International Trade
Special container terminal inaugurated at La Guaira
port, according to the local port authority. The
inauguration ceremony was attended by President Nicolas Maduro, and Vargas
state Governor. More in Spanish: (Bolipuertos, http://www.bolipuertos.gob.ve/noticia.aspx?id=36285)
Logistics & Transport
Passenger transportation costs to rise
Erick
Zuleta, President of the National Transport Federation, says the new wage
increase decreed by President Nicolas Maduro will lead to new transportation
costs: “The inflationary spiral will
inevitably lead to another price adjustment in passenger transportation,
because it cannot be borne”. He said transportation workers are going from
bad to worse because the Transportation Ministry does nothing for them: “They simply say that they will give and end
up doing nothing”. More in Spanish: (Noticiero Venevision, http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/economia/transportistas-aseguran-que-aumento-salarial-generara-otro-ajuste-de-pasaje;
El Mundo, http://www.elmundo.com.ve/noticias/economia/gremios/transportistas-afirman-que-aumento-salarial-genera.aspx)
Oil & Energy
Venezuela oil price tumbles
The
price Venezuela receives for its mix of medium and heavy oil fell as supply increases
rose in the U.S. According to figures released by the Ministry of
Petroleum and Mining, the average price of Venezuelan crude sold by Petroleos
de Venezuela S.A. (PDVSA) during the week ending April 28 fell to US$ 42.46,
down US$ 2.35 from the previous week's US$ 44.81. According to Venezuelan government figures, the average price in 2017 for
Venezuela's mix of heavy and medium crude has fallen to US$ 44.60. (Latin
American Herald Tribune, http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2435490&CategoryId=10717)
Venezuela resumes light oil shipments to Cuba
Venezuela
resumed exports of light crude to its political ally Cuba in March after an
eight-month pause that led to a production halt at the island's jointly-owned
Cienfuegos refinery, according to internal data from state-run PDVSA. PDVSA
last year minimized exports of its lighter grade crudes, especially to the
Caribbean, which since then have been used mainly to dilute its extra-heavy oil
and convert it into exportable crude. The cut halted nearly all operations at
the middle of last year at the dated Cienfuegos refinery, a Soviet-era facility
configured to run Russian crude, and later upgraded by PDVSA to convert up to
65,000 barrels per day (bpd) of Venezuelan oil into refined products for Cuba's
domestic market and exports. Even though PDVSA has in recent years increased
shipments of refined products to Cuba to partially compensate for falling crude
supply, gasoline shortages in both countries since March have revealed that
fuel output has failed to meet demand. (Reuters, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-cuba-oil-idUSKBN17X1Y9)
U.S. Supreme Court sides with Venezuela over oil rigs
claim
The
U.S. Supreme Court on Monday tossed out a lower court's ruling that had allowed
an American oil drilling company to sue Venezuela over the seizure of 11
drilling rigs in 2010 but allowed the business another chance to press its
claims. Siding with Venezuela, the justices ruled 8-0 that a lower court that
had given the go-ahead for the suit must reconsider whether claims made by
Oklahoma-based HELMERICH & PAYNE International Drilling Company can
proceed. Writing for the court, Justice Stephen Breyer said the U.S. Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 2015 used the wrong standard in
denying Venezuela immunity from the lawsuit. HELMERICH & PAYNE shares fell
about 2% in midday trading after the ruling. (Reuters, http://www.reuters.com/article/usa-court-venezuela-idUSL1N1I31AD;
Latin American Herald Tribune, http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2435561&CategoryId=10717)
Economy & Finance
Maduro orders 60% hike of minimum wage ... in a 500%
inflation
President
Nicolas Maduro announced Sunday a 60% increase in the minimum monthly wage,
from 40,638 bolivars to 65,021 bolivars — the latter value roughly US$ 90 at
the current official exchange of 717 bolivars per dollar. It was the third pay
increase the socialist leader has ordered this year and the 15th since he
became president in 2013. Maduro also handed out hundreds of free homes amid
his efforts to counter a strengthening protest movement seeking his removal.
