Caracas Chronicles

#NowWhatVenezuela keeps you informed about what’s happening deep inside la patria—from headline-making events to underreported stories that provide the clearest picture of our reality. This digest is published weekly.

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What we know about the new decree of economic emergency

Maduro used Trump’s trade war as justification to sign a new 60-day emergency economic decree, which he claimed would “protect the people” from U.S.-imposed tariffs and oil sanctions. This time, his rhetoric positioned not only Venezuela but the global economy as victims of American imperialism: “Being enslaved and dominated by a hegemon is no option for humanity, nor for Venezuela,” he said.

He also tied the decree to his anti-corruption narrative, vowing to “sweep away all the corruption of the rentier state and its managers,” and promised favorable conditions for both Venezuelan and foreign investors.
“Many Venezuelans are returning from the United States— you are welcome here with your capital and ventures,” Maduro added.

Why it matters: On paper, the new set of measures suspends local and national tax collections for companies, but centralizes all revenue in the hands of the national government and authorizes spending “not contemplated in the national budget.” The announcement also emphasized a plan to replace imports with domestic production and to prioritize non-traditional sectors of the economy, stating that all necessary steps will be taken to protect the country’s productive capacity.

The last time chavismo made a similar announcement was in 2016, with the “State of Exception and Economic Emergency” justified by an alleged economic war—before any commercial sanctions on Venezuela existed. Maduro ruled by decree until 2020, renewing the emergency declaration 27 times while the country spiraled into hyperinflation.

More information: On Román Lozinski’s radio program, economist Asdrúbal Oliveros said the real justification for this decree is not US tariff policy, but the likely escalation of sanctions on Venezuela. “The removal of all types of licenses has a severe impact on revenue flows, which could drop by up to 50%. That is, indeed, an emergency.”

The Unitary Platform released a statement saying the decree seeks “to concentrate even more power arbitrarily” and enables further abuses and economic discretion by the regime.

The mega-election chaos continues

As we reported in last week’s The Weekly Arepa, the softer wing of the Venezuelan opposition led by Henrique Capriles and Henri Falcón launched the Red Decide (Citizen Defense of Democracy Network), with its first goal being to encourage participation in the regional elections set for May 25. According to Tal Cual, the network’s coordinator is Chúo Torrealba, who served as executive secretary of the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) between 2014 and 2017. The group also includes Elías Sayegh (former mayor of El Hatillo and former leader of Fuerza Vecinal), former National Assembly members Juan Requesens and Marialbert Barrios, and representatives from parties like MAS and Fuerza Vecinal.

The alliance was launched on April 2nd at the Central University of Venezuela. Less than a week later, Acción Democrática (AD) announced it would not participate in the May elections “after broad consultations” with its grassroots members. In Primero Justicia (PJ), Cojedes governor Alberto Galíndez was formally expelled from the party for aligning with Capriles and seeking reelection. Back in January, AD had done the same with Sergio Garrido, governor of Barinas.

The internal conflict in PJ is still heating up. There is a new call for disciplinary action against national president María Beatriz Martínez for irregularly replacing the party’s state president in Barinas. They are also demanding a halt to all structural changes within the party—both locally and nationally—until December.

Why it matters: In an interview with El Tiempo, Torrealba said the network aims to have a presence at both the regional and municipal levels, with the goal not just of promoting voting, but also educating, mobilizing, and organizing citizens. Former presidential candidate Andrés Caleca, who also supports Red Decide, told Tal Cual he’s unsure if his party will be able to run candidates, but if the regime allows it, they will present the best possible slate—alongside a message “that represents the living democratic alternative in Venezuela.”

Former CNE rector Vicente Díaz (2006–2014) wrote on X: “We need parties, ballots, and candidates, and real opportunities to promote and defend the electoral offer. Wanting to participate is not enough—you also have to be able to.”

More information: Chavismo claims it has enabled an alternative system to the National Electoral Council website (which has been down since July 28th) for submitting candidacies this week. But the new platform has apparently been crashing. Meanwhile, Diosdado Cabello is the one announcing the electoral timetable, while CNE rectors remain silent. Allegedly, the system will accept or reject applications today or tomorrow, and candidate lists could be modified up to 10 days before the elections.

Recommended reads:

• Runrunes: Venezuelan workers live in a “survival of the fittest” environment, where labor exploitation, abuse, and exhausting schedules are the norm.
• Efecto Cocuyo: The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago announced that the U.S. has revoked Shell’s license to produce and export Venezuelan gas to Trinidad.
• NTN24: Eni says it will continue producing gas in Venezuela despite the revoked U.S. authorization, and will keep negotiating with the Trump administration: “If we stop production, we’ll trigger a social crisis.”
• El Carabobeño: Professional guilds at the Central University of Venezuela warn about the illegal practice of various professions in the country, including health and journalism.