Caracas Chronicles

• The Press and Society Institute (IPYS) assured that crimes against journalists haven’t stopped, and neither has impunity. In 2021, they documented 110 violations and attacks on press workers: 64 attacks for stigmatizing discourse, 11 arbitrary detentions and three forced disappearances. Over two years after his arbitrary detention, Espacio Público demanded dropping the charges against journalist Luis Carlos Díaz, who’s still undergoing a legal process even when there’s no evidence against him. 
• The Assembly’s Delegate Commission voted against decree No. 38, which contemplates creating a commission to restructure Monómeros. 
  • The decree got ten votes against, five in favor and three abstentions. Primero Justicia and Acción Democrática deputies voted against, Un Nuevo Tiempo deputies abstained and the rest backed Guaidó’s proposal. 
  • Deputies claimed to be voting against it because they think that debating the report of the special commission that traveled to Colombia must be prioritized, but Guaidó insists that they have to keep investigating to determine their responsibilities. 
  • The Assembly approved the report and an agreement order to execute some of the recommendations made by the commission: an external audit, hiring an HR firm to find new candidates for the new board and appointing a commission to further the investigation. 
  • Guaidó posted a video reiterating his position and assuring that he won’t back “any decision that responds to political interests.”

Monitor Salud said that October had a record-breaking number of cases in healthcare personnel, 653 cases in 69 hospitals, a 43% increase compared to September. 

• The president of the National Academy of Medicine, Enrique López Loyo, assured that after this “full flexibilization” we’ll reach a new peak, that could have been avoided with information to restrict mobility in the most impacted areas. 
• COFAVIC president Liliana Ortega doesn’t expect an immediate statement by ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan. Ortega insisted that Khan’s visit doesn’t seek to condemn or absolve anyone and she emphasized that even though the prosecutor can have meetings with organizations and victims, he won’t issue any statements. She denounced that human rights violations are still happening in Venezuela. 
• Several NGOs protested for the freedom of political prisoners and police officers took their photos. 
• Consejo Nacional Electoral (CNE) board member Pedro Calzadilla warned that the EU electoral observers are “only observing the election, they have to be careful and not interfere in the process. Any action, movement, gesture, that could affect the process is prohibited according to the signed agreement,” he said. 
• Calzadilla said that the CNE will analyze several cases of official governorships’ accounts on social media which are being used for propaganda. He said he’s “surprised” by how balanced the coverage on VTV has been.
• A study done by ORC Consultores’ Franquency58  said that 44% of voters (9 million) are “likely” to “very likely” to vote in November. 
• Ezio Angelini, president of the Zulian chapter of FEDECÁMARAS, assured that credits in dollars and getting rid of the legal reserve would favor the reactivation of the economy. He also said that importing fuel should be allowed for humanitarian reasons. 
• Oil exports surpassed 700,000 bpd in September. Production and exports increased thanks to imported diluents. 

The Venezuelan Teachers Union called for a march on November 10th, to demand better wages and working conditions.  

• Mexico’s Financial Intelligence Unit denounced 25 people, including former officers of the unit and the General Procuracy, for signing off on a “reparations agreement” with people involved in Alex Saab’s network in 2018. 
• Borrell assured that the EU and Peru agree to support the dialogue in order to find a political solution for Venezuela. 
• Frank Sinatra’s YouTube channel posted a Christmas video with the story of Venezuelan migrants. Two Venezuelans are part of the team that made the video, David Calcaño, illustrated and co-directed and Linda Otero, who was one of the producers.