International Trade
Venezuela launches WTO
challenge to U.S. sanctions
Venezuela has launched a complaint at the World
Trade Organization to challenge U.S. sanctions, saying that a ban on travel by
blacklisted individuals and trade restrictions break WTO rules, a WTO filing
showed on Tuesday. In the complaint, filed on Dec. 28, Venezuela also cited
U.S. rules on sales of gold and discriminatory treatment of Venezuela’s debt
and transactions in digital currency as breaches of the WTO rulebook. (CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/08/reuters-america-venezuela-launches-wto-challenge-to-u-s-sanctions.html)
Oil & Energy
Venezuela congress
slams oil deals with U.S., French companies
Venezuela’s opposition-run congress on Tuesday
issued a resolution calling deals between state-run oil company PDVSA and U.S.
and French companies announced this week illegal, since they had not been sent
to lawmakers for approval. The body said the oilfield deals with France’s
Maurel & Prom and little-known U.S. company EREPLA violated article 150 of
Venezuela’s constitution, which requires that contracts signed between the state
and foreign companies be approved by the National Assembly, as Venezuela’s
congress is known. “They are giving
concessions that violate the law,” said lawmaker Jorge Millan, mentioning
the two contracts. Congress, largely stripped of its power since the opposition
took it over in 2016, is unlikely to be able block the deals from going
forward. But the rejection could create legal complications under a future
government. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-oil/venezuela-congress-slams-oil-deals-with-u-s-french-companies-idUSKCN1P22HG)
Venezuela plans to
remap its offshore oil territory, escalating tension with EXXON
Venezuela will remap its Caribbean oil and gas
prospects in a move that could further stoke a century-long border dispute with
Guyana and collide with EXXON MOBIL Corp.’s venture in the region, people with
knowledge of the plan said. The seismic survey is planned for the coming months
and will include an eastern area of Venezuela that borders Guyana. Venezuela
has mapped its offshore territory for oil deposits in the past, but some areas
remain uncharted. The new survey will also include areas bordering Caribbean
islands such as Grenada and Saint Vincent. “More
surveys are pending to identify commercially viable options for gas,” said
Antero Alvarado, a managing partner at consulting firm Gas Energy Latin
America. “Past PDVSA studies ignored
identifying gas deposits because the focus was always on oil.’’ Maduro has issued
a decree stating Venezuela’s continental shelf is open for oil exploration,
although no investment plans have been announced for the area yet. PDVSA’s
offshore division produces mainly gas from the western coast in a partnership
with Italy’s ENI. It also has several inactive oil and gas projects in the
east, near Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana. Three of them are in partnerships
with Norway’s EQUINOR ASA, CHEVRON Corp. and France’s TOTAL. (Bloomberg: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/venezuela-plans-remap-offshore-oil-100000274.html)
Venezuela claims it
can prove EXXON ships entered its waters
The Venezuelan government presented on Tuesday
what it described as evidence that vessels belonging to global oil giant EXXONMOBIL
entered the nation’s territorial waters last month. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez
presented a press conference with audiovisual material in which officers of the
Venezuelan navy are heard talking with crews of the oil company’s ships. (Latin
American Herald Tribune, http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2472825&CategoryId=10717;
AVN, http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/venezuela-will-deliver-evidence-illegal-incursion-exxonmobil-ships;
Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-08/venezuela-is-said-to-map-caribbean-as-tension-with-exxon-grows)
Curacao oil refinery
resumes work after eight-month stoppage
Curacao’s 335,000-barrel-per-day (bpd) ISLA
refinery has resumed work, management of the government-owned facility said on
Tuesday, after eight months of paralysis caused by a dispute between its
operator, Venezuela’s PDVSA, and U.S. producer CONOCO PHILLIPS. ISLA, which has
been looking for a new operator to run the refinery beginning at the end of
this year, restarted one of its crude distillation units and its thermal cracker,
it said in a statement. The plant suffered a fire early last year and fell idle
after CONOCO PHILLIPS brought legal actions against PDVSA over a US$ 2-billion
arbitration award linked to the nationalization of CONOCO’s projects in
Venezuela. The U.S. company got court orders temporarily seizing PDVSA’s
cargoes and terminals across the Caribbean. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-refinery-operations-pdvsa-curacao/curacao-oil-refinery-resumes-work-after-eight-month-stoppage-idUSKCN1P22CI)
Mohammed Barkindo: Venezuela continues to be a
key country for OPEC
On Tuesday, OPEC secretary, Mohammed Barkindo,
