Caracas Chronicles

• Maduro announced more direct flights and routes as if he presided Conviasa. He announced that there will be a Caracas-Doha flight, the capital of Qatar, by October. He talked about plans and investment in areas like gas, oil, tourism, food production, and commerce and parroted his new slogan on a diversified economic model, non-oil dependent. 
• The Maduro regime finally released a statement on the Iranian-Venezuelan plane retained by Argentina. Chavismo scolded Uruguay for forbidding the Boeing 747, property of Emtrasur (Conviasa) to enter their country for fuel. Denying this request to enter their airspace put the crew in danger, according to chavismo. Paraguayan president Mario Abdo Benítez defended his country for warning intelligence agencies in the region of this plane that up until six months ago, belonged to Mahan Air, an Iranian company sanctioned by the U.S. The U.S. Ambassador to Argentina, Marc Stanley, said they’re closely following the investigation. 

The Venezuelan Central Bank published the INPC for May: inflation rose to 6.5%, it was 4.4% in April. 

• ANC-imposed comptroller general Elvis Amoroso announced the start of an investigation against the Guatire mayorship in Miranda, under the request of Maduro’s AN, since they declared mayor Raziel Rodríguez was politically responsible for forced eviction. Guatire matters because it’s another way to work around the electoral results and political office in places chavismo lost elections. 
• The Laboratorio de Desarrollo Humano warned that the maternal mortality rate increased by 26% in Lara, and that 144 babies out of 100,000 died in 2021. There were between two and nine deaths per month in that state in 2021. 
• Frente Amplio coordinator for pensioners and retirees Luis Cano demanded the national budget office ONAPRE revoke the rulebook blocking their pension funds and benefits. He assured that they will keep protesting until the regime complied with their demands. 
• The Family and Victim Alliance of 2017 condemned ANC-imposed prosecutor general Tarek William Saab’s statement, saying that the protests had been “a civil war embryo” which constitutes an offense against all victims. 
• Yohn Noguera, from Anzoátegui, was arrested on June 4th after publishing a WhatsApp story criticizing GNB officers for closing down businesses.

For the third year in a row, Venezuela and Colombia were the countries with the most requests for asylum in Spain in 2021, said the Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid. 

• At least six Venezuelan migrants sewed their mouths in a protest in Mexico, demanding to be allowed to cross the border with the U.S. Thousands of Venezuelans were left stranded after paying the bus fare, but the buses were sent back to Monterrey.
• Chile captured seven members of the Chilean chapter of criminal gang el Tren de Aragua. Chilean authorities explained it’s the Clan Los Gallegos, and they suspect they were committing crimes like migrant trafficking, extortion, kidnappings, homicide and drug trafficking. 
• Because of the increase of diesel fuel prices, the transport sector proposed that the regime allow them to pay 0.15 dollars per ltr. and 2.5 bolivars for the minimum urban fare. They think it’s a more reasonable proposal that the one put forward by the regime: 0.25 dollars per ltr. and 2 bolivars per ride. 
• The San Carlos Municipal Chamber suspended activities of chavista councilman Orlando Martínez and so did Cojedes Legislative Council regarding regional deputy Karina Rojas, for participating in the attack against Juan Guaidó. Diosdado Cabello threatened with taking both councils to court for suspending them. 
• Maduro appointed Samuel Moncada; Félix Plasencia, and Elsie Rosales to the commission that will represent Venezuelan before the ICJ in the dispute against Guyana. 
• President Emmanuel Macron, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Prime Minister Mario Draghi and President Klaus Iohannis visited Kyiv yesterday and offered their support for Ukraine’s immediate candidacy to become a member of the European Union. Today, the European Commission will present their formal ruling on Ukraine’s options to become a member of the EU.