Caracas Chronicles

For Wednesday, September 7, 2016. Translated by Javier Liendo.

The National Assembly’s delegate Committee approved this Tuesday the start of the second term of ordinary plenaries for September 15th in Margarita (Nueva Esparta state,) because of the Non Aligned Countries Summit to be held there, opening the possibility to explain Parliament’s work to foreign delegations.

Decisions and detentions

Lawmaker Delsa Solórzano explained that the Supreme Tribunal of Justice’s decision that invalidates all of the AN’s acts while they remain in contempt of the Constitutional Chamber’s decisions, is irrelevant, because the TSJ lacks legitimacy and violates the Constitution. Besides, this decision’s obviously meant to aggravate the war between State powers. She also spoke about the detention of Alejandro Puglia, head of the Monitoring Office of the AN’s Presidency, saying that “he’s in prison only for flying a toy.” Henry Ramos Allup restated that six out of the Constitutional Chamber’s seven justices don’t fulfill the requirements to occupy their offices, and added that the coup d’Etat denounced by SEBIN chief González López is laughable: “I’m not conspiring, this government doesn’t deserve conspiracies, because they plot against themselves.” Imagine what he would’ve said if he’d heard Interior minister Reverol speaking about confiscated explosives and weapons in Apure and Portuguesa “to carry out destabilizing actions in the country.”

Waiting for Sandra and Tibisay

CNE rectora Tania D’amelio wrote on Twitter: “Democratic debate in Venezuela involves 67 political parties, 62 of which are pending renewal.” But her colleague Socorro Hernández elaborated more, indicating that the schedule for the 20% Signature Collection Drive to activate the referendum will be presented between September 14th and 16th. Hernández remarked that all CNE offices will be closed today as a security measure, referring to the MUD’s actions as part of a political agenda that seeks to pressure them: “There are sectors playing with a violent agenda, disregarding the electoral institution and its authorities, and we can’t tolerate that.” Take note: any alteration of the public order or instigation to violence will cause the referendum’s immediate shutdown.

Rodríguez Zapatero

“There’s better disposition for dialogue in Venezuela,” he said in his first statements. Surely the same disposition to create a government coalition in Spain. He’ll supposedly meet with government and opposition representatives, and was careful about confirming the presence of representatives from the Catholic Church: “I’ve insisted that these two months of September and October should help us strengthen dialogue.” According to him, there’s more predisposition to achieve the goal. The guy who has always said that he comes to help and not interfere, attributed the Takeover of Caracas’s peaceful development to himself.

Dialogue, you say?

Diosdado Cabello showcased his brilliant deduction powers. If the scale of opposition protests maintains a rising pattern (from 6 hours to 8, 12 and 24,) they will surely call for a national strike and then: “Any company that suspends activities will be taken over by the people!,” he euphorically yelled in Acarigua, Portuguesa state, in one of his campaign events, where he remarked that even though they managed to contain the previous coup d’Etat, everyone should remain alert because that was just a phase. He thinks the AN’s already fallen, but as a lawmaker, he sadly has one the worst non-attendance records. Note this, Zapatero: “They can cry, squeal or beg, but they will never run this country again (…) Maduro’s not going anywhere and you will never come back, carajo!.” That’s pure predisposition to achieve the goal.

The peaceful one

Elías Jaua proved yesterday why he’ll never be governor. On top of all the idiocy he spouted about the Takeover of Caracas and his insult against Voluntad Popular, calling them “a machine to exercise violence and terror,” Jaua claimed that elections would only worsen the political crisis. “Nobody’s going to acknowledge anyone’s victory here at this point (…) whoever wins won’t open a period of political stability.” So, although chavismo doesn’t fear the recall referendum, there should be a dialogue to achieve recognition and political stability. That’s why José Serra, Brazil’s Foreign Affairs minister, said yesterday: “I think the Venezuelan regime doesn’t deserve any kind of respect, because it’s an anti-democratic regime that ruined the country.”

Repression with good health

With the excuse of talking about the Barrio Adentro mission, Nicolás imposed a cadena to launch threats, claiming that the opposition has “enough political room and freedom to do as they please,” an idea he linked to the Legislative Branch’s shutdown in the country, remarking that the opposition wants power to self-destroy it. He just wanted to say that he’ll face “conspiracies, plots and terrorism” with intelligence (SEBIN,) justice (his lapdog tribunals) and mobilizations (of his security bodies.) He claimed to be ready to fight in any context, but that apparently doesn’t include elections.

He celebrated the recently opened Barrio Adentro consultation offices, but forgot to speak about the shortage of supplies, medicines, water and electricity. Health minister Luisana Melo only spoke about the conceptual and ideological change planned for the revolution. Nicolás mentioned three points about Barrio Adentro:

– There have been 778,797,909 consultations since 2003.

– There have been 32,410,126 consultations in 2016 until July.

– There were 8,000 “simultaneous” consultations yesterday all over the country.

He approved Bs. 499 million for the University of Sciences and Health, thanks to what he calls SENIAT’s extraordinary tax collection, but that the rest of the country knows as Inflation.

Economy and business

The Spanish “economist” Alfredo Serrano Mancilla lasted three days in the Command of Sovereign Supply, according to Official Gazette N° 40,977 published this Tuesday. If only the government got rid of all the incompetents who control the economy that way, but there we had Eulogio Del Pino dancing in one leg for Russia’s and Saudi Arabia’s meeting -as if Venezuela’s oil production wasn’t dropping-, while the inflation rate was estimated at 331.9% and the national consumer price index, at 26.9% for August, 2016. Additionally, the Central Bank established new fees for banking transactions (the previous ones were valid for only two months) and the government approved new authorizations to sell various imported food products. A whiff of supply at jaw-dropping prices.

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Journalist and former mayor of Caracas, Alfredo Peña, died yesterday in Miami. He was 72 years old.