Maduro vows to defeat <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'crazed minority'</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Former President
Nicolás Maduro has vowed to defeat a "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">crazed
minority</i>" that wants to remove him from power. In a challenge to
opposition leader Juan Guaidó, he called for "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">anti-imperialist marche</i>s" on Saturday to coincide with
anti-government protests. Maduro's comments were the first since Guaidó defied
him and returned to the country on Monday. Appearing a day after his rival
returned home to a tumultuous welcome, former president Nicolas Maduro
denounced his opponents in a speech Tuesday at a military ceremony but did not
refer by name to Juan Guaidó. The Maduro government's decision not to move
against the interim president upon his return to Venezuela on Monday reflects
the intense pressure Maduro faces and, possibly, a calculation that restraint
is the best tactic for now. Some analysts speculate the two sides might
consider behind-the-scenes negotiations to end the standoff. Still, Maduro was
defiant during a ceremony marking the sixth anniversary of the death of his
predecessor and mentor, Hugo Chavez, belittling a "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">minority of opportunists and cowards</i>." He said government
supporters would hold a rally on Saturday, a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"day of anti-imperialism</i>" in his words, and a counter to
U.S.-backed Guaidó’ s plans to hold nationwide protests the same day. Maduro
also pinned medals on members of the security forces involved in a crackdown on
Guaidó’ s failed Feb. 23 attempt to bring humanitarian aid into Venezuela from
Brazil and Colombia. Speaking at an event marking the sixth anniversary of the
death of his predecessor and political mentor, Hugo Chávez, Maduro said: "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">While a crazed minority continues with their
hatred, with their bitterness, it's their problem. We won't pay attention to
them, compatriots</i>." His call for marches on Saturday sets the stage
for more confrontation with Guaidó. Maduro has done this before, calling his
own counter-demonstration every time Guaidó announces a protest. But the
opposition gatherings usually have the edge in numbers. (BBC News: </span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47464414"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47464414</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">;
Channel News Asia: </span><a href="https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/venezuela-crisis-worsened-by-sanctions-un-11318318"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/venezuela-crisis-worsened-by-sanctions-un-11318318</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">;
Local10: </span><a href="https://www.local10.com/news/venezuela/venezuela-s-adversaries-seek-to-show-resolve-in-crisis"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.local10.com/news/venezuela/venezuela-s-adversaries-seek-to-show-resolve-in-crisis</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">More Venezuela sanctions on the way, Abrams
tells Congress<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The U.S. is preparing
to slap additional sanctions on financial institutions supporting Nicolas
Maduro. U.S. Special Representative for Venezuela Elliott Abrams told members
of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Thursday that the U.S. is “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">going to expand the net</i>” of sanctions
and visa restrictions on Maduro’s inner circle, their families and supportive
companies as part of a campaign to drive the socialist president from power and
install opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country’s interim leader. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There will be more sanctions on financial
institutions that are carrying out orders from Maduro’s regime… stealing money
and hiding it around the world</i>,” Mr. Abrams said. Last week, the U.S.
imposed “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dozens”</i> of new visa
restrictions and sanctions on top officials of the Maduro regime and their
families and on six Venezuelan security officials who have allegedly
participated in obstructing international aid into the country. Mr. Abrams
explained to the committee that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">every
time</i>” the U.S. imposes new sanctions on a person or institutions, it is
noted that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all visa revocations are
reversible</i>.” He did not detail the path toward reversing a visa revocation
but said the U.S. has a plan in place. (The Washington Times: </span><a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/mar/7/more-venezuela-sanctions-way-trump-envoy-elliott-a/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/mar/7/more-venezuela-sanctions-way-trump-envoy-elliott-a/</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Heavily armed soldiers aborted a plan to enter Venezuela
by force<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Late last month, as
U.S. officials joined Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó near a bridge in
Colombia to send desperately needed aid to the masses and challenge the rule of
Nicolas Maduro, some 200 exiled soldiers were checking their weapons and planning
to clear the way for the convoy. Led by retired General Cliver Alcala, who has
been living in Colombia, they were going to drive back the Venezuelan national
guardsmen blocking the aid on the other side. The plan was stopped by the Colombian
government, which learned of it late and feared violent clashes at a highly
public event it promised would be peaceful. (Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-06/heavily-armed-soldiers-aborted-plan-to-enter-venezuela-by-force"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-06/heavily-armed-soldiers-aborted-plan-to-enter-venezuela-by-force</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Cody Weddle, a U.S. journalist, is arrested in
Venezuela and will be deported<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">An American freelance
journalist with legal residence in Venezuela was arrested on Wednesday along
with his Venezuelan assistant by the country’s military counterintelligence
service, the latest episode in an expanding crackdown on press freedom amid the
country’s long-running political crisis. The authorities held the reporter, Cody
Weddle, 28, for several hours at the headquarters of the Directorate General of
Military Counterintelligence after searching his apartment, Mr. Weddle said in
a voice message late Wednesday. He was then told he was going to be deported
and was taken to the airport by armed men, he said. Lawyers in Venezuela said
that Mr. Weddle’s assistant, Carlos Camacho, was released from police custody
earlier in the evening. Mr. Weddle said around 6:40 a.m., four people from the
military counterintelligence service arrived at his apartment with a search
order. He said they put all his electronics in a briefcase, and more people
arrived in civilian clothes to sweep the apartment — possibly looking for “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">spying equipment</i>,” Mr. Weddle said. He
was then taken to the agency’s headquarters, where he said he was masked and
hooded for hours. The mask was taken off and Mr. Weddle was asked questions about
his work as a journalist, he said. Mr. Weddle is a freelance reporter whose most
frequent employer is the South Florida television network WPLG. He was later
taken to the airport by men in bulletproof vests, he said, and was to fly to
the United States on Thursday. Kimberly Breier, the United States assistant
secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, said on Twitter earlier
Wednesday that the State Department was aware of Mr. Weddle’s arrest and demanded
his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“immediate release, unharmed</i>.” Mr.
Weddle and Mr. Camacho joined dozens of journalists, both local and foreign,
who have been detained in recent weeks in Venezuela. (The New York Times: </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/06/world/americas/cody-weddle-journalist-venezuela.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/06/world/americas/cody-weddle-journalist-venezuela.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">State Department supports Guaidó’ s status as
interim president, chides media coverage<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">At the press briefing
on Tuesday, spokesman Robert Palladino objected to news coverage describing
Juan Guaidó as opposition leader or self-proclaimed president, rather than “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">interim president</i>” as Washington has
declared him to be. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Millions of
Americans and more than 50 countries recognize Juan Guaidó as interim president
of Venezuela</i>,” Palladino argued, so to refer to him otherwise “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">falls into the narrative of a dictator who
has usurped the position of the presidency and led Venezuela into the
humanitarian, political, and economic crisis that exists today</i>.” (RT: </span><a href="https://www.rt.com/usa/453192-state-department-venezuela-propaganda/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.rt.com/usa/453192-state-department-venezuela-propaganda/</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)
and more in Spanish: (El Universal, </span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/internacional/34853/el-departamento-de-estado-de-eeuu-insto-a-la-prensa-a-llamar-presidente-interino-a-juan-guaido"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">http://www.eluniversal.com/internacional/34853/el-departamento-de-estado-de-eeuu-insto-a-la-prensa-a-llamar-presidente-interino-a-juan-Guaidó</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Trump, unpopular elsewhere, has lots of fans in
Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">President Trump’s
trade and other foreign policies have made him unpopular in many countries that
are traditionally U.S. allies. But they love him in Venezuela. Polls show that
the U.S. government’s toughening stance against Venezuela’s authoritarian
regime in recent weeks has catapulted Mr. Trump up the popularity rankings in
this crisis-stricken country. His favorable numbers are especially noteworthy
in a region that has long been wary of American intrusion. (The Wall Street Journal:
</span><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-widely-disparaged-abroad-has-lots-of-fans-in-venezuela-11551882601"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-widely-disparaged-abroad-has-lots-of-fans-in-venezuela-11551882601</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Navy SEAL who killed Bin Laden warns of
‘bloody’ end to Venezuela crisis <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Retired Navy SEAL
Robert O’Neill, who claims that he killed Osama Bin Laden in 2014, has
predicted fatal consequences for the current political standoff in Venezuela. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What needs to happen is something along the
lines of a coup. As much as I would like to see it [end in a way that is]
non-violent, I think it’s going to end bloodily for [Venezuelan President
Nicolas] Maduro</i>”, O’Neill told Fox Business. He claimed that the Venezuelan
army is keeping Maduro in power and urged opposition leader and self-proclaimed
president Juan Guaidó to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">turn the
military around</i>”. (Sputnik News: </span><a href="https://sputniknews.com/world/201903071073023833-venezuela-president-maduro-navy-seal/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "calibri";">https://sputniknews.com/world/201903071073023833-venezuela-president-maduro-navy-seal/</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Venezuela mental health institutions struggle
in economic crisis<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Years of economic
hardship are taking a shocking toll on Venezuela's most vulnerable, leaving
psychiatric patients without doctors, food or medicine. All over Venezuela,
mental health institutions are struggling to provide medication and care
through the country's economic crisis. The government has blamed the sanctions
imposed by the United States, but doctors and facility workers said the problem
began years ago. As the political and economic crises in Venezuela worsen, it
is likely that patients with mental illness and others among the country's most
vulnerable will fare the worst. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">(Al Jazeera: <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/venezuela-mental-health-institutions-struggle-economic-crisis-190306163257823.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/03/venezuela-mental-health-institutions-struggle-economic-crisis-190306163257823.html</span></a>)</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">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.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-31548422100870884422019-02-28T19:02:00.000-04:002019-02-28T19:02:25.790-04:00February 28, 2019
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">International Trade</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela blocks off
second bridge to Colombia: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/27/venezuela-bridge-simon-bolivar-colombia-maduro"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/27/venezuela-bridge-simon-bolivar-colombia-maduro</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Over 92% of border business remains shut: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/economia/fedecamaras-tachira-mas-del-92-de-los-comercios-en-la-frontera-estan-cerrados" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/economia/fedecamaras-tachira-mas-del-92-de-los-comercios-en-la-frontera-estan-cerrados</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Fire at La Guaira port hits warehouses holding
CLAP food kits: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">extreme right
wing</i>”. The fire had been reported to have been controlled More in Spanish: (Bolipuertos, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/nacional/reportan-un-incendio-en-el-puerto-de-la-guaira" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/nacional/reportan-un-incendio-en-el-puerto-de-la-guaira</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; El Universal, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/34319/nicolas-maduro-ordeno-reponer-alimentos-quemados-en-galpones-de-los-clap-en-vargas" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/34319/nicolas-maduro-ordeno-reponer-alimentos-quemados-en-galpones-de-los-clap-en-vargas</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">New Venezuela opposition
CITGO Board meets, appoints new corporate officers: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>," CITGO reported.
