Caracas Chronicles

• National Assembly (Maduro’s) deputy Jesús Faría admitted on Tuesday that the regime has blocked digital media because of the information they publish. Faría justified closing TV channels and radio stations because they’ve “promoted coups” or have been “spokespersons of the sanctions policy against our country,” even though chavismo imposed censorship many years before their policies were sanctioned. Faría also admitted to censoring digital media and said that the fact someone has the power to communicate with the population doesn’t mean that you’re entitled to say whatever you want. He compared blocking Venezuelan media with European regulations against fake news and hate speech. 
• It’s the first time in years a chavista spokesman admits internet censorship, which had been documented and denounced before international agencies. It’s a human rights violation. 
• Jesús Faría also said that the U.S. is interested in Venezuelan oil. However, Norwegian consulting firm Rystad Energy excluded Venezuela from its list of the countries with the highest oil reserves because the investment that would be necessary to extract those reserves and the time it would take forbid Venezuela from being a candidate to supply the rest of the world. However, PDVSA and the JVs were able to export 630,500 bpd of oil and fuel in June, according to Reuters. 
• AN Ldeputy uis Martínez said there could be a new oil boom for foreign countries if the OFAC approves Chevron, Repsol, and Eni’s licenses to increase production. 

Maduro didn’t attend the 5th of July military parade for the second year in a row. The parade showed how far Venezuelan troops are from military or operational readiness. 

• Unitary platform PUEDE reiterated its commitment to achieving real independence that will start by organizing a “vigorous citizen movement” that achieves “opening the door for democracy.” 
• Political party Bandera Roja denounced SEBIN officers detained political leader and artist Alcides Bracho, as they had done with the president of the Tribunal Workers Guild, Emilio Negrín, Bracho’s close friend. Several NGOs demand both union leaders’ freedom.
• Former ombudswoman Gabriela Ramírez tweeted that the regime detained Carlos Lanz’s wife and daughters, Tito Viloria, his wife and daughters and two workers on their farm. This hasn’t been confirmed. 
• Lawyer Tamara Suju denounced the situation of prisoners in DGCIM headquarters, since some of them inhaled carbon monoxide and gas when they were remodeling the cells that had no ventilation systems. Suju said that the construction work was ordered after Matthew Heath’s suicide attempt.

Human Rights Watch assured that Latin American countries’ visa requirements have caused an increase of the number of Venezuelans trying to cross the Darien Gap. The Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants warned that over 71% of people trying to cross the Darien Gap in 2022 are Venezuelans. 

• Douglas Rico, CICPC director, said they’re still investigating the “atrocious crime” against Indigenous leader  Virgilio Trujillo, who was murdered on June 30th in Amazonas. Rico tweeted that drug traffickers and paramilitary officers that intend to take over the country are allegedly involved in the crime. 
• President-Elect Gustavo Petro doesn’t think it would be prudent to invite Maduro to his swearing in ceremony on August 7th. Petro assured that the migration crisis is caused by hunger and the lack of democracy and that negotiation is the only way out. 
• Colombian media confirmed the death of a.k.a Iván Márquez in Bolívar. RCN said he was murdered in an attack coordinated by a.k.a. Iván Mordisco, meaning Márquez was ambushed in Venezuela. El Tiempo later said that Márquez had survived and he’s being treated in Caracas. 
• Sweden and Finland have made progress in their NATO membership process.