Caracas Chronicles

• The U.S. Treasury Department is preparing to renew Chevron’s license, most likely without expanding its operational scope. Chevron had asked for a license that would allow it to have a larger participation in its companies with PDVSA, but it will be renewed as is. However, a source told Reuters that no final decision has been made. Last week, Washington gave Chevron a restricted authorization to talk to the regime about future activities. The U.S. is waiting for the regime to set a date to restart the negotiation with the opposition, a possible key factor in the new Chevron license. Iranian state companies have started preparations to renovate the largest refinery in the country. Last week, there was a fire in this refinery and Nicolás said they were caused by an order of attacks by Colombian president Iván Duque. 
• The secretary general of the new Democratic Unitary Platform (PUEDE) Omar Barboza assured that in the internal rules approved by the alliance, there’s the possibility of expanding the coalition and incorporating other opposition organizations. He emphasized that the new strategy seeks guarantees for free presidential elections and a presidential candidate through primaries. 
• Vente Venezuela celebrated its 10th anniversary yesterday. María Corina Machado said that they have the responsibility to “build a new road that leads us to freedom” because they aren’t “lemmings following an oppressive regime or an opposition that settles for almost nothing.” She stressed the need to elect a new political direction that’s “brave, disciplined and does whatever it has to do.” 

Primero Justicia called on its members to hold internal elections to choose their new authorities on July 9th, 2022. 

• Former national treasurer Claudia Díaz Guillén, also known as Chávez’s nurse, pled not guilty and asked for a trial with a jury, for her money laundering crimes. Her lawyer asked for her release on bail because she doesn’t have any money and she can’t go back to Venezuela because her life’s in danger.
  
• Two months ago, Air Force officers murdered four members of the Yanomami tribe in Amazonas, after they refused to provide the officers with the internet password that served the whole area. Despite some prosecutors being appointed to investigate the massacre, no progress has been made. Three witnesses are under arrest in Caracas: Borges Sifontes, Gabriel Silva and Francisco Maracaná and their lawyers haven’t been able to see them so far. 
• Father Alfredo Infante, from Centro Gumilla, assured that they’ve received positive signs by the defense of Carabobo governor Rafael Lacava in a conciliatory process after the governor sued him and Provea’s Marino Alvarado, for alleged defamation. 
• The director of Centro para los Defensores y la Justicia, Marianna Romero, explained that attacks against human rights activists and humanitarian organizations have increased in the last three years and that the regime uses criminal courts to prosecute under the “internal enemy” logic. 
• Peruvian president Pedro Castillo asked to review the immigration status of “Venezuelans who commit crimes.” He said the immigration situation is a problem beyond crime and said that there are 1.6 million Venezuelans in Peru. 
• Colombian authorities said that Venezuelans who have been in the country before January 31st, 2021, and haven’t regularized their status have until May 28th to do so. 

The Dominican Republic ruled out the rumor that they’re not demanding visas for Venezuelans, that it’s still mandatory. 

• Over 1,500 Venezuelan children and teenagers in Trinidad and Tobago are affected by the program Equal Place being canceled. The program provided education for kids from 5 to 17 years of age who had requested asylum or had refugee status. 
• With the Summit of the Americas approaching, Cuba announced a meeting with Nicaragua and Venezuela under the name Summit of Chiefs of State and Government of the Bolivarian Alliance, coined by Hugo Chávez back when he had money in 2004 to rival ALCA. 
• President Iván Duque asked in Davos to “keep persevering” until Venezuela rejoins the path to democracy. “We can’t be indifferent to the humanitarian tragedy that is the dictatorship of Nicolás Maduro,” he said. 
• At least 21 people have been confirmed dead in the mass shooting in a school in Uvalde, Texas. The shooter, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, also died. It’s the 200th mass shooting in the U.S. so far this year and the worst school shooting in the last ten years.