US Lifts Sanctions Imposed on Rotondaro & more –3rd Aug 2023

Buenos días from BA! This is the Rorshok Venezuela Update from the 3rd of August twenty twenty-three A quick summary of what's going down in Venezuela.

On Friday the 28th, the US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control lifted economic and political sanctions on Carlos Rotondaro, Venezuela's former health minister, making him the first chavista to have sanctions removed.

In twenty eighteen, a deputy from the opposition-majority Parliament accused him of embezzling at least one hundred million dollars. Following this, Rotondaro defected and sought refuge in Colombia, where he exposed irregularities in Venezuela's healthcare system.

Then, in twenty nineteen, he was removed from his position as Minister of Health by the Maduro government.

Four years after the removal of Rotondaro, Maduro finally decided to take control of the health system. On Thursday the 27th, he approved a "special plan" to give scholarships to students in different medical fields in countries like China, Russia, and India.

During a graduation ceremony at the University of Health Sciences Hugo Chávez, Maduro pledged to establish a free healthcare system of “high quality” for the Venezuelan people.

While no details were provided about the number of approved scholarships or the application process, in May, Venezuela and Russia discussed awarding Venezuelan citizens two hundred scholarships to study in Russian universities starting from the next academic year.

From scholarships to oil trade, India and Venezuela strengthen their relationship.

On Wednesday, the 2nd, Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s Vice President, traveled to India to establish new trade alliances. She participated in a conclave between India and Latin America and the Caribbean countries, where she met with high-ranking officials of the Indian government.

During her visit, she discussed strategies to double bilateral trade in the next five years and further diversify commerce between the two countries. Venezuela expressed great interest in increasing oil exports to India, as India used to be its second-largest customer until U.S. economic sanctions impacted imports.

Is Venezuela ready to export more oil? Apparently not.

On Saturday the 29th, four refineries in Venezuela started operating after six years of facing operational issues caused by a lack of investment for their maintenance. However, even with this recovery, the refineries are not running at their full capacity and are currently producing between 110,000 and 150,000 barrels of fuel daily.

According to Iván Freites, the Secretary of Professionals and Technicians of the Unitary Federation of Venezuelan Oil Workers, the country has not fully met the fuel domestic market demand and aims to reach a capacity between 220,000 and 240,000 barrels per day.

In twenty twenty, in response to fuel shortages and long queues at gas stations, PDVSA started efforts to reactivate the country's refineries.

Now, let’s talk about the most recent updates of the opposition elections.

On Thursday the 27th, the National Primary Commission (or CNP) made a significant move in its organizational process by accepting the resignation of María Uzcátegui, an opposition member. The CNP also unanimously approved the appointment of the well-known lawyer, Mildred Camero, also from the opposition ranks, as their new vice president.

During the CNP's press conference, President Jesús María Casal also announced that there will be three thousand five hundred voting centers for the opposition elections.

Speaking of the CNP, on Sunday the 30th, the Commission announced that they will support disqualified candidates who win the opposition elections on October 22nd, aiming to help them become eligible for the presidential elections in twenty twenty-four.

During an interview, Casal said that the registration of Venezuelans abroad is just for voting in the primaries, not for the presidential elections. Over 300,000 Venezuelans living abroad will be eligible to vote in the primaries, with thirteen candidates currently registered.

The process of selecting the opposition's unitary candidate is still underway, and the Commission will provide more details for the October primaries soon.

Heatwave alert! On Sunday the 30th, Meteorologist Luis Vargas issued a warning about a significant temperature surge in Venezuela starting on the 20th of August until September. The country will experience temperatures up to four degrees Celsius higher than usual levels as the sun's rays will be directly overhead, intensifying the heat.

Moreover, the climatic phenomenon El Niño will also impact the country, leading to reduced rainfall in August and September. Given these conditions, Vargas advises the public to stay properly hydrated, and avoid outdoor activities during the hottest hours of the day.

In other news, on Sunday the 30th, on World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Maduro's regime is grappling with challenges in combating human trafficking. The government has not released reports on human trafficking over the last two years, making it difficult to accurately quantify the number of victims.

The UN has raised concerns in the past about delays in implementing a national plan to combat trafficking.

However, the government has acknowledged the growing problem and set up a council to address it.

Women and girls, who are especially vulnerable, face a high risk of sexual exploitation.

While efforts are already underway, more decisive action is needed

Good news! On Wednesday the 2nd, more than one hundred scientists gathered in Maracaibo to address the contamination of the Maracaibo Lake waters.

Maracaibo Governo presided over the meeting, which focused on finding solutions to counter the alarming pollution affecting the lake. As part of the government's rescue and conservation efforts, the meeting brought together specialists from the Zulia region to discuss concerns related to oil spills and awareness campaigns aimed at keeping the Lake clean.

During the meeting, experts presented topics like cyanobacteria's impact on the lake, with the goal of designing an immediate action plan and a strategic roadmap to urgently rescue Lake Maracaibo.

Now, an incident that could have been avoided.

On Thursday the 27th, a three-story building in Caracas collapsed due to heavy recent rains, leaving one hundred people without a home. Thankfully, the quick action of the firefighters managed to evacuate the families just in the nick of time, preventing any injuries or fatalities.

The building, located near the historic Páez bridge, had been compromised since nineteen ninety-nine. In the past, a civil engineer suggested demolishing high-risk structures and rebuilding homes or using the space for city development, but the authorities ignored the advice.

Fast forward to today, the mayor announced that they're now working on a controlled demolition plan and are also looking into disconnecting the building from the bridge.

Latam Airlines returns to Venezuela! On Tuesday the 7th, the airline resumed its operations in the country, offering daily flights between Caracas and Lima. This marks the first direct flight from Peru to Caracas in seven years.

Juan Teixeira, Venezuela's President of the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics, expressed a warm welcome to the inaugural flight on Twitter. He emphasized the significance of strengthening the aviation sector to support the country's economy.

Peru's Ambassador to Venezuela also praised the resumption of flights and said it was a significant step towards restoring regular travel between the two nations.

Let’s dive into sports news! The Venezuelan Football Federation officially granted exclusive rights to the channel Televen to broadcast the matches of the Men's National Team during the South American Qualifiers twenty twenty-three-twenty twenty-six on free-to-air television for the entire national territory.

On Saturday the 29th, Venezuela's fencing team secured a historic bronze medal at the World Fencing Championship in Milan. They won a thrilling match against South Korea with a score of 45-44, setting the stage for the twenty twenty-four Paris Olympic Games. This victory marks Venezuela's first time on the podium in a Fencing World Championship.

The team, composed of Rubén Limardo, Jesús Limardo, Francisco Limardo, and Gabriel Lugo, showcased their skills by previously defeating Spain and Hungary in the competition. However, they encountered a setback in the semifinals, losing to Italy.

Aaaaand that’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

Do you want to know more about us? Head over to our website with the link in our show notes. Over there you can also check out how to contact and support us.

¡Hasta la próxima!