ICC Prosecutor Will Visit Venezuela & more –8th June 2023

Buenos días from BA! This is the Rorshok Venezuela Update from the 8th of June twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Venezuela.

On Monday, the 5th, Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (or ICC), revealed his plan to travel to Venezuela in the next few hours, following his official visit to Colombia.

However, the NGO Provea disclosed that there had been no official announcement of Khan's visit to Venezuela. They emphasized that only the Colombian government was aware of the prosecutor's agenda, a situation that could potentially discontent the Maduro regime.

Relations between the ICC and the Maduro administration have been strained, as the ICC decided to continue investigating crimes against humanity in Venezuela despite the Maduro government’s request to stop the investigation. The details of the upcoming meeting between Karim Khan and the Maduro administration are not yet known.

Speaking of Colombia, on Friday the 2nd, Colombian President Gustavo Petro confirmed the departure of Armando Benedetti, Colombia's Ambassador to Venezuela, due to a corruption scandal involving illegal phone interceptions and abuses of power.

Benedetti took to social media to publish a letter expressing gratitude to President Petro for appointing him as ambassador and recognizing accomplishments in re-establishing relations between Colombia and Venezuela.

However, behind closed doors, a different story unfolds. On the same day, according to a leaked audio posted by Colombian media, Benedetti threatened to disclose secrets from Petro’s previous presidential campaign after not being welcomed by Petro after his removal.

Amidst this ongoing scandal, Petro stated his refusal to entertain blackmail.

Following this news, on Monday the 5th, Colombia announced the appointment of Milton Rengifo Hernández as the new Ambassador to Venezuela.

Interestingly, Rengifo's past tweets criticizing the Venezuelan government resurfaced, including one in which he directly labeled Maduro as a dictator. As a result of the ensuing new scandal, his Twitter account was deleted.

Apparently the primary commission is determined to carry out the opposition elections, even if it means meeting with the National Electoral Council or CNE, an organization accused of fraud in favor of Chavismo.

On Friday, the 2nd, the National Primary Commission (or CNP) announced its intention to hold a meeting with CNE, in order to determine whether to request technical support from the CNE for the upcoming opposition elections.

In a statement, the CNP expressed its intention to formalize agreements regarding various aspects and guarantees of the elections, including the protection of voters' identities.

Additionally, the CNP mentioned that if certain requirements are fulfilled, they will ask for technical assistance from the CNE to organize the elections that will take place the 22nd of October, twenty twenty-three . However, they did not specify the nature of these requirements.

In more news about the opposition elections, on Wednesday the 7th, Jesús María Casal, President of the CNP, said that the web application (primariaexteriorve.com) had become active. This web page will allow Venezuelans residing abroad to update their address in order to take part in the opposition presidential primary elections. We’ll leave the link to the website in our show notes.

The candidate most hated by Chavismo?

On Friday, the 2nd, chavista groups attacked opposition candidate Henrique Capriles during a campaign event in Valencia. A woman physically assaulted him and hurled insults.

Capriles took to social media to denounce the attack, asserting that the regime's efforts to silence him would not succeed. This incident marked the second assault on Capriles within a two-week period during his countrywide tour.

Fellow opposition candidates stood in solidarity with Capriles, condemning the act of violence.

Moving on, on Friday, the 2nd, Maduro traveled to Turkey to attend the inauguration ceremony of Recep Tayyip Erdogan, celebrated on Saturday the 3rd.

Turkey and Venezuela enjoy strong bilateral relations, and this partnership was reaffirmed in June of last year in Maduro's visit to Ankara, where he held a meeting with Erdogan. Both leaders expressed their commitment to expand the cooperation between both countries and signed over forty agreements spanning various sectors.

A busy week. On Sunday the 4th, Maduro also visited Saudi Arabia, as part of an official visit aimed at strengthening political, diplomatic, and energy alliances.

During his trip, he actively engaged in meetings with King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, showing the strong friendship between the two nations.

As president, this visit marked Maduro's third time visiting Saudi Arabia, further underscoring the ongoing rapport between Venezuela and Saudi Arabia.

