Venezuela: Resistance or disintegration?

[mabar]

Add:

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A divided Security Council

Ms. DiCarlo’s call for cooperation and dialogue was echoed by many of the Council’s 15 members during the contentious debate that followed her briefing, even as speakers for the United States and Russia sparred over the path to end the crisis.

The US State Department on Wednesday ordered the departure from Venezuela of some non-emergency employees, following a decision by the Trump administration, and several other nations, to recognize Mr. Guaidó as Venezuela’s rightful president.

President Maduro respoended by cutting diplomatic ties with the US.

Today, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on the UN to recognize Mr. Guaidó as Venezuela's interim president, and declared: “Now it is time for every other nation to pick a side. No more delays, no more games. Either you stand with the forces of freedom, or you're in league with Maduro and his mayhem.”

But Russia’s UN Ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, rejected that view saying the US was imposing its own “approaches and recipes” to resolve the problems on the ground in Venezuela. “This meeting is yet another attempt by the United States to affect regime change and [the Russian Federation] regrets that the UN Security Council has been drawn into such an unethical ploy.”

The two diplomats had faced off ahead of the meeting when the Council held a procedural vote on whether the session would even go forward, as ‘the situation in Venezuela’ is not an official item on the Council’s agenda.

But by a vote of nine in favour (Belgium, Dominican Republic, France, Germany, Kuwait, Peru, Poland, United Kingdom, United States) to four against (China, Equatorial Guinea, Russian Federation, South Africa), with two abstentions (Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia), adopted the agenda item.

During the debate, French Ambassador Anne Gueguen said it was “entirely legitimate” that the Council considers the topic, as the crisis in Venezuela was spilling into neighbouring countries. France called for a political and negotiated solution to the crisis. “Mr. Maduro must understand that this is his last opportunity and he must take it,” she warned.

She said trhat if elections are not organized and held in eight days, France was ready, along with the European Union, to recognize Mr. Guaidó as the interim President. She urged authorities to refrain from the use of force against democratically elected officials, members of civil society and peaceful protestors.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Sunday rejected an ultimatum from several EU countries to call fresh elections within eight days, stressing that they were acting like "colonial powers."

"The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela strongly rejects the statement by the European Union from January 26, which has confirmed its decision to join the coup d'etat, orchestrated by the US government, bearing in mind the attempt to give Venezuela the ultimatum reminiscent of the style of colonial powers," Arreaza said on Twitter.

Israel Recognises Guaido as Venezuela's President - Netanyahu --- he was getting late!
Earlier, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Spain issued an ultimatum to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, saying that he had eight days to organize elections or they would recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's interim president. The Netherlands has also supported the ultimatum.

On Wednesday, Guaido, the head of Venezuela's opposition-controlled National Assembly, declared himself the country's interim president in a move that had been recognized by the United States and a number of other countries.

Russia, Mexico, Uruguay and other states, on their part, have expressed support for Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president, with Moscow expressing readiness to act as a mediator in the conflict between the government and the opposition.

 

[Windmill knight]

More on the economic war on Venezuela:

Venezuela crisis: Former UN rapporteur says US sanctions are killing citizens

The first UN rapporteur to visit Venezuela for 21 years has told The Independent the US sanctions on the country are illegal and could amount to “crimes against humanity” under international law.
Former special rapporteur Alfred de Zayas, who finished his term at the UN in March, has criticized the US for engaging in “economic warfare” against Venezuela which he said is hurting the economy and killing Venezuelans.

The comments come amid worsening tensions in the country after the US and UK have backed Juan Guaido, who appointed himself “interim president” of Venezuela as hundreds of thousands marched to support him. European leaders are calling for “free and fair” elections. Russia and Turkey remain Nicolas Maduro’s key supporters.

Mr De Zayas, a former secretary of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) and an expert in international law, spoke to The Independent following the presentation of his Venezuela report to the HRC in September. He said that since its presentation the report has been ignored by the UN and has not sparked the public debate he believes it deserves.

“Sanctions kill,” he told The Independent, adding that they fall most heavily on the poorest people in society, demonstrably cause death through food and medicine shortages, lead to violations of human rights and are aimed at coercing economic change in a “sister democracy”.

On his fact-finding mission to the country in late 2017, he found internal overdependence on oil, poor governance and corruption had hit the Venezuelan economy hard, but said “economic warfare” practised by the US, EU and Canada are significant factors in the economic crisis.

In the report, Mr de Zayas recommended, among other actions, that the International Criminal Court investigate economic sanctions against Venezuela as possible crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute.

The US sanctions are illegal under international law because they were not endorsed by the UN Security Council, Mr de Zayas, an expert on international law and a former senior lawyer with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said.
“Modern-day economic sanctions and blockades are comparable with medieval sieges of towns.

“Twenty-first century sanctions attempt to bring not just a town, but sovereign countries to their knees,” Mr de Zayas said in his report.

