Chavista National Assembly Denounces Trump & more –13th July 2023

Buenos días from BA! This is the Rorshok Venezuela Update from the 13th of July twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Venezuela.

On Thursday the 6th, the Chavista National Assembly announced that they will denounce former US President Donald Trump to the International Criminal Court (or ICC) and other international organizations for committing crimes against humanity in Venezuela.

Deputy Pedro Infante shared the news and said that they are establishing a commission to investigate Trump's statements and determine criminal responsibility in relation to Venezuela's economic situation; specifically, Trump's controversial comments made in June, expressing his desire to seize Venezuela's oil.

According to the Assembly, Trump’s statements serve as evidence to support their claim that the sanctions imposed on Venezuela are illegitimate and have had a significant negative impact on the country's economy.

Moving on to Friday the 7th, we have more news from the United States.

The Office of Foreign Assets Control renewed PDVSA's license, the Venezuelan state oil company, to export liquefied petroleum gas until the 10th of July, twenty twenty-four.

However, payments involving PDVSA for the purchase of oil or its derivatives remain prohibited.

According to the document, this license renewal is part of Joe Biden government’s efforts to ease the sanctions that Donald Trump had imposed.

In May of this year, there was a temporary authorization granted to certain U.S. companies to engage in transactions with PDVSA, which had been prohibited since November twenty eighteen

Venezuela and Barbados took a step forward in their cooperation as they signed new agreements on Saturday the 8th.

During a meeting in Caracas, Maduro and Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley affirmed their commitment to strengthen bilateral relations.

The leaders explored opportunities for collaboration in agriculture to bolster food security not only in Venezuela and Barbados but also throughout the wider Caribbean region.

Education was also a key topic of discussion, with a focus on bilingual initiatives to promote language proficiency. Additionally, they talked about the possibility of Barbadian students pursuing medical studies in Venezuela.

Now, let's shift our focus to another significant development.

On Thursday the 6th, Journalist Joshua Goodman, who works for The Associated Press, tweeted that Retired Major General Cliver Alcalá Cordones admitted delivering grenade launchers to FARC-associated leaders Ivan Marquez and Timochenko. Cordones said he was following orders from the late Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.

Alcalá Cordones confessed this during his guilty plea hearing in New York. As a result of his confession, the judge withdrew the charges of narcoterrorism, allowing him to avoid a mandatory minimum sentence of fifty years in prison.

In twenty nineteen,, the authorities extradited Alcalá from Colombia to the US due to his involvement in an attempted coup against Maduro that took place in the same year.

Speaking of Colombia, both countries keep trying to foster closer connections— and the latest development comes in the form of a new international flight.

On Friday, the 7th, Wingo airline resumed its route Bogotá-Caracas, making it the second Colombian airline authorized by the Venezuelan National Aeronautical Institute to follow this route.

The first flight is scheduled to depart from Bogotá to Caracas on the 25th of July.

The flights will operate three times per week, with a minimum price of 199 dollars per leg.

Now, let’s dive into election news.

On Wednesday the 12th, the European Parliament approved a resolution condemning Maduro's regime for unfairly disqualifying opposition leaders from political participation. The resolution was overwhelmingly supported, receiving over four hundred votes in favor, twenty-five against, and forty-three abstentions.

Additionally, the resolution recognizes the opposition's efforts in organizing primary elections as a democratic solution and urges Venezuelan authorities to ensure fair, free, inclusive, and transparent electoral processes.

On Wednesday, the 12th, the first opposition debate took place in preparation for the twenty twenty-four presidential elections in Venezuela.

The debate featured eight opposition leaders, each presenting their campaign proposals and discussing possible solutions to address the disqualifications faced by certain opposition candidates.

Throughout the debate, there were different views among the opposition figures. Some opposition figures advocated for establishing a succession line in case one of the disqualified politicians won the internal elections, while others rejected this idea.

Despite all the challenges, some candidates were still determined to keep campaigning and compete in the elections.

However, not everyone agrees with disqualified candidates participating in the elections, such as Luis Florido, the leader of Un Nuevo Tiempo.

On Thursday the 6th, Florido suggested withdrawing the politically disqualified candidates from the primary elections if they are unable to resolve their disqualification by the 22nd of September.

The candidates who have been disqualified include María Corina Machado, Henrique Capriles, and Freddy Superlano.

On that note about Capriles, on Tuesday, the 11th, Maduro and Capriles engaged in a heated exchange of insults on Twitter

Maduro accused Capriles of trying to incite an economic war, while Capriles blamed Maduro for the economic failures and alleged attempts to undermine democracy.

Who needs Hollywood drama when you have politicians trading blows in 280 characters or less?

Moving on, on Sunday, the 9th, the Bolívar State Government introduced "virtual queues" to manage the distribution of gasoline.

Through the Fuel Management System, drivers now have the option to reserve a spot in the queue and receive a designated time slot for refueling.

The primary goal of this initiative is to put an end to long lines at service stations, minimize waiting times, and discourage fuel hoarding

In a concerning development, on Tuesday the 12th, an activist denounced the inhumane treatment of two hundred Venezuelans detained in Trinidad and Tobago.

Yesena González, a human rights activist, has reported that these individuals have been detained in Port of Spain and are currently subjected to "inhumane treatment" by the authorities, with no access to food, water, sleeping facilities, or sanitation areas.

The individuals were arrested at a nightclub. Among them are individuals who possess United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) issued cards that serve as proof of their identity and refugee status. Unfortunately, their release has not been processed yet.

This disheartening situation echoes previous UNHCR warnings, shedding light on the vulnerability and challenges Venezuelan refugees and asylum seekers face in Trinidad and Tobago.

On Sunday, the 9th, the environmental organization Mapache Ecoaventura issued a warning regarding the health risks associated with a green layer that has covered Maracaibo Lake.

A team of experts from the University of Zulia has detected the presence of a cyanobacteria named Microcystis.

The contamination has had adverse effects on residents in the surrounding areas, showing symptoms such as diarrhea, skin allergies, and visual impairments.

The organization has called upon the authorities to take prompt and sustainable measures to address the ongoing issues affecting Lake Maracaibo. However, until now, the authorities haven’t provided an official response or updates.

In related news, on Tuesday the 12th, viral images showed an oil and algae-covered turtle.

Joseiry Gotera, a local fisherwoman who also works at a fish market, posted the pictures. The photos highlight a concerning issue: fish, shrimp, and other sea creatures are being caught with oil on their bodies or inside them, posing a significant problem for the regional fishing industry.

In other news, on Sunday, the 9th, the Traki commercial stores in Valencia, which are the biggest in the area, caught fire. The fire started in the store's warehouses but firefighters took control of the situation.

The exact cause of the fire is still unknown, but Rafael Lacava, the governor, announced that an investigation will be conducted.

The commercial stores, commonly referred to as "the Venezuelan Walmart," were completely destroyed in the fire. There were approximately two hundred employees on the premises at the time of the incident, but no fatalities were reported.

Sad news for the literary world. On Friday, the 7th, a prominent Venezuelan writer, Milagros Mata Gil, passed away at the age of seventy-two.

Mata was a renowned narrator and essayist, a member of the Venezuelan Academy of Language. Additionally, she founded the publishing house Ítaca.

Mata Gil left behind a remarkable literary legacy with works such as La casa en llamas and received numerous awards throughout her career.

That’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

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¡Hasta la próxima!