Venezuela: Resistance or disintegration?

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November 6, 2018 - EU extends Venezuela Sanctions over democracy, rights violations
EU extends Venezuela sanctions over democracy, rights violations | Reuters


Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with ministers at Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela November 2, 2018. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS

The European Union on Tuesday extended sanctions against Venezuela until November 2019 for what it said were human rights violations and undermining of democracy and the rule of law under President Nicolas Maduro.

The bloc has an embargo against Venezuela on the sales of arms and “equipment for internal repression”, a travel ban and an asset freeze on 18 Venezuelan officials in place.

This is in response to accusations of rights abuses by state security officials during anti-government protests in January, and a May presidential election that gave Maduro a second term but was widely dismissed as a sham.

The deep political, social and economic crisis in the oil-rich South American country has driven more than two million Venezuelans abroad, according to the United Nations.

Maduro accuses the United States, which also has slapped sanctions on his officials, of running an international conspiracy against him.


November 5, 2018 - Venezuela adds Troops near Colombian Border after Three Soldiers killed
Venezuela adds troops near Colombian border after three soldiers killed | Reuters

Venezuela has reinforced its border with Colombia with more troops after three Venezuelan soldiers died in an attack by an armed group over the weekend, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said on Monday.

Ten other soldiers were injured in the attack in Amazonas state, which Padrino said was retribution for Venezuela’s capture of “nine Colombian paramilitary members,” the latest sign of worsening relations between the South American neighbors.

“We will find the paramilitaries wherever they are,” Padrino said in a statement on state television. “For now, I say to them: leave Venezuela. There is no space here. There has never been any space here for you.”

He did not specify how many more troops had been sent to the border. The injured soldiers were not in critical condition, Padrino said.

Incidents involving Venezuelan soldiers along the porous, 2,200-km (1,367-mile) border are fairly common, and have contributed to diplomatic tensions between the two countries.

In September, Colombia sent a letter of protest to Caracas after Venezuelan soldiers crossed into its territory and detained three Colombian citizens.

Colombia has been a leading critic of Venezuela’s socialist President Nicolas Maduro. The OPEC country has been suffering through an economic collapse since Maduro took office in 2013 and Colombia has been the main haven for Venezuelans fleeing severe food and medicine shortages.

In a statement on Monday, Venezuelan opposition party Popular Will attributed the attack to the National Liberation Army (ELN), a Colombian rebel group. The opposition has long accused Maduro of turning a blind eye to the presence of violent Colombian groups operating in Venezuelan territory.

Colombia’s foreign ministry said in a statement later on Monday that one of the nine people captured by Venezuela was Luis Ortega, a Colombian citizen and ELN leader with an Interpol blue notice for alleged crimes committed in Colombia.

A blue notice is used to ask other jurisdictions to cooperate in determining an individual’s identity, location or activities related to a crime, according to Interpol.

 

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11.26.2018 - UN approves $9 Million in Aid for crisis-stricken Venezuela
World News | Reuters.com


FILE PHOTO: A Venezuelan migrant brushes his teeth outside his tent in a makeshift camp in Bogota, Colombia, November 11, 2018. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez/File Photo

The United Nations on Monday announced $9.2 million in health and nutritional aid for crisis-stricken Venezuela, where hunger and preventable disease are soaring amid the collapse of the country's socialist economic system.

It is the first U.N. emergency funding for the government of President Nicolas Maduro, which blames the country’s economic problems on U.S. financial sanctions and an “economic war” led by political adversaries.

Government critics celebrated the move as a recognition by Venezuelan authorities that the country faces a humanitarian crisis - something Maduro has denied in the past - and a step toward treating a population starved of basic services.

But some worry the funds could fuel the corruption of the ruling Socialist Party, which was put on display last week when a former Venezuelan treasurer told U.S. prosecutors he took $1 billion in bribes.

The U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) will support projects to provide nutritional support to children under five years old, pregnant women and lactating mothers at risk, and emergency health care for the vulnerable, CERF’s website said.

“CERF allocations are made to ensure a rapid response to sudden-onset emergencies or to rapidly deteriorating conditions in an existing emergency,” according to CERF’s website.

CERF mainly funds projects in countries at war or experiencing other crises like natural disasters, a U.N. official told Reuters, adding that other U.N. agencies may have provided funding to Venezuela through separate programs.

Venezuela’s Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Aid for Venezuela’s crisis has until now been focused on South American nations that have received most of the 3 million Venezuelans who have left the country amid a mass exodus since 2015. CERF’s website shows it has provided $6.2 million for “Venezuela’s Regional Refugee and Migration Crisis.”

Many governments have been wary of providing direct aid to Venezuela, where officials face sanctions from the United States and Europe for alleged wrongdoing including corruption, human rights abuses and drug trafficking.

“I celebrate them finally accepting aid,” exiled opposition legislator Jose Manuel Olivares, a doctor and activist on health issues, said in a telephone interview, but added:

“This is a government of profoundly corrupt institutions, and (the funds) could end up in a public official’s bank account in a tax haven”.


11.26.2018 - Chile sends planeload of Haitians home, with return stop for Chileans in Venezuela
Chile sends planeload of Haitians home, with return stop for Chileans in Venezuela | Reuters

Chile is returning a second planeload of Haitian immigrants to their native country on Monday and will make use of the return flight from the Caribbean island to bring home Chileans stranded in crisis-stricken Venezuela.

After dropping off nearly 180 Haitian citizens in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, the Chilean air force plane will stop in Caracas to pick up nearly 100 Chileans and fly them back to Santiago, interior minister Andres Chadwick told reporters.

As oil-rich Venezuela’s economy has sunk into crisis under President Nicolas Maduro, as many as 1.9 million Venezuelans have emigrated since 2015, according to the United Nations.

“This will be a humanitarian flight on the way there, and on the way back,” Chadwick said.