"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">CITGO is a historic brand that
provides enormous value to the American economy and the communities in which it
operates</i>," said Luisa Palacios, newly appointed Chairwoman of the
CITGO Board. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>." 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, <a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475446&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475446&CategoryId=10717</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">CITGO loans price in potential regime change in
Venezuela: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/citgo-loans/citgo-loans-price-in-potential-regime-change-in-venezuela-idUSL1N20M0UE"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/citgo-loans/citgo-loans-price-in-potential-regime-change-in-venezuela-idUSL1N20M0UE</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Russian companies in
Venezuela safe: Novak. </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>,” 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: <a href="https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russian-Companies-In-Venezuela-Safe-Novak.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Russian-Companies-In-Venezuela-Safe-Novak.html</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Inside a U.S.
businessman's oil deal with Venezuela: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sargeant
insists it is not his concern who rules Venezuela. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Our business is with PDVSA, the institution</i>," he said. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We are not into the politics of the
situation</i>." </span>(NASDAQ: <span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="https://www.nasdaq.com/article/meeting-maduro-inside-a-us-businessmans-oil-deal-with-venezuela-20190228-00031"><span lang="ES" style="mso-ansi-language: ES;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.nasdaq.com/article/meeting-maduro-inside-a-us-businessmans-oil-deal-with-venezuela-20190228-00031</span></span></a></span>)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela moves 8 tons
of central bank gold: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They plan to sell it abroad illegally</i>," 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, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold-exclusive/exclusive-venezuela-removed-8-tons-of-central-bank-gold-last-week-legislator-idUSKCN1QG2QG"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold-exclusive/exclusive-venezuela-removed-8-tons-of-central-bank-gold-last-week-legislator-idUSKCN1QG2QG</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">U.S. studying mysterious bond billionaire's Venezuela
deals: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-26/u-s-said-to-study-mysterious-bond-billionaire-s-venezuela-deals"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-26/u-s-said-to-study-mysterious-bond-billionaire-s-venezuela-deals</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">UN to vote on dueling
US, Russia drafts on Venezuela: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">expresses deep concern about the actions of a regime that have caused
an economic collapse</i>,” diplomats said. But the Russian measure, which
expresses <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“concern over the threats to
use force</i>” 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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">free,
fair and credible presidential elections</i>,” with the presence of international
observers, describing the May vote in which Maduro was declared the winner as “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">neither free nor fair</i>.” It expresses
support for “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the peaceful restoration of
democracy and rule of law in Venezuela</i>” and requests that UN
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres broker a deal on holding fresh elections. Russia’s
draft resolution urges a settlement “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">through
peaceful means</i>” 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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"illegal state border crossing</i>" that amounted to a "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">forced feeding." </i>US envoy Elliott
Abrams, clearly angered, shot back saying:<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">
“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.” </i>He said that the world should back Guaidó and<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> “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. </i>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. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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?</i>” At
a council meeting on Tuesday, Abrams said his government was “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">deeply concerned</i>” 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: <a href="http://www.arabnews.com/node/1459261/world"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.arabnews.com/node/1459261/world</span></a>;
CNN: <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/27/us/venezuela-guaido-presidential-duties/index.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/27/us/venezuela-Guaidó-presidential-duties/index.html</span></a>;
Daily Times: <a href="https://dailytimes.com.pk/359399/us-seeks-vote-on-un-resolution-to-allow-aid-into-venezuela/"><span style="color: blue;">https://dailytimes.com.pk/359399/us-seeks-vote-on-un-resolution-to-allow-aid-into-venezuela/</span></a>;
Latin American Herald Tribune, <a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475443&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475443&CategoryId=10717</span></a>;
Bloomberg, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-27/u-s-seeks-un-security-council-vote-on-new-venezuela-resolution"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-27/u-s-seeks-un-security-council-vote-on-new-venezuela-resolution</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">'<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Worthless</i>' UN blasted for weak Venezuela
response, playing into Maduro's hands: </b>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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“[<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Secretary General Antonio Guterres] is playing right into #Maduro plans</i>,”
Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted this month. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When it comes to democracy & human
rights UN increasingly worthless</i>,” 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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">serious negotiation to help the country out
of the present standoff for the benefit of the people of Venezuela</i>.” 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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">with increasing
concern the escalation of tensions in Venezuela</i>.” On Sunday, Human Rights
Chief Michelle Bachelet was somewhat stronger as she decried “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">disgraceful scenes.</i>” “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Venezuelan government must stop its
forces from using excessive force against unarmed protesters and ordinary
citizens</i>,” she said. While appeals to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">both
sides</i>” 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: </span><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/worthless-un-blasted-for-weak-venezuela-response-playing-into-maduros-hands"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.foxnews.com/world/worthless-un-blasted-for-weak-venezuela-response-playing-into-maduros-hands</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Guaidó meets with Brazil’s
Bolsonaro, will re-enter Venezuela to his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'duties
as president': </i></span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuelan
leader Juan Guaidó is now facing the challenge of finding a way back into the
country. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I will announce the day of
our return, so that you can be with us</i>," Guaidó said in a tweet to
supporters Wednesday. He asked for demonstrations to continue. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We will decide. Due to security concerns we
are not ruling out options</i>," 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 "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that
won't stop us</i>." The opposition leader said efforts to collect more aid
will continue "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">because the
humanitarian crisis</i>" 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. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The interim
president of Venezuela will meet on Thursday afternoon with Brazilian President
Jair Bolsonaro at the Planalto Palace</i>,” 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. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Venezuela is mobilized towards change and
arresting someone (does) not calm the protest. On the contrary, it speeds it up
and makes it grow.</i>" The National Assembly met this week in Caracas and
authorized Cuaidó to travel for over 5 days, as required by the Venezuelan Constitution.
(UPI: <a href="https://www.upi.com/Guaido-planning-to-re-enter-Venezuela-after-attempt-to-pick-up-aid/8321551291066/"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.upi.com/Guaidó-planning-to-re-enter-Venezuela-after-attempt-to-pick-up-aid/8321551291066/</span></a>;
CNN: <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/27/us/venezuela-guaido-presidential-duties/index.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/27/us/venezuela-Guaidó-presidential-duties/index.html</span></a>;
Reuters: <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-rights-guaido/venezuelas-guaido-to-visit-brazil-in-bid-to-keep-pressure-on-maduro-idUSKCN1QG34U"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-rights-Guaidó/venezuelas-Guaidó-to-visit-brazil-in-bid-to-keep-pressure-on-maduro-idUSKCN1QG34U</span></a>;
Latin American Herald Tribune, </span></span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475444&CategoryId=10718"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475444&CategoryId=10718</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; </span></span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475434&CategoryId=10717"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475434&CategoryId=10717</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Reuters, </span></span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics/rpt-guaidos-return-to-venezuela-to-mark-brazen-defiance-of-maduro-idUSL1N20M012"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics/rpt-Guaidós-return-to-venezuela-to-mark-brazen-defiance-of-maduro-idUSL1N20M012</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">; Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-26/guaido-s-safety-at-risk-in-return-to-venezuela-u-s-envoy-warns"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-26/Guaidó-s-safety-at-risk-in-return-to-venezuela-u-s-envoy-warns</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">);
and more in Spanish: El Universal, </span></span><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/34279/diputados-de-la-an-exigen-ponderaciones-de-proteccion-a-entidades-internacionales" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/34279/diputados-de-la-an-exigen-ponderaciones-de-proteccion-a-entidades-internacionales</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nicolas Maduro's says said
he'd be open to a summit with Donald Trump: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In his first interview with an American
television network in years, Maduro said interim president Juan Guaidó: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>”. He also said: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The extremist government of the Ku Klux Klan
that that directs Donald Trump wants a wants a war for oil</i>.” But added “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>” … and “I<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">, 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</i>.” Adding; “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I would be
willing to go where ever I would have to go. To shake President Trump's hand</i>”,
making an open comparison with ongoing talks with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un in
Vietnam. (ABC News: <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduros-defiant-interview-tom-llamas/story"><span style="color: blue;">https://abcnews.go.com/International/venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduros-defiant-interview-tom-llamas/story</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Maduro and Trump should meet to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'find common ground'</i>: Venezuela minister:
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">try to find common ground and explain their
differences</i>.” 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. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
only thing to discuss with Maduro at this point is the time and date for his
departure</i>,” Pence said on Twitter. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">For
democracy to return and for Venezuela to rebuild - Maduro must go</i>,” Pence
said. (Reuters, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-rights/maduro-and-trump-should-meet-to-find-common-ground-venezuela-minister-idUSKCN1QG1P0"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-rights/maduro-and-trump-should-meet-to-find-common-ground-venezuela-minister-idUSKCN1QG1P0</span></a>;
Bloomberg, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-27/un-delegates-walk-out-as-maduro-s-foreign-minister-gives-speech"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-27/un-delegates-walk-out-as-maduro-s-foreign-minister-gives-speech</span></a>;
AVN, <a href="http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/chancellor-arreaza-demands-reject-use-military-force-against-venezuela"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/chancellor-arreaza-demands-reject-use-military-force-against-venezuela</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Diplomats storm out of
UN meeting as Maduro's foreign minister: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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. '<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">aggression</i>' against his country. He told the U.N. Human Rights
Council in Geneva that the two leaders could seek <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'common ground'</i> 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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'blockade'</i>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(Mail Online: <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6751901/Diplomats-storm-meeting-Venezuelas-foreign-minister-condemned-aggression.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6751901/Diplomats-storm-meeting-Venezuelas-foreign-minister-condemned-aggression.html</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela's Guaidó says
Russia not propping up Nicolas Maduro: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">broad support</i>” from Russia in propping up strongman Maduro, he told
Russian daily Novaya Gazeta on Tuesday. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">There
have been no new loans, no major investments. Just public statements</i>,” he
said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>,” 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: </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2019/02/27/venezuelas-guaido-says-russia-not-propping-up-nicolas-maduro/#61b942156b91"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2019/02/27/venezuelas-Guaidó-says-russia-not-propping-up-nicolas-maduro/#61b942156b91</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; The Guardian: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/27/venezuela-bridge-simon-bolivar-colombia-maduro"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/27/venezuela-bridge-simon-bolivar-colombia-maduro</span></a>)
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Maduro regime’s vice president to fly into
Moscow for talks on Friday: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any
kind of war against Venezuela</i>,” Arreaza was cited as saying. (Reuters, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-russia/venezuelan-vice-president-to-fly-into-moscow-for-talks-on-friday-ria-idUSKCN1QG1XV"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-russia/venezuelan-vice-president-to-fly-into-moscow-for-talks-on-friday-ria-idUSKCN1QG1XV</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Mexico’s President calls
for dialogue to resolve Venezuelan crisis: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador
called on Tuesday for dialogue to find a “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">peaceful
solution</i>” 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 style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I respectfully call on the parties to the
conflict to sit down, dialogue and seek a peaceful solution</i>,” 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, <a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475433&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475433&CategoryId=10717</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Colombia calls at U.N. for action on Venezuela
crisis: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Action and solidarity should be based on full rejection of dictatorship
of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela</i>,” Barbosa told the meeting. (Reuters, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-colombia-un/colombia-calls-at-u-n-for-action-on-venezuela-crisis-idUSKCN1QG1FU"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-colombia-un/colombia-calls-at-u-n-for-action-on-venezuela-crisis-idUSKCN1QG1FU</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Chile’s Piñera invites Guaidó to presidential Summit:
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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, </span></span><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/34300/pinera-invita-a-guaido-a-cumbre-presidencial-de-nuevo-bloque-regional" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/34300/pinera-invita-a-Guaidó-a-cumbre-presidencial-de-nuevo-bloque-regional</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Hundreds of
Venezuela's military defect in four days as country spirals into further chaos:
</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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: <a href="https://foxnews.club/world/hundreds-of-venezuelas-military-defect-in-four-days-as-country-spirals-into-further-chaos"><span style="color: blue;">https://foxnews.club/world/hundreds-of-venezuelas-military-defect-in-four-days-as-country-spirals-into-further-chaos</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">'Venezuelan blood is
being spilled': tension flares near border with Brazil: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/27/venezuela-bridge-simon-bolivar-colombia-maduro"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/27/venezuela-bridge-simon-bolivar-colombia-maduro</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">TELEMUNDO Reporter
Daniel Garrido was abducted in Venezuela: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>”, the U.S. Spanish language
network reported. (Adweek: <a href="https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/telemundo-reporter-daniel-garrido-was-abducted-yesterday-in-venezuela/395281"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/telemundo-reporter-daniel-garrido-was-abducted-yesterday-in-venezuela/395281</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Maduro regime's
colectivos continue arbitrary armed robberies, journalist says: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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 style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I know the look of them</i>," Rothstein
told a Swedish colleague. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They show
up in motorcycles. They cover their faces and they are armed</i>." Her
colleague published the video of their conversation on YouTube. She also said
that over the years, colectivos have gone "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">from intimidation to robbery and kidnapping to death squad.</i>" 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. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It's no-man's land and there are kidnappings and random murders across
this road</i>," 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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Two guys were crazier than the others and
were obviously high on cocaine</i>," 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: <a href="https://www.local10.com/news/venezuela/venezuela-s-colectivos-continue-arbitrary-armed-robberies-journalist-says"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.local10.com/news/venezuela/venezuela-s-colectivos-continue-arbitrary-armed-robberies-journalist-says</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">One witness, conflicting evidence: How Venezuelan
justice targets the opposition: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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 “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">completely destroyed</i>”
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, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-evidence/one-witness-conflicting-evidence-how-venezuelan-justice-targets-the-opposition-idUSKCN1QG1FC"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-evidence/one-witness-conflicting-evidence-how-venezuelan-justice-targets-the-opposition-idUSKCN1QG1FC</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">United States denies
Russian accusations of planning military intervention in Venezuela: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The United States has denied Russian
accusations of planning military intervention in Venezuela, despite President
Trump saying: "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all options are on
the table</i>." 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 "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">use
of force</i>" 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)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">US is getting closer
to military intervention in Venezuela: Gen. Anthony Tata: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I think in the next two weeks we are going
to see this thing bubble up and foment</i>,” he told FOX on Tuesday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>.”