held a meeting at the Miraflores Palace with the President of the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, as part of his visit to the country for
the inauguration of the President. Thursday, January 10th. In his statements to
the media, Barkindo stressed that Venezuela continues to be fundamental in all
the efforts promoted by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC). (AVN, http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/mohammed-barkindo-venezuela-continues-be-key-country-opec)
Economy & Finance
Maduro era is
endurance test as Venezuela's lifelines fall away
President Nicolas Maduro’s second term is
officially six years. However, it will endure only as long as Venezuela’s
moribund economy allows. He has weathered protests, impeachment drives, an
assassination attempt and U.S. sanctions. But as Venezuela’s economic lifelines
drop away, his survival now depends on the country’s stamina. In his next term,
Maduro must manage to feed a hungry nation, kick-start production at state oil
company Petroleos de Venezuela SA and fend off creditors threatening to snatch
up assets abroad. He has deepened ties with authoritarian allies such as
Russia, China and Turkey, but they have provided only limited support. Maduro
shows no sign of hesitation: “Rain,
thunder or lightning,” he said this week. “Venezuela will stay on its course.” Calls are growing within the
ruling socialist party to dissolve the opposition-led congress, the only
elected institution Maduro doesn’t control, and one that has already been
defanged. On Tuesday, the politically omnipotent National Constituent Assembly
passed a measure that could be the first step to enable its disappearance. The
super-body convened by the president also threatened treason investigations
against dissident lawmakers. Constituent Assembly President Diosdado Cabello
said Tuesday that lawmakers in the threatened national legislature who support
the idea should be punished. “Those who
are now in the National Assembly are traitors. Several lawmakers turned their
backs on the most sacred: respect for sovereignty,” he said. Increasingly,
however, it’s the Chavistas against the world. Now the U.S. is even considering
designating Venezuela itself as a state sponsor of terrorism. Throughout it
all, America has remained the primary buyer of Venezuelan crude. Gregory Weeks,
a professor of political science at the University of North Carolina at
Charlotte, said that if the U.S. truly wants to isolate Venezuela, it would
have to stop buying its oil. “You can say
you’re not going to recognize him, but if you’re still trading and buying
Venezuela oil, how much does it really matter?” Weeks said. (Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-10/maduro-era-is-endurance-test-as-venezuela-s-lifelines-fall-away)
Venezuela to collect
tax in cryptocurrency - but no Petro?
A decree issued yesterday by Nicolas Maduro’s
government states that those conducting business in Venezuela involving either
cryptocurrency or foreign fiat money must also pay taxes on that business using
cryptocurrency or foreign fiat money, respectively. Exceptions to this
stipulation, according to article two, include an exemption for securities
traded on the national stock market, and on the “export of goods and services, carried out by bodies or public entities.”
The plan to accept cryptos is not fleshed-out yet, however, and currently seems
to be only an aspiration of this particular issue of the gazette. Notably, the
decree does not mention which particular cryptoassets are usable for paying
taxes. There is no mention anywhere in the decree of the country’s national
crypto, the Petro, a ERC-20 token issued on the Ethereum network. (Cryptoglobe:
https://www.cryptoglobe.com/latest/2019/01/venezuela-to-collect-tax-in-cryptocurrency-but-no-petro/)
Mexico tortilla giant
GRUMA sues Venezuela for US$ 525 million over 2010 expropriation
The world's leading tortilla maker GRUMA's
Spanish subsidiaries Valores Mundiales, S.L. and Consorcio Andino, S.L. have
filed a US $525 million lawsuit in U.S. Federal District Court in Washington,
D.C. against Venezuela over the expropriation of its Venezuela subsidiaries. The
lawsuit is to enforce a US$ 525 million award made against Venezuela for the
expropriation of GRUMA's food businesses in Venezuela. On July 25, 2017, an
arbitral tribunal brought before the World Bank's International Center for the
Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) ruled that Venezuela must pay Valores
Mundiales, S.L. and Consorcio Andino, S.L. US$ 430.4 million in damages, plus
compound interest at LIBOR + 2% from January 22, 2013 and until the effective
date of payment of the Award, and more than US$ 5.9 million in legal expenses
and costs incurred by GRUMA in the course of the arbitration, meaning that
Venezuela owes some US$ 525 million to GRUMA. (Latin American Herald Tribune, http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2472777&CategoryId=10717)
Politics and International Affairs
Venezuela's neighbors
turn up heat as Nicolás Maduro begins second term
In a televised new year’s message to his
atrophying nation, Nicolás Maduro struck an upbeat tone. “Victory awaits us! The future awaits us! And everything will be better!”