A total of 1,600 Haitians have signed up for the flights back to Haiti from Chile, part of a program labeled as “humanitarian flights” by the government of center-right President Sebastian Pinera but criticized by migrant groups as “forced deportations.”

The policy is aimed at Haitians who have struggled to find work in one of Latin America’s richest economies, in some cases lured to the Andean nation by people traffickers with false promises.

Earlier this month, 176 Haitians returned to Haiti aboard another Chilean air force flight.

The cost-free return trip requires those leaving to sign a declaration that they will not return for nine years, and asks they take immediate family with them.

The policy has generated controversy among some migrant groups, rights campaigners and academics. Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries, blighted by natural disasters, political upheaval and poor security.

Chile’s government has said that there are approximately 112,000 Haitians in Chile, or about 10 percent of the total immigrant population.

 

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11.27.2018 - Venezuela Ex-treasure who took $1 Billion in bribes sentenced to 10 years
Venezuela ex-treasurer who took $1 billion in bribes sentenced to 10 years | Reuters

Venezuela’s former national treasurer, who received over $1 billion in bribes as part of illicit foreign currency operations, was sentenced by a U.S. judge on Tuesday to 10 years in prison, court records showed.

Alejandro Andrade, who ran the treasury for four years under late socialist leader Hugo Chavez, must surrender to prison by Feb. 25, according to an order by U.S. District Judge Robin Rosenberg in West Palm Beach, Florida. The 120-month sentence was the maximum prison term he faced.

The cases are part of a broad effort by U.S. prosecutors to crack down on the use of the U.S. financial system to launder proceeds from rampant corruption in Venezuela, which has hyperinflation.

In December 2017, Andrade secretly plead guilty to one count of conspiring to commit money laundering. The plea was unsealed last week.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, he admitted during his plea to accepting over $1 billion in bribes in exchange for using his position to help a billionaire TV mogul and others conduct currency exchange transactions at favorable rates for the government.

Andrade’s lawyer, Curtis Miner, said in a statement that Andrade “is eager to continue his cooperation” with prosecutors and “as part of our agreement with the government, we expect to return to court to revisit the sentence that the judge imposed today.”

Venezuela’s information ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

Since 2003, the exchange control system has sold heavily subsidized dollars through state currency agencies or government auctions. But dollars on the black market have fetched at least double and sometimes 10 times more, allowing the well-connected to buy cut-rate dollars and resell them at a huge profit.

Andrade received bribes from brokerages to sell dollar-denominated bonds on behalf of the government, according to court records. The brokerages kept part of the proceeds and returned kickbacks to him by buying him items including 17 horses, 35 luxury watches, 12 cars and six South Florida homes.

President Nicolas Maduro has said little about criminal proceedings against former Venezuelan officials, but says the United States is seeking to undermine his government through financial sanctions.

 

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Cash crunch: how Venezuela inadvertently became a cashless economy
Cash crunch: how Venezuela inadvertently became a cashless economy
John Otis in Caracas
Thu 30 Nov 2017 11.09 GMT

The country’s economic problems mean low-value bolívar notes have been rendered practically worthless – and now they are in short supply

Venezuela’s currency, the bolívar, is named after Simón Bolívar, the 19th-century hero revered across South America for leading the fight for independence from Spain. But the recent history of the banknote he inspired is far less glorious: low-value notes have been rendered practically worthless – and now Venezuela is running out of them.

The cash crunch is so acute that ATMs now provide a daily limit of 10,000 bolívars, enough to buy just a few cups of coffee. Black-market money changers charge commissions of up to 20% to score paper money for small business people who pay their workers in cash. Banks are running out of banknotes.

“Sometimes, bank tellers will only pay you half of your pension and suggest that you come back later for the rest,” said Marta Milano, who was waiting in a long line outside a state-run bank in Caracas hoping to collect her pension.

Although many nations are moving away from paper money in favor of electronic payments – for convenience and to reduce street crime – critics contend that Venezuela is inadvertently turning into a cashless society thanks to economic blunders by President Nicolás Maduro’s socialist government.

Out-of-control state spending, government currency controls and other policies have led to what many describe as hyperinflation, as well the collapse of the bolívar – which now trades at about 107,000 to the pound on the black market.

Now, there is not enough cash in circulation to keep up with soaring prices.

Jean Paul Leidenz, a senior economist at the Caracas thinktank Ecoanalítica, says there are about 13bn banknotes in circulation in Venezuela. But about half of these are 100-bolívar notes, each worth a small fraction of one penny.

The central bank has introduced higher-denomination bills, including a 100,000-bolívar note. But these new banknotes are printed in Europe and the government, which is dealing with falling production of oil – its main export – and massive foreign debt, lacks the money to import enough of them to meet demand.

“Prices are doubling around every two months. So at that rate of price increases you can’t keep up with inflation even if you start importing bills,” Leidenz says.

He and other analysts are calling for market reforms, including the lifting of government currency controls, to help combat inflation and boost national production amid Venezuela’s worst economic crisis in modern history. But the Maduro government has made no effort to change tack.

President Maduro blames the cash shortage on private bankers who he claims are working in cahoots with President Juan Manuel Santos of neighbouring Colombia, who has criticized Maduro for cracking down on democratic freedoms.

Maduro insists that bankers are smuggling cash across the Venezuelan-Colombian border as part of an elaborate conspiracy to sabotage the economy and bring down his government.

“Juan Manuel Santos of Colombia along with the [border] mafias are leading this attack against Venezuela. They are stealing 50- and 100-bolívar banknotes to take them out of the country,” Maduro said in a recent speech.

He did not, however, explain why smugglers would covet nearly worthless banknotes or why spiriting them out of the country would threaten the Venezuelan economy.

Instead, Maduro tried to paint the cash crisis as an opportunity for Venezuela to ditch cash altogether. He said that by next year, up to 95% of all payments in Venezuela should be done electronically.