Tata added, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>." (Fox Business: <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/us-military-intervention-in-venezuela-could-come-in-the-next-two-weeks-gen-tata"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/us-military-intervention-in-venezuela-could-come-in-the-next-two-weeks-gen-tata</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Trump says Venezuela
aid 'getting through' despite Maduro refusal: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">President Trump said Thursday that U.S. aid
supplies had gotten into Venezuela, despite the country's authoritarian leader
publicly refusing to allow shipments. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We're
sending supplies, supplies are getting through a little bit more. It's not easy</i>,"
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. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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</i>," Trump said. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">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." </i>(The Washington Examiner:
<a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/trump-says-venezuela-aid-getting-through-despite-maduro-refusal"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/trump-says-venezuela-aid-getting-through-despite-maduro-refusal</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela crisis: How
much aid is getting in? </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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. (<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47369768"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-47369768</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Democrats strain for a
unified message on Venezuela: </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">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: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-democrats-strain-for-a-unified-message-on-venezuela-11551355550"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-democrats-strain-for-a-unified-message-on-venezuela-11551355550</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">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.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-25823136317626934802019-02-26T18:25:00.000-04:002019-02-26T18:25:57.947-04:00February 26, 2019
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">International
Trade</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Food and cleaning
products have arrived at Margarita island’s El Guamache port<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Port officials have announced that the </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">CFS PANAVERA
has arrived at Margarita island’s El Guamache port from Jamaica, carrying 53 containers,
including 12 with food and 4 with personal care and health products. Cooking
oil, rice, wheat flour, coffee, chocolate, pasta, peas, tomatoes, cosmetics and
cleaning products are part of the arriving cargo. More in Spanish; (Bolipuertos,
</span><span lang="ES-VE" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.bolipuertos.gob.ve/noticia.aspx?id=43456"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.bolipuertos.gob.ve/noticia.aspx?id=43456</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Logistics
& Transport</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">US flying more reconnaissance flights off Venezuela, military sources
say<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The US
military has flown an increased number of reconnaissance flights in
international airspace off the coast of Venezuela during the last several days
to gather classified intelligence about the embattled regime of Nicolas Maduro,
according to two US defense officials. The officials would not detail which US
military aircraft are being used, but the Navy and Air Force maintain several
large fixed-wing aircraft capable of intercepting communications and monitoring
the status of weaponry. The officials noted that the effort is limited to
whatever the aircraft can gather by staying in international airspace. Several
US military officials continue to emphasize there are no military options
actively being considered for the Venezuela crisis. For now, the US military
would only contemplate a response if US assets, personnel or the embassy were
attacked. The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued a warning to US
pilots about flying into and out of Venezuela because of "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">continued political instability and
increasing tensions</i>." </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(CNN: <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/25/americas/venezuela-developments/index.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/25/americas/venezuela-developments/index.html</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">AVIOR halts
flights to Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela’s
AVIOR airline has indefinitely suspended all flights to and from the islands of
Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire, following an order from this country’s National Civil
Aeronautics Institute barring all air traffic by order of the Maduro regime. More
in Spanish; (Noticiero Venevisión, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/economia/avior-suspendio-sus-vuelos-a-aruba-curazao-y-bonaire"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/economia/avior-suspendio-sus-vuelos-a-aruba-curazao-y-bonaire</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil &
Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela has US$ 500 million of crude sitting in ships — but nobody
wants to buy it<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela is
running out of space to store its sanction-stained crude that few dare to buy,
forcing it to reduce output at a time when the world is thirsty for heavy,
sulfurous oil. Tankers holding 8.36 million barrels of Venezuelan crude worth
upwards of a half-billion dollars are floating off the country’s coast as the
nation struggles to find buyers for its oil following new U.S. sanctions in
January. An armada of 16 ships holds cargoes belonging to state oil company PDVSA,
CHEVRON, VALERO, and ROSNEFT, according to shipping reports and ship-tracking
data compiled by Bloomberg. Oil ventures owned by PDVSA with ROSNEFT, CHEVRON,
TOTAL and EQUINOR, whose upgraders convert tar-like Venezuelan crude into oil
that refineries can process, reduced rates this week because they ran out of
space to store crude, according to people with knowledge of the situation. With
few buyers willing to take PDVSA’s oil, the alternative was to put some of that
oil onto tankers to clear space and continue to operate at lower rates. The
backlog of ships and the growing difficulty in keeping its oil upgraders
running underscore the impact U.S. sanctions are having on PDVSA. Shipments to
America, once Venezuela’s largest customer, have dried up. Without access to
the U.S. financial system, on which many refiners and trading houses rely on to
finance purchases, PDVSA is having trouble finding buyers outside of countries
such as India and China, to whom it owes oil in payment for past loans. The
PDVSA-Rosneft joint-venture PETROMONAGAS upgrader isn’t processing oil after
running out of space to store their production, a person with knowledge of the
situation said. PDVSA-CHEVRON’s PETROPIAR venture has reduced output for the
same reason, other people said. PETROCEDENO, a PDVSA-TOTAL-EQUINOR venture, is
running out of oil to process as a ban on sales of heavy naphtha to PDVSA has
made it difficult to ship the heavy oil through pipelines from inland fields to
the upgrader, another person said. (FORTUNE: <a href="http://fortune.com/2019/02/26/venezuela-crude-sanctions-ships/"><span style="color: blue;">http://fortune.com/2019/02/26/venezuela-crude-sanctions-ships/</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela oil sanctions slash Brent crude premium<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The U.S.
sanctions on Venezuela from late last month cut off more heavy and sour crude
oil supply to the global market, leading to the lowest premium of quality light
sweet Brent over heavier and sour crude grades because of limited heavy oil
supply worldwide. At times when supply of various crude grades is not
distorted, Brent usually trades at a premium of US$ 3-$4 a barrel over Dubai,
but since January, the premium of Brent over Dubai has been consistently below US$
1 a barrel. To top off the sanctions on Iran and the OPEC cuts, the U.S.
sanctions on Venezuela at the end of January further tightened the heavy crude
market, and traders expect the market to tighten even more in the coming
months. Despite initial expectations that the Venezuelan oil that would have
gone to the U.S. could easily make way to Asia, the nature of the U.S.
