Briefing

The Future of Chevron in Venezuela is up to President-Elect Biden

The regime is worried about FAES and how its behavior looks to the ICC; The basket of basic food items is 283.63 dollars, way, way beyond minimum wage; All indexes are pointing to a terrible 2021

Naky Soto
Other oil companies in the country share that status.

Photo: HeadTopics.com

  • Vice President of Communication Freddy Ñañez reported 311 new cases of COVID-19 and three new deaths in Venezuela, for a total of  98,050 cases and 858 deaths they’ve admitted to.
  • The basket of basic food items (a concept known in Venezuela as the “basic food basket”) increased in October: 1411.80 million bolivars, a 24% increase compared to September, according to the Center of Documentation and Analysis for Workers (Cendas-FVM). The basic food basket is now 283.62 dollars, calculated at this month’s exchange rate of 499,995 bolivars. All items and sectors increased their prices. 
  • Macroeconomic indexes for 2020 paint a pretty grim picture, explained economist Omar Zambrano to news site El Estímulo. The most recent IMF update calculates that the GDP contraction for this year will be 25% and there’s an inflation rate of 6,500%.
  • ANC-imposed prosecutor general Tarek William Saab spoke against FAES on Monday, after a social media scandal was caused by the appearance of a video on the property of farmer Américo Ledezma, in Zulia state. Saab criticized the crimes and forgot that he has the power to request interventions on any police institution that commits human rights violations. Complaints against FAES have been going on for years. On Tuesday, Juan Guaidó said that the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights demanded FAES be eliminated; deputy Delsa Solórzano asked Saab about real investigations. Deputy Miguel Pizarro assured Saab is one of the main people responsible for the crimes of the FAES, for “omission and complicity.”
  • Former Prosecutor General Luisa Ortega Díaz said that Saab is looking for “scapegoats in mid and low-ranking officers, to make it seem like the authorities aren’t involved.” Last night, Saab announced that the Public Ministry issued arrest warrants against six FAES officers in Zulia. Officers Jesús González, Félix Morales Arroyo, Manuel Leandro Maíz, José Martín Rico, José Alejandro Guzmán and Omar García were charged with cruel treatment, illegitimate detention and abuse of authority, while the higher end of the chain of command gets away unscathed. Remember the UN called FAES “an extermination group.” 
  • Caretaker President and AN Speaker Juan Guaidó called on citizens in Venezuela and abroad to organize for the consultation that will take place from December 7th to December 12th. About the country’s problems, he said they’re Nicolás’s responsibility. He said he understands the doubts about the consultation, that he admits to mistakes, but he asked for support because it’s the best way of protesting and mobilizing. 
  • On Sunday, Nicolás “lit up Christmas” in Zulia, even though it’s one of the states with the longest daily power outages. Two days later, Maracaibo, Zulia’s state capital, collapsed and 25 areas were impacted by the rain: at least 12 small rivers overflowed and caused floods and damages, over 5,000 families were affected. In Venezuela, there’s no maintenance on gutters and sewage systems, which makes any city pretty vulnerable to rain. 
  • Neighbors of the Bella Vista sector in Barquisimeto, Lara state, said that they lost their food and medicine after 15 days without electricity, consequence of an electric transformer exploding and the passivity from the authorities. Neighbors from Las Palmas and El Dividivi in Guarenas, a city of Miranda state, said that they haven’t had water in 20 days. In addition, when the water does arrive, it’s dirty and smells bad. 
  • Antonia Luque, coordinator of the Venezuelan Hemophilia Association, denounced that in a Clarines checkpoint, in Anzoátegui state, GNB officers confiscated medicine sent from the Municipal Blood Bank to the Barcelona Hospital, at the state capital, despite having permits from the Health Ministry. The captain demanded a receipt for medicine that has no commercial value. After some pressure on social media and “several calls” that this patán, sorry, this captain received, the medicine was given back. In Venezuela, there’s been shortages of medicine for hemophilic patients since 2014. 
  • Oil minister Tareck El Aissami approved the three-month extension to the adjustment on oil production for the world market, in a meeting with OPEC representatives and independent producers. Unlike the rest of the members, Venezuela doesn’t limit production, since PDVSA is in ruins and without capacity to produce much more. 
  • First vice president of PSUV Diosdado Cabello said in Miranda state that the “elections” of next December represent a “tipping point” in Venezuela, so he called everyone to vote. He assured that voting is easy and described the list vote; Cabello assured that Venezuela is the most stable country in the continent and that’s the reason for sanctions, not hunger, destruction, the political crisis or hyperinflation. 
  • On Wednesday, November 18th, there will be a national protest by the healthcare sector outside hospitals to demand better wages. 
  • Molly de la Sotta, sister of captain and political prisoner Luis de la Sotta, said that they’re holding private trials on detained military officers and warned that the process is full of irregularities. She added they’re using “DGCIM officers as witnesses, including the torturers.” 
  • The Treasury Department allowed Chevron to stay in Venezuela until June 3rd, 2021, leaving the future decisions about this and other oil companies up to President-elect Joe Biden, reported Argus. The exception also applies to Halliburton, Schlumberger, Baker Hughes and Weatherford.
  • The Spanish government announced 17 million euros for different international organizations like UNHCR, IADB and IOM to cope with the humanitarian and migration crisis in Venezuela, and their impact in receiving countries. Meanwhile, Pablo Iglesias  tweeted a disgusting joke, mocking those who call him a Venezuelan threat. 
  • Yesterday, our national Vinotinto soccer team won 2-1 against Chile’s!
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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