That’s already starting to happen, though critics point out that the transition stems from a dearth of cash rather than ahead-of-the-curve planning by the Maduro government. These days, Venezuelans pay for the smallest purchases – from a pack of gum to newspapers – with credit or debit cards.

At an outdoor produce market in Caracas, electrician Edinson Sua whipped out his debit card to pay for a few kilos of potatoes and carrots. He said he saves his scarce bolívar notes for bus fares and other transactions that require cash.

“I almost never use cash except in a real emergency,” he says.

But paying with plastic creates new problems. The rising number of electronic transactions can cause internet connections for card readers to collapse. Empty shelves at supermarkets prompt many Venezuelans to seek out black-market vendors who sell milk, rice and other basic staples but accept only paper money.

 

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11.27.2018 - Venezuela Ex-treasure who took $1 Billion in bribes sentenced to 10 years
Venezuela ex-treasurer who took $1 billion in bribes sentenced to 10 years | Reuters


11.28.2018 - Venezuela VP says 'hurt' by revelation Ex-treasure took Bribes
Venezuela VP says 'hurt' by revelation ex-treasurer took bribes | Reuters


National Constituent Assembly (ANC) President Diosdado Cabello attends a rally in support of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela October 5, 2018. REUTERS/Marco Bello

Venezuela's socialist party Vice President Diosdado Cabello said on Wednesday all "Chavistas" were "hurt" by revelations that a former national treasurer took more than $1 billion in bribes, but sought to distance the ruling movement from any corruption.

Cabello is the most senior person in President Nicolas Maduro’s government to comment on Alejandro Andrade’s admission to U.S. prosecutors in documents unsealed last week that he conspired to launder money while running the treasury for four years under late President Hugo Chavez.

A Florida judge on Tuesday sentenced Andrade to 10 years, the maximum prison term he faced. He admitted receiving properties, Mercedez Benz vehicles and “champion horses” as part of illicit foreign currency schemes that involved a local television mogul now indicted in U.S. courts.


“It hurts us personally, of course,” Cabello, who also presides over the all-powerful constituent assembly, said in his weekly television program, accusing Andrade of “betraying” Chavez. “But I repeat: to be a Chavista, one must fight against corruption, not be corrupt.”

Maduro, Chavez’s hand-picked successor, proudly refers to himself as a “son” of Chavez and has maintained his left-wing economic policies.

Andrade, who lives in Florida, must surrender to U.S. prison by Feb. 25, the court ruled. Venezuela’s chief prosecutor Tarek Saab last week requested his extradition from the United States.

U.S. federal prosecutors are seeking to crack down on the use of the U.S. financial system to launder proceeds from rampant corruption in the crisis-stricken South American country that is suffering from hyperinflation and a fifth year of economic contraction.

Since 2003, the exchange control system has sold heavily subsidized dollars through state currency agencies or government auctions. But dollars on the black market have fetched at least double and sometimes 10 times more, allowing the well-connected to buy cut-rate dollars and resell them at a huge profit.

 

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December 3, 2018 - Turkey's Erdogan slams Venezuela sanctions, Maduro defends Gold Exports
Turkey's Erdogan slams Venezuela sanctions, Maduro defends gold exports | Reuters

CARACAS - Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Monday criticized sanctions on Venezuela during a visit to Caracas, while President Nicolas Maduro defended the country’s right to export gold after U.S. sanctions last month targeted its shipments of the metal.

Washington has imposed sanctions on Venezuelan officials it accuses of corruption, and on certain financial transactions with the Maduro government, which it accuses of violating human rights and triggering an economic meltdown. Ties between Turkey and the United States, two NATO allies, have also been strained.

U.S. President Donald Trump last month signed an executive order banning anyone in the United States from dealing with entities and people involved in “corrupt or deceptive” gold sales from the South American country. Turkey this year has become the largest importer of non-monetary gold from Venezuela.

“Political problems cannot be resolved by punishing an entire nation,” Erdogan said, with Maduro by his side at a forum attended by business people from both countries. “We do not approve of these measures that ignore the rules of global trade.”

Venezuela is suffering a bout of hyperinflation and a fifth year of recession that has led to shortages of food and medicine. Maduro frequently blames a U.S. “economic war” for the country’s woes, but critics say the crisis is proof socialist policies started under his predecessor Hugo Chavez have failed.

While Erdogan did not directly mention the United States or Trump, he said his “friend” Maduro was facing “manipulative attacks from certain countries and acts of sabotage from economic assassins.” In response, Erdogan said he was willing to strengthen trade ties.

Trade between the two countries have been growing, with Turkish data showing the country imported $900 million in gold from Venezuela in the first nine months of the year. Without naming the United States, Maduro decried sanctions and said Venezuela had the right to sell gold.

“It is very petty to try to use an illegal sanction to prevent Venezuela from selling its gold to the world,” Maduro said during a joint press conference later on Monday with Erdogan, who also visited Paraguay after attending the Group of 20 summit in Argentina last weekend.

 

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December 4, 2018 - Russia's Putin, Venezuela's Maduro to discuss financial help for Caracas
Russia's Putin, Venezuela's Maduro to discuss financial help for Caracas | Reuters

MOSCOW - The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro would discuss financial help for Caracas when the two leaders meet in Moscow on Wednesday.

They will also discuss cooperation on oil and gas development, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters at a briefing in Moscow.


December 4, 2018 - UN seeks $738 Million to help Venezuela's neighbors handle migrant flood
U.N. seeks $738 million to help Venezuela's neighbors handle migrant flood | Reuters

GENEVA - The United Nations said on Tuesday it was seeking $738 million in 2019 to help neighboring countries cope with the inflow of millions of Venezuelan refugees and migrants, who have “no prospect for return in the short to medium term”.

It was the first time that the crisis was included in the U.N. annual global humanitarian appeal which is $21.9 billion for 2019 without Syria.

Three million Venezuelans have fled the political and economic crisis in the Andean country, most since 2015, according to the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR.