sanctions have effectively turned the U.S. import ban into financial sanctions
applicable globally. In the middle of February, the April Brent premium to
Dubai Exchange Futures for Swaps (EFS)—generally seen as the spot market
sentiment of Brent-linked and Dubai-linked crude grades—fell to the lowest on
record, since S&P Global Platts started publishing data about the spread in
August 2011. (Oil Price: <a href="https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Venezuela-Oil-Sanctions-Slash-Brent-Crude-Premium.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Venezuela-Oil-Sanctions-Slash-Brent-Crude-Premium.html</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Commodities</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Fishing
halted on Venezuelan coast<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">In an unusual move, Venezuelan military are stopping fishermen from
setting sail from docks in Vargas state near Caracas. More in Spanish: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">(El
Universal, </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/caracas/33938/refuerzan-muelles-pesqueros-de-vargas-tras-prohibicion-de-zarpe"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.eluniversal.com/caracas/33938/refuerzan-muelles-pesqueros-de-vargas-tras-prohibicion-de-zarpe</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy &
Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">National
Assembly asks CITIGROUP for 90-day extension on gold foreclosure<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela’s
opposition led National Assembly has asked CITIGROUP for a 90-day extension before
it forecloses on Venezuelan gold reserves held with the Bank of England as collateral
on a US$ 1.1 billion debt. The request was made by the Assembly’s standing
Finance Committee, headed by congressman Angel Alvarado, who said CITIGROUP is “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">willing to cooperate</i>”. More in Spanish: (El
Universal, </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/economia/33859/plazo-de-90-dias-pide-an-a-citigroup-para-cobrar-deuda-en-oro"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.eluniversal.com/economia/33859/plazo-de-90-dias-pide-an-a-citigroup-para-cobrar-deuda-en-oro</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Evolving Venezuela sanctions pose problems for banks<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Recently
imposed sanctions on Venezuela have posed new compliance risks for U.S. and
international financial institutions as they seek to untangle business ties
between the two countries to meet evolving requirements. The Treasury
Department has ramped up sanctions with more designations and guidance in
recent weeks. Gradually increasing U.S. measures targeting the government of
Venezuela, and the country’s state-owned oil giant have made banks more
reluctant to touch accounts that might relate to Venezuela for fear of
sanctions violations. The scenario is complex because of the economic and
business connections between the two countries has a foundation in the oil-and-gas
industry, which can affect automobile and heavy machinery manufacturing, as
well as elements of insurance and finance. Intricacies stemming from the
sanctions are particularly disruptive for the banking industry, said Daniel
Gutierrez, who chairs the anti-money-laundering compliance committee at the
Florida International Bankers Association. In the case of Venezuela, where the
list of the Maduro government officials is broad and unclear, and where PDVSA
has many subsidiaries and tends to outsource to third-party vendors, banks are
finding they need to pull more resources to holistically analyze each instance
on a case-by-case basis. If not carefully managed, banks could face penalties
and reputational damage. (The Wall Street Journal: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/evolving-venezuela-sanctions-pose-problems-for-banks-11551143320"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.wsj.com/articles/evolving-venezuela-sanctions-pose-problems-for-banks-11551143320</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and
International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">UN Security Council to meet on Venezuela after deadly clashes<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The UN
Security Council is due to meet today to discuss Venezuela, following weekend
violence over a failed opposition bid to bring in humanitarian aid. The United
States requested the meeting to be held in open session this evening. The
request came as US Vice President Mike Pence travelled to Colombia to meet
opposition leader Juan Guaidó in a show of support for his bid to replace
President Nicolás Maduro. The Security Council is divided over Venezuela. The
U.S. and many Western and Latin American nations back opposition leader Juan Guaidó
as interim president, while Russia, China and other countries support President
Nicolas Maduro and oppose any interference in Venezuela's internal affairs. (RTE:
<a href="https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0226/1032860-venezuela/"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0226/1032860-venezuela/</span></a>;
ABC News: <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-germany-urges-pressure-maduro-61299953"><span style="color: blue;">https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/latest-germany-urges-pressure-maduro-61299953</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Lima Group asks International Criminal Court to provide assessment of
Venezuela situation<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The Lima
Group on Monday asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to make an assessment
of the situation in crisis-torn Venezuela, proposing that Venezuela's partners
help organize <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"free elections</i>"
in the country. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We have decided to
turn to the International Criminal Court with a request to take into account
the grave humanitarian situation in Venezuela, the criminal violence of Nicolas
Maduro's regime against civilians and the denial of access to international
aid, which is a crime against humanity</i>", the statement said. The Lima
Group of 14 countries was created in 2017 and currently seeks to end the political
crisis in Venezuela. </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: #580A;">The group includes Argentina, Brazil, Canada,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Guyana, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama,
Paraguay, Peru and Saint Lucia. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The majority of the
organization's member states are backing Guaidó. (SPUTNIK: <a href="https://sputniknews.com/latam/201902261072735401-lima-group-venezuela-intl-court-situation/"><span style="color: blue;">https://sputniknews.com/latam/201902261072735401-lima-group-venezuela-intl-court-situation/</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Guaidó and Pence agree to tighten noose on Maduro, as Guaidó says he will
return to Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">US Vice
President Mike Pence announced fresh US sanctions against allies of Nicolas
Maduro on Monday, after meeting with Latin American leaders including
Venezuela's interim president Juan Guaidó in Colombia. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The tragic events of this past weekend have
only steeled the resolve of the United States of America to stand with you, to
stand with freedom-loving people in Venezuela</i>," Pence told Guaidó at
the Lima group meeting in Colombia's capital Bogota. Pence also urged other
Latin American countries to freeze the assets of PDVSA, Venezuela's state-owned
oil company, and to restrict visas for officials close to Maduro. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Effective today, the United States will
impose additional sanctions on regime officials, including three border state
governors implicated in last weekend's violence and a member of Maduro's inner
circle</i>," he said, adding that the US stands with Guaidó "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">100 percent</i>". Guaidó, who is recognized
by most Western nations as Venezuela's legitimate leader, called on all foreign
powers "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">to consider all options in
ousting Maduro</i>". "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Just days
ago, as the world watched, the tyrant in Caracas danced as his henchmen burned
truckloads of food and medicine, and murdered civilians</i>," Pence said,
and added that the U.S. will stand by Guaidó until freedom is restored and
promised tougher measures against this nation soon. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In the days ahead ... the United States will announce even stronger
sanctions on the regime's corrupt financial networks</i>," Pence said.
"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We will work with all of you to find
every last dollar that they stole and work to return it to Venezuela</i>."
Pence also said the U.S. is sending another US$ 56 million to Venezuela's
neighbors to help them cope with the influx of migrants from Venezuela. If
Maduro remains in charge of Venezuela, Pence said he expects it will result in
two million more refugees. The European Union on Sunday condemned the
government's use of violence and armed civilians to block the aid entry, while
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">shocked and saddened"</i> by the civilian deaths. During Monday's
meeting, Guaidó, who was sitting next to Pence, asked for a moment of silence
for those who were killed over the weekend. Guaidó warned that "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">indulging</i>" Maduro "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">would be a threat to all of America</i>,"
while Colombia President Ivan Duque called for "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">more powerful and effective</i>" pressure on the socialist leader.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pence reiterated that "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all options are on the table</i>" — a
phrase that has been repeated by Trump administration officials since the U.S.
recognized Guaidó as the legitimate leader of Venezuela in January. Guaidó has
adopted similar language and urged the Lima Group to consider "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all options</i>" in ousting Maduro. But
both Guaidó and Trump administration officials have stopped of calling for U.S.
troops on the ground. In a statement following Monday's meeting, the Lima Group
demanded that the Maduro leave his post immediately and make way for a
democratic transition that included free elections. Guaidó accused Maduro's
government of turning the country into "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the sanctuary of terrorists</i>." Having defied a government
travel ban to got to Colombia on Friday, Guaidó said he would return home
"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this week</i>," with the Lima
Group warning he faced "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">serious and
credible threats</i>" from the regime. Maduro has told ABC News that Guaidó
must “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">face justice</i>” if he decides to
return because he had a Supreme Court order against leaving the country. </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(NPR: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/02/25/697638242/pence-on-venezuela-we-will-keep-standing-until-your-libertad-is-restored"><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.npr.org/2019/02/25/697638242/pence-on-venezuela-we-will-keep-standing-until-your-libertad-is-restored</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: #580A;">; Al Jazeera:
<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/ramps-pressure-venezuela-maduro-sanctions-190225173549450.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/ramps-pressure-venezuela-maduro-sanctions-190225173549450.html</span></a>;
Reuters, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelas-guaido-says-all-options-open-after-maduro-blocks-aid-idUSKCN1QC091"><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelas-Guaidó-says-all-options-open-after-maduro-blocks-aid-idUSKCN1QC091</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: #580A;">; </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/after-venezuelan-troops-block-aid-maduro-faces-diplomatic-siege-idUSKCN1QD0LX"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/after-venezuelan-troops-block-aid-maduro-faces-diplomatic-siege-idUSKCN1QD0LX</span></a>
NBC News: <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/colombia-vice-president-pence-announce-clear-actions-against-venezuela-s-n975621"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/colombia-vice-president-pence-announce-clear-actions-against-venezuela-s-n975621</span></a>;
Philadelphia Star: <a href="https://www.philstar.com/world/2019/02/26/1896883/venezuelas-Guaidó-and-pence-agree-tighten-noose-maduro#Yxo5IppGTKzRk1dL.99"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.philstar.com/world/2019/02/26/1896883/venezuelas-Guaidó-and-pence-agree-tighten-noose-maduro#Yxo5IppGTKzRk1dL.99</span></a>
and more in Spanish: El Universal, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/34120/maduro-asegura-que-guaido-debera-responder-a-la-justicia-cuando-vuelva-al-pais"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/34120/maduro-asegura-que-Guaidó-debera-responder-a-la-justicia-cuando-vuelva-al-pais</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">US sanctions pro-Maduro governors who blocked international aid<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The U.S.
Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has designated
four officials aligned with the illegitimate regime of former President Nicolas
Maduro. This action, taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13692, targets
the Governors of four Venezuelan states involved in endemic corruption and in
blocking the delivery of critical humanitarian aid, thereby exacerbating the
ongoing humanitarian crisis caused by the illegitimate Maduro regime. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The illegitimate Maduro regime’s attempts to
blockade international aid intended for the Venezuelan people are shameful.
Treasury is targeting four state governors aligned with former President Maduro
for standing in the way of severely needed humanitarian assistance and
prolonging the suffering of the Venezuelan people</i>,” said Treasury Secretary
Steven T. Mnuchin. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The United States
fully supports the efforts of Interim President Juan Guaidó to address the
endemic corruption, human rights abuses, and violent repression that has become
the hallmark of the illegitimate Maduro regime, and looks forward to the
restoration of a democratically elected government for the people of Venezuela</i>.”
As a result of today’s action, all property and interests in property of these
individuals, and of any entities that are owned, directly or indirectly, 50
percent or more by these individuals, that are in the United States or in the
possession or control of U.S. persons are blocked and must be reported to OFAC.
OFAC’s regulations generally prohibit all dealings by U.S. persons or within
(or transiting) the United States that involve any property or interests in
property of blocked or designated persons. (Latin American Herald Tribune, <a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475341&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475341&CategoryId=10717</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Maduro extends
deadline for US Embassy closure<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">On Saturday,
Nicolás Maduro for a second time extended the deadline for shutting down the US
Embassy in Caracas. US authorities say this extensión is now for 30 more days. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maduro’s Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza claimed
on Twitter that both countries had agreed to establish interest section offices
in Caracas and Washington for migratory and bilateral affairs. More in Spanish:
(Noticiero Venevisión, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/politica/gobierno-nacional-extiende-el-plazo-para-el-cierre-de-la-embajada-de-eeuu-en-caracas"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/politica/gobierno-nacional-extiende-el-plazo-para-el-cierre-de-la-embajada-de-eeuu-en-caracas</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Maduro responsible for safety of Colombian embassy staff: minister<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nicolas
Maduro is responsible for the safety of Colombian diplomats in Venezuela, Colombia’s
foreign minister said on Saturday, after Maduro formally broke off relations
with Bogota. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Colombia holds the usurper
Maduro responsible for any aggression or violation of the rights of Colombian
officials in Venezuela</i>,” Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said. Luis
Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States, said in the
same statement that Maduro, socialist, could not break relations with Colombia
because he is not Venezuela’s legitimate president. (Reuters, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-colombia-maduro/maduro-responsible-for-safety-of-colombian-embassy-staff-minister-idUSKCN1QC0UL"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-colombia-maduro/maduro-responsible-for-safety-of-colombian-embassy-staff-minister-idUSKCN1QC0UL</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In Colombia, Pence lets Guaidó down easy on use of military force
against Maduro<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Vice
President Mike Pence flew into Colombia on Monday as an anxious hemisphere
waited to hear if the leader from America would back the Venezuelan
opposition’s call to use “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">force</i>” to
bring humanitarian aid into the country. Opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who was
barred from leaving Venezuela, had secretly crossed the border amid violent
clashes between demonstrators and security forces for a special meeting Monday
with Pence and regional leaders. What Pence ended up telling the young
Venezuelan leader was not necessarily what he traveled so far to hear: Pence
told Guaidó the Trump administration still believes in a peaceful resolution. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We got a long way to go,</i>” Pence said he
told him. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I made it clear to President
Guaidó that we’re going to continue to call on allies to join with us. We’re
going to continue to isolate Maduro economically and diplomatically until democracy
is restored</i>.” Many in the region breathed a sigh of relief after fearing
that Pence was going to support the call for military action. Diplomats
acknowledge that the strongest steps have already been taken and fear is
growing that momentum against the government of Nicolas Maduro may be stalling.