Venezuela’s embattled president insisted, declaring 2019 “the year of fresh starts”. But the sandbags and rifle-toting troops
that now encircle the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas suggest far
less confidence about the days ahead, as Venezuela sinks deeper into economic
ruin and political isolation and questions grow over Maduro’s future. Hugo
Chávez’s 56-year-old heir – narrowly elected after his mentor’s 2013 death and
then again in disputed elections last May – will begin his second presidential
term on Thursday, amid intensifying international condemnation of what critics
call his illegitimate and authoritarian rule. Last week, a regional bloc known
as the Lima Group turned up the heat, with 13 of its 14 members announcing they
would not recognize Maduro’s new six-year term and urging him to step down.
Those countries included Brazil, whose new president, Jair Bolsonaro, is
well-known for his hostility to Maduro and whose pro-Trump foreign minister
recently called for Venezuela’s “liberation”.
The US has also stepped up pressure ahead of what it calls Maduro’s “sham inauguration” with the secretary of
state, Mike Pompeo, telling one Brazilian newspaper “several things” could be done to rid Venezuela of Maduro’s “unacceptable” regime. Pompeo did not
specify what those “things” might be.
But after years of dawdling, regional patience does appear to be running out,
as the situation in Venezuela deteriorates and Latin American politics swerves
to the right under leaders such as Bolsonaro, Colombia’s Iván Duque, Chile’s
Sebastián Piñera and Argentina’s Mauricio Macri. The Lima Group’s unexpectedly
firm declaration – which includes plans for financial sanctions, preventing top
Venezuela officials entering their countries, and suspending military cooperation
– appeared partly designed to persuade the Venezuelan military to abandon their
commander-in-chief. But any international effort to engineer a peaceful
transition would founder unless Venezuela’s fractured opposition united. (The
Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/09/venezuela-nicolas-maduro-second-term-neighbours-latin-america)
Maduro accuses US of
using Lima Group to instigate coup in Venezuela
President Nicolas Maduro has accused the United
States of using the Lima Group of American countries to instigate a coup against
his government, one day before being sworn in for a second term widely regarded
as illegitimate. "I cannot lie to
you, civilian and military companions... a coup d'etat is under way under the
orders of Washington, from the Lima cartel against the constitutional
government I preside over," the national news agency quoted Maduro as
saying. "We shall not allow even a
single slip. Whatever his name, whatever post he holds, whoever tries to
promote a coup plan should know that he will face justice, the constitution and
the civilian-military powers," Maduro added. (DPA: http://www.dpa-international.com/topic/maduro-accuses-us-using-lima-group-instigate-coup-venezuela-190110-99-499405)
Maduro warns of 'diplomatic measures' against Latin American
critics
President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday warned he
could take “diplomatic measures”
against Latin American nations that signed a statement last week describing his
second term, which starts on Thursday, as illegitimate. Venezuela “has alerted very clearly to the governments
of the Cartel of Lima that, if they do not rectify their position (...) we will
take the most crude and energetic measures that can be taken in diplomacy,”
Maduro, using a pejorative name for the group widely used by ruling Socialist
Party leaders. He did not provide details what measures he could take. (Reuters:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuelas-maduro-warns-of-diplomatic-measures-against-latam-critics-idUSKCN1P32C0)
Group of Lima nations
to deny entry to Venezuelan officials
Thirteen nations from the Group of Lima have
agreed to deny entry to high-ranking officials of Venezuelan President Nicolas
Maduro's government. Colombian Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes said the decision
was made after a Friday meeting of the group in Peru. At the end of the Friday
meeting, the Peruvian Foreign Ministry issued a joint resolution of the Group
of Lima -- in which Mexico was not included -- asking President Nicolas Maduro
to abstain from assuming the presidency, to transfer power to the National
Assembly and to call for new elections. The resolution said that Group of Lima
countries would, depending on internal legislation, take action to prevent the
entry of high-ranking Venezuelan officials to their territories and evaluate
lists of Venezuelan people and organizations with which transactions will be
banned. (UPI: https://www.upi.com/Group-of-Lima-nations-to-deny-entry-to-Venezuelan-officials/9721547047206/#ixzz5cB7CU8ip)
Caribbean to decide
the fate of Nicaragua and Venezuela at the OAS
The Permanent Council of the Organization of
American States (OAS) will meet this week to address the situation of the dictatorships
in Venezuela and Nicaragua. In the first case, the government of Nicolas Maduro
runs the risk of being repudiated by the OAS, and in the case of Daniel Ortega,
is on the verge of the application of the Inter-American Democratic Charter. In
this vote, the 15 countries that make up the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
