Caracas Chronicles

For Wednesday, January 18, 2016. Translated by Javier Liendo.

Érika Faría, who among other things, is now national coordinator for Carnetización de las Misiones (ID Card Issuance for Social Programs,) called this Thursday for citizens to participate in the registry and ID card issuance process “for the homeland” -the most abused word after “people” and “popular”-, in all Plazas Bolívar,  social program offices and Misión Vivienda Venezuela developments. According to her, with this registry they’ll know how much they’ve done and how much they still have to do -I’m not even kidding-, calling it a bold State policy to guarantee social protection. On January 11th, Faría pointed out that the goal was to issue ID cards for fifteen million people. The process will conclude on Sunday, February 5th.

It’s not total discrimination

the Supreme Tribunal of Justice issued a decision -dated December 15th- that allows Venezuelans with dual citizenship to run for the Presidency if they renounce their second nationality

In addition to declaring the Economic Emergency Decree’s constitutionality -what a great surprise-, the Supreme Tribunal of Justice issued a decision -dated December 15th- that allows Venezuelans with dual citizenship to run for the Presidency if they renounce their second nationality. Decision 1,144 of the Constitutional Chamber, written by justice Juan José Mendoza, is the answer to a request for interpretation of article 227 of the Constitution, filed by lawyer Jaime Pájaro on March, 2016, and it says that having the Venezuelan citizenship -solely and exclusively- is an essential condition for anyone who wants to run for public office, urging aspirants to ditch any other citizenship, simple as that. So you can dismiss article 41 of the National Constitution, that little blue book that lies like a prop on top of Nicolás’s desk whenever he speaks.

But they do discriminate with dollars

While Táchira governor José Vielma Mora reported that four new exchange houses will start operating at the border with Colombia, suggesting the importance of opening exchange houses in other parts of the country; Eleonora Blasa, assistant to the chairman of Italcambio, clarified that only residents of Zulia and Táchira are authorized to perform transactions in exchange houses. Vielma Mora also spoke about the subject of gas to remark that 91 octanes should cost Bs. 50/lt and 95 octanes should cost Bs. 80/lt, comparing our prices with those in Colombia, because “the oil industry would benefit” from gas prices as high as they’re in Colombia. How cute.

In the National Assembly

With PSUV seats mostly empty, lawmakers approved the agreement concerning the necessary validity of the right to vote, demanding the government to respect this right, calling the CNE to publish an electoral schedule and urging citizens to demand elections

With PSUV seats mostly empty, lawmakers approved the agreement concerning the necessary validity of the right to vote, demanding the government to respect this right, calling the CNE to publish an electoral schedule and urging citizens to demand elections. They also approved the agreement to demand Human Rights protection for the country’s pensioners and retirees. Despite its lawmakers’ absence and its supporters’ assaults on the Legislative Palace, the PSUV urged the Parliament’s board to respect the Constitution, obey the TSJ’s decisions and rejoin dialogue. The TSJ ordered the Executive Branch to pay National Assembly workers their wages, although they pointed out that everything that’s happening is due to the situation of “desacato”, “which has affected the development of [Parliament’s] authority.”

Against private universities

The Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology and the National Bureau of Fair Prices (SUNDDE,) will review tuition costs for private universities, claiming that they’ll do it in response to complaints made by students who say the price hikes are unjustified. Higher Education minister Hugbel Roa said: “We’re going to see what’s happening with tuition costs,” because it’s astonishing for education costs to rise in a country with a 700% inflation rate, right?

Celli quits

Venezuela’s Apostolic Nuncio, Aldo Giordano, said that Claudio María Celli -the Pope’s envoy for dialogue in Venezuela- won’t visit the country soon and therefore, he won’t participate in any possible meetings set for the next few days. Meanwhile, UNASUR issued a statement, pointing out that the mediators reaffirm their commitment to keep working “to ensure peaceful and democratic cohabitation in Venezuela,” although they’ve actually done nothing, but UNASUR will supposedly bring a proposal to make negotiations more viable. The opposition’s conditions remain the same: institutional respect, the release of political prisoners and an electoral schedule. Pictures of Nicolás in Miraflores accompanied by the former presidents and Mgr. Giordano say a lot about the progress of this recurring exercise on cynicism.

Judge in charge of Lava Jato dies

the light aircraft that was transporting judge Teori Zavascki, responsible for the Lava Jato case in Brazil’s Supreme Court -regarding a web of corruption in the State-run oil company Petrobras, as well as the Odebrecht case-, crashed into the sea two kilometers off the landing strip in Paraty

The most convenient plane crash in recent history. A day after commemorating the death of prosecutor Alberto Nisman, the light aircraft that was transporting judge Teori Zavascki, responsible for the Lava Jato case in Brazil’s Supreme Court -regarding a web of corruption in the State-run oil company Petrobras, as well as the Odebrecht case-, crashed into the sea two kilometers off the landing strip in Paraty. Rescue teams confirmed that the plane had four passengers. They’ve located three bodies so far.

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Our everyday depreciation: the Simadi exchange rate keeps rising. It closed at Bs. 679.43 this Thursday.