Caracas Chronicles

While Maduro speaks, a strange situation is developing outside the National Assembly. 

Vicepresident

• Aristóbulo Istúriz – Anzoategui State Governor and old time Causa R organizer made Vice-President. Very bright guy. Total extremist, of course.

New Economic Cabinet:

• New Economics Vicepresident (without portfolio) – Luis Salas (Total nutter. Read his proposals – if you have the stomach for it – here.)
• Banking and Finance – Rodolfo Medina (former UCV econ professor, former head of research for the Banco de Venezuela, former National Budget Director – Utter unknown. An actual economist for once. Apparently understands econometrics, which should help.)
• Tourism – Marleny Contreras (again)
• Oil Ministry + PDVSA – Eulogio del Pino (keeps his old job)
• Industry and Commerce – Miguel Pérez Abad (Longtime government yes-man)
• Foreign Trade and International Investment – Jesús Faría (Outgoing A.N. member, lost to José Guerra. At least a proponent of exchange rate unification.)
• Agricultural and Lands – Comander Castro Sotel
• Fish and Fisheries – Admiral Ángel Belisario (Now we’re talking priorities!)
• Urban Agriculture – Enma Ortega (Se nota que lo que faltaba era ministerios…)
• Sovereignty and Food Safety – Rodolfo Marco Torres (He’s out of Finance! Hallelujah!)
• Planning Minister and Vice-President: Ricardo Menéndez

New Social Cabinet:

• VP for Social Area, and Minister for University Education, Science and Technology – Jorge Arreaza.
• Health – Luisana Melo
• Education – Rodulfo Pérez
• Women – Gladys Requena (again)
• Indigenous People – Clara Vidal (again)
• Prisons Service – Iris Varela (again)
• Culture – Freddy Ñáñez
• Youth and Sport – Mervin Maldonado (will need to leave his AN seat)
• Labour – Osvaldo Vera

Other posts

• Foreign Affairs/VP for “Political Sovereignty” – Delcy Rodríguez (again)
• Interior – Mayor General Gustavo Enrique González López (Again)
• Defense – Padrino López (again!!! – #quebolasestavaina)
• Telecoms – Desirée Santos Amaral
• Communications and Information (a.k.a., Propaganda) – Luis José Marcano
• Borders – Izquierdo Torres
• Transport and Public Works (What we used to call Infrastructure, right?) – Luis Sauce
• Housing – Miguel Quevedo
• Electric System – Luis Alfredo Motta Dominguez
• Ecosocialism and Water (You can’t make this stuff up!) – Ernesto Taiba
• Caracas Parallel Government – Daniel Aponte

8:03 – What Venezuela needs now is more billboards advertising public works. Oh brother. Plus a piropo for Marcos Pérez Jiménez. Lo que faltaba. 

7:55 p.m. – Starts threatening Televen and – wait for it – Globovision. (?!?!?) Diosdado won’t like that.

7:18 p.m. – “Cilia and I have 50 laying hens at home. And a rooster.” !?!?!?!??!? In Miraflores? Now onto plan caraota and the pachamama…holy cow!

7:03 p.m. – Luis Salas made Economy Tsar. This is very bad – the death knell of any sliver of a chance of reform. Much more on him very soon.