Even a 60% pay rise may come as scant consolation to millions of the country's
workers, whose buying power has been damaged by a stricken currency. Critics
say the move will merely fuel the country's runaway inflation rate, which is
one of the world's highest inflation rates, and could hit 720% this year
according to the International Monetary Fund. The leftist government has not
published inflation data for more than a year but according to Venezuelan
consultancy ECOANALITICA, inflation was 525% last year. In addition, President
Maduro also said he had decided to raise the mandatory food subsidy from
108,000 to 135,000 bolivars, "that
is, workers will have a minimum legal income of 200,000 bolivars," or
about US$ 278 per month. Minutes after the announcement, the president of the
National Commerce and Services Council of Venezuela, Cipriana Ramos, said she
was not "surprised" at the
increase but that it would "hit
companies ... much harder." In remarks to private Union Radio, Ramos
said that "putting up with a pay
increase at this time of crisis the country is experiencing is impossible."
(BBC News: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39768671;
FOX News: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2017/05/01/venezuelas-president-orders-60-hike-minimum-wage-in-500-inflation.html;
Latin American Herald Tribune, http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2435560&CategoryId=10718)
….and calls for blanket freeze on all prices
On
Monday, Maduro said that all prices should be frozen as the country fights an “economic war” he blames on conspirators
in Venezuela and abroad. He said he had ordered cabinet members to analyze
nationwide price freezes. Current price controls are seen as a root cause of
shortages as they dis-incentivize businesses from producing amid steep
inflation, so a more widely applied freeze could further hit supplies. Despite
having the largest proven oil reserves in the world, Venezuela is fast running
out of cash, and its people have struggled for years with food and medical
shortages, coupled with skyrocketing prices. (CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/01/americas/venezuela-maduro-new-constitution/;
Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-05-01/venezuela-braces-for-dueling-marches-in-strife-ridden-caracas;
Reuters: http://lta.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idLTAKBN17Y03H-OUSLD)
Venezuela's worst economic crisis: What went wrong?
Country
sitting on world's biggest oil reserves is now region's poorest performer in
terms of GDP growth per capita. Venezuela is experiencing the worst economic
crisis in its history, with an inflation rate of over 400% and a volatile
exchange rate. The government is also running out of cash. According to the
Central Bank of Venezuela, the country has US$ 10.4bn in foreign reserves left,
and it is estimated to have a debt of US$ 7.2bn. According to
International Monetary Fund (IMF) figures, in 2016, the country had a negative
growth rate of minus 8%, an inflation rate of 481% and an unemployment rate of
17% that is expected to climb to 20% this year. Currency controls have limited
imports, putting a strain on supply. The government controls the price of basic
goods, this has led to a black market that has a strong influence on prices
too. The most recent report by CENDAS (Center for Documentation and Social
Analysis) indicates that in March 2017 a family of five needed to collect 1.06
million bolivars to pay for the basic basket of goods for one month, that
includes food and hygiene items, as well as spending on housing, education,
health and basic services. During the rule of Hugo Chavez, the price of key
items, food and medicines were reduced. Products became more affordable but
they were below the cost of production. Private companies were expropriated,
and to stop people from changing the national currency into dollars, Chavez
restricted the access to dollars and fixed the rate. When it became
unprofitable for Venezuelan companies to continue producing their own products,
the government decided to import them from abroad, using oil money. But oil
prices have been falling since 2014, which has left the economic system unable
to maintain the system of subsidies and price controls that functioned during
the oil boom years. The inability to pay for imports with bolivars coupled with
the decline in oil revenues has led to a shortage of goods. The state has tried
to ration food and set their prices, but the consequence is that products have
disappeared from shops and ended up in the black market, overpriced. Venezuela
has established different exchange rate systems for its national currency, the
bolivar. One rate was established for what the government determines to be
"essential goods", other
for "non-essential goods"
and another one for people. The two primary rates overvalue the bolivar, but
the black market values the bolivar at near worthless. Given the long litany of