would have an important weight, which will also be very important in the case
of Venezuela. The session of Venezuela will be on January 10th and the session
of Nicaragua on the 11th. The process for the application of the Inter-American
Democratic Charter began on December 27 after the announcement of the secretary
general of the regional body, Luis Almagro. In the case of the territorial
conflict over the Essequibo region between Venezuela and Guyana, CARICOM has
closed ranks in favor of Guyana. Manuel Salvador Abaunza, former ambassador of
Nicaragua in Venezuela, says that from January 10 there will be changes in the
panorama, because the regime of Nicolas Maduro will have lost legitimacy. “It is very certain that the Caribbean
countries will see that they have no future of any kind with Maduro and that it
is better for them to start negotiating with the United States, or at least
show a change of attitude, because Maduro no longer offers them anything by
becoming a De-legitimized state,” he explained. Venezuela still has a card
under its sleeve to play -which is Guyana- and that is to offer the Caribbean
that they will settle the conflict with Guyana below the table. If that
scenario occurs, Venezuela could get CARICOM to vote against both the
Nicaraguan resolution and the one against Venezuela. (Havana Times: https://havanatimes.org/?p=146723)
World leaders to skip
Maduro inauguration amid possible further EU sanctions
President Nicolas Maduro’s new term will bring
further international pressure on Caracas as dozens of countries have called
his May re-election fraudulent and pledged not to recognize his new government.
The European Union is expected to release a strongly worded warning hinting
that further EU sanctions could be levied on the country, should the president
continue to flout human rights and the rule of law. The lack of international
recognition will be apparent from the lack of foreign visitors at the inauguration
ceremony for Maduro, due to be held at 10 am outside the Supreme Court
building. Only Cuba and Bolivia have confirmed their presidents will attend,
while a handful of other countries will send diplomats. Plans to organize a mass boycott of the
investiture ceremony by all 28 EU ambassadors to Venezuela appeared to have
fallen foul of divisions in the bloc, however. The Telegraph understands that
the Spanish and Greek ambassadors will attend, but Britain’s will not. Other
drastic proposals within Latin America, such as the withdrawal of diplomatic
missions from the country or the appointment of a parallel president in exile,
have also been rejected for now. To squash any discontent, Maduro will rely on
the armed forces and paramilitary groups known locally as colectivos, as he did
during 2017 street protests. In the days preceding the inauguration, local
media have reported caravans of government supporters, including masked men on
truck beds, passing through downtown Caracas. In one of the city’s most
emblematic slums, traditionally a bastion of pro-government support, government
supporters fired guns into the air on rooftops. (The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/09/world-leaders-skip-maduro-inauguration-amid-possible-eu-sanctions/)
European Parliament reaffirms
support for Venezuela’s National Assembly
Antonio Tajani, President of the European
Parliament, has expressed support for the the legitimate National Assembly in
Venezuela, in a telephone call to the Assembly’s newly elected President, Juan
Guaidó. More in Spanish: (Noticiero Venevisión, http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/europarlamento-envio-mensaje-de-apoyo-a-la-asamblea-nacional)
Spain and Portugal
will not send representatives to Maduro’s second inaugural
Spain’s government has confirmed it will not
send official representatives to Nicolás Maduro’s swearing in ceremonies. The
28 nations within the European Union announced in December that they would not
send representatives if the ceremony were to be held anywhere other than the
National Assembly, and that should it take place elsewhere representation would
be “beneath ambassadorial rank”. More in Spanish: (El Universal, http://www.eluniversal.com/internacional/30146/gobierno-de-espana-no-asistira-a-toma-de-posesion-de-maduro)
Ecuador will not send
a representative to Maduro’s swearing-in
Ecuador’s President Lenin Moreno has announced
his government’s decision to not send representatives to Nicolás Maduro’s
swearing-in ceremony citing the Venezuelan regimen’s violation of human rights:
“International protection for human
rights is an ethical and legal obligation, not intervention into the internal
affairs of other countries”, he said. He called for solving Venezuela’s
problems in a peaceful and democratic way, “through
dialogue”. More in Spanish: (El Universal, http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/30150/lenin-moreno-anuncio-que-ecuador-no-enviara-representacion-para-asuncion-de-maduro)
As Maduro begins new
term in Venezuela, opposition sees trouble looming
As Maduro begins his new term on Thursday — one
that will have him leading the nation until 2025 — Julio Borges is aware of the
perception that Maduro is firmly in control. But Borges doesn’t buy it. As one
of Venezuela’s most visible opposition figures who’s not in detention, Borges
has spent his time lobbying foreign governments to turn the screws on Maduro.