“There is one crisis for which we for the first time have a response plan, which is to help the countries neighboring Venezuela deal with the consequences of large numbers of Venezuelans leaving the country,” U.N. emergency relief coordinator Mark Lowcock told a Geneva news briefing.

In Caracas, Venezuela’s Information Ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The majority of Venezuelans who have left have gone to 16 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, led by Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

“In 2019, an estimated 3.6 million people will be in need of assistance and protection, with no prospects for return in the short to medium term,” the U.N. appeal said.

Colombia, which has taken in one million Venezuelans, is “bearing the biggest burden of all”, Lowcock said.

President Nicolas Maduro blames the country’s economic problems on U.S. financial sanctions and an “economic war” led by political adversaries.

The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Maduro would discuss financial help for Caracas when the two leaders meet in Moscow on Wednesday.

The exodus, driven by violence, hyperinflation and major shortages of food and medicine, led to a U.N. emergency appeal of $9 million announced last week for health and nutrition projects inside Venezuela.

Lowcock, asked about Venezuelan government acceptance of aid inside the country, said:

“I think there is a shared agreement that more U.N. help in those sorts of areas would be a very helpful thing in reducing the suffering of people inside Venezuela.

“What we have agreed with the government of Venezuela is that we should strengthen our collaborative work and support for example in area of health services and nutrition,” he said.

David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Programme (WFP), told a separate briefing: “This is a story unfolding, we have yet to be allowed access inside Venezuela.”

The WFP has urged the United States and other donors to help it reach Venezuelans in surrounding countries with rations, he said, “because many of the people, if they can just get food, they will at least stay in their home area, in that region.”

 

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06/12/2018 - Venezuela signs oil, gold investment deals with Russia - Maduro
Venezuela signs oil, gold investment deals with Russia - Maduro



CARACAS - Venezuela has signed deals securing investment from Russia in the South American country's oil and gold sectors, President Nicolas Maduro said on Thursday at the end of a three-day trip to Moscow.

"We have signed contracts to guarantee investments of more than $5 billion (3.91 billion pounds) with our Russian partners in joint ventures to raise oil production," Maduro said in a video posted on his Twitter account.

"We are also guaranteeing an investment of $1 billion for mining, mostly in gold."

Maduro did not provide specifics about where the investments would be made or how much money Russian companies would contribute.

Venezuela's Information and Oil Ministries did not immediately respond to requests for additional details.

With Venezuela's oil output collapsing amid hyperinflation and a fifth year of economic contraction, Maduro flew to Moscow on Monday to meet with his counterpart, Vladimir Putin. The two planned to discuss financial help for Caracas and cooperation on oil and gas, a Kremlin aide said.

Russia has become a key lender of last resort for cash-strapped Venezuela in recent years, but Maduro's government has struggled to pay its debts. The head of Russian oil company Rosneft flew to Caracas last month to press Maduro over delayed oil shipments aimed at repaying loans.

Russia and Venezuela are more united than ever," Maduro said.

Maduro has also sought to boost the country's gold output as an alternative source of hard currency as revenue from oil, which makes up over 90 percent of exports, dries up.

The United States has sought to restrict Venezuela's gold trade through sanctions.

 

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Russian warplanes in Venezuela will take part in joint flights, says Caracas
December 11, 0:59 UTC+3
"We are getting prepared to defend Venezuela when it is needed. And we will do it with our friends who advocate respect-based relations between state", Venezuelan Defense Minister noted
MOSCOW, December 10. /TASS/. Russian warplanes that arrived in Venezuela on Monday will take part in joint flights, Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, who welcomed the Russian planes at the Maiquet·a "Sim·n Bol·var" International Airport, said.

"We are getting prepared to defend Venezuela when it is needed. And we will do it with our friends who advocate respect-based relations between state," he said.

According to the Russian defense ministry, two Tu-160 strategic bombers, an An-124 heavy military transport plane and an Il-62 long-haul plane of the Russian aerospace forces that took off from aerodromes in Russia covered a distance of 10,000 kilometers and flew over the Atlantic Ocean, the Barents, Norwegian and Caribbean Seas in strict compliance with the international rules of the use of airspace.

It was not the first such flight performed by Russian Tu-160 warplanes. Such planes reached Venezuela in September 2008 and in October-November 2013.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1072210211065266176

 

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10/12/2018 - Russia sends 2 nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela
Russia sends 2 nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela

Two Russian nuclear-capable strategic bombers arrived in Venezuela on Monday, a deployment that comes amid soaring Russia-U.S. tensions.

A Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic long-range heavy supersonic bomber aircraft is pictured upon landing at Maiquetia International Airport, just north of Caracas, on December 10, 2018.Federico Parra

Russia's Defense Ministry said a pair of Tu-160 bombers landed at Maiquetia airport outside Caracas on Monday following a 6,200-mile flight. It didn't say if the bombers were carrying any weapons and didn't say how long they will stay in Venezuela.

The ministry said the bombers were shadowed by Norwegian F-18 fighter jets during part of their flight. It added that a heavy-lift An-124 Ruslan cargo plane and an Il-62 passenger plane accompanied the bombers to Maiquetia.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, second from left, is pictured after the arrival of two Russian Tupolev Tu-160 strategic long-range heavy supersonic bomber aircraft at Maiquetia International Airport, just north of Caracas, on December 10, 2018.Federico Parra

The Tu-160 is capable of carrying conventional or nuclear-tipped cruise missiles with a range of 3,410 miles. Such bombers took part in Russia's campaign in Syria, where they launched conventionally-armed Kh-101 cruise missiles for the first time in combat.

Code-named Blackjack by NATO, the massive warplane is capable of flying at a speed twice exceeding the speed of sound.

Russia has upgraded its Tu-160 fleet with new weapons and electronics and plans to produce a modernized version of the bomber.
The bombers' deployment follows Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's visit to Moscow last week in a bid to shore up political and economic assistance even as his country has been struggling to pay billions of dollars owed to Russia.

