Venezuela Update –Maduro supports Russia & more –11th May 2023

th of May: 2023

On Thursday the 4th, Maduro spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin to express his support and solidarity after the recent drone attacks on the Kremlin.

In a tweet, he conveyed the Venezuelan people's support of Russia in the face of the terrorist attack.

According to Maduro, the two leaders also discussed the importance of deepening bilateral cooperation between the countries.

As of now, Putin seems to be alright and he's already back in his office. However, Moscow is blaming Ukraine for the attack.

Speaking of people that are now safe….

On Sunday the 7th, Yván Gil, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, announced that more than one hundred Venezuelan citizens who had been stranded at the border between Chile and Peru, had safely returned to Venezuela through the Plan Vuelta a la Patria.

The program, implemented by the Maduro administration, aims to reunite Venezuelan families and ensure the secure repatriation of national migrants who are at risk in other countries.

In more international news, on Wednesday the 10th, US authorities announced that diplomat Francisco Palmieri will replace James Story as the US Ambassador to Venezuela.

Palmieri, who currently serves as the US Ambassador to Colombia, will take on the role of leading the US government's relationship with Venezuela.

The news was posted as a short statement on the US Embassy in Venezuela's website. According to the statement, Palmieri will continue as Ambassador to Colombia while handling his new responsibilities.

Although it's unclear why Story was removed from the position, the US government expressed appreciation for his work in the role.

Speaking of the US, on Sunday the 7th, the Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Ministry demanded that the United States investigate the deaths of eight Venezuelan migrants who were killed after being run over at a bus stop.

In a statement, the Ministry expressed condolences and urged US authorities to investigate the incident thoroughly and rule out any hate or xenophobia-related intentions towards the Venezuelan people. They also stated that such incidents are part of a culture of violence and intolerance promoted by extremist sectors of US politics.

Following this news, Martin Sandoval, the spokesperson for the Brownsville Police Department, announced that the driver who caused the accident was found to be under the influence of various drugs, such as cocaine, marijuana, and anxiety medication.

Despite this revelation, the precise levels of these substances in his system were not revealed, making it challenging to ascertain whether the driver acted deliberately or not.

Next up, on Thursday the 4th, the United States Department of State unblocked $347 million dollars belonging to Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, which had been inaccessible since Guaidó's departure as interim president.

�s authorization allowing the: 2015

PDVSA's consolidated financial debt increased to $34.800 billion dollars last year, mainly due to loans. After US financial sanctions were imposed, PDVSA ceased fulfilling its obligations to bondholders and other creditors.

However, Maduro wasn't happy about this news at all.

On the same day, he went on to accuse the Biden administration of betraying Venezuela. He claimed that the decision to release the funds to the opposition was a “massive robbery of Venezuela's assets.”

Just a few days earlier, representatives from twenty countries had gathered in Bogotá to discuss the resumption of negotiations in Mexico for free elections in Venezuela and the lifting of sanctions on political leaders in the country.

The thing is, the funds were meant to go to the Chavista government, not the opposition. But the US decided to give the money to the opposition instead, because the sanctions against the Chavista administration haven't been lifted yet.

While Maduro is still unhappy with his all-time enemy, the United States, Guaido seems to be cozying up to some new friends in the States.

On Friday the 5th, Guaidó met with Juan González, the White House special advisor for Latin America, and Brian Nichols, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs, to discuss the need to pressure the Maduro government to return to the Mexico process and to maintain the demand for free elections in Venezuela.

While Guaidó is in exile, Voluntad Popular wasted no time in replacing him.

On Friday the 5th, the opposition party Voluntad Popular appointed Freddy Superlano as their standard-bearer for the upcoming Venezuelan presidential elections, replacing Guaidó who previously held the position.

d a presidential candidate in: 2012

nd of October,: 2023

Moving on, on Friday, the 5th,the National Police for Corruption arrested Coronel Oscar Albis Dávila Rondón, former president of Bariven and PDVSA Industrial.

Dávila had a significant role in the operations of the state-owned company and the production of oil processing industries.

According to Tarek William Saab, Venezuela's attorney general, Dávila is part of a corruption case within the Chavismo movement.

On the 17th of March, the police launched an operation to apprehend those responsible for embezzlement. So far, sixty-three people have been arrested and accused of involvement in this scheme, mainly related to the state oil company PDVSA.

However, Dávila was not the only Chavista arrested last week.

On Thursday the 4th, the Venezuelan Public Prosecutor's Office requested the National Bolivarian Intelligence Service (SEBIN) to arrest Ernesto Paraqueima, the mayor of El Tigre.

The authorities accused Paraqueima of promoting and inciting hatred during his radio show, where he criticized a mural painted by children with autism spectrum disorder, describing the artwork as "horrible" and ordering its repainting.

The Venezuelan Attorney General has accused Paraqueima of inciting hatred, the suicide of homeless individuals, and attacking merchants.

Following Paraqueima's arrest, on the same day, Lilys Osuna, former president of the municipal council of El Tigre, was sworn in as the new mayor of the city in an extraordinary session.

Meanwhile, Ana Garcia, who previously served as the vice president of the Municipal Chamber, has temporarily assumed the presidency for the next forty-eight hours until a new board is elected.

Exciting news from the baseball world!

rformance at the start of the: 2023

Not only has Acuña been leading the league in hits, runs, stolen bases, and total bases, but he's also proving that this could be a major turning point for him after battling through injuries in the past.

And rumor has it that Acuña Jr. could even join the elite club of players who've achieved forty home runs and forty stolen bases during their career. Projections suggest he's well on his way there!

It's not just baseball that Venezuela is good at!

On Sunday the 7th, Daniel Dhers, the Venezuelan cyclist, totally crushed it at the Pan American BMX Freestyle Cycling Championship in Asuncion, Paraguay, and brought home the gold medal! He was up against the world's best cyclists, but he came out on top!

Dhers also mentioned how stoked he was about the growing popularity of this sport in Latin America.

Now, he's gearing up for the X-Games happening in Tokyo, Japan, from the 12th of May to the 14th. Can't wait to see him crush it again!

Good news!

On Wednesday the 10th, Venezuelan artist Miguel Braceli just scored a major commission in the Big Apple! The Percent for Art Program in New York has asked him to create a permanent public artwork on the waterfront in Staten Island.

His project is called "Fabulated Ecosystems," and it's all about combining nature with US symbols to encourage discussions about the important stuff - geopolitical structures, migration, and social conflicts related to displacement, xenophobia, and immigration. Talk about making art that matters!

Aaaand that's it for this week! Have you checked our website? Over there you can find more about us, how to contact us, and support us. Link to it in the show notes!

¡Hasta la próxima!