woes, some analysts think there are two options before Maduro's government: to
default on its debt or to stop importing food. (Al Jazeera: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/05/venezuela-worst-economic-crisis-wrong-170501063130120.html)
Venezuela is collapsing into socialist induced chaos
The
Venezuelan regime’s decision to unleash paramilitary groups on opposition
protestors has revealed to the world yet again the moral bankruptcy of
socialism. Chávez was in power from February 1999 until his death from cancer
in March 2013. He had the good fortune of oil prices climbing up to $147 a
barrel and could lavish billions on the country’s poor, creating a gargantuan
dependency culture. He also quintupled the national debt. The country’s GDP
collapsed by 19%, imports are down 50%, and inflation is running at more than
700%. Chávez forcefully nationalized more than 1,150 companies, including the
oil industry, public utilities, and many banks. Their productivity has duly
collapsed. Today, nationalization is a dirty word in Venezuela and the people
are clamoring for these industries to be privatized again. The truth is that chavismo was as solid as a sand castle
and his legacy proved to be calamitous once oil prices fell. At the heart of
Venezuela’s economic chaos lies market distortions. Socialism’s abject failure
in Venezuela should be a salutary lesson to all wide-eyed leftists around the
world. The regime is hunkering down. Its leaders do not want to give up power
for fear of reprisals. The biggest problem with all socialist systems is the
broad definition of human rights. The hard left believe that these should
include a right to housing, education and healthcare. But they are prepared to
allow these rights to trump others, including the freedom of expression. Socialism’s
abject failure in Venezuela should be a salutary lesson to all wide-eyed
leftists around the world. The discredited ideology of socialism must be
consigned to the dustbin of history once and for all. (The Telegraph: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/05/01/venezuela-collapsing-socialist-induced-chaos-yet-remains-corbynista/)
Politics and International Affairs
Protests to continue as opposition rejects Maduro’s
call for “constituent assembly”
President
Nicolas Maduro has called for a popular assembly to write a new constitution after
hundreds of thousands took to the streets again to call for his ouster. He
announced on Monday the creation of a new popular assembly with the ability to
re-write the constitution in a fresh attempt to consolidate his hold on the
nation and defuse a bitter and escalating political conflict. Maduro triggered
an article of the constitution that creates a super-body known as a "constituent assembly." It can
dissolve public powers and call general elections. "I convoke the original constituent power to achieve the peace needed by
the Republic, defeat the fascist coup, and let the sovereign people impose
peace, harmony and true national dialogue," Maduro told red-shirted
supporters. It also would allow for the reshaping of the current legislative
body, as well as redefine the President's executive powers. "We must modify this state, especially the
rotten National Assembly that's currently there," Maduro said. The
body is controlled by the opposition. He accused the opposition of being
unwilling to negotiate. “They want peace,
dialogue? Constituent assembly!” Maduro said, telling supporters that the
time had come to defeat their opponents for good. “Today, it’s all clear to me.” Maduro also said that the new body
would contain "some 500 constituents"
who would represent all sectors of the Venezuelan society, including workers,
youth, women, peasants, those who receive pensions, and indigenous people,
among others. He said some 200-250 would be elected via direct vote. He
emphasized that those elected to the body would be chosen by the people -- and
“not of political parties and elites, but
of workers and communes”. It's not clear if the opposition will have a seat
at the rewriting party. Maduro said
before thousands of supporters who rallied in downtown Caracas for May Day
celebrations. “I activate the assembly
for the people to take power.” He didn’t immediately give details about how
the assembly would be convened, its duration or its members. Under the existing
constitution, "the people of
Venezuela" can "convene a
constituent assembly with the aim of transforming the state, creating a new
legal framework and writing a new constitution". Maduro said that as
president he was invoking that power in the name of the Venezuelan people, but
legal experts say his decree must be approved by a national referendum. Maduro
made his announcement while speaking to a large crowd of government supporters
who had gathered. In central Caracas,
where the socialists have traditionally held their rallies, thousands of
government supporters cheered a huge inflatable doll of Chavez and railed
against opposition "terrorists."
