Personal Info at Risk? & more –14th Sep 2023

th of September: 2023

On Thursday, the 7th, a group of citizens filed a lawsuit against the National Primary Commission, alleging that the Commission robbed voters' personal information without their consent.

The Commission said the search engine would help voters find their polling station by punching in their ID number and birthdate. But these people are saying they never agreed to have their personal info used in the electoral process in which they won’t participate.

The citizens are asking the court to make the Commission stop using their personal data in the search engine and make sure that their personal info stays safe and sound.

Moving on, on Thursday, the 7th, El Pais reported that the United Nations is set to release roughly $3 billion dollars in Venezuelan assets held abroad in the coming weeks. Sources close to the negotiation revealed that these funds are earmarked for infrastructure projects. Interestingly, the agreement to release these assets was hashed out back in November twenty twenty-two during discussions between the Maduro-led government and the opposition in Mexico.

According to El Pais, Maduro's government seems to consider this asset release pretty crucial for sprucing up its image ahead of the twenty twenty-four elections. Meanwhile, the opposition is hoping it might kickstart some progress in dialogue and potentially pave the way for their participation in the presidential elections.

Also on Thursday, the 7th, the Delegated Committee, responsible for assuming the National Assembly's functions during its recess, granted authorization for Maduro to leave the country for a five-day international tour.

In a letter, Maduro said that his tour would include the People's Republic of China and other “allied countries” although he didn't specify which ones. The main goal of the tour is to enhance diplomatic and economic relations in pursuit of Venezuela's top priorities.

Speaking of China, over the weekend, Maduro visited the country in search of economic support. He arrived in China on Friday the 8th, and on the following day, the two countries, Venezuela and China, signed a memorandum of understanding.

According to Maduro, this memorandum primarily focuses on developing Special Economic Zones, promoting cooperation, and ensuring social justice, environmental sustainability, and security for both countries.

For those unfamiliar, Special Economic Zones in China are specific areas where both domestic and foreign trade and investment are allowed without requiring central government authorization in Beijing. They're like magnets for foreign investments and tech, thanks to some sweet tax breaks and trade incentives.

All in all, it looks like this deal is giving China the lion's share of the benefits.

But hold on, there's more to the China trip saga! On Friday the 8th, Maduro announced that Venezuela could send its first astronauts to the Moon in a Chinese spacecraft as part of the memorandum.

Maduro and Xi agreed to train young Venezuelan astronauts in China to send them to the Moon in the future.

Sounds like a cosmic blast, doesn't it?

All right, let's switch gears from China to Colombia.

On Friday the 8th, Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for the lifting of the economic blockade on Venezuela as a means to curb the exodus through the Darién region.

The idea popped up during a press conference where Petro said that this would help to address the migration exodus in the Darién. The president's statement came two weeks after Panama expressed its intention to take stronger measures to control irregular migration and accused Colombia of not addressing the migration situation adequately.

Colombia seems to have heard Panama's gripes because, on Tuesday the 12th, the Colombian Consulate located in Maracaibo, Zulia state, reopened to the public earlier than expected, before the 25th of September, the original opening date.

The Colombian Ambassador, the consul general, Zulia's governor, and the mayor of Maracaibo attended the official opening ceremony.

Now, people can get legal advice, social assistance, general information, and services related to civil registry records from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM on weekdays without making any appointments beforehand.

In more international news, on Thursday, the 7th, the Prosecutor's Office of Curaçao issued a warning regarding a rise in the trafficking of minors from Venezuela to the island.

The minors are transported in illegal boats that also carry drugs and firearms, putting them at significant risk, as the small vessels are prone to capsizing during the journey, potentially resulting in tragic incidents. Children between four and fifteen years old are involved in these cases.

The Prosecutor's Office has stated that child trafficking is a serious crime with severe penalties and urges the public to report such cases and share information to increase awareness among the population.

Next up, on Friday, the 8th, the Unique Union of Petroleum, Petrochemical, Gas, and Related Workers of the Falcón State (or SUTPGEF) filed a lawsuit against Pdvsa, Citgo contractors, and the Venezuelan Government in a United States court.

While the exact demands and causes are not outlined, workers in this sector have been advocating for their labor rights and have raised concerns about violations of trade union freedom and inadequate government management.

Those who have been affected are encouraged to join this legal action, providing their personal information securely, with the goal of safeguarding their interests and rights.

Moving on, on Thursday, the 7th, the Central Bolivarian Socialist Workers' Union (or CBST) announced that they're talking to Maduro about the salaries for public administration workers who have not seen an increase in their pay for over eighteen months.

Orlando Pérez, CBST Vice President, emphasized that these talks are not only focused on salaries; they're also tackling other important benefits, such as healthcare, banking services, and housing. The discussions are expected to reach a conclusion in October, potentially resulting in an increase in salaries.

As of now, the minimum wage in Venezuela is a measly 120 bolivares, which roughly translates to a paltry sum of four bucks a month.

While salaries remain stagnant, there is an alarming increase in COVID cases.

On Friday, the 8th, medical professionals reported a rise in the admission of patients with Coronavirus symptoms to hospitals in Venezuela, despite the World Health Organization declaring the end of the international COVID-19 emergency in May.

Huníades Urbina-Medina, a pediatric intensivist, emphasized the importance of vaccination and the need to reintroduce biosecurity measures, such as mask-wearing and social distancing. He also stresses the importance of seeking medical advice.

Previous official figures recorded over 550,000 infections and over fifty-eight hundred deaths, but suspicions of underreporting suggest that the numbers could be higher.

Deaths are decreasing.

On Sunday, the 10th, Tarek William Saab, Venezuela's Attorney General, announced a significant decrease in homicides in the country

He revealed that the Public Ministry said that from twenty seventeen to twenty twenty-two homicides decreased by 63%.

On Tuesday 12th, the ABC portal, which has no connection to the Spanish newspaper of the same name, ran a news article about the alleged death of Tareck El Aissami, the former Minister of Petroleum embroiled in the Pdvsa-Cripto corruption scandal.

The portal relied on unofficial sources who claimed that El Aissami had passed away under mysterious circumstances, citing "health complications" as the cause. Nevertheless, there hasn't been any official confirmation or denial of this news by Maduro’s government. El Aissami's whereabouts have remained a mystery since he left Maduro's administration in March.

Reggaeton fans, get ready to party because reggaeton star, Eladio Carreon, is all set to turn up the heat on the 24th of September, with an electrifying concert in the heart of Caracas!

With his chart-toppers like Si la Calle Llama and Coco Chanel, Carreon guarantees a night packed with unstoppable beats and boundless energy.

Mark your calendars - this is an event you can't miss!

And that’s it for this week! But don’t leave, we have something very important to tell you.

These past few weeks we have been telling you that, even though we have been doing these updates for a while, the number of listeners isn’t increasing. We need to get those numbers up to keep doing the show.

We need a bigger audience, so we need your help. Tell as many people as you can about these updates, your friends, your teachers, your students, people who need to practice their English, people who are curious about what’s going on in Venezuela. Tell everyone you know about us.

You can also post about us on social media with the link to the Venezuelan Update, it would really help.

Please, if you want to tell us how to get more listeners we are all ears. Contact us by sending us an email at venezuela@rorshok.com or a DM via Instagram @rorshokvenezuela or Twitter @rorshok_VEN.

Sorry for the bad news, hope we can stay with you!

Adios.