Caracas Chronicles

• ANC-imposed prosecutor general Tarek William Saab announced they’ll open an investigation for environmental damages caused by the illegal part on the Kasuri tepuy in Canaima. Saab blamed Colombia for corruption and violence. He said they recruited “politicians with immunity for drug trafficking,” the chavista officials who were arrested recently and blamed Colombia for the gangs and mega gangs operating on Venezuelan soil. 
• Maduro later reinforced Saab’s ideas and assured that the criminals who were killed and captured in Las Tejerías (Aragua) were “financed, trained and directed” by President Iván Duque. Maduro said this without evidence, but especially without mentioning that the people responsible for border security are Venezuelan military officers. 
• The negotiation to solve the political crisis in the country won’t reach significant progress in 2022, said a report by the British financial intelligence firm EMFI Group. The report comprises all variables that explain Maduro’s position, from the few things the opposition can offer, the absence of a significant electoral event, and the loss of pressure exerted on Nicolás. 
• Venezuela stopped being a priority for the external political agenda of the United States, which will translate into political stagnation, contributing to chavismo not going back to Mexico. Nicolás wants to be recognized abroad and sanction relief, but not enough to concede and risk his power. The firm does not foresee a “major catalyst” to bring the opposition back, mostly because the political base is uninterested. “The opposition can only expect to negotiate long-term improvements in governing and the Rule of Law.” 
• María Gabriela Chávez tweeted “Canaima” and a broken heart emoji, which caused hundreds of replies where social media users mentioned his father’s responsibility in the matter. Hugo Chávez created the Mining Arc, a project that multiplied or deforestation rate and worsened Bolívar State’s vulnerabilities and pollution. 
• The regime has been celebrating a “recovery” of the oil industry for months. In January, Maduro celebrated the production of a million barrels per day during December, even though the average was considerably lower. Nicolás promised that it would reach 2 million barrels per day by the end of 2022, but OPEC’s report assures that production dropped and PDVSA was never able to double production, not even at its best. 

An investigation carried out by the CDJ, Amnesty International and Foro Penal revealed the correlation between arbitrary detentions for political reasons and stigmatization campaigns done by the regime’s propaganda apparatus. 

• ProBox denounced that the regime is using automated accounts to manipulate the conversation on Twitter, using hashtags in favor of Alex Saab and in Juan Guaidó or Roberto Deniz’s detriment. They positioned 35 hashtags, which generated over 4 million tweets during the last week of January. Most of them were done by bots. 

Read more about how Chavismo has turned Saab into a Twitter martyr. 

• NGO Azul Positivo commemorated the first year of the release from prison of five humanitarian workers after one month in jail. Their freedom is still under certain conditions, and they’re innocent. 
• The president of the Real Estate Chamber, Francisco López Domínguez, warned that it’s been ten years since the last great construction sites in Venezuela. 
• Classified evidence involving Venezuela in the case of Clíver Alcalá Cordones will be kept classified, ruled the judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, after the prosecutors made the request, because declassifying the information would threaten national security. 
• On the demolition of Frutería Biruma, Crónica Uno published the sentence ordering Chacao to demolish it. The order was issued on December, 15th, 2021 and Chacao received it on February, 8th, 2022 at 10:18 a.m. They complied with the order at 11:00 a.m. 
• There was a presidential debate in Colombia, where presidential candidates Ingrid Betancourt, Alejandro Gaviria and Gustavo Petro were asked what their strategy would be regarding the relations with Venezuela. Betancourt answered that she didn’t know whether to call Maduro a dictator or a president, but she established capturing the criminal leaders that act with impunity in Venezuelan soil for extradition as a requirement. She accused Nicolás of being the only one of their neighbors that deliberately acts to impact the public order and affect their peace agreement. Gaviria assured he’d re-establish diplomatic relations and that Colombia must be a leader in the continent for the Venezuelan democratic transition.  Petro talked about people on the border, living as victims of gangs, who had been abandoned by their states. He thinks it’s essential to reestablish relations and help a negotiation process to build a democracy.