Russia is a major political ally of Venezuela, which has become increasingly isolated in the world under growing sanctions led by the U.S. and the European Union, which accuse Maduro of undermining democratic institutions to hold onto power, while overseeing an economic and political crisis that is worse than the Great Depression.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at last week's meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart Vladimir Padrino Lopez that Russia would continue to send its military aircraft and warships to visit Venezuela as part of bilateral military cooperation.

Russia sent its Tu-160 strategic bombers and a missile cruiser to visit Venezuela in 2008 amid tensions with the U.S. after Russia's brief war with Georgia. A pair of Tu-160s also visited Venezuela in 2013.


December 10, 2018 - Brazil makes official intervention in state bordering Venezuela
Brazil makes official intervention in state bordering Venezuela | Reuters

RIO DE JANEIRO - Brazilian President Michel Temer has signed a decree making official a federal “intervention” in the state of Roraima which borders Venezuela, the government’s official newspaper said on Monday.

Waves of Venezuelan migrants have entered the border area in recent months, seeking refuge from poverty and hunger in the neighboring country. The thousands of refugees are straining public services and the state’s finances.

The person in charge of the intervention will be Antonio Denarium, the governor-elect of Roraima, who is set to take office on Jan. 1. It will last until Dec. 31, said the decree published in Brazil’s Diario Oficial.

The intervention means federal resources can be used to deal with public security issues and state legislature can be bypassed.

Temer said on Dec. 7 he had reached an agreement with the current governor for a federal intervention. Now the decree has been published in Brazil’s official newspaper, the intervention becomes official.

 

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US Will Attempt Coup In Venezuela If Economic Pressure Does Not Work

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Sunday that the United States was preparing a coup in Venezuela. An expert on Latin American issues looks at whether there are grounds for such a coup and whether the US can really escalate the situation in Venezuela anytime soon.

Threatening cooperation

For the director general of the Latin American Center Hugo Chavez, Egor Lidovskoi, the news on coup plans is perfectly plausible after recent visits of Nicolas Maduro to Russia and Turkey.

The Russian expert stresses that in addition to signing the agreements that have been announced, such as Russian investment contracts, there may be other secret deals aimed at developing the multipolar world and abandoning the US dollar in the economy.

“This will certainly affect the United States, because the dollar and the economy are a ‘weapon’ that they use even more than military force to impose their will on other countries. A country having their own independent policy is extremely dangerous, as they may lose their hegemony,” Lidovskoi said.

Disguised opposition and economic pressure

The analyst points out that Washington has always had a very negative attitude toward Caracas, in particular after the coming to power of Hugo Chavez and the consequent nationalization of oil production in Venezuela.

Thus, US companies lost the possibility of profiting from the Venezuelan oil sector, which led the US to resort to colossal economic pressure on Caracas, just as they did with Fidel Castro’s Cuba.

In this context, he believes, it is perfectly possible for Washington to escalate the situation.

“In the American establishment, there is always a dispute between those who are in favor and against an invasion in Venezuela. If they see that they have exhausted the economic measures of pressure… then it is quite possible that the US will attempt a military intervention or a coup using radical groups, which have already been generously sponsored in Venezuela,” Lidovskoi said.

According to him, although in Venezuela there are opposition parties, the opposition that is shown by American propaganda are disguised armed groups that carry out various operations such as the drone attack against the president in August of this year.

Given the relations of Venezuela to countries such as Russia, China and Turkey, the expert concluded that Washington can be expected to try to do more in this direction.

Nicolás Maduro visited Moscow in early December, having met with President Vladimir Putin and his government.

According to Maduro’s statements, the two countries have signed a series of agreements in the areas of oil, telecommunications, defense, mining and trade.

 

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Pompeo's Remarks About Russia Sending Tu-160 to Venezuela Unacceptable - Moscow

Earlier, the US Secretary of State called Russia and Venezuela "two corrupt governments" which were "squandering public funds" after Moscow sent two Tu-160 bombers, an An-124 heavy-lift transport and an Il-62 recon plane to Caracas in a show of support to the Latin American country.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's comments about the deployment of Russian aircraft to Venezuela were not in keeping with his role as the US's top diplomat, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

"We understand, of course, that the Twitter format does not usually oblige anyone in the United States to anything; users are free to speak out as they please, and decide for themselves whether they wish to step outside the boundaries of elementary decency. However, in this case we are talking about a public figure, therefore such a clear disregard for the norms of diplomatic etiquette cannot just be considered as just a passing episode. What was said by the Secretary of State is unacceptable, not to mention completely unprofessional," the ministry statement said.

Earlier, Pompeo tweeted about Russia sending its bombers "halfway around the world to #Venezuela," calling on "the Russian and Venezuelan people" to see the action "for what it is: two corrupt governments squandering public funds, and squelching liberty and freedom while their people suffer."

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called Pompeo's claims "quite a serious accusation," and said it was "absolutely inappropriate." Regarding the funds spent to carry out the flight, Peskov quipped that with the size of the US military budget, Washington could feed the whole of Africa if it wanted to.

Caracas: US Reaction to Russian Planes Hypocritical

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza called Pompeo's reaction to the Tu-160 flight "outrageous" and hypocritical, hitting back at the secretary on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1072541880242581505

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1072541902841495554

Russia sent the military aircraft to Venezuela on Monday for joint drills aimed at helping to train Venezuela to protect against aggression.

Relations between Washington and Caracas have been rocky for nearly two decades, with US-allied political forces attempting to stage a coup against President Hugo Chavez in 2002. Chavez's successor, Nicolas Maduro, has accused the US and its regional allies of plotting another coup, and alleged that Washington has instructed Colombia to organize his murder following a failed assassination attempt in August.