Since their establishment in nineteen fifty-two, the bilateral relations between the two countries have fostered various cooperation programs, with a particular focus on the oil sector.

Let’s talk about the health sector.

On Thursday, the 1st, Maduro announced the partial renewal of the University Hospital of Caracas in Venezuela. He issued an order to create a maintenance manual for the rehabilitated areas, emphasizing the importance of community involvement in the process.

So far, the rehabilitation of the facade and specific services of the hospital, such as pediatrics, pediatric surgery, post-surgical intensive care, and psychiatry, have been announced.

Additionally, he reported the rehabilitation of a comprehensive diagnostic center in Ciudad Bolívar and promised to renovate all the high schools in the country.

Thursday, the 1st, marked the six-year anniversary since the Venezuelan government suspended the organ transplant program.

The Venezuelan National Transplant Organization and several activists launched a campaign on social media demanding the government to reactivate the program.

The suspension of the deceased-to-living organ donation system has resulted in severe consequences, including the unfortunate deaths of seventy-nine children with renal deficiencies who were receiving treatment at Caracas' main pediatric hospital.

In other news, on Tuesday the 6th, the Political Ecology Observatory released its annual report, revealing that Venezuela had experienced eighty-six oil spills in twenty twenty-two. These spills occurred at an average rate of seven per month and affected seven states.

The oil spills had detrimental effects on ecosystems and communities. However, no official information regarding the quantity of oil spilled or the actions taken to address the environmental impacts was available.

Additionally, the report highlighted incidents such as fires, explosions, and other accidents within the oil industry. These incidents pointed to a pattern of neglect in socio-environmental management by PDVSA, the state-owned company.

More reports come to light.

On Tuesday the 6th, Suzany González, the director of the Center for Studies on Sexual and Reproductive Rights (or Cedesex), reported that Venezuela boasts the highest rate of teenage pregnancy in Latin America, with an almost 98% youth fertility rate worldwide.

According to González, this situation poses a threat to the lives of young girls and exacerbates the poverty levels while also subjecting them to gender-based violence. Furthermore, she highlighted that Venezuela holds the region's highest rates of maternal mortality, which can be attributed to the persistent healthcare challenge affecting public health centers in the country.

Moving on, on Tuesday the 6th, a Yukpa indigenous group closed the General Rafael Urdaneta Bridge in Maracaibo, demanding permission to travel to Caracas and urging the government to fulfill their agreement to purchase their crafts.

This marks their third protest in the past three days, during which they have occupied police headquarters, the bus terminal, and the bridge itself.

The Yukpas are actively seeking payment for their merchandise, as the National Guard has been threatening drivers who transport their goods and stealing the merchandise.

Good news, on Tuesday the 6th, NGO Espacio Público confirmed the release of photographer Carlos Debiais. Authorities charged Debiais with "violation of airspace,"alleging that he flew a drone near the Amuay Refinery. Police detained him at El Rodeo II prison in November twenty twenty-one.

Debiais, despite having a release order since April 12th twenty twenty-three, had remained detained.

To wrap things up, we're excited to share the upcoming events happening this June, so you can plan ahead and get ready to have a blast at the hottest concerts.

Let's kick off with none other than the crowd-favorite Venezuelan singer, Lasso! Get ready to groove on the 10th, 16th, 23rd, and 25th of June, where he will present his Quedarse Solo Para Siempre tour in the cities of Puerto La Cruz, Barinas, and Punto Fijo, respectively.

But that's not all. The Mexican singer, Christian Nodal, will be rocking the stage at the Terrace of CCCT in Caracas, where he will give an open-air presentation for his entire audience.

Get ready to mark your calendars and make unforgettable memories at these sensational concerts. Don't miss out on the fun!

Aaaand that's it for this week. You know every week we work hard to pick what the most important stuff is in Venezuela. What's talked about the most, what's big but flies under the radar. All the main stuff. Are we getting the mix right? Not a specific thing we have missed? What types of information do you want more or less of? Let us know at venezuela@rorshok.com

¡Hasta la próxima!