Trump Wanted to Invade Venezuela & more –15th June 2023

Buenos días from BA! This is the Rorshok Venezuela Update from the 15th of June twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Venezuela.

On Saturday the 10th, Donald Trump, the former US President, criticized the policies of the Biden administration on Venezuela, accusing them of enriching the Maduro government.

In a viral video, he said that when he left office, Venezuela was on the verge of collapse and suggested the US could have taken Venezuelan oil through invasion.

However, his speech was called into question both from Americans and Venezuelans. During his administration, tough policies were implemented, including sanctions on key Chavista leaders like Maduro, Cabello, and El Aissami, who were associated with drug trafficking. Significant rewards were offered for their arrest.

As expected, on Monday the 12th, President Maduro rejected Trump's statements and labeled them as a crime against humanity committed towards the Venezuelan people. Maduro accused Trump of admitting his guilt in these crimes and said that the goal of imperialism was to seize Venezuela's wealth, particularly its oil.

Despite the criticisms and accusations, Maduro reassured that Venezuela would remain determined to build an independent nation and strive for new economic prosperity.

And in a surprising turn of events, while Maduro expressed concerns about alleged crimes against humanity committed by Trump, it was the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (or ICC) who paid a visit to Maduro for the same reason.

On Thursday, the 8th, Karim Khan, the Chief Prosecutor of the ICC, held a meeting with Maduro in Venezuela, marking his third visit to the country. However, no statements were released following the meeting.

Following this news, on Friday the 9th, Maduro and Khan signed a memorandum of understanding in Caracas, in order to establish an office in Venezuela to pursue investigations into the abuses allegedly committed by Venezuelan authorities.

After the memorandum was signed, Maduro and Khan held a press conference at the Miraflores Palace. Khan emphasized the importance of close collaboration to ensure Venezuela fulfills its obligations under the Rome Statute, a treaty that has the power to exercise jurisdiction over individuals for the most serious crimes of international significance.

The ICC is currently investigating crimes against humanity that have taken place in Venezuela since twenty seventeen. However, in twenty twenty-one, Venezuelan judges requested that the investigation be halted, and it remained on hold until twenty twenty-two.

In more international news, on Monday, the 12th, Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi embarked on a visit to Venezuela as part of his tour of Latin America.

During his visit, the aim was to strengthen the friendship and cooperation ties between the two countries, particularly in areas such as oil, economy, and science.

Both nations will also explore potential collaborations in sectors like the export of technical and engineering workforce.

The relations between Iran and Venezuela have grown stronger, especially when Venezuela faced a gasoline shortage in twenty twenty and sought assistance from Iran for fuel supply.

Meanwhile, amidst these diplomatic developments, Maduro has been busy spearheading communal projects.

On Thursday the 8th, Maduro signed a reform to the Social Comptrollership Law, providing support to 2,000 communal projects.

During the National Congress of Direct Experiences of Popular Power Management, Maduro placed great emphasis on the significance of direct democracy and grassroots leadership and urged governors and mayors to actively govern with Communal Councils.

In his speech, Maduro actively promoted the twenty twent-three Communal Planting Plan, which aims to recover natural spaces. He also highlighted the ongoing works in the Ruezga Norte Commune, which include the installation of streetlights, the replacement of sewage pipes, and the rehabilitation of walkways.

In other news, Diosdado Cabello, the first vice president of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (or PSUV), raised concerns on Thursday the 8th about Venezuelans residing in the United States since they could be deprived of their voting rights. According to Cabello, opposition leaders are to blame for this situation, as their votes cast abroad are deemed invalid due to the lack of diplomatic relations between Venezuela and the United States.

Cabello underscored the importance of having an embassy in place to oversee the voting process. During his television program Con El Mazo Dando, he emphasized that without such oversight, there is no guarantee for the protection of voting rights.

Speaking of the opposition elections, on Thursday the 8th, Andrés Caleca, former president of Ferrominera del Orinoco and the National Electoral Council, officially launched his candidacy for the opposition primary in Venezuela. His goal is to defeat Maduro in the upcoming elections.

Caleca proposed recovering the country's productive, financial, and infrastructure systems, and public services. He advocated for unity and emphasized the need to actively reestablish institutionalism, while highlighting the crucial role of the National Armed Forces in defending sovereignty.

Next up, on Monday the 12th, Alvaro Ledo Nass, a former general counsel of Petroleos de Venezuela SA o PDVSA, was sentenced to three years in a Miami prison for his participation in a government racket and money-laundering scheme.

Nass confessed to accepting $11 million dollars in bribes and has been ordered to repay the money.

The scheme involved the use of illicit loan contracts within PDVSA, leading to the embezzlement of billions of dollars.

The primary money-laundering operation included offshore transfers and the involvement of accomplices based in the United States.

In other news, on Wednesday, the 14th, social activists in Caracas organized a forum called Lawfare against Venezuela: Three years of the kidnapping of diplomat Alex Saab. During the event, the attendees had the opportunity to listen to an audio message sent by Alex Saab, a Venezuelan diplomat who is currently imprisoned in Miami.

In his message, Saab expressed his gratitude for the presence of the audience and highlighted the significance of confronting "lawfare," which refers to the misuse of legal processes for political persecution.

Saab concluded his message by making a heartfelt plea on behalf of all political prisoners and their families. He called upon governments to prioritize the lives of these individuals and address their suffering.

But while activists in Caracas rallied against "lawfare" and advocated for political prisoners' rights, activists in Amazonas state fought for environmental protection.

On Friday the 9th, activists working to protect the environment and uphold the rights of indigenous peoples in Amazonas state submitted a document to Alfredo Ruiz, the defender of indigenous peoples. The document urged him to address the issue of armed groups and illegal mining in the indigenous territories of the autonomous municipality of Autana.

Narcisa Pereira, spokesperson for the indigenous peoples, emphasized the need to secure greater support from the government. She highlighted that indigenous settlements located deep in the jungle are under siege by miners.

Despite their efforts to seek assistance for over three months, they have not received any response.

Moving on, on Thursday the 8th, during the lively festivities of Corpus Christi, Yare’s city burst with joy as it marked the 274th anniversary of the Diablos Danzantes, a popular Venezuelan religious festival celebrating the last Supper.

With Cardinal Baltazar Porras leading the way, the event became a vibrant showcase, emphasizing the significance of the Diablos Danzantes as a symbol of justice and equity.

The Diablos Danzantes unleashed their energetic cultural and religious dance, captivating the crowd with their mesmerizing moves. The exhilarating Corpus Christi event reached its grand finale with a jubilant procession and the enchanting melody of ringing church bells.

Fun fact, the Diablos Danzantes are recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, representing the oldest brotherhood in the Americas.

Good news! On Saturday, the 10th of June, Javier Castellano etched his name in history by winning the 155th edition of the Belmont Stakes, one of the most esteemed horse racing events in the United States. This remarkable victory made him the first Venezuelan to conquer this prestigious race.

Guiding the horse Arcangelo, Castellano secured his triumph at Belmont Park in New York. With a remarkable performance, he completed the 2,400-meter race in an impressive time of 149.1 seconds.

Despite his previous participation in the Belmont Stakes on at least fourteen occasions, Castellano achieved a positive outcome.

And that's it for this week. Another quick question. How are we doing on bias? Ax grinding? We try to be independent and stick to the facts and context with favor and fear of none. How are we doing? So do we seem even a teensy bit biased? Tell us at venezuela@rorshok.com

¡Hasta la próxima!