Caracas Chronicles

• The president of the National Electoral Council (CNE) Pedro Calzadilla reported 190,128 nominations were presented by political parties for the November elections.
  • He said that from August 9th to September 4th, 70,244 candidates submitted their names and they are competing for 3,082 posts. 
  • There are 329 candidates for 23 governorships, 4,462 for 335 mayorships, and 65,000 for regional deputies and councils. 
  • Calzadilla thinks the numbers are encouraging. He added that  “49.44% of candidates are women and 50.56% are men.” 
• The dispute for the unitary candidacy in Miranda is still going on. Carlos Ocariz said he’ll abide by what the unitary platform says and highlighted the importance of holding an audit. 
• Harold Maldonado, the opposition’s candidate for mayor of the Arismendi municipality in Barinas, was attacked by the Fuerzas Bolivarianas de Liberación (FBL) guerrillas who were forcing him to drop his candidacy. 

“You have to help me. Wherever there’s an escuálido we have to beat the crap and kick them out of our institutions,” said PSUV’s candidate to the Trujillo governorship Gerardo Márquez during a campaign speech. 

• Former minister Eduardo Samán is now barred from running for office and asked the CNE to be clear on the cause for this, so he can defend himself. He was the PCV candidate for the Caracas mayorship. 
• Economist José Guerra warned that we’ll need 15,000 million dollars to reactivate the economy in 2022, which should come from institutions like the IMF, the World Bank or the IDB. He insisted the country must rescue its relationship with the IMF, broken by Chávez in 2005. 
  • He also explained that the gas deficit started in 2010 and that when the refinancing of PDVSA bonds was discussed in 2017, the terms presented by Asdrúbal Chávez were unacceptable. 
  • Guerra estimates that an agreement in Mexico “must be integral, not merely political, it has to include political guarantees and measures to overcome the crisis Venezuela is facing.” 

• Flor Pujol, IVIC researcher, explained that the mu variant has spread all over Venezuela. 
• Dr. Julio Castro said that we’re still on the second wave of the pandemic. The average is 6 to 7 thousand cases per week and only 11.76% of the population has received two doses and reminded everyone that the efficiency of the vaccine depends on receiving all doses. The Russian Embassy reported that a new shipment of Sputnik V arrived on Monday. 
• Journalist Roland Carreño has suffered severe hypertensive crises in prison and was finally moved to a health center after eleven days. His lawyer Ana Leonor Acosta reported that Carreño has COVID-19. 

Foro Penal has denounced that 24 out of 262 political prisoners are in critical health conditions. Only 16% of political prisoners have been sentenced by a judge. 

• Nine days after the Neverí River flooding in Anzoátegui, 200 families are still affected by it and three shelters have been installed. 
• The protector of Táchira Freddy Bernal said it’s necessary to open the border with Colombia under all safety conditions the pandemic demands. 
• Julio Borges exhorted the ICC to accelerate their investigation after an OAS panel asked them for immediate action: “There are no doubts about the severe human rights violations that have occurred… The victims need truth, justice, and reparations,” he said. 
• Human Rights Watch director for the Americas José Miguel Vivanco compared the speed of the dismantling of the state done by Hugo Chávez and Salvadoran president Nayib Bukele, which is happening at a “more alarming rate.” 
• The delegations representing Maduro’s regime and the opposition reported that they achieved two partial agreements. 
  • 1. To use money in accounts abroad to “fight COVID-19, buy the rest of the vaccines, supplies for hospitals and strengthen food programs,” said Jorge Rodríguez. 
  • 2. Ratifying the Venezuelan defense in the Essequibo case. 
• Gerardo Blyde, head of the Unitary Platform delegation, reported that they’ll discuss respect for the rule of law and constitutional state next.