The government laid on hundreds of buses for its backers but closed subway
stations in the capital and set up roadblocks, impeding opposition
mobilization. Some government workers acknowledged they had been coerced into
attending Monday's pro-Maduro rally. Appearing on state television later in the
evening, Maduro signed the formal convocation decree and said he had designated
a commission for a “wide dialogue with
all of Venezuela.” Just one day before, on Sunday, Maduro said he expected the
postponed vote for governors of Venezuela's 23 states - originally slated for
2016 - to be held this year. During his
weekly TV program, he said gubernatorial elections would happen later this
year. "I am anxious for an electoral
process to be called," he told supporters on the live show, saying the
election board, or CNE, first had to finish legalizing political parties. Faced
with almost daily protests and increasing criticism from regional grouping the
Organization of American States and the European Parliament, President Maduro
probably felt he needed to make a move. Not willing to "give in" to the opposition's demand
for early presidential elections, he chose to announce the creation of a
constituent assembly. He will argue that the constituent assembly hands power
back to the people in the form of its 500 members. While the call for a
constitutional assembly might fall flat at home, it might help deflect some of
the international pressure that Caracas is under. In recent days, regional
governments and the broader international community have been demanding a
solution to the crisis.
But
even before the plan had solidified, the opposition was rejecting it as another
distraction. They fear Maduro will stuff the assembly with supporters and
manipulate the elected seats by giving extra weight to pro-government workers
and unions. They said it was another attempt to sideline the current
opposition-led National Assembly and potentially avoid elections amid a
bruising recession and protests that have led to 29 deaths in the last month. Opposition
leaders are seeking to maintain momentum that brought over a million supporters
into the streets in marches last month. They have their own demands: the
designation of an impartial electoral board, early presidential elections, an
immediate date for overdue regional elections, government authorization to
accept humanitarian aid shipments of food and medicine, respect for the
autonomy of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, the release of all
political prisoners and the disarmament of pro-government groups known as “colectivos”. Opposition leaders
immediately charged that Maduro was seeking to further erode Venezuela's
constitutional order, and called this move a "self-coup." Former Presidential candidate and Miranda state Governor
Henrique Capriles asked people not to fall for the ploy. "Facing this constitutional fraud that has
just been announced by the dictator, the people should stay on the street and
reject this madness," he said. Julio Borges, leader of the National Assembly,
echoed Capriles' statement, calling it a coup against the Constitution and
democracy. He called it a fraud. "What
has happened today, and I say without exaggerating or trying to be dramatic, is
the greatest coup in the history of Venezuela. It's Nicolas Maduro dissolving
democracy and dissolving our republic. Faced with this, the Democratic Unity
Party and the members of the National Assembly call on the Venezuelan people to
rebel and refuse to accept this coup." He has added that the move is an
attempt to “fight fire with gasoline.”
On Monday evening, he called on Venezuelans to rebel, potentially portending
bigger protests. "This is a scam to
deceive the Venezuelan people with a mechanism that is nothing more than a
coup," Borges said, urging Venezuelans to bang pots and pans in
protest and block streets early on Tuesday morning and hold another march on
Wednesday. He added: “Don’t think this is
an action of a strong government or president. Nicolas Maduro is not going
forward, but toward the cliff.”
Earlier
in the day, the intensifying protest movement entered a second month amid
clashes between police and demonstrators. Tens of thousands of anti-government
protesters rallied from 26 points across Caracas on a hot, rainy day, in an
effort was promoted on social media with the hashtag “the people rebel against the coup.” The protests tried to march on
government buildings in downtown Caracas, but police blocked them. Officers
launched tear gas and chased people away from main thoroughfares as the peaceful
march turned into chaos. Opposition lawmaker Jose Olivares was hit in the head
with a tear gas canister and was led away with blood streaming down his face.