But governments that oppose using force say there are diplomatic options yet to
be considered. One diplomat whose government opposes any kind of military
option said there have been conversations with U.S. officials about forcing
Venezuelan diplomats loyal to Maduro to choose between remaining in their
countries or returning home. Pence said ultimately it would be up to Trump, in
consultation with allies, to decide under what conditions a military option
would be appropriate. Pence said Guaidó wanted to make sure that all options
remained on the table. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I assured him
that they were, but we hope for better</i>,” Pence said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We hope for a peaceful transition.</i>” Using military force would be a
drastic escalation, but José Cárdenas, who served in the National Security
Council under George W. Bush and regularly speaks with Trump administration
officials, said it needs to be discussed. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We
can’t just walk away</i>,” Cárdenas said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In
order to sustain the pressure, you have to keep one-upping what the government
does</i>.” (The Miami Herald: <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article226784504.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article226784504.html</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">US increasingly isolated as allies warn against use of military force<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">US
vice-president Mike Pence has repeated a veiled threat of military intervention
in Venezuela, but Washington appeared increasingly isolated in its willingness
to contemplate using force to oust Nicolás Maduro. Both European powers and
some of Donald Trump’s key Latin American allies – all of whom have recognized
opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s legitimate leader – warned that
they would oppose sending troops into the country. Guaidó had for weeks
insisted his movement was focused on peaceful, democratic change. But after the
opposition failed in a weekend bid to defy Caracas and bring aid into the country,
he called on the international community to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">keep all options open</i>”. Speaking at an emergency summit of regional
leaders in the Colombian capital Bogotá, Pence renewed the threat of
intervention, describing Maduro as <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“a
usurper</i>”, and calling for a global push to oust him. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To leaders around the world: it’s time. There can be no bystanders in
Venezuela’s struggle for freedom</i>,” he said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We hope for a peaceful transition to democracy, but as President Trump
has made clear, all options are on the table</i>.” But beyond the US, few
appear willing embrace the prospect of violence. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brazil’s vice-president, retired general
Hamilton Mourão, said on Monday that under no circumstances would his country
allow the United States to intervene militarily from Brazilian territory, even
though the country’s rightwing president Jair Bolsonaro has previously vowed to
do “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everything for democracy to be
re-established</i>” in Venezuela. Colombian president Iván Duque has also now
ruled out intervention, according to sources in his administration. Chile and
Peru were also among other regional powers opposing military action on Monday. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'Let's hope that the pressure of the
international community, dialogue and prudence will prevail</i>,' said
Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela, who likened the crisis in Venezuela to
what his country faced in the run up to the 1989 U.S. invasion to remove
dictator Manuel Noriega. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'Although the
circumstances are similar, we must have the capacity to find a solution
different than the one used back then</i>.' There was similar concern across
the Atlantic, where European nations including Spain and Germany made clear
they considered the deployment of troops a line that should not be crossed. Spain
would <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">'roundly condemn'</i> use of force
in Venezuela: “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Not every option is on the
table</i>,” the country’s foreign minister, Josep Borrell, said in a blunt
rebuke to supporters of intervention. The European Union’s foreign policy
chief, Federica Mogherini, insisted there could be no military solution to a
political crisis. The Lima group also said credible threats have been made
against the life of Venezuelan opposition leader Guaidó and his family, adding
that Nicolas Maduro was responsible for Guaidó’s safety. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We want to hold the usurper Maduro responsible for any violent action
against Guaidó, against his wife and against their relatives</i>,” said
Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo, speaking on behalf of the
group. (The Guardian: <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/25/venezuela-mike-pence-maduro-guaido"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/25/venezuela-mike-pence-maduro-Guaidó</span></a>;
Daily Mail: <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6743013/Venezuelas-second-command-flies-two-children-China-using-wifes-surname.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6743013/Venezuelas-second-command-flies-two-children-China-using-wifes-surname.html</span></a>;
Bloomberg, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-25/venezuela-neighbors-push-back-against-military-answer-to-crisis"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-25/venezuela-neighbors-push-back-against-military-answer-to-crisis</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Russia accuses U.S. of preparing military intervention in Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A top Russian
security official on Tuesday accused the United States of deploying forces in
Puerto Rico and Colombia in preparation for a military intervention in
Venezuela to topple Moscow’s ally, President Nicolas Maduro. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“...<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
United States is preparing a military invasion of an independent state</i>,”
Nikolai Patrushev, secretary of the Russian Security Council, was quoted as
saying in an interview. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The transfer of
American special operations forces to Puerto Rico, the landing of U.S. forces
in Colombia and other facts indicate the Pentagon is reinforcing its troops in
the region in order to use them in an operation to remove ... Maduro from power</i>.”
Patrushev said in the interview that Washington had asked Moscow for
consultations on Venezuela and that Russia had agreed, but that U.S. officials
had repeatedly postponed them under false pretexts. U.S. officials have
previously dismissed Russian allegations about U.S. plans for Venezuela as
baseless “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">propaganda</i>.” (Reuters: <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-russia/russia-accuses-us-of-preparing-military-intervention-in-venezuela-idUSKCN1QF14K"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-russia/russia-accuses-us-of-preparing-military-intervention-in-venezuela-idUSKCN1QF14K</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">China says hopes world provides '<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">constructive</i>'
help to Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">China hopes
that the international community can provide “constructive” help to Venezuela
based on respect for the country’s sovereignty, the foreign ministry said on
Monday, after Venezuelan troops repelled foreign aid convoys. China hopes
Venezuela can remain peaceful and calm, the Foreign Ministry said, and reiterated
Beijing’s opposition to foreign interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs or
the use of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“so-called ‘humanitarian aid’
for political aims</i>”. (Reuters, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-china/china-says-hopes-world-provides-constructive-help-to-venezuela-idUSKCN1QE0YW"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-china/china-says-hopes-world-provides-constructive-help-to-venezuela-idUSKCN1QE0YW</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Mexico President says committed to non-intervention on Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Mexico's
president on Tuesday said he remained committed to a policy of non-intervention
on Venezuela a day after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence urged Mexico to
recognize opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela's rightful president. President
Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at his regular morning news conference urged all
sides in Venezuela to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis and said the
United Nations should be used to help resolve a dispute over humanitarian aid. (The
New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/02/26/world/americas/26reuters-venezuela-politics-mexico.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2019/02/26/world/americas/26reuters-venezuela-politics-mexico.html</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Sanders warns against intervention in Venezuela, stops short of calling
Maduro a '<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dictator</i>'<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Sen. Bernie
Sanders on Monday night steered clear of calling Venezuelan leader Nicolas
Maduro a "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dictator</i>", despite
criticizing Maduro's government for failing to hold democratic elections. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It's fair to say the last election was
undemocratic, but there are still democratic operations taking place in that
country</i>," Sanders said after being asked by CNN's Wolf Blitzer why he
wouldn't use the term to describe Maduro. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">What I am calling for right now is internationally supervised free
elections</i>." <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sanders was asked
about his opposition to U.S. intervention in Venezuela. He responded by saying
he believed there should be an “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">international
humanitarian effort</i>” to improve the lives of Venezuelans and expressed that
their last election was “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not free and
fair</i>.” (CNN: </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/25/politics/bernie-sanders-venezuela-maduro/index.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/25/politics/bernie-sanders-venezuela-maduro/index.html</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; FOX:
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bernie-sanders-refuses-to-call-venezuelas-maduro-dictator-says-democratic-operations-taking-place"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bernie-sanders-refuses-to-call-venezuelas-maduro-dictator-says-democratic-operations-taking-place</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">UN’s Michelle
Bachelet condemned violence at Venezuela’s borders<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Michelle
Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has condemned what she
called the excessive use of force by Venezuelan security forces and pro-regime
groups on the borders with Colombia and Brazil, causing at least 4 dead and
over 300 wounded. She pointed to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">deplorable
scenes</i>” and asked the Maduro regime to “stop using excessive force against
unarmed protesters and ordinary citizens”. She asked the regime to stop pro-government
groups involved in violent actions. More in Spanish: (Noticiero Venevisión, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/michelle-bachelet-condeno-la-violencia-en-las-fronteras-de-venezuela"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/michelle-bachelet-condeno-la-violencia-en-las-fronteras-de-venezuela</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">European
Union condemns Maduro regime’s use of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">armed
groups</i>” to “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">intimidate civilians</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The European Union
has condemned violence in Venezuela and the Maduro regime’s use of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">armed groups</i>” to block the entrance of humanitarian
aid. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We reject the use of irregular
armed groups to intimidate civilians and legislators who seek to distribute aid</i>”.
More in Spanish: (El Universal, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/33966/union-europea-condena-que-gobierno-recurra-a-grupos-armados-para-intimidar-civiles"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/33966/union-europea-condena-que-gobierno-recurra-a-grupos-armados-para-intimidar-civiles</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Uncertainty at Colombia-Venezuela border bridge after clashes over aid<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Dawn broke on
Sunday at the Simon Bolivar bridge, the main border crossing point between
Colombia and Venezuela, amid a tense and uncertain calm after a clash between
Venezuelans – many of them shouting and calling for their country’s “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">freedom”</i> – who were trying to bring
humanitarian aid into their country and authorities taking orders from Caracas.
There were sporadic clashes between hooded protesters and police, supported by
armed civilian "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">colectivos</i>"
on Sunday on the Venezuelan side of the border. On the order of Colombian
President Ivan Duque, the bridge linking the Colombian city of Cucuta with
Venezuela’s San Antonio del Tachira was closed for two days while the damage
resulting from the failed aid delivery attempt is evaluated. The area near the
bridge was cordoned off and is being guarded by Colombian soldiers, police and
some members of the ESMAD anti-riot squadron. In addition, the bridge is being
blocked on the Venezuelan side by a tanker truck, with a number of masked men
deployed in the area along the Tachira River on the Colombian side. Scores of
Venezuelans who managed to slip across the border to get aid were trapped there
as Venezuelan authorities closed it. (Latin American Herald Tribune, <a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475334&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475334&CategoryId=10717</span></a>;
<a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475324&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475324&CategoryId=10717</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In Venezuela, bows and arrows against tanks, four people reported slain
on Venezuela-Brazil border<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Nicolas
Maduro’s forces in Venezuela armed with tanks and live fire attacked an
indigenous tribe armed only with bows and arrows when they tried to stop a
convoy of humanitarian aid from Brazil. One woman from the Pemon tribe was
killed and 15 were wounded, but the tribe took several soldiers, including
three lieutenants and a sergeant captive. The battle took place in the remote
Gran Sabana region near the Brazilian border. The Pemon were successful at
stopping the anti-riot troops in their effort to block food and supplies from
entering the country through Brazil near the village of Kumarakapay, about 50
miles north of the border. The soldiers tried to breach barricades set up by
residents about 6 a.m., said Jorge Perez, mayor of the Gran Sabana
municipality. Marcel Perez, a 30-year-old Pemon, said in an interview in
Pacaraima, Brazil, that he and others had gathered at dawn for a peaceful
protest to prevent the military from reaching the border. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We made a blockade, without any weapon but our traditional bows and
arrows</i>,” he said. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They had tanks,
buses and a lot of soldiers. And, so they decided to shoot at us with live
bullets</i>.” Five armored vehicles passed by, spewing tear gas that set fire
to a small shack, the mayor said. Those wounded more seriously were allowed to
cross on ambulances into Brazil so they could be treated in the regional center
of Boa Vista. Perez said he was beaten with sticks a few hours later by members
of a pro-Maduro gang while taking other wounded people to a hospital in Santa
Elena de Uairen, on the Venezuelan side. Police said Zoraida Rodriguez, 45, was
killed and 15 people were wounded. A Venezuelan general was negotiating with
the tribe for the return of three lieutenants and a sergeant captured by the
indigenous forces. The Venezuelan Congress with its opposition majority
reported on Saturday that by 4:00 pm, four people had been slain while more
than 20 suffered bullet wounds on Venezuela’s border with Brazil. (WND: <a href="https://www.wnd.com/2019/02/in-venezuela-bows-and-arrows-against-tanks/#06mCVSLVHotB8Xep.99"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.wnd.com/2019/02/in-venezuela-bows-and-arrows-against-tanks/#06mCVSLVHotB8Xep.99</span></a>;
Latin American Herald Tribune, <a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475312&CategoryId=10718"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2475312&CategoryId=10718</span></a>;
Reuters, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-aid-brazil/two-people-killed-in-venezuelan-town-near-brazil-in-clashes-over-aid-idUSKCN1QC0U5"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-aid-brazil/two-people-killed-in-venezuelan-town-near-brazil-in-clashes-over-aid-idUSKCN1QC0U5</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Attacked and powerless, Venezuela soldiers choose desertion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">A high-stakes
plan by the Venezuelan opposition to bring humanitarian aid into the country
floundered Saturday when troops loyal to Maduro refused to let the trucks
carrying food and medical supplies cross, but it did set off a wave of military
defections unlike any seen yet amid the country's mounting crisis. Over 270
mostly low-ranking soldiers fled in a span of three days, Colombian immigration
officials said Monday. In interviews with The Associated Press, nine National
Guard soldiers described the day that they were ordered by commanders to stop
the humanitarian aid from entering Venezuela. Fearful of being jailed, many
complied with orders and admitted to launching tear gas at protesters. Two said
they were part of a failed plot to get the aid in. All fled after making
unplanned, split-second decisions with only the uniform on their backs. While interim
president Juan Guaidó has proposed amnesty to military officers who back him,
the low-ranking soldiers who have defected say breaking ranks with Maduro is
all but impossible. Anyone who shows the slightest hint of disapproval risks
arrest, they said, and jail has become increasingly synonymous with torture.
