Caracas Chronicles

Photo: El Tiempo, retrieved.

Caretaker President Juan Guaidó signed an eight-item agreement with the student movement assembled in the Venezuelan Students Federation (Confev.) The agreement includes appointing an Education Commissioner in his cabinet who can stop the intervention of universities; integrating universities in the end of usurpation process; debating a reform of the Law of Universities and creating a fund for university education, independent from the State. The Cofev demanded more collaboration from Guaidó to stop violations to university autonomy. Perhaps revving the engines for Saturday, PNB and GNB officers sprayed gas on the students, stopping them from marching. Savages. 

Recession

During the third quarter, the national economy contracted 43% compared to the same period last year, according to the AN, which makes it similar to Guatemala, with a GDP of less than $70,000 million. Inflation in the last 12 months has been 24,312% and in October prices rose 20.7%. Deputy Ángel Alvarado said that “industries and businesses that still stand after nationalization policy are devastated by hyperinflation.” In addition, according to Sudeban, the credit for national banking is around $258.71 million in September, an 81.11% contraction that affects the economy. This credit contraction in 2019 is explained by the legal reserve: hyperinflation lost speed, but it shrunk the productive apparatus. 

The Miserable Role of Fearmongers 

Starting with the story of a FAES raid in the Barrio Kennedy (Petare,) Reuters published a report that took them four months, and summarizes the commonly denounced lethality of this “elite” group, presenting discrepancies among the official version and those from neighbors and families and the indicators reiterating the FAES extrajudicial executions methods: beating or torturing the person, altering the crime scene to simulate gunfire and looting the victims’ homes. FAES is an instrument of control in the slums. The UN asked Maduro to dissolve it and he cheered for them: “Long live FAES!” Before you read the piece, have some tea. 

The Non Country 

– Nurses unions started a 48-hour strike. Ana Rosario Contreras, president of the Nurses Association of Caracas, said that 80% of nurses in Venezuela won’t provide their services. 

– Cantv workers protested for the fractioned payments, low wages, poor working conditions and corruption in the company. They announced progressive strikes from Thursday. 

– The mutiny in the Centro Penitenciario de Táchira is because of hunger: “Inmates are demanding food, because they’ve gone for 48 hours without a meal,” said the president of the Venezuelan Observatory of Prisons, Carolina Girón. 

– Latin America and the Caribbean registered record figures of dengue fever, said PAHO. Until October, 2.7 million dengue cases had been reported,13% more than 2015, when the most recent epidemic of this disease happened. There are no figures on Venezuela, which makes us even more vulnerable, because it’s a country where we all store water. 

– UN agencies estimate that treating Venezuelan migrants will cost 17 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean $1,350 million. 

Nicolás’s Steady Hand

This morning, the Ceofan decried an alleged breach of Venezuelan airspace, from an RC135 plane coming from the U.S., according to them, to spy. Coincidentally, Nicolás’s variety show took place at Expo Criminalística, where he said he “won’t tolerate the criminal groups coming from Colombia and infesting our country with violence,” a thesis that contradicts Senator Rick Scott’s. He assures that “Maduro is a drug trafficker and is supporting terrorist groups that impact Colombia.” Nicolás asked military and police officers to defend the country’s stability “no matter the price.” He also threatened Guaidó: “If this man crosses the line, there will be justice and legality in this country, we won’t hesitate.” Earlier, Chief of the U.S. South Command Craig Faller said that “Maduro is enabling drug trafficking, that’s why he has increased entry and exit from Venezuela by 50%.” 

Russia with Jeanine

Russian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Serguéi Riabkov said they recognize interim President Jeanine Áñez until the presidential election. From Brasilia, Vladimir Putin called the situation in Bolivia “anarchic” and compared it to Libya, because there’s no “political leadership” and said that the country is on the verge of chaos. However, Jeanine Añez’s interim government installed a negotiation roundtable with MAS congresspeople (Evo’s party) to pacify the country. The agreement puts peace in the country first, guaranteeing governability and holding elections that guarantee the next government’s legitimacy. 

Añez expects there’ll be an elected government before February and said that Evo Morales won’t be allowed to run, that’s why she suggested MAS to “start looking for a candidate.” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres appointed Jean Arnault as his envoy to mediate between the political forces and find a peaceful solution to the crisis. The crisis continues, the ferocity of Evo’s supporters has been crucial. Today, troops moved to support the police in La Paz. Communications Minister Roxana Lizárraga said that from the embassies of Cuba and Venezuela there’s only been disinformation and promotion of violence among Bolivians. The case of an Argentine journalist who called a Bolivian woman “trashed” was so relevant, that even the Argentine Foreing Minister demanded authorities to protect Argentine media in Bolivian territory. 

Applause! 

C4 Trío and Luis Enrique won a Latin Grammy for their album Tiempo Al Tiempo. Rodner Padilla also won for Sirena, in the same album. Luis Enrique’s acceptance speech was impeccable. He dedicated the award to Nicaragua “still fighting for freedom, still fighting for sovereignty, to all the mothers of students who have been cruelly murdered since last April. Nicaragua is still at war, even if they want to make it look otherwise. Nicaragua is still fighting to be truly free.” In addition, Luis Enrique dedicated the award to “every Venezuelan family that has had to leave their country, every caminante who we’ve already dedicated our video ‘Añoranza,’ we’re with you. You’re not alone. To freedom in Venezuela and to peace in our countries.” Even though the Ni Fú Ni Fá didn’t win, Los Amigos Invisibles did, they got the Latin Grammy to Best Alternative Song for Tócamela and Nella won Best New Artist.