Some demonstrators threw stones and gasoline bombs and dragged trash into the
streets to make barricades. Hundreds of thousands of people filled central
roads and highways of the city. People of all ages and class backgrounds are
participating in the protests. Protesters have begun showing up for
demonstrations with medical masks and bandanas to protect from the clouds of
tear gas that police often deploy without warning. Gas masks are hard to find
in the shortage-plagued economy, and the government is limiting people bringing
them in from abroad. Authorities set up checkpoints that snarled traffic on
main highways and closed the city's subway system. National Guard troops shot
teargas and water cannons in a district of west Caracas towards hundreds of
opposition protesters standing around waiting to march, and at youths hurling
stones and petrol bombs after opposition marches were blocked. Elsewhere, the
National Guard blocked marchers pouring towards a major highway in front of the
Avila mountain which towers over Caracas' northern edge. Opposition supporters
cheered as youths ran to the front, carrying makeshift shields made from trash
bin lids, wood and even a satellite dish. Some, wearing motorbike helmets,
swimming goggles or bandanas over their mouths, threw stones and petrol bombs
at the security line, with a protester yelling, "No one turn back!" Others blocked roads in Caracas' Chacao
area with branches and fences. Monday marked the one month mark since the
opposition began taking to the streets to protest the socialist administration
amid increasingly violent clashes. Protest demonstrations were also held in
Nueva Esparta, Anzoátegui, Zulia, Carabobo, Táchira, Mérida, Trujillo, Monagas,
Aragua, Lara, Sucre, Falcón, Bolívar, Apure, and Guárico states. The largest
movements were in the central state of Carabobo and the border states of Zulia
and Táchira, where thousands surged upon judiciary offices with no incidents
reported. The last 30 days have left at least 29 dead, hundreds injured,
thousands in detention. And while the demonstrations have paralyzed large
swaths of an already beleaguered country, neither side appears ready to back
down. The opposition has said it will stay in the streets until all its demands
are met. Among them are: general elections, the release of political prisoners
and the firing of Supreme Court justices who tried to dissolve the
opposition-controlled legislature. Maduro, for his part, has made it clear that
he's not stepping down — or moving up the presidential election, which is
scheduled for late 2018. If anything, Maduro's announcement has further
incensed opposition leaders, who called for fresh protests. As Maduro spoke on
nationwide media on Monday night, opposition supporters started banging empty
pots and pans from their windows. The opposition called on its supporters to
join a "mega protest" on
Wednesday to show their disapproval. (Reuters, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-vote-idUSKBN17X2EC;
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-idUSKBN17X203;
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-idUSKBN17W0R1;
USA TODAY: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/05/01/maduro-citizens-congress/101175468/;
The Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/venezuela/article147953684.html;
Bloomberg: https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-05-01/venezuela-braces-for-dueling-marches-in-strife-ridden-caracas;
BBC News: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-39775092;
CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2017/05/01/americas/venezuela-maduro-new-constitution/;
and more in Spanish: Noticiero Venevision, http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/politica/opositores-marcharon-en-15-estados-del-pais-para-pedir-respeto-a-constitucion)
Pope calls
for Venezuelan negotiated solution to violence
Pope
Francis appealed to leaders of Venezuela’s government and society Sunday to
avoid more violence after four weeks of political turmoil that has produced a
mounting number of dead, injured and arrests. Francis told faithful gathered in
St. Peter’s Square that, united in sorrow with the families of victims, he was
making a heartfelt appeal to “the
government and all the components of the Venezuelan society so that every further
form of violence is avoided, human rights are respected and negotiated
solutions are sought.” The comments came a day after Francis, the first
Latin American pope, expressed frustration that Vatican-sponsored negotiations
to resolve Venezuela’s political impasse had not succeeded, in part because of
what he cited as divisions within the opposition. “All that can be done for Venezuela must be done with the needed
guarantees, otherwise we are just making fun of each other and the thing won’t
work,” he told reporters traveling with him from Egypt. He said any
negotiations under the Holy See’s auspices would require “very clear conditions.” Venezuela’s opposition broke off the talks
in December, saying the government had failed to meet a litany of demands that
included release of political prisoners and setting a new date for cancelled
gubernatorial elections. The collapse of those talks has made it harder for the
two sides to re-engage during the latest unrest, with the opposition
galvanizing an outpouring of public anger with socialist President Nicolas
Maduro, who they blame for widespread food shortages and triple-digit