Even those who wanted to see the aid brought in, followed orders to repress
citizens. As Saturday grew increasingly tense, protesters threw rocks and
gasoline bombs at him. One said he responded by throwing tear gas at them to
protect himself. Others at the home also had evidence of the resistance they
faced that day: Torres still had blood caked beneath the skin on his nose from
protesters kicking him on the ground after he surrendered to Colombian
authorities. A young woman had a scratch across her cheek that she said came
from a rock thrown by protesters. During the clashes, armed pro-Maduro groups
known as "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">colectivos</i>" fired
indiscriminately, and several of the soldiers said they feared being shot
themselves. National Guard troops are equipped with crowd-control devices like
rubber bullets and tear gas but do not carry any regular firearms. Many said
they worry their wives and children will face repercussions and they are concerned
about how they will make ends meet. Nearly all the defectors would support a
foreign intervention in Venezuela and join in the fight. Floating ideas among
each other, several of the defectors said they believe the best way forward is
for more troops to desert and help form a resistance from abroad. Some
envisioned an intervention led solely by Venezuelans, while others are
convinced it can only be done with the help of an international coalition. All
said they don't see themselves as traitors, but rather as troops intent on
restoring Venezuela's democracy. (Fox News: <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/attacked-and-powerless-venezuela-soldiers-choose-desertion"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.foxnews.com/world/attacked-and-powerless-venezuela-soldiers-choose-desertion</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela ex-spy chief reveals Maduro’s ties to Hezbollah, drugs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Former head
of Venezuela’s intelligence services General Hugo Carvajal revealed powerful
ties between the administration of Nicolás Maduro and the Hezbollah terrorist
group, as well as wide-spread corruption and drug activity, the New York Times
reported on Thursday. The nefarious activities were directed by Maduro himself
as well as Interior Minister Néstor Reverol and former vice-president Tareck El
Aissami. Allegedly, those who were meant to combat drugs were engaged in
trafficking them, Carvajal said. El Aissami was not only a drug kingpin, said
Carvajal, but also had connections to Hezbollah, and attempted to arrange
Hezbollah terrorists to work with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
[FARC] through Venezuela. In a meeting that took place in 2009 Hezbollah
terrorists met El Aissami and Carvajal in Syria and gave the two Venezuelan
state representatives three assault rifles as gifts. The meeting involved
Venezuelan diplomat Ghazi Nasr al-Din, who was stationed in Syria at the time. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Labeled “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a
Hezbollah supporter</i>” by the department of Treasury, Nasr al-Din is wanted
by the FBI. (The Jerusalem Post: <a href="https://www.jpost.com/OMG/Venezuela-ex-spy-chief-reveals-Maduros-ties-to-Hezbollah-drugs-581615"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.jpost.com/OMG/Venezuela-ex-spy-chief-reveals-Maduros-ties-to-Hezbollah-drugs-581615</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">UNIVISION journalists freed after being detained at Venezuelan
presidential palace<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The UNIVISION
network said six of its staffers, including veteran anchorman Jorge Ramos, were
briefly detained at the presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, on Monday. Ramos
and the crew members were released a little less than three hours after the
episode began. Daniel Coronell, UNIVISION's president of news, tweeted that
"<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jorge Ramos and his team have been
released and are on route to their hotel.</i>" In Caracas, the Venezuelan
National Union of the Press Workers also confirmed that "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the UNIVISION team has been freed</i>."
The network said Ramos was in Caracas to interview Nicolas Maduro. UNIVISION
spokesman Jose Zamora said Maduro objected to Ramos' questions. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Very shortly into the interview, Maduro
didn't like the line of questioning, and they stopped the interview</i>,"
Zamora said. He said government aides confiscated the network's equipment. UNIVISION's
news executives were able to find out what happened, he said, because "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jorge managed to call us</i>." But
"in the middle of the call, they took his phone away. UNIVISION is the
leading Spanish-language television network in the United States, with millions
of loyal viewers. The network immediately contacted the US State Department.
Kimberly Breier, the Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere
Affairs, tweeted out, "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We insist on
their immediate release; the world is watching.</i>" After the team was
released, UNIVISION broke into programming for a special report — with Ramos
joining by phone. He said Maduro "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">got
up from the interview after I showed him the videos of some young people eating
out of a garbage truck</i>." "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They
interrogated us. They put us in a security room. They turned off the lights</i>,"
he said. Ramos called the episode a "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">violation</i>."
He said Maduro's aides still had the tapes. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">They have stolen our work and are trying to keep what is happening from
airing</i>," he said. Pedro Ultreras, a member of the UNIVISION team in
Venezuela, tweeted late Monday that immigration officials told the journalists
that they will be expelled from Venezuela and must leave Tuesday morning. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The hotel we are staying in is surrounded by
Venezuelan authorities, we cannot go outside</i>," he said. Ramos, a
veteran anchor born in Mexico, said he asked Maduro about the lack of democracy
in Venezuela, the torture of political prisoners and the country’s humanitarian
crisis. Mexico’s Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard also tweeted his government’s
protest at the events. (CNN: </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/25/media/univision-venezuela-jorge-ramos/index.html"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/25/media/univision-venezuela-jorge-ramos/index.html</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; Reuters:
<a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-univision/venezuela-to-deport-univision-team-after-maduro-shown-garbage-eating-video-idUSKCN1QF05F"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-univision/venezuela-to-deport-univision-team-after-maduro-shown-garbage-eating-video-idUSKCN1QF05F</span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Maduro's right-hand man sends his two youngest children to China <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Venezuela's
second-most powerful man has sent his children to China amid the possibility
Nicolás Maduro's government will crumble.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Diosdado Cabello, known to be the second most-powerful man in Venezuela
behind President Nicolás Maduro, sent two of his three children to China. Airline
boarding passes showed different names for Cabello's daughter, Daniella
Cabello, and his youngest son, Tito Cabello, raising suspicions because his
wife's surname - Contreras - was on the boarding passes. Both children boarded
the Havana to Beijing flight as Desiree Contreras and Tito Contreras,
apparently using their mother's surname to hide their identities. The siblings
left Havana on Friday and made it to Moscow on Saturday before connecting to a
Beijing-bound flight that touched down Sunday- Daniella Cabello, 22, boarded
the plane with a US-issued passport as Desiree (her middle name) Contreras
while his son Tito Cabello, 17, used a Ugandan passport and used the name Tito
Contreras. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reservation system
indicates they're both scheduled to return to Havana on a one-stop flight March
12. In recent days, it has been reported that several Maduro loyalists
successfully arranged to have their immediate family members flee what once was
considered one of the most economically powerful countries in South America. (Daily
Mail: <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6743013/Venezuelas-second-command-flies-two-children-China-using-wifes-surname.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6743013/Venezuelas-second-command-flies-two-children-China-using-wifes-surname.html</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">OP-ED: Dictator Maduro survived a tough week, but his problems are about
to get worse<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The
conventional wisdom in some quarters is that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro
has proved in recent days that he’s in firm control of his military goons and
that he will be able to stay in power indefinitely. The conventional wisdom may
be wrong. Maduro’s problems will get worse. With or without a military
intervention, his illegitimate regime is cornered, isolated and increasingly
unsustainable. Maduro danced in public on Feb. 23, but that image is going to
haunt him. First, Maduro’s international isolation will continue to grow. Interim
president Juan Guaidó is reportedly planning to return to Venezuela. If he’s
arrested by the Maduro regime, we may see even stiffer international sanctions.
Second, the Maduro regime’s foreign income will dwindle in coming months, as
U.S. and international sanctions kick in. Third, Maduro does not have a
superpower that will be willing to support him an at any cost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fourth, it’s unclear for how much longer
Venezuela’s armed forces will stand behind Maduro. Most of the uniformed
Venezuelan soldiers who blocked humanitarian aid and fired on unarmed
opposition volunteers at the Colombian-Venezuelan border on Feb. 23 were not
members of the army or National Guard. They were part of Maduro’s paramilitary
forces. Fifth, while no U.S. or international military intervention is likely
anytime soon, there might be growing pressure for a United Nations intervention
if Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis continues to deteriorate. Virtually all
Latin American and European countries that support Guaidó — including Colombia
and Brazil — said Monday that they won’t back a U.S. or international military
intervention. But if Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, that
could change. Barring a miracle Maduro’s political future doesn’t look good. He
will be under growing domestic and foreign pressure to agree to a political
solution that will most likely include his departure. By Andres Oppenheimer (The
Miami Herald: <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/andres-oppenheimer/article226777084.html"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/andres-oppenheimer/article226777084.html</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">OP-ED: What’s next for Venezuela?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Scenes of
destruction and despair were on full display worldwide over the weekend as the
Maduro regime used force to deny entry into Venezuela of desperately needed
humanitarian assistance, leading to increasing speculation about what comes
next. Or, rather, will the United States invade Venezuela to topple the
despotic regime that has ruined Latin America’s once-wealthiest economy and
created Latin America’s worst humanitarian crisis in many years. The threat of
invasion has increasingly been implied, with senior U.S. administration
officials suggesting routinely that “all options are on the table.” Indeed,
they are, as they always are in the conduct of foreign affairs. But the
implication is clearly that if Maduro and his inner circle refuse to depart,
then the use of force may be employed. However, as bad as the situation
continues to get in Venezuela an armed response is unlikely. First, there is no
casus belli that would justify a U.S.-led invasion. Nor is there a mandate from
the United Nations or OAS. The doctrine of Responsibility to Protect is not
sufficiently developed or accepted at this point, and circumstances do not yet
justify its application to Venezuela in any event. Latin American nations,
including those that support strong actions against Maduro, have publicly
indicated little support for armed intervention, and, despite the rhetoric,
there does not appear to be much enthusiasm in Washington for such a step. What
can be anticipated is that there will be further intensified pressure on the
regime. In addition to efforts to entice regime officials, including the
military, to shift their loyalty from Maduro to Guaidó, the United States, in
coordination with other nations, looks to amplify asset seizure and forfeiture.