Notice that although the report speaks of "internal overdependence on oil, poor governance and corruption", the main factor is the "economic warfare". The more I read on the topic, the more it seems to me that the shortcomings of the Maduro government would not be half what they are if the country had just been left alone. It's easy for us to criticize from outside when we have not been the ones under the economic pressure and propaganda for two decades!

 

[1peacelover]

Another interesting chess move......US APPOINTS CONVICTED CRIMINAL TO LEAD DIPLOMATIC CORPS IN VENEZUELA(!)

 

[Ca.]

Flashback's Overthrow 101:
I've put a little compilation together for anyone that could benefit with a little information on past covert regimen changes.

As others have noted, are the similarities of the overthrows of Viktor Yanukovych, Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein. The attempted overthrow's of Hugo Chávez, Hafez al-Assad, Bashar al-Assad and Fidel Castro, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, just to name a few.

Russia has always stood on the side of persevering, what's left of democracy.
And Let us pray that he is successful, and Trump wake's up to his real allies are.

Fidel Castro en Caracas

Castro on Chavez: We've lost our 'best friend'

Chavez: Caso Libia y le habla a Europa

Published on Mar 5, 2011 / 14:53

Gladio has arrived?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1089115263210004480

Translated from Russian by Microsoft
#Venezuela #Caracas Venezuelan security forces detained a group of militants the Venezuelan military detained several armed groups that were preparing attacks on police and government agencies.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1089051367132545025

Is President Maduro 'Illegitimate'? 10 Facts to Counter the Lies - Fort Russ
7-9 minute Read;
Editor’s Note – the following from 15yUltimo indeed delivers the facts straight. It’s important for those still sharing the ‘democracy = elections’ dream not to wind up in error on the subject of Venezuela – the last election that saw Maduro defeat his opponents was clean, transparent, and fair by the liberal, western standards of late modernity. FRN is not of the view that legitimacy and sovereignty are determined by the specific mechanics of what a particular time and place considers ‘democratic’, or that ‘democratic = legitimate’. This is a larger historical, theoretical, and philosophical question which, however, has deep ramifications if one wants to be consistent. Venezuela is a sovereign state because it asserts itself as such through its actions. Maduro is the legitimate leader of Venezuela for reasons beyond the scope of the below. Still, the Empire has decided that their attack on Venezuela will use, as an opening, a debate over whether specific and somewhat fetishized technical practices occurred or did not occur in the last election. All states are dictatorships – the immediate question even at the surface revolves around the degree of social and economic justice in that society, or in short – in whose interests is the dictatorship wielded? – J. Flores

Have those who state that Nicolás Maduro is a dictator, a usurper, and that the 2019-2025 presidential period lacks legitimacy, asked themselves why he is illegitimate? Or do they just repeat what they hear?

This opinion was first advanced by the 12 Latin American countries that make up the Lima Group. Their statement reads: “The electoral process carried out in Venezuela on 20th May 2018 lacks legitimacy in that it didn’t have the participation of all Venezuelan political actors, nor the presence of independent international observers, nor the international guarantees and standards needed for it to be a free, just, and transparent process.”

The leaders of the Venezuelan opposition, the non-democratic ones, repeat ceaselessly, and without arguments, that Maduro is a usurper.
In a desperate act, the United States Vice-President Mike Pence, having had to call personally for the opposition march on January 23 due to the incompetence of the opposition’s leaders, insisted and repeated that President Nicolás Maduro is a dictator, usurper, and illegitimate.

The strategy is clear: repeat the lie a thousand times to turn it into truth. Let’s dismantle this lie.
Highlight's:
1.There was a presidential election.
2.It was the Venezuelan opposition that requested an early election
3.In Venezuela voting is a right, but not compulsory.
4.Sixteen political parties participated
5.Six candidates competed for presidency:
6.Maduro won by a wide margin, obtaining 6,248,864 votes,
7.The electoral process was observed by about 150 people,
8.This election was carried out with the same electoral system used in the election for Venezuela’s National Assembly in December 2015,
9.Eighteen audits were carried out on the automated system.
10.None of the candidates that participated in the electoral process contested the results.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1089324467615080448

Translated from Spanish by Microsoft
I take from the internet this caricature, whose author is not mentioned.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1089193244523679744

Translated from Spanish by Microsoft
Before declaring himself acting president of #Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, he traveled discreetly to Washington, Colombia and #Brasil Pláticas secretas permitieron coalición anti-Maduro

Netanyahu says Israel recognized Guaido as Venezuela’s new president

 

[angelburst29]

Another interesting chess move......US APPOINTS CONVICTED CRIMINAL TO LEAD DIPLOMATIC CORPS IN VENEZUELA(!)

He offers some good insight on how Citgo, a Venezuelan Company is trying to protect itself from being taken over by the vultures.

I also find it interesting, Netanyahu came out in support of Guaido - just as Elliott Abrams was named as Special Envoy for Venezuela. Do I sense a connection?

There is $8 billion in foreign reserves held by the Venezuelan Central Bank and as he mentioned in the video, the Countries where these reserves are located, are giving Maduro a hard time into tapping into those reserves. This is one of those examples:

Jan. 27, 2019 - Maduro Stymied in Bid to Pull $1.2 Billion of Gold From U.K.
Maduro Stymied in Bid to Pull $1.2 Billion of Gold From U.K.

