Briefing

The American Government Reminds Everyone: The Venezuelan Regime is a Threat

NGO Espacio Público published a report on The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists; There's a historical minimum of oil exports in Venezuela

Naky Soto
A brief reminder at the end of the presidential race.

Photo: Getty Images

  • Since 2013, the The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, a UN-recognized international day, has been celebrated on November 2nd. Venezuela registers a sustained increase on violence and the State doesn’t even investigate the crimes. Between January and September 2020, NGO Espacio Público documented 454 violations on freedom of speech, tied to violent acts against press workers. These figures, including three deaths, show that impunity and the regime’s lack of interest in solving this situation, block the exercise of journalism during a humanitarian crisis and pandemic. In 15 years, (2005-2020), violent violations in freedom of speech have increased: intimidation grew by 911%, aggressions by 308%, threats by 230%, deaths by 60% and attacks against offices and headquarters of media outlets by 4%. But it’s precisely during the last five years when all the events report a drastic increase. Only between 2018 and 2020, Venezuelans lost four radio stations, four TV channels and 43 newspapers. That’s why we raise our voice. 
  • Minister Freddy Ñáñez reported 380 new cases of COVID-19 in Venezuela and five new deaths, for a total of 92,705 cases and 806 deaths they’ve admitted to. 
  • Unfortunately, journalist Alfredo Morales died of coronavirus yesterday. He worked for El Pitazo and collaborated with initiatives like La Vida de Nos. 
  • Oil exports dropped to a new historic minimum of 359,000 bpd in October. Most of PDVSA’s long-term clients ceased purchases because of the deadline established by Washington to stop business with the oil company, said Reuters. The main destination of Venezuelan oil and gas in October was Asia, with a little over a third of the total exports, followed by Cuba with around 104,000 bpd.
  • The healthcare sector is calling colleagues and citizens to join in a peaceful protest they’re organizing to demand better wages and protection. It will be on November 4th. In Caracas, it’ll take place in front of the Concepción Palacios maternity hospital. After almost eight months without activities, the National Institute of Civilian Aeronautics (INAC) authorized commercial operations starting yesterday, but only to Los Roques island. Restrictions are kept on all other airports, no dates for now. The INAC made an exception for destinations like Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Iran and Turkey. 
  • Oil company ENI announced that they got the permission from U.S. authorities to unload oil from Nabarima without breaking international sanctions, said EnergyNow. ENI, risk partner of PDVSA in the PetroSucre project, is waiting for PDVSA’s approval to continue with the operation, according to The Energy Chamber.
  • Even though it’s been active for a while, the campaign for another “election” that chavismo is taking away from citizens formally began on Tuesday. Nicolás wants the National Assembly and an end to all traces of the democratic opposition, establishing his fiction with the prêt-à-porter opposition, which includes representatives of parties that had their legitimate boards and symbols, now kidnapped by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. International diplomacy has said in many ways that they won’t recognize the results of this “election.” It’s another imposition that happens because Nicolás has the monopoly on violence. Abstention is expected to be the mark of the process, but the regime is convinced that with this tailor-made election, countries that recognized Juan Guaidó will change their position starting January 5th. 
  • The Prosecutor General imposed by the regime, Tarek William Saab, visited Mexico, arriving on a private flight and couldn’t continue to Amsterdam, since the European airline that operates the Aeromexico flight forbade him to travel. Saab has been in the OFAC list since 2017, reported journalist Roberto Deniz. 
  • Cilia Flores considers that an approach to the U.S. can happen at any time. Apparently, the illegitimate thing chavismo will be “electing” in December will make an effort to reach out to many countries, looking for investors who want to inject capital in Venezuela with Nicolás’s obscure Anti-Blockade Law. She also said that the problem with gas supply is caused by the opposition, because they have created chaos to promote “discontent and surrender.” In any case, (write this prediction down, please), Flores said that the lines for gas will reduce “this year because we have ways to solve it here.” 
  • The authority that chavismo imposed in Táchira state, Freddy Bernal, said on Tuesday that they will tell Colombia that Venezuelans who come to the country in December should get PCR tests in Colombia, because that would mean a faster entry. Venezuela and Colombia don’t have diplomatic relations since February last year and the regime has accused President Iván Duque of pretty much everything. Bernal said he would present his proposal this week.
  • The U.S. government reiterated on Tuesday the threat on national security that the dictatorships in Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua pose on their people and the American people. It was tweeted by The White House, for the end of the campaign. The U.S. elections are today.
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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