Collectively, they aim to deny new and cancel existing visas for regime
officials and their families and increase humanitarian assistance. All these
activities will further the goal of turning Maduro into an international
pariah, and, it is hoped, create conditions that will ultimately see him turfed
from office. The key is to keep the Maduro regime on the defensive. There are
no guarantees, and nobody can say when the dam will ultimately break—or if it
will break. Meanwhile, Venezuelans face an unpleasant choice between protesting
and exposing themselves to the excesses of the regime, hunkering down, or
joining the millions of Venezuelans who have already left their nation behind.
It is a tragedy lain squarely at the feet of Chavismo. By Eric Farnsworth. (The
National Interest: <a href="https://nationalinterest.org/feature/what%E2%80%99s-next-venezuela-45577"><span style="color: blue;">https://nationalinterest.org/feature/what%E2%80%99s-next-venezuela-45577</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4832599270754682783.post-32825867461891138122019-01-22T19:41:00.000-04:002019-01-22T19:41:21.734-04:00January 22, 2019
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">International Trade</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spain's tank, arms
deals with Venezuela prop up Nicolas Maduro<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia, China and Cuba are not the only ones
propping up the leftist regime of President Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. Spain,
a NATO ally of the U.S. and important member of the European Union, has been
selling military equipment to Caracas despite an EU arms embargo. Much of the
international community, including 14 Latin American governments, joined the
Trump administration in condemning Maduro’s inauguration for a second six-year
term this month after calling his easy election win fraudulent. Spain’s
response was muted. Analysts said Madrid’s reaction reflected a web of
historical, commercial and political ties that it maintains with the rogue
regime. (The Washington Times: </span><a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jan/21/pedro-sanchez-venezuela-tank-deal-props-maduro/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jan/21/pedro-sanchez-venezuela-tank-deal-props-maduro/</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">TORINO claims 27.6%
increase in Venezuelan exports<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">TORINO Economics has updated its import and
export data, showing a recovery in both fields during October. It shows
sales at US$ 2.8 billion in exports, a 7% increase for October, and 27.6% more
than last year, indicating that price increases are compensating dropping crude
oil production. Exports were 58% lower over the first 10 months of 2018 than in
2012, mainly oil and derivates. More in Spanish: (El Universal; </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/economia/30795/torino-revelo-un-aumento-en-276-en-las-exportaciones"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.eluniversal.com/economia/30795/torino-revelo-un-aumento-en-276-en-las-exportaciones</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Oil & Energy</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. refiners scramble as White House eyes
Venezuela sanctions<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">U.S. refiners are bidding up prices for scarce
types of crude oil needed for their most sophisticated plants as the United
States reconsiders harsher sanctions on Venezuela that could further reduce
imports of the country’s oil. Trump administration officials in recent days met
with U.S. oil company executives to lay out potential actions in response to
the Jan. 10 inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in an election
it considered illegitimate. Among other steps, U.S. officials have recognized
the opposition-run Venezuelan congress as the only legitimately elected
authority. But the proposals that would most affect the energy industry involve
banning U.S. exports of refined products to Venezuela or limiting oil imports -
a move that, until now, the White House has not taken even after sanctioning
individuals and barring access to U.S. banks. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-refineries-venezuela/u-s-refiners-scramble-as-white-house-eyes-venezuela-sanctions-idUSKCN1PB2ZX"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-refineries-venezuela/u-s-refiners-scramble-as-white-house-eyes-venezuela-sanctions-idUSKCN1PB2ZX</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Economy & Finance</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela gold holdings in Bank of England soar
on Deutsche deal<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s gold holdings in the Bank of
England have jumped after it closed out a gold swap deal with Deutsche Bank,
according to two sources, as Britain remains reluctant to release gold held for
the troubled nation. The government of Nicolas Maduro has since last year been
seeking to repatriate about US$ 550 million in gold from the Bank of England on
fears it could be caught up in international sanctions on the country. Its
holdings at the bank more than doubled in December to 31 tons, or around US$ 1.3
billion, after Venezuela returned funds it had borrowed from Deutsche Bank AG through
a financing arrangement that uses gold as collateral, known as a swap, one of
the sources said. Under the deal struck with Deutsche Bank in 2015, Venezuela
put up 17 tons of gold in exchange for a loan, according to one of the sources
who asked not to be identified because they are not authorized to speak
publicly about the issue. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold/venezuela-gold-holdings-in-bank-of-england-soar-on-deutsche-deal-sources-idUSKCN1PF1Z8"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-gold/venezuela-gold-holdings-in-bank-of-england-soar-on-deutsche-deal-sources-idUSKCN1PF1Z8</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US$ 20 billion are needed to recover Venezuela’s
industrial capacity<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Juan Pablo Olalquiaga, President of Venezuela’s
National Council of Industries (CONINDUSTRIA) presented a industrial recovery plan
to National Assembly President Juan Guaidó, which calls for an investment of
US$ 20 billion to recover the nation’s industrial capacity, including around US$
12 billion through tax credits to match industry’s debt to foreign suppliers.
More in Spanish: (Noticiero Venevisión, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/economia/olalquiaga-reactivar-la-industria-requiere-de-20-mil-millones" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/economia/olalquiaga-reactivar-la-industria-requiere-de-20-mil-millones</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; El Universal, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/30958/presidente-de-conindustria-no-reconoce-a-nicolas-maduro" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/30958/presidente-de-conindustria-no-reconoce-a-nicolas-maduro</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela office of
Norton Rose taken over by Maduro regime lawyers Dentons<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dentons, the largest law firm in the world, is
absorbing Despacho de Abogados miembros de Dentons, S.C. -- formerly the
Venezuela practice of Norton Rose Fulbright (and Macleod Dixon before that) as
the law firm gears up to defend Venezuela against over US$ 65 billion in
defaulted bondholder claims. Despacho de Abogados miembros de Dentons, S.C., is
strong in the key practice areas of Energy and Natural Resources, Corporate,
Labor and Employment, Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Banking and Finance,
Tax and Public Law. It could provide robust synergies with Dentons’ strengths
in each of these areas. (Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2473657&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2473657&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Politics and International Affairs</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Country on brink as
failed military coup sparks riots in Caracas<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela plunged deeper into turmoil Monday as
security forces put down a pre-dawn uprising by national guardsmen that
triggered violent street protests, and the Maduro Supreme Court moved to
undercut the opposition-controlled congress’ defiant new leadership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Venezuela’s armed forces quelled a brief
uprising at a military stockade, authorities said Monday, prompting protests in
a poor Caracas enclave and heightening tensions ahead of antigovernment
demonstrations planned for later this week. Twenty-seven members of Venezuela's
National Guard have been arrested after they allegedly revolted against the
government of President Nicolás Maduro, the defense ministry said. Videos
posted on social media showed the officers calling for the removal from office
of President Maduro. The men reportedly seized weapons from a National Guard
command post in the Cotiza area of the capital, Caracas. The ministry of defense
said a "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">small group</i>" of National
Guard members had stolen weapons from a security post in the Petare neighborhood
of Caracas and taken four officers hostage before making their way to Cotiza in
the early hours of Monday. A video sent to an opposition Twitter account shows
a man in uniform saying he is acting "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">on
behalf of the Venezuelan people</i>" and encouraging Venezuelans to take
to the streets in protest at the government. It is not clear whether they were
overpowered or handed themselves in to the authorities. Anti-government protests
erupted in the neighborhood where the alleged rebellion took place. Footage shows
residents and security forces clashing in the area. The National Guard fired
tear gas at residents. When government security forces surrounded the outpost,
several dozen residents barricaded streets and set fire to a car and piles of
rubbish as they chanted “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">don’t hand
yourself in</i>”. The residents complain about a lack of water and shout "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we want Nicolás to go</i>" as the
security forces try to disperse them with tear gas. The new leader of the
opposition-controlled National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, has called on those
critical of the government to resume their protests once again and has called
for anti-government marches to be held on Wednesday. Ahead of the news of
the rebellion, parliament chief Juan Guaido urged the military leaders to break
ranks with Maduro. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We are not
asking you to mount a coup. We are not asking you to shoot</i>," Guaido
said in an online video. "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On the
contrary, we are asking you not to shoot at us, but rather to defend together
with us the right of our people to be heard</i>." The parliament also
offered amnesty to the members of the military and state officials if they
abandoned Maduro. Guaido tweeted that Monday's events are a reflection "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">of the generalized feelings within the Armed
Forces</i>." "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The National
Assembly is committed to bring forward all the guarantees for those members of
the Armed Forces who actively help restore the Constitution</i>," Guaido
tweeted. BBC: </span><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-46945690"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-46945690</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
DW: </span><a href="https://www.dw.com/en/venezuela-captures-troops-rebelling-in-caracas/a-47173723"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.dw.com/en/venezuela-captures-troops-rebelling-in-caracas/a-47173723</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
The Wall Street Journal: </span><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/venezuela-says-it-foiled-military-uprising-11548105608"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.wsj.com/articles/venezuela-says-it-foiled-military-uprising-11548105608</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
ABC News: </span><a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/signs-fraying-military-support-venezuela-president-60529693"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/signs-fraying-military-support-venezuela-president-60529693</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>CNN: </span><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/21/americas/venezuelan-government-military-uprising/index.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://edition.cnn.com/2019/01/21/americas/venezuelan-government-military-uprising/index.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Daily Express: </span><a href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1076157/venezuela-news-military-coup-caracas-nicolas-maduro"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1076157/venezuela-news-military-coup-caracas-nicolas-maduro</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
VOA: </span><a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/venezuela-claims-to-foil-revolt-by-national-guardsmen-/4752762.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.voanews.com/a/venezuela-claims-to-foil-revolt-by-national-guardsmen-/4752762.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
The Star: </span><a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/world/americas/2019/01/21/venezuela-quells-soldiers-revolt-top-court-blasts-congress.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.thestar.com/news/world/americas/2019/01/21/venezuela-quells-soldiers-revolt-top-court-blasts-congress.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-arrests-rogue-officers-after-military-revolt-in-caracas-idUSKCN1PF129"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-arrests-rogue-officers-after-military-revolt-in-caracas-idUSKCN1PF129</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Latin American Herald Tribune, </span><a href="http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2473656&CategoryId=10717"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2473656&CategoryId=10717</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
Bloomberg, </span><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-21/venezuela-detains-rebel-guardsmen-sparking-protests-in-caracas"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-21/venezuela-detains-rebel-guardsmen-sparking-protests-in-caracas</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">On the anniversary of
a coup, desperate Venezuelans demand change<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">If Venezuela’s opposition was looking for a
provocative day to hold a protest, they couldn’t have done much better than
Wednesday. Jan. 23 marks the 61st anniversary of the military uprising that
toppled dictator Gen. Marcos Pérez Jiménez. And while history might not repeat
itself this week, there are those who believe that Wednesday’s protests could
be a turning point for the presidency of Nicolás Maduro. Since assuming the
head of the National Assembly this month, 35-year-old opposition leader Juan
Guaidó has been leading rallies nationwide to build support for Wednesday’s
march. And the country has been responding. Juan Guaidó, the president of
Venezuela’s National Assembly, has been holding rallies across the country to
build support for the national march on Jan. 23. Maduro is intensely aware of
the threat posed by the National Assembly and its new leader. On Jan. 13 Guaidó
was detained on his way to a rally, only to be released — with handcuff welts
still on his wrists — an hour later. And on Monday the Supreme Court, packed
with Maduro cronies, ruled that Guaidó and the rest of the congressional
leadership were occupying their positions illegally and that all the decisions
congress had taken since Jan. 5 were null. Guaidó brushed off the ruling, but
the decision could set the stage for a showdown. But the government will also
have to tread carefully in dealing with the march: The street protests that
broke out in support of the soldiers that rebelled on Monday should worry the
government – and are likely to embolden those in the military who are unhappy.
