Briefing

The Regime Calls Returning Venezuelans “Biological Weapons”

Michelle Bachelet reiterates that Venezuela is under constant international scrutiny and asks for sanctions to be removed during the pandemic. The total of coronavirus cases increased to 882

Naky Soto

Photo: France24

  • The number-two man from Zulia’s illegitimate government, Lisandro Cabello, called migrants returning to the country “biological weapons,” repeating the practice of  identifying them as part of a strategy by the Colombian government to infect Venezuela. Chavismo blames them for the inevitable spread of the pandemic, making up the “imported cases” category. Only in China could we talk about domestic cases and nobody has called Chinese people “biological weapons.” The name and the issue are used to criminalize. Chavismo, which denied mass emigration, now uses returning Venezuelans for their political conflicts with Colombia and Brazil. Xenophobia against their own countrymen.
  • When she delivered her report, Delcy Rodríguez insisted that the greatest danger in Venezuela was the returning migrants. She mentioned once more that Iván Duque’s intentions were to spread COVID-19 through them and, on Tuesday, 58 new cases were registered for a total of 882: the number of cases in Venezuela doubled in a week. On May 14th, we had 445 cases. Out of 45,905 migrants, 510 have tested positive for COVID-19. She said they had done 697,691 tests.
  • The governor of Zulia insisted: “We have 16 potential cases of coronavirus in Zulia” but they weren’t added to the official figure. 
  • According to the Venezuelan Prison Observatory, 28 inmates have tuberculosis in the 26 de Julio prison, in San Juan de Los Morros, Guárico state.
  • Maduro reiterated the prejudice against returning migrants: “We’re now in battle, a huge battle, against this process coming from Colombia, from Brazil, as General Padrino said, it has shaken the flattened curve.” He repeated that he’ll announce a plan for keeping quarantine with a flexible hour during the day, ignoring everything that happens on the streets, including the new total of cases. “Every points towards positive cases of COVID-19 coming from Colombia and Brazil can increase and the danger is worse,” Nicolás emphasized. 
  • ANC-imposed prosecutor general Tarek William Saab said that 66 people have been detained, and 99 arrest warrants and 17 search warrants and hearings tied to Operation Gedeón have taken place. He said detainees confess and cooperate with everything they know about the operation. That’s how they were able to accuse NGO Futuro Presente, said Saab. 
  • Saab also said that he sent a letter to the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to cooperate in the investigation they’re holding against President Donald Trump’s administration regarding the alleged incursion of Macuto Bay. 
  • Luke Denman, an American citizen captured in Macuto on May 3rd, talked in one of the many videos he’s had to do, about Jordan Goudreau’s victories and Juan Guaidó’s mistakes.
  • On Thursday, the Iranian ambassador to Venezuela Hojjatollah Soltani assured that five Iranian ships would be arriving in a week, and emphasized that there’s been no official reaction by Donald Trump’s government, but the Department of Defense denied they’re planning an operation against tankers: “I’m not aware of any ongoing operation,” said Rath Hoffman, spokesman of the department. He added Iran and Venezuela are violating international sanctions that both countries have on them by doing this transaction and assured that the situation is a “global concern.” Gas hasn’t even made it here and already one of Nicolás’s ministers proposed a plan for segregation: if you are part of the opposition, you must be humiliated. 
  • The fact that Iranian tankers with gas are coming to Venezuela is a new milestone of shame that chavismo has brought upon us. Venezuela once produced enough gas to supply the country and export fuel, so importing Iranian gas is a summary of chavismo’s capacity to destroy: 1.5 million barrels that tankers are bringing is barely half of what we produced in a day 20 years ago. 
  • Diosdado Cabello met the Russian ambassador, Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov, in the Casa Amarilla, headquarters of the Foreign Ministry. Maybe they discussed the UN Security Council meeting… nothing to celebrate, by the way. 
  • Other shortcomings: the Bank of England replied to the Venezuelan Central Bank and its demand to access the gold in its vault. As predicted, the Bank of England said they don’t recognize the authorities appointed by Nicolás. 
  • Josep Borrell taped a video promoting the campaign #JuntosXLosVenezolanos to collect funds for millions of Venezuelan refugees and migrants. 
  • Chavismo created a crisis in the cabinet of Trinidad and Tobago: Delcy’s visit amid the pandemic generated division. The minister of Public Services already resigned because he refused to be part of chavismo’s corruption schemes, said Julio Borges. 
  • UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, reported that Venezuela is under constant international scrutiny regarding human, political and civil rights, including the situation during the pandemic. Bachelet exhorted all countries to suspend sanctions so nations have a way to tackle the pandemic.
Briefing

Naky Soto

Naky gets called Naibet at home and at the bank. She coordinates training programs for an NGO. She collects moments and turns them into words. She has more stories than freckles.

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