And it’s been working. Borges, 49, has been one of President Nicolas Maduro’s
harshest critics over the decades. A co-founder of the Primero Justicia
political party and the president of the National Assembly from 2017-2018, he’s
been living in exile since March, amid fears that he would join other
colleagues who have been detained or died in jail. Not surprisingly, Borges’
advocacy has put him in Maduro’s cross-hairs. The president routinely accuses
him of plotting coups and encouraging international invasions. While Borges
says he has always favored a peaceful, democratic transition, he said the
Maduro administration has opened the door to violence by closing off real opportunities
for change. In August, Maduro accused Borges of being one of the masterminds
behind an alleged assassination plot that included an explosive-packed drone. Talking
in Bogotá, Colombia, his home in exile, Borges says there are plenty of reasons
to believe that Maduro may not get to finish out his new term. “Maduro remains in power, fundamentally, due
to two things: the support of the military — really just the upper ranks — and
the dictatorial know-how of the Cubans,” Borges said. “Outside of that Maduro has nothing. There’s no economic support, no
diplomatic support, no political support. ... I think he’s irredeemably
defeated and it’s impossible for him to overcome the crisis he’s created.” Borges
said the democratic opposition has used every avenue possible to create change:
organizing protests, engaging in dialogue, winning the National Assembly,
calling for a boycott during the 2018 presidential election, promoting
international sanctions. But nothing has moved the needle. “We have done everything we can through civil
society and organized politics,” he said. “But the government doesn’t care how much damage is produced as it
clings to power.” He adds: “The
constitution itself says that any citizen, with or without authority, has the
right to restore the constitution, and that’s what society is pleading for the
armed forces to do … They are asking for the armed forces to restore the
constitution, which Maduro is ignoring.” Borges said that Maduro clearly has the
support of the military’s higher echelon, “the
corrupt elite,” but is losing the rank and file. And that’s where the real
threats are brewing … what I can tell you with certainty is that inside
Venezuela’s armed forces they are not only tired of Maduro, but they’re in
revolt. And the country is asking for them to complete their ‘divorce’ … for
dignified, constitutional and democratic armed forces to see resurgence.”
(The Miami Herald: https://www.miamiherald.com/latest-news/article224124250.html)
Defense minister asked
Maduro to resign: Washington Post
Venezuela’s defense minister told socialist
President Nicolas Maduro to step down last month, and said he would offer his
own resignation if he did not, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday,
citing an anonymous U.S. intelligence official. Both Maduro and Defense
Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez are still in office. Maduro is set to be sworn
in for a second six-year term on Thursday, though several countries in the
region have warned him not to take office, calling his May 2018 re-election vote
a sham. Discontent within the military’s ranks has grown as Venezuela’s
economic collapse has deepened, prompting millions to migrate. Security forces
tortured dozens of military personnel accused of subversion last year, according
to human rights groups, and detentions for desertion have increased. A U.S.