Tillerson 2.0? Pompeo’s ‘undiplomatic’ remarks might land him in hot water with Trump, Kremlin hints

Donald Trump might have his own assessment of Mike Pompeo’s “undiplomatic” remarks about Russia, Moscow has suggested, referring to the president’s recent Twitter rampage aimed at his last secretary of state, Rex Tillerson.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov went on the offensive after Pompeo accused Moscow of “squandering” public funds by sending two strategic bombers to Venezuela. Describing Pompeo’s comments as unbecoming of a diplomat, Peskov slyly pointed out that Trump has a habit of airing his own opinions of those who hold the reins at the State Department. “Perhaps such an assessment will follow in respect to Mr. Pompeo’s undiplomatic speech,” Peskov quipped.

Peskov was undoubtedly referring to Trump’s recent Twitter-lashing of former secretary of state Rex Tillerson, who the president lambasted as “dumb as a rock.” While Trump praised Pompeo’s brains in the same tweet, consistency may not be Trump’s strong suit: The president had previously hailed Tillerson as “one of the truly great business leaders of the world.”

https://twitter.com/x/status/1071132880368132096

Pompeo tweeted out on Tuesday that the arrival of two Russian Tu-160 bombers was an example of “two corrupt governments squandering public funds, and squelching liberty and freedom while their people suffer.” The remark was quickly countered by the Kremlin.

“As far as the ‘squandering’ is concerned, we don’t agree with that,” Peskov stated, noting that half of the bulky US military budget “would be enough to support all of Africa.”

For now, Pompeo’s job appears to be safe. After all, there are no reports – at least not yet – that the current secretary of state called Trump a "moron” behind his back.

 

[angelburst29]

It wasn't until this meeting - that someone actually took the initiative to seriously help Venezuela ...

United Nations General Assembly in New York: Sept. 26, 2018
Sergey #Lavrov met w/Pres. of #Venezuela Nicolás #Maduro.

Since then, there have been these developments:

* 07.10.2018 - Russia sets up Weapons Maintenance Database in Venezuela
Russia Sets Up Weapons Maintenance Database in Venezuela

* October 29, 2018 - Russia sends Officials to Venezuela to Advise on Crisis Reforms
Russia sends officials to Venezuela to advise on crisis reforms | Reuters

* 11.26.2018 - UN approves $9 Million in Aid for crisis-stricken Venezuela
World News | Reuters.com

* December 4, 2018 - Russia's Putin, Venezuela's Maduro to discuss financial help for Caracas
Russia's Putin, Venezuela's Maduro to discuss financial help for Caracas | Reuters

* December 4, 2018 - UN seeks $738 Million to help Venezuela's neighbors handle migrant flood
U.N. seeks $738 million to help Venezuela's neighbors handle migrant flood | Reuters

* 06/12/2018 - Venezuela signs oil, gold investment deals with Russia - Maduro
Venezuela signs oil, gold investment deals with Russia - Maduro

* 10/12/2018 - Russia sends 2 nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela
Russia sends 2 nuclear-capable bombers to Venezuela


Several rounds of U.S. Sanctions have not helped the Venezuelan economy. Add to it, President Maduro inherited many of the problems that Hugo Chavez left behind. One of the biggest problems has been corruption within the oil industry and in Banking. Maduro has been working towards cleaning up the corruption.

* 11.27.2018 - Venezuela Ex-treasure who took $1 Billion in bribes sentenced to 10 years
Venezuela ex-treasurer who took $1 billion in bribes sentenced to 10 years | Reuters

* October 31, 2018 - PDVSA ex-executive admits taking bribes in guilty plea in US Court
PDVSA ex-executive admits taking bribes in guilty plea in U.S. court | Reuters

Ortega admitted that he and his co-defendant laundered $12 million through a sophisticated false-investment scheme,” reads the statement, which describes a “billion-dollar international scheme to launder funds embezzled from PDVSA.”

Tillerson 2.0? Pompeo’s ‘undiplomatic’ remarks might land him in hot water with Trump, Kremlin hints

I find the timing of former Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson sudden public appearance - interesting - considering PDVSA ex-executive admitted to taking bribes. I suspect, Tillerson, a former Mobile/Exxon CEO and prior to him becoming Sec. of State - might have been involved with the PDVSA scandal? Tillerson was the one pushing Trump to exercise a Coup against Maduro.

* Back-dated November 30, 2017 - Venezuela arrests ex-oil bosses for graft in widening purge
Venezuela arrests ex-oil bosses for graft in widening purge | Reuters

“We’re talking about the dismantling of a cartel of organized crime that had taken over PDVSA,” Saab said as state television flashed a video of armed military intelligence agents knocking on doors and images of the two men being handcuffed and arrested.

Maduro has promised a vast anti-corruption purge to cleanse the oil industry of “mafias.” Some 65 executives have been detained so far, panicking PDVSA workers, depriving Venezuela’s oil industry of much of its top brass, and stalling decision-making in the company overseeing the world’s biggest crude reserves, insiders say.

They say authorities ridiculed and dismissed a report last year by the opposition-run Congress, which concluded that some $11 billion went missing at PDVSA over a decade when Del Pino and Martinez were both influential officials.

* Tue March 13, 2018 - Trump fires Tillerson, taps Pompeo as next secretary of state
https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/13/politics/rex-tillerson-secretary-of-state/index.html

US Will Attempt Coup In Venezuela If Economic Pressure Does Not Work

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro said Sunday that the United States was preparing a coup in Venezuela. An expert on Latin American issues looks at whether there are grounds for such a coup and whether the US can really escalate the situation in Venezuela anytime soon.

Threatening cooperation

For the director general of the Latin American Center Hugo Chavez, Egor Lidovskoi, the news on coup plans is perfectly plausible after recent visits of Nicolas Maduro to Russia and Turkey.

The Russian expert stresses that in addition to signing the agreements that have been announced, such as Russian investment contracts, there may be other secret deals aimed at developing the multipolar world and abandoning the US dollar in the economy.