inflation. In a public letter to Francis on Sunday, the opposition dismissed
the notion that there are divisions within its ranks and outlined its key
demands that have been behind the almost daily protests that have already
claimed 29 deaths. “The only dialogue
acceptable in Venezuela today is the dialogue of voting, which is the only way
to overcome the crisis and re-establish Venezuela’s kidnapped democracy,”
the Democratic Unity alliance said. The governments of Argentina, Brazil,
Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Peru, Paraguay and Uruguay expressed support for
the Pontiff’s plea and said that “very
clear conditions” must exist for “a
negotiated solution to the political, economic and humanitarian crisis”
here. (The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/pope-to-venezuela-avoid-more-violence-respect-human-rights/2017/04/30/e260d786-2e1a-11e7-a335-fa0ae1940305_story.html;
Bloomberg, https://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2017-04-30/pope-calls-for-venezuelan-negotiated-solution-to-curb-violence;
Reuters, http://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-pope-idUSKBN17W0DO;
El Universal, http://www.eluniversal.com/noticias/daily-news/pope-asks-for-settlement-venezuela_650643;
Latin American Herald Tribune, http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2435535&CategoryId=10717;
and more in Spanish: Noticiero Venevision, http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/ocho-gobiernos-se-suman-a-peticion-del-papa-sobre-venezuela;
El Universal, http://www.eluniversal.com/noticias/politica/ocho-paises-respaldan-las-declaraciones-del-vaticano-sobre-venezuela_650636)
Withdrawal from the OAS held “null”; US says final decision up to Maduro’s successor
Congressman
Luis Florido, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee at Venezuela’s National
Assembly, says the Maduro regime’s decision to withdraw from the Organization
of American States (OAS) is “null”. “For Venezuela to withdraw from the OAS, it
must simply change Article 23 in its Constitution, and the way to do so is
through reform or a national constituent assembly, so the request made
yesterday by Foreign Minister Delcy Rodríguez is absolutely null”, he said.
US State Department spokesman Mark Toner warned that the last word on
Venezuela’s withdrawal will be up to Maduro’s successor, and that the United
States would like the country to remain within the organization, but “only” if it meets democratic “standards”. More in Spanish: (Noticiero
Venevision, http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/politica/luis-florido-aseguro-que-la-solicitud-de-retirar-a-venezuela-de-la-oea-es-nula; http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/eeuu-dice-que-sucesor-de-maduro-tendra-la-ultima-palabra-sobre-salida-de-oea; El
Universal, http://www.eluniversal.com/noticias/politica/asamblea-nacional-rechaza-salida-venezuela-oea_650201)
European Parliament urges Maduro regime to hold
elections “as soon as possible”
The European
Parliament has urged the Maduro regime in Venezuela to schedule free and
transparent elections “as soon as
possible”. The resolution passed with 450 votes, with 35 nays and 100
abstentions. It also condemned “the
continued violation of Constitutional order in Venezuela”, urged the regime
to respect the balance of powers and free all political prisoners. More in
Spanish: (Noticiero Venevision, http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/eurocamara-insto-al-gobierno-venezolano-a-realizar-elecciones-lo-antes-posible)
UN High Commissioner decries actions by security
forces in protests
Zeid Ra’ad
al Hussein, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, says the Maduro regime’s
policy “of repressing dissident voices,
will not resolve agitation” in the streets or the reasons for protesting. He
added that the most alarming part is the increase of violence, action by armed
pro-regime groups and the extended lack of trust in the government or the
judiciary. He said the threats of withdrawal from the Organization of American
State (OAS) are not “a strategy to
recover stability and peace”. More in Spanish: (Noticiero Venevisión, http://www.noticierovenevision.net/noticias/internacional/onu-rechaza-actuacion-de-cuerpo-de-seguridad-venezolanos-en-protestas-en-el-pais)
Noriega urges additional international sanctions on
Venezuela
In an
op-ed article, former OAS Ambassador Roger Noriega, writes: “Maduro is weaker than ever. One reason is
that unrest has spread to the poorest neighborhoods that were once the
stronghold of Hugo Chavez. The most ferocious street fights have been in poor
areas. In numerous cases demonstrators have overwhelmed security forces and
chased them through the streets. Opposition leaders are hardly in a position to
control desperate people with little to lose. After each day of bloody
repression, more Venezuelans will demand that Maduro relinquish power. The OAS
should collect evidence of human rights abuses for referral to the International
Criminal Court; hold regime leaders responsible for its vast inventory of
weapons of war, and call on countries to cease the sale of guns, ammunition,
and crowd control tools used so wantonly by Venezuelan authorities. The OAS
also should urge member states to sanction individual human rights abusers or
to offer exile to Maduro and his inner circle. US National Security Advisor
H.R. McMaster personally urged OAS members to confront the regime in Caracas.