government source told Reuters the government believes reports that Padrino
threatened to resign if Maduro did not depart are credible. This week, however,
General Padrino made a public statement on behalf of the Venezuelan military,
expressing “indignation over the meddling
of Latin American governments, under the auspices of the United States, through
which they are attempting to ignore Venezuela’s unrelinquishable rights over the
Essequibo region”. (Reuters: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-defense/venezuelas-defense-minister-asked-maduro-to-resign-washington-post-idUSKCN1P32LQ);
and more in Spanish: (El Universal; http://www.eluniversal.com/politica/30048/fanb-rechazo-injerencia-de-paises-latinoamericanos)
Military personnel,
relatives tortured in Venezuela: HRW
Venezuelan security forces in recent years have
detained and tortured dozens of military personnel accused of plotting against
the government, and in some cases their family members, two human rights groups
said in a report published on Wednesday. The report by New York-based Human
Rights Watch and Venezuela’s Penal Forum, which also says forces tortured
civilians, comes as countries in the region are pushing the International
Criminal Court to probe the government for alleged crimes against humanity. In
most cases, members of the country's General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence
(DGCIM) or the Bolivarian National Intelligence Services (SEBIN) carried out
the arrests, according to the rights groups. In the report, detainees described
being strangled, deprived of food and having the soles of their feet cut with
razor blades. "The Venezuelan
government has brutally cracked down on members of the military accused of
plotting against it," said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at
Human Rights Watch. The two groups analyzed information about cases involving a
total of 32 people. Victims include military officers accused of plotting against
the government and civilians accused of collaborating with Oscar Perez, a rogue
police official who was killed in January 2018 after opposing the government. Several
detainees did not have access to their families, lawyers or adequate medical
treatment during their detentions, the report said. The individuals were
arrested for crimes including "treason"
and "instigating rebellion",
however lawyers representing the accused said the charges were fabricated and
not supported by any real evidence. (Al
Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/military-personnel-relatives-tortured-venezuela-hrw-190109155041848.html;
Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-rights/venezuela-tortured-military-personnel-accused-of-subversion-rights-groups-idUSKCN1P30BD)
Venezuela names ex-spy
chief as head of new presidential security unit
Venezuela’s former spy chief, who was ousted
last year amid an uproar over the death of a jailed opposition politician, was
sworn in on Tuesday as the head of a newly-created presidential security council,
according to state television. General Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez was replaced as
the head of the National Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) in October
after opposition councilman Fernando Alban died while detained at the agency’s
headquarters in Caracas. The death was officially ruled a suicide, but critics
said he was killed. Gonzalez Lopez was sworn in by Vice President Delcy Rodriguez
in a brief ceremony just days before socialist President Nicolas Maduro is set
to be inaugurated for a second term. (Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics/venezuela-names-ex-spy-chief-as-head-of-new-presidential-security-unit-idUSKCN1P301X)
Pope criticized for
comments on Venezuela and Nicaragua by 20 ex-leaders
In response to Pope Francisco’s annual Urbi et
Orbi Christmas speech, 20 ex-leaders from across Latin America wrote a letter
to the religious leader criticizing his words regarding the situations in
Venezuela and Nicaragua. In his speech, the Pope expressed a desire for
Venezuela to find “harmony” and for
Nicaragua to reach “reconciliation,”
both criticized by the ex-presidents of the region for being too simplistic.
The letter was inspired by the Democratic Initiative of Spain and the Americas
(IDEA), headed by ex-president of Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar.
“Your
Holiness’ speech … is being interpreted in a very negative way by many in
Venezuela and Nicaragua,” the letter stated. “In the current context,” it explained, “your speech could be interpreted as a request to the people who are
victims to agree with their aggressors.” In relation to Venezuela, the Pope
asked that “it finds peace again and that
all the members of the society work together for the development of the
country, helping the weakest area of the population.” “[Venezuelans]
are victims of oppression by a militarized narco-dictatorship,” the letter
read, “which has no qualms in
systematically infringing the right to life, freedom and personal integrity.”
(Chile Herald: https://chileherald.com/pope-criticised-for-comments-on-venezuela-and-nicaragua-by-20-ex-leaders/1592/)
Venezuela is in
crisis. so how did Maduro secure a second term?