I would say, there is evidence to support Egor Lidovskoi's claim:

* 09.09.2018 - Venezuelan Foreign Minister Says Exposed US Plans to Support Coup
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Says Exposed US Plans to Support Coup

On Saturday Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza confirmed alleged plans by US agencies to support a coup against the Venezuelan leadership.

* 22.09.2018 - Expect US 'Actions' Against Venezuela in Coming Days - Pompeo
Expect US 'Actions' Against Venezuela in Coming Days - Pompeo

"You'll see in the coming days a series of actions that continue to increase the pressure level against the Venezuelan leadership folks, who are working directly against the best interest of the Venezuelan people," Pompeo told the network. "We're determined to ensure that the Venezuelan people get their say."

In August 2017, Trump issued his first round of sanctions against the country, calling it a "dictatorship." Then again, in May 2018, one day after Maduro again won the office of the presidency in a democratic election, the US imposed another round.

While Maduro has accused the US of engaging in economic warfare and sabotage, the US has at times taken a more active role in undermining the government. After an August 4 assassination attempt against Maduro involving a drone strapped with explosives, Caracas accused the US of backing the perpetrators.

 

[Ca.]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1073120897437966336

Translated from Russian by Microsoft
Russian pilots #ВКС in Venezuela flew on strategic bombers #Ту160 over the waters of the Caribbean Sea. Almost ten hours of unprecedented flight in 40 seconds – directly from the cabin of the airplane – in our #видео https://s.mil.ru/2Ek785Z #Венесуэла @EmbajadaRusaVe

https://twitter.com/x/status/1072865154671366150

Translated from Spanish by Microsoft
In the airfield of #Maiketia de #Venezuela, the crews of Russia and Venezuela carried out joint activities to prepare the aviation crews and the aeronautical machinery for the carrying out of flights https://s.mil.ru/2PzdwZc @EmbajadaRusaVen

https://twitter.com/x/status/1072951416979902464

Dec. 12, 2018 3:20 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON—Two Russian bombers that flew to Venezuela on Monday as a gesture of support for socialist President Nicolás Maduro will leave on Friday and return to Russia, the White House said, following a diplomatic spat over the visit.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said in a statement Wednesday the planned departure came after the Trump administration spoke with Russian officials.

The arrival of the Tu-160 bombers at an airport outside Caracas prompted a war of words between Washington and Moscow. The Trump administration has sought to isolate Mr. Maduro’s government and has issued sanctions against him and other members of his government.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo wrote in a Twitter message this week that the flight was a case of “two corrupt governments squandering public funds, and squelching liberty and freedom while their people suffer.”

Russia’s Foreign Ministry denounced Mr. Pompeo’s comments as “unacceptable” and “unprofessional.” A spokesman for Russia’s Embassy in Washington said that Moscow has made no official statements on when the aircraft might depart.

The Pentagon recently made a similar message of its own to Russia when it carried out a rare flight mission over Ukraine under the international Open Skies Treaty to “reaffirm U.S. commitment to Ukraine.”

Russia has flaunted its ability to conduct long-range bomber missions, including one in 2015 in which at least one Tu-160 bomber fired cruise missiles at targets in Syria, where Moscow is supporting another U.S. adversary, President Bashar al-Assad. But the 6,200-mile flight to Venezuela of the TU-160’s from an airfield near Saratov, Russia, was an unusual demonstration of Moscow’s ability to project power at a time of rising tensions between the U.S. and Russia over Syria, the 2016 U.S. elections, Ukraine and other matters.

The supersonic bombers, which the North Atlantic Treaty Organization has code-named Blackjack, are capable of carrying nuclear as well as conventional weapons. Moscow hasn’t said if the bombers were armed, but most experts believe it is highly unlikely they carried nuclear weapons.

Flights of Tu-160 bombers to Venezuela, while uncommon, have occurred before. Russian Tu-160s flew to Venezuela in 2013 and in 2008, when the U.S. and Russia were at odds over Russia’s war with Georgia.

Russia’s Defense Ministry announced the current mission on Monday, saying that the strategic bombers also were accompanied by an An-124 military transport plane and an IL-62 passenger aircraft, which carried support staff and Russian officials.

Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said at a recent meeting with his Venezuelan counterpart that Moscow would continue its military cooperation with the Maduro government.

Maduro says meeting with Putin most useful in his career
December 13, 1:34 UTC+3
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro met with the Russian leader during his visit to Moscow last week
MOSCOW, December 12. /TASS/. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has described his last week's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the most useful session in his whole political career.

"This was the most useful meeting in my career. We strengthened the process of cooperation between Russia and Venezuela in the sphere of military-technical cooperation," Maduro told a press conference.

Last Friday Maduro finished his visit to Moscow. As a result, the sides signed agreements on cooperation in the oil extraction and mining industries, servicing Venezeulan weapons systems and delivering wheat to the South American country. According to the Venezuelan president, bilateral projects are worth over $6 billion of investment.

Russia and Venezuela are implementing joint investment projects in energy, agriculture, geological exploration, pharmaceuticals, as well as in the spheres of information technologies, nuclear medicine, military-technical cooperation and others.

Press review: Russia to set up Caribbean base and meet Israeli brass to discuss Iran
December 12, 13:00 UTC+3
Snip:
Media: Russia to set up military base in the Caribbean
Moscow is gearing up to establish a long-term military presence in Latin America and the current mission of the Tu-160 strategic bombers to Venezuela is part of this plan, Nezavisimaya Gazeta writes.

According to military envoys, Russian authorities have made a decision (and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro did not object) to deploy strategic aircraft to one of Venezuela’s islands in the Caribbean Sea, which has a naval base and a military airfield. Ten years ago, Russian experts and Armed Forces commanders had already visited the island of La Orchila, located 200 kilometers northeast of Caracas. Venezuelan laws prohibit the setup of military bases in the country, but a temporary deployment of warplanes is possible.

