Briefing

Nurses Are Dying, Too

The WHO has highlighted the need to protect all health workers, something Venezuela hasn’t done; The trial of former Citgo executives is about to re-open; Cape Verde hopes that the extradition process of Alex Saab isn't a reason to damage its relations with Venezuela

Naky Soto

Photo: Tradewinds Market

  • The Nurses’ Collegiate of Caracas has counted seven dead nurses and over 80 with symptoms suggesting COVID-19, said the president of the association Ana Rosario Contreras. On Wednesday, the WHO emphasized that countries must prioritize the wellbeing of health workers in the frontlines. Contreras denounced that there are nurses who never got back the results of their PCR tests, like Keila Molaya, who died in Zulia. And since there are no test results, they don’t count in the official figures.The cases increase because health workers lack the personal protection gear and most times have to reuse what they have, which multiplies the risks. Contreras says there aren’t enough kits to diagnose COVID-19 in the country. She also mentions the low wages and the lack of protocols to dispose of the bodies of infected patients. 
  • On Wednesday, Nicolás’s Communications minister, Jorge Rodríguez, reported 861 new cases of COVID-19 in the country. It’s the second day with the most cases (there were 869 on August, 1st): there have been 22,299 cases they’ve admitted to. Another sad record, Rodríguez announced 8 deaths, the highest figure in a day so far, for a total of 195 deaths. 
  • Nephrologist Luis Sulbarán died of COVID-19 in Zulia. OBGYN Jesús Peña Peña died in Mérida. Seven doctors have died in August. Nicolás’s representative in Boa Vista (Brazil) Faustino Torrella died, as reported by Foreign minister Jorge Arreaza. After the claims of a possible outbreak at SEBIN headquarters in El Helicoide, several spokespeople expressed their concern for the situation of prisons in the country, a risk for political prisoners and regular inmates, for the terrible conditions and the opacity with information about prisoners. 
  • The ad hoc board of PDVSA, appointed by Juan Guaidó’s caretaker government, presented a summary of their management to the National Assembly. The president of the board, Luis A. Pacheco, highlighted that they managed to make progress, despite the limited financial and human resources, in their recovery, strengthening and protection through a successful refinancing of 70% of the debt of the entities that compose CITGO, valued at $3,090 millions, improving the credit risk qualification, applying measures to achieve solid corporate governance, increasing the refining capabilities to 20,000 bpd, a new export record on the fourth quarter of 2019, using environmental and safety development, redirecting expenses prioritizing investment and maintenance of refineries. Pacheco added that they are also collaborating with the investigations of the U.S. Department of Justice and emphasized that, despite the accomplishments, the threat over the assets hasn’t disappeared, because of the size and complexity of the cases and the debt generated by chavismo. 
  • The authorities of parties Primero Justicia and Voluntad Popular imposed by the TSJ demanded that the National Electoral Council, also imposed by the TSJ, authorizes and grives credentials to institutions like the UN, the OAS, the EU and the Carter Center, among others.
  • The Ecosocialism Ministry announced that they’ve started cleaning up the Falcón coast, after the oil spill this weekend. The spill is over 4 kms wide, it’s threatening marine flora and fauna and it’s approaching Morrocoy National Park. Newspaper El Carabobeño reported that the cause is the overflowing of a refinery’s oxidation and waste deposit, so state negligence collects new victims. 
  • The Venezuelan Soccer Federation reported the death of its president, Jesús Berardinelli, which happened under state custody because he was detained on July 21st. 
  • On Monday, August 3rd, Deivis Pacheco was arrested for taping firemen pushing a fire truck because it had run out of gas. He was released yesterday, with an obligation to show up in court every 15 days, because the court in Valera charged him with “promoting crime.” He’s also barred from leaving the state of Trujillo. 
  • On Thursday 6th, the trial against former CITGO executives will be reopened. The executives, who have been detained in Venezuela for over two years, got the information when they showed up at court. They were detained in 2017, and they’ve been accused, among other crimes, of embezzlement and conspiracy. Three years to start a trial. 
  • In Colombia, one day after the Supreme Court ordered preemptive detention of former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, he tested positive for COVID-19. According to Colombian media, the senator asked to be tested because some workers of his farm in Córdoba were infected. He’s asymptomatic and in good health, with some throat pain. His children, Tomás and Jerónimo, also tested positive. 
  • Fernando Wahnon, the Cape Verdean ambassador to the UN, said that the decision of detaining Colombian citizen Alex Saab shouldn’t be a reason to damage the relations of Cape Verde with any state, because they acted following the rules. Wahnon added that it’s natural that the Venezuelan regime is unsatisfied, but that Cape Verde acted according to the Interpol warrant. 
  • Democrat Joe Biden, presidential candidate, assured that if he wins the election, all migrants that arrived to the U.S. fleeing the Venezuelan regime will be granted TPS. He also said that nobody who already has a TPS will be sent back to a country where their safety is in danger. 
  • International aid started arriving to Lebanon on Wednesday, after the explosion at the port of Beirut that left over 100 deaths and thousands of injured. Kuwait announced that they sent a plane with medical aid and Egypt will open a field hospital in Beirut. France sent three military planes and a brigade of civil security officers. The WHO sent trauma and surgery kits from their regional storage facilities in Dubai. Qatar sent field hospitals. Israel is preparing the deployment of medical personnel. Angela Merkel offered aid, Netherland announced that 67 humanitarian workers will leave for Beirut tonight and the UK said that they’re “willing to help in any way possible”. Italy sent 14 firemen who specialize in evaluating the risks of chemical threats and damaged structures. Tunisia sent two planes with food and medical aid and took care of over 100 injured. 
  • There have been over 18.7 million COVID-19 cases and over 706,000 deaths in the world, according to Johns Hopkins University. The daily cases have increased in the last hours to 213,000, even though it’s lower than the almost 300,000 cases on Saturday August 1st. There’s been a tendency of reported cases increasing over the weekends. America continues to be the region with the most cases, 9.8 million. The U.S. has the most of cases, 4.8 million and over 158,151 deaths. There are five Latin American countries in the top 10 countries with the highest number of cases: Brazil (2.8 million cases), Mexico (456,100), Peru (439,890), Chile (364,723) and Colombia (334,979). Wash your hands, wear a facemask and practice social distance.
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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