President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela is set to
be inaugurated on Thursday for the second time, extending his term in office to
2025, after winning an election last year that had been rejected by nations
across the region as illegitimate. But even as his country is grappling with a
humanitarian crisis driven by this collapse, Maduro has clung to power. So
how did he get here, and how has he managed to hold on? Here’s what to
know as Mr. Maduro begins his second term in office. Maduro’s re-election in
May 2018 was widely criticized, with reports of coercion, fraud and electoral
rigging. Election officials said Maduro won 68% of the vote. The chaotic state
of the country and the desperation of poor voters may have contributed to Maduro’s
ability to maintain control. Representatives of Maduro’s party tracked those
who voted by registering their “Fatherland
Card” — or national benefits card — and promised aid and government
subsidized food handouts if re-elected. Independent international observers
were not on hand, and a crackdown on critics left several of them unable to
participate. Opposition leaders called for a boycott of the election, and that,
combined with the disillusionment of many longtime government supporters, meant
the turnout was exceptionally low. Less than half of the country’s voters cast ballots.
How
strong is his grip on power? Despite international criticism and a
crisis at home, Maduro has won the loyalty of the country’s powerful military
by handing its leaders control of the food and oil industries as well as
profitable mining regions. But there are clear signs of growing discontent. While
the country’s opposition lost much of its power as a result of government
persecution and the forced exile of some of its most prominent figures, the
election last week of a new president in the opposition-controlled National
Assembly, Juan Guaidó, has renewed calls to remove Maduro from power. Who
still supports him? Maduro has found some allies in the region,
including President Evo Morales of Bolivia, a fellow socialist who will attend
the inauguration. And Mexico’s new leftist president, Andrés Manuel López
Obrador, invited Maduro to his own
inauguration and has taken a friendlier stance in relations with Venezuela than
his predecessor. Russia has remained a staunch ally, with President Vladimir V.
Putin voicing his support for Maduro during a December meeting in Moscow. Venezuela
has also received recent financial support from China. Within his country,
loyal “chavista” governors, named for
their support of Chávez and his revolutionary leftist policies, expressed their
support for Maduro in a news conference on Wednesday. What’s the impact on Venezuelans?
Daily life in Venezuela has become unrecognizable from what it was a
few short years ago. Where once the government built homes, clinics and schools
for the poor as part of its socialist policy, people are now finding themselves
without the most basic necessities. The country’s health system has collapsed,
leaving many without access to lifesaving medicine. Hunger is common, and the
shelves of grocery stores lie bare. But there is no sense conditions are
improving. (The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/10/world/americas/venezuela-maduro-inauguration.html)
EDITORIAL: Latin
America has never seen a crisis like Venezuela before
The epic political and humanitarian crisis in
Venezuela is due to pass a new juncture Thursday when President Nicolás Maduro
is sworn in for a second six-year term. His first saw an implosion
unprecedented in modern Latin American history: Though his country was not at
war, its economy shrank by 50%. What was once the region’s richest society was
swept by epidemics of malnutrition, preventable diseases and violent crime.
Three million people fled the country. Yet Maduro, having orchestrated a
fraudulent reelection, presses on with what the regime describes as a socialist
revolution, with tutoring from Cuba and predatory loans from Russia and China. If
there is any light in this bleak picture, it is that Venezuela’s neighbors are
edging toward more assertive action to stem a crisis that, with the massive
flow of refugees, threatens to destabilize several other countries. Last week,
13 governments, including Brazil, Colombia, Argentina and Canada, issued a
statement declaring Maduro’s presidency illegitimate and threatening sanctions.
Peru imposed travel and banking restrictions on Maduro and his cabinet, and
several countries said they would recognize the opposition-controlled National
Assembly as Venezuela’s only legitimate institution. Unfortunately, that is
unlikely to move the regime. Like three administrations before it, the Trump
White House has struggled over how to respond to the Chavistas. As conditions
continue to deteriorate Maduro may finally be toppled by dissidents inside the
regime or a new popular uprising. If not, the pressure Venezuela is putting on
its neighbors will escalate. One recent study by scholars at the Brookings
Institution concluded that 5 million more refugees may pour across the borders.
The region has never seen a crisis like this: a steadily escalating catastrophe
with no solution — either from inside or outside — in sight. (The Washington
Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/global-opinions/latin-america-has-never-seen-a-crisis-like-venezuela-before/2019/01/09/26cc15b4-1381-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html)
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.