"It is the right idea to include Venezuela in long-range aviation missions," military expert Colonel Shamil Gareyev told the newspaper, adding that it was also economically reasonable. "Our strategic bombers will not only not have to return to Russia every time, but also won't perform aerial refueling while on a patrol mission in the Americas. Our Tu-160 aircraft arrive to their base in Venezuela, conduct flights, execute their missions and are then replaced on a rotating basis. This is how it should be done," he said.

Tu-160 strategic bomber © Marina Lystseva/TASS
​

Venezuela: Recent developments and opinions concerning the possibility of an open military ‘intervention’ by the United States & Co
01.10.2018 Written by Daniel Edgar exclusively for SouthFront
Snip:
A recent article by Rubén Castillo for Misión Verdad (republished by Resumen Latinoaméricano) provides a succinct analysis of the most likely attack options and the Bolivarian Republic’s defence capabilities in the respective scenarios (without ruling out the concurrent implementation of all three – an all-out ‘shock and awe’ aerial attack, immediately followed by medium to large-scale frontier invasions primarily from Colombia and perhaps Brazil, accompanied by ‘low intensity’ but extremely destructive terrorist attacks and sabotage from all directions, internal and external). Indeed the latter scenario, low intensity terror attacks and sabotage, has already been underway for some time, as envisaged in the confidential ‘Masterstroke’ strategy document prepared by SouthCom that was subsequently revealed in the international press (discussed previously by the same author; Daniel Edgar, 2018).

While the new Colombian president Iván Duque affirmed unequivocally during the election campaign that he was not in favour of Colombia participating in a military attack against Venezuela, Colombia and Guyana did not support a recent declaration by the ‘Lima Group’ categorically rejecting military intervention and Duque is taking every opportunity to antagonize and demonize the Venezuelan government and demonstrate his absolute loyalty to his masters in Washington and Miami.

Moreover, in a recent budget statement he announced a projected increase to the military budget of over 50% (matched by a similar level of cutbacks to funding for education and implementation of the now all but defunct peace process with the FARC), largely to fund the acquisition of an air-defence system which in current circumstances could only be used against a possible (counter-)attack from Venezuela (it is unthinkable that such a system would be used to defend the country against an attack by the United States, which already has a very substantial military and intelligence presence in Colombia). The increase is on top of already record levels of military spending; while the FARC-EP disarmed completely following the signing of the Peace Accord, the Colombian State has not relinquished one piece of military equipment or ended compulsory military service. To the contrary, it continued to increase military spending.

This reveals a considerable dilemma for the would-be aggressors: while Colombia has one of the highest levels of military spending and possesses one of the most formidable military apparatuses on the continent, it has been designed and operated with the exclusive objective of fighting against the Colombian people in order to defend and preserve the extravagant luxuries and privileges of the political and economic elite and ‘foreign investors’ rather than defending the country and the people in an external conflict with a well-armed opponent (much less conducting a large-scale offensive military campaign outside the country).

 

[angelburst29]

December 12, 2018 - Russia tells US their bombers to leave Venezuela Friday: White House
Russia tells U.S. their bombers to leave Venezuela Friday: White House | Reuters

Russia has told the United States that two of their strategic bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons will leave Venezuela on Friday, the White House said on Wednesday, ending a deployment that angered Washington.

“We have spoken with representatives of Russia and have been informed that their military aircraft, which landed in Venezuela, will be leaving on Friday and going back to Russia,” White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in an email sent to Reuters.


December 12, 2018 - Ex-Venezuela Oil Minister Martinez dies in State Custody
Ex-Venezuela oil minister Martinez dies in state custody | Reuters

Former Venezuela oil minister Nelson Martinez, who was arrested in 2017 as part of a sweeping graft probe at state oil company PDVSA, has died in state custody, the prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday.

FILE PHOTO: Venezuela's Oil Minister Nelson Martinez talks to journalists before the beginning of a meeting of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) in Vienna, Austria, May 25, 2017. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger/File Photo

Martinez, a chemist who also ran PDVSA and its U.S. subsidiary Citgo Petroleum, had been transferred to a military hospital from prison because of kidney problems, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters earlier. He had a heart attack while receiving dialysis, they said.

In a statement, the prosecutor’s office said Martinez had a “serious chronic disease” that led to his death and offered condolences to his family.

Martinez was jailed after the country’s top prosecutor said he allowed a poor refinancing deal for Citgo to go ahead without government approval. He was arrested alongside Eulogio del Pino, another former oil minister and PDVSA president, who remains jailed.

Martinez’s death will likely fuel debate over the conditions of imprisoned former politicians and government officials, who in recent years have increasingly included former top leaders whom President Nicolas Maduro has accused of wrongdoing.

The death two months ago of a municipal legislator, Fernando Alban, sparked a nationwide scandal, with the government saying he committed suicide and opposition leaders insisting he was murdered in prison.

“The death of Nelson Martinez is the responsibility of Nicolas Maduro, who...held him hostage for a year knowing he was ill,” Rafael Ramirez, a fugitive oil minister and PDVSA president under late President Hugo Chavez who is wanted on corruption charges, wrote on Twitter.

The prosecutor’s office said Martinez was given adequate care.

“Until the last moment, the citizen in question received treatment and the required medical attention,” the prosecutor’s office said in its statement.

The opposition to Maduro’s socialist government, which has overseen a collapse of the OPEC nation’s economy, dismisses the probe as an internal power struggle within Maduro’s inner circle, noting that the industry has been under tight control of the ruling Socialist Party since early in Chavez’s 14-year rule.

Martinez had yet to appear before a judge at the time of his death, and the date for his preliminary hearing was pushed back several times, two of the people said. His lawyers began asking authorities months ago for Martinez to be granted house arrest, citing his ill health, one of the people said.

Martinez started having health problems while leading Citgo, based in Houston. Maduro named him oil minister in January 2017, and he assumed the dual role of PDVSA president later that year, replacing del Pino.

He had joined PDVSA in 1980 and oversaw the company’s offices in London, Argentina and Ecuador before being tapped to lead Citgo.