The Observatory for Social Conflict, which tracks protests, said there were at least
30 demonstrations Monday night in the capital alone, many in areas considered
government strongholds. The National Assembly has also been trying to drive a
wedge between Maduro and his commanders. Earlier this month, it passed a bill
granting amnesty to military officials who help restore the constitutional
order. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The Miami Herald: </span><a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article224892830.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article224892830.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pence officially backs
Venezuelan opposition, condemns President Maduro<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">US Vice President Mike Pence has issued a
message to Venezuelans, condemning their “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">dictator</i>”
leader Nicolas Maduro and declaring official U.S. support for the country's
legislature and its opposition leader, Juan Guaido. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">On behalf of President Donald Trump and all the American people, let me
express the unwavering support of the United States as you, the people of
Venezuela, raise your voices in a call for freedom</i>,” Pence said in a
recorded video message. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Nicolas Maduro
is a dictator with no legitimate claim to power. He has never won the
presidency in a free and fair election and has maintained his grip on power by
imprisoning anyone who dares to oppose him</i>.” Maduro was sworn into another
term as Venezuelan president this month, although his government is considered
largely “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">illegitimate</i>” by much of the
international community, who deem the elections held last year to be a sham. Pence
instead declared U.S backing for National Assembly leader Guaido, who he called
the “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">last vestige of democracy</i>.” “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">As you make your voices heard tomorrow, on
behalf of the American people, we say to all the good people of Venezuela:
estamos con ustedes</i>,” Pence continued in the message, peppered with Spanish
phrases. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">We are with you, we stand with
you, and we will stay with you until democracy is restored and you reclaim your
birthright of libertad</i>.” (Fox News: </span><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/pence-issues-official-backing-of-venezuelan-opposition-leader-condemns-maduro"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.foxnews.com/world/pence-issues-official-backing-of-venezuelan-opposition-leader-condemns-maduro</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">European Union
representatives ask Maduro for new “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">free”</i>
elections in Venezuela<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">European Union chiefs of mission in Venezuela
have called for “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">new and free elections</i>”
here, “in line with international standards”. They stated the EU’s position
during a meeting with Nicolas Maduro in the presidential palace here last Friday,
and with the leaders of the National Assembly, on Saturday. They stressed the
EU’s position of “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">respect for democracy,
the rule of law and basic freedoms</i>”; and called for “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">recognition and respect for the authority and rights of the National
Assembly, including immunity for its members</i>”, as well as “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">freeing all political prisoners</i>” and “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">urgently facing the pressing needs of the
population</i>”. The announcement was made through the office of the EU’s
Foreign Affairs Commissioner Federica Mogherini. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">For his part, Maduro </span>proposed to the European Union to establish a
cooperation agenda aimed at consolidating relations effectively and
strengthening political, economic and social ties; and urged the European
authorities to maintain a position of greater respect and balance on the political,
economic and social reality of Venezuela. (AVN, </span><a href="http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/maduro-proposes-eu-set-agenda-political-and-economic-cooperation"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/maduro-proposes-eu-set-agenda-political-and-economic-cooperation</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">);
and more in Spanish: (Noticiero Venevisión, </span></span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/embajadores-de-ue-llaman-a-celebrar-nuevas-elecciones-libres-en-venezuela" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/embajadores-de-ue-llaman-a-celebrar-nuevas-elecciones-libres-en-venezuela</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">; El Universal, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/30966/union-europea-reitera-llamado-a-elecciones-libres-en-venezuela" target="_blank"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/30966/union-europea-reitera-llamado-a-elecciones-libres-en-venezuela</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">National Assembly
officially asks UN for humanitarian aid<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s legislature has officially asked
the United Nations for assistance in facing this nation’s health and food crisis.
Congressman José Trujillo, who heads the National Assembly’s Social Development
Committee made the announcement, blaming the communist system for the crisis.
He added that they have also written to UN Human Rights High Commissioner Michelle
Bachelet, asking her to come to Venezuela and witness the humanitarian crisis.
More in Spanish: (El Universal, </span></span><a href="http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/30760/asamblea-nacional-solicito-oficialmente-a-onu-ayuda-humanitaria"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/30760/asamblea-nacional-solicito-oficialmente-a-onu-ayuda-humanitaria</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">National Assembly
names special representative to the OAS<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Venezuela’s National Assembly has named its own
representative to the Organization of American States (OAS) to coordinate efforts
to reestablish democracy and constitutional rule with the international
community. It named an experienced former legislator and constitutional lawyer,
Gustavo Tarre, as its representative to the Hemispheric organization. The legislature
also annulled Nicolás Maduro’s decision to withdraw from the OAS. More in
Spanish: (El Nuevo Herald: </span><a href="https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/mundo/america-latina/venezuela-es/article224906045.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.elnuevoherald.com/noticias/mundo/america-latina/venezuela-es/article224906045.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Curacao seeks aid from the Netherlands in
dealing with Venezuelan migration<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The government of Curacao
has asked for help from The Netherlands in dealing with the impact of migrants
who arrive by sea from Venezuela. More in Spanish: </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">(Noticiero Venevisión, </span><span lang="ES-VE" style="mso-ansi-language: ES-VE;"><a href="http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/curazao-pide-ayuda-a-los-paises-bajos-por-la-inmigracion-venezolana"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/curazao-pide-ayuda-a-los-paises-bajos-por-la-inmigracion-venezolana</span></span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ecuador to tighten controls on Venezuelan
immigrants after murder<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ecuador is setting up new units to check
Venezuelan immigrants’ legal status and may tighten entry requirements after a
Venezuelan man murdered his pregnant Ecuadorian girlfriend, President Lenin
Moreno said on Sunday. The killing in the northern city of Ibarra is the first
reported murder perpetrated by a Venezuelan immigrant in Ecuador since hundreds
of thousands have arrived there after fleeing an economic crisis in Venezuela. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I have ordered the immediate setting up of
units to control Venezuelan immigrants’ legal status in the streets, in the
workplace, and at the border</i>,” Moreno said on Twitter. The government, he
added, may create a new “special permit” for Venezuelans to enter the country.
He did not give further details about the units or how they will operate. The
Venezuelan man held his victim hostage on a busy street for about an hour on
Saturday evening before stabbing her to death. He was then arrested by police. “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Without generalizing, but with a firm hand,
today we must differentiate between Venezuelans who are fleeing Maduro’s
government and others who take advantage of the situation to commit crimes</i>,”
Vice President Otto Sonnenholzner said, referring to Venezuela’s socialist
President Nicolas Maduro. <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">The Maduro
regime has demanded that Ecuador’s government “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">respect the human rights of Venezuelans</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> living in this country and that stop the incitement to xenophobia
and persecution</i>”. (Reuters, </span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-venezuela/ecuador-to-tighten-controls-on-venezuelan-immigrants-after-murder-idUSKCN1PE0X8"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-venezuela/ecuador-to-tighten-controls-on-venezuelan-immigrants-after-murder-idUSKCN1PE0X8</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
</span><a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-venezuela/ecuador-to-demand-venezuelan-migrants-criminal-records-after-murder-idUSKCN1PF20E"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-venezuela/ecuador-to-demand-venezuelan-migrants-criminal-records-after-murder-idUSKCN1PF20E</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">;
AVN, </span><a href="http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/venezuela-demands-government-ecuador-cease-incitement-xenophobia"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/venezuela-demands-government-ecuador-cease-incitement-xenophobia</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">OP-ED: Could the
Socialists United of Venezuela finally be falling apart?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Juan Guaido’ s National Assembly is the equivalent
of the U.S. Congress. Only that body of government was stripped of its powers
by PSUV roughly two years ago to form a so-called Constituent Assembly of
leftist PSUV yes men and yes women who continue to run Venezuela into the
ground. Recent events provide further evidence of internal frictions within the
armed forces and of the fragility of the PSUV government. There is an
increasing possibility of regime change, although who will replace Maduro
remains unclear. It could be another member of PSUV, trying to preserve the
legacy of the party created by the late Hugo Chavez. There’s been a qualitative
change in the antigovernment protests. The protests are not being led by some
middle-class bourgeoisie with summer homes on Margarita Island and in Miami.
It’s happening in the low-income neighborhoods of Caracas where most people survive
on government jobs—like those in the security forces—or on some form of social
welfare program. The poor are PSUV’s base. They are starting to see the light. Meanwhile,
serious crackdowns on opposition leaders leading to jail time, or the police busting
heads at tomorrow’s scheduled protest, will only embolden Washington against
PSUV. His vocal opposition against Maduro has led to more participation at town
halls and other events across the country, which suggests tomorrow’s protest
could be the biggest one since the anti-Maduro protests from September 2016 to
April 2017. </span><span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;">(FORBES: <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2019/01/22/could-the-socialists-united-of-venezuela-finally-be-falling-apart/#7c98c343389d"><span style="color: blue;">https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2019/01/22/could-the-socialists-united-of-venezuela-finally-be-falling-apart/#7c98c343389d</span></a>)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: #580A;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">OP-ED: Amid mounting
coup threats in Venezuela, Maduro begs Trump for dialog<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In the face of threats from sections of the
military, upon which his government depends, sanctions and ever-escalating
pressure from Washington and its Latin American allies, on the one hand, and a
threat of social upheaval from the Venezuela working class, on the other,
President Maduro has directed a call to Donald Trump to reach some form of
accommodation. Maduro used an interview with a Fox News reporter to deliver the
message, which appealed to Trump for a “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">frank,
direct, face-to-face dialog</i>.” Such a meeting, he insisted, would show Trump
that “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we are people with whom you can
talk, negotiate, understand and agree</i>.” This pathetic plea only underscores
the character of the Maduro government, which for all its “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bolivarian</i>” and “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">21st Century
Socialist</i>” rhetoric is a capitalist regime that ruthlessly defends private
property and the profit interests of the financiers, corrupt government
officials and military commanders that are its most important constituencies. The
only way out of Venezuela’s desperate crisis lies in the independent
mobilization of the Venezuelan working class in opposition to the government,
the ruling PSUV and their trade union stooges, as well as to the right-wing
opposition, whose rise to power through a military coup would signal a
bloodbath against the country’s workers and impoverished masses. (World Socialist
Web Site: </span><a href="https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/01/22/vene-j22.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/01/22/vene-j22.html</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">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.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="blogger-post-footer">By Patricia Martins / E-mail: VenezuelaDaily@dvaccs.com</div>Duarte Vivas & Asociadoshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10177228393344383183noreply@blogger.com0