Caracas Chronicles

• Maduro’s Assembly approved the budget for 2022, 62,379,454,806 bolivars, or 13,567 million dollars. The budget was presented on December 10th by Delcy Rodríguez, and she said that it will help in the fight against hyperinflation after 14 zeroes were removed from the bolivar and undergoing hyperinflation for four years. She also said that 77% of the budget will be used for “social investment” but, even though she’s the Finance minister, she didn’t release the projected inflation, the currency exchange rate, the GDP, or the price of the oil barrel, oil income and other sources of revenue. The Partido Comunista de Venezuela abstained. 

Venezuela has at least 132 military officers and 113 civilians are political prisoners, but Maduro’s Assembly approved the first draft of the special law for crimes of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, just to send a message to the ICC that they’re going to investigate and sanction these crimes. 

• They also approved the first draft of the law for justice and reparations for victims of human rights violations and an energy agreement with Trinidad and Tobago.
• Oscar Ronderos, from the oil and energy committee, talked about changing the Hydrocarbons Law to incorporate private companies in the country and abroad. 
• Súmate exhorted the National Electoral Council to block PSUV from using state resources to mobilize voters during the election in Barinas in January. 
• MUD candidate for Apure Luis Lippa introduced a request before the CNE to impinge the results for alleged irregularities. Out of 346 voting centers, 120 couldn’t connect to the system: “We’re talking about a difference of over 2,000 votes in these (120) voting centers, and if the result is that they won by 3,700 votes, well, no, we can’t believe that,” he said. 
• The third shipment of Sputnik Light arrived in Venezuela, 1.5 million doses that will be used as booster shots, said Delcy Rodríguez. Dr. Julio Castro said it’s wrong and you can’t call it that. 

Humberto Prado sent a summary on human rights in Venezuela to international organizations. “Tales of torture: the silent reality of imprisoned military officers, attacks on press freedom, and lethality and impunity of illegal FAES actions.” 

• UCAB’s Human Rights Center said that 69% of NGO members think that there are no conditions to exercise civil rights and fear prevents people from getting involved in political participation activities. 
• Lawyer and human rights activist Joel García denounced that judge Estela Ortega, detained after proclaiming the mayor of San Juan de los Morros, Sulme Ávila, was taken to the Penitenciaría General de Venezuela.
• The Oversight Committee of the Ecuadorian National Assembly will send an investigation of a corruption case involving Alex Saab to the U.S., Panama, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Saab is allegedly responsible for fake exports between Ecuador and Venezuela, using the Sucre system, a payment system created by Rafael Correa and Hugo Chávez twelve years ago. The Sucre system moved over 2,600 million dollars in nine years. The committee concluded there was a “deliberate intention to hide Saab’s presence or participation” in these transactions. 
• A court sentenced FAES officers Erick Martínez and Avit Botia to prison for killing José Altuve and Angelo Villanueva and stating a clash afterward. 
• UCV dean Cecilia García Arocha said they’ll celebrate the 300th anniversary of the university being founded on December 16th. 
• NGO Sembramos Todos director Enrique García denounced that the Henri Pittier National Park is enduring fires, invasions and deforestation and that 35% of the park has been lost. 
• Several Latin American dictators are meeting in Havana to celebrate 17 years of the ALBA, a bloc founded by Hugo Chávez to buy loyalty with petrodollars. 

At least three people, two cops and one civilian died near the Camilo Daza Airport in Cúcuta, after a terrorist attack. Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano said the attack was planned and financed from Venezuela. Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López rejected the accusation. 

• San Juan Bautista festivities were declared Intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, the eighth Venezuelan tradition to be recognized in the list. It’s celebrated on June 24th in several central states. Si San Juan lo tiene, San Juan te lo da.