U.S. officials can further influence events by targeting additional sanctions
against regime leader Diosdado Cabello, Minister of Interior Nestor Reverol,
and U.N. Ambassador Rafael Ramirez—just a handful of the corrupt officials
against whom U.S. agencies have assembled reams of evidence and eyewitness testimony.
The US$ 30 million a day garnered from U.S. oil purchases represents about
three-fourths of Venezuela's export revenue. If the U.S. suspended those
imports, the Maduro regime would not have the wherewithal to fund its police
state.” (The Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/what-the-trump-administration-can-do-in-venezuela-to-hasten-maduros-demise/article/2621100
Eleven ELN members captured in Venezuela
During
a joint operation, the Venezuelan and Colombian armies captured 11 presumed
members of the National Liberation Army (ELN) in the Venezuelan state of Apure,
on the Colombia-Venezuela border, official sources reported on Sunday. “A
dwelling where this criminal network operated was located. Ten pistols, two
shotguns, four rifles, two sub-machine guns, 355 cartridges of different
calipers and almost two million Colombian pesos (some more than USD 500) were
found inside,” related the army in a press release, DPA cited. (El Universal, http://www.eluniversal.com/noticias/daily-news/eleven-eln-members-captured-venezuela_650646)
Colombia urged to reinforce assistance to Venezuelan
immigrants
Authorities
of La Guajira, a Colombian department that shares about 240 kilometers of
border with Venezuela, requested the Colombian government additional measures
to “give social and economic support to
the inflow of fellowmen and Venezuelans as a result of the crisis that affects
the neighboring country.” The acting governor of the Colombian department
of La Guajira, Weildler Guerra, reported that the Colombian government has
adopted humanitarian aid measures for Venezuelans. For his part, Bienvenido
Mejía, mayor of Dibulla municipality, related that in the streets of Riohacha,
the capital city of La Guajira, Venezuelans can be seen day by day, trying to
find a job. (El
Universal, http://www.eluniversal.com/noticias/daily-news/colombia-urged-reinforce-assistance-venezuelan-immigrants_650645)
Venezuelans entering Colombia must get migrant card
Venezuelans
who regularly cross into Colombia to work, study or shop must apply for a
special migratory card to ease their passage, as per the Colombian government. The
cards will take the place of passports and allow entry to the Colombian
provinces of La Guajira, Norte de Santander, Arauca, Vichada and Guania for
residents of Venezuelan border areas, but not into the rest of Colombia,
immigration authority head Christian Kruger said. Thousands of Venezuelans
cross the border each day to attend school, work and buy food and medicines
that are scarce in the socialist country. Some 40,000 Venezuelans reside
legally in Colombia. The rule, which took effect on Monday, comes amid tension
between the neighbors, which have often been at loggerheads. The Colombian
foreign ministry said this week it was examining a refuge request from three
Venezuelan soldiers. It is unclear when or how they arrived in Colombia, but
Venezuelan authorities have said they deserted and fled their country in March.
(Colombia
Reports: http://colombiareports.com/venezuelans-entering-colombia-must-get-migrant-card/)
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.