Maduro Stymied in Bid to Pull $1.2 Billion of Gold From U.K.

(Bloomberg) -- Nicolas Maduro’s embattled Venezuelan regime, desperate to hold onto the dwindling cash pile it has abroad, was stymied in its bid to pull $1.2 billion worth of gold out of the Bank of England, according to people familiar with the matter.

The Bank of England’s decision to deny Maduro officials’ withdrawal request comes after top U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton, lobbied their U.K. counterparts to help cut off the regime from its overseas assets, according to one of the people, who asked not to be identified.

The U.K. followed the U.S. and other countries on Wednesday in recognizing Juan Guaido, the National Assembly leader, as the legitimate president of Venezuela. Maduro, an authoritarian ruler who’s overseen the country’s collapse into economic chaos, refuses to give up power, though, and has the backing of the military. The European Union threatened to recognize Guaido unless a “credible” presidential election is called with eight days, according to a draft statement seen by Bloomberg.

The U.S. officials are trying to steer Venezuela’s overseas assets to Guaido to help bolster his chances of effectively taking control of the government. The $1.2 billion of gold is a big chunk of the $8 billion in foreign reserves held by the Venezuelan central bank. The whereabouts of the rest of them is largely unknown. Turkey, though, has emerged recently as a destination for freshly mined Venezuelan gold.

The U.S. is leading an international effort to persuade Turkey -- a key Maduro backer, along with Russia and China -- to stop being a conduit for these gold shipments. Europe’s shift of position clarifies the international battles lines over Venezuela and aligns key powers such as Germany, France and Spain more closely with the Trump administration.

Free Elections

“We want democracy and free elections in Venezuela,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Saturday. “I want to state absolutely clearly that if within eight days, fair, free and transparent elections are not called in Venezuela, Spain will recognize Juan Guaido as president.”

Retrieving the gold in the Bank of England has been a major priority for the Maduro regime for weeks. Back in mid-December, Calixto Ortega, the president of Venezuela’s central bank, led a delegation to London that sought to gain access to it, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

But those talks were unsuccessful, and communications between the two sides have broken down since. Central bank officials in Caracas have been ordered to no longer try contacting the Bank of England. These central bankers have been told that Bank of England staffers will not respond to them, citing compliance reasons, said a Venezuelan official, who asked not to be identified.

Gold Legacy
The Bank of England declined to comment on its handling of Venezuelan assets, saying it “provides banking services – including gold custody services – to a large number of customers” and “does not comment on any of those relationships.”

When asked about the fate of Venezuelan assets abroad Friday, Pompeo declined to comment, as did a spokesman for the National Security Council. The Treasury released a statement saying that the U.S. “will use its economic and diplomatic tools to ensure that commercial transactions by the Venezuelan Government, including those involving its state-owned enterprises and international reserves, are consistent with” its recognition of Juan Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela.

A press official for Maduro declined to comment.

Gold has formed a crucial part of Venezuela’s foreign reserves for years. Hugo Chavez, the late socialist leader and mentor to Maduro, plowed much of the country’s oil wealth into gold in part because of his disdain for the U.S. dollar. In 2011, Chavez ordered the repatriation of $11 billion worth of gold bars from the Bank of England and other foreign institutions. As Venezuela fell deeper into economic crisis years later, though, the Maduro regime began selling them off to raise the cash it desperately needed to fund imports and to try, unsuccessfully, to avoid defaulting on its foreign debt.

"The first rule of business as we speak is to stop the Maduro government from liquidating international assets of the country and steal them," Ricardo Hausmann, a Harvard economics professor and long-time critic of Maduro who’s been speaking with Guaido, said in an interview Friday.

Jan. 27, 2019 - As Nations turn against Maduro, Venezuela Leader parades with Military
As nations turn on Maduro, Venezuela leader parades with military | Reuters

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro takes part in a military exercise in Valencia, Venezuela January 27, 2019. Miraflores Palace/Handout via REUTERS

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro oversaw a display of the army's Russian hardware on Sunday, with anti-aircraft flak and tank rounds pounding a hillside to show military force and loyalty in the face of an international ultimatum to call fresh elections.

Early on Sunday, flanked by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, Maduro watched a platoon of soldiers release volleys of rocket-propelled grenades, machine gun anti-aircraft fire and tank rounds at hillside targets, the Russian ordnance kicking up clouds of dust at the Fort of Paramacay, an armored vehicle base.

Maduro said the display showed the world he has the backing of the military, and that Venezuela's armed forces are ready to defend the country. Maduro says Guaido is taking part in an attempted coup directed by U.S. President Donald Trump's hardline policy advisers.

"Nobody respects the weak, cowards, traitors. In this world what's respected is the brave, the courageous, power," Maduro said as the dust settled on the base.

The show of force was accompanied by a government publicity campaign online based on the slogan "Always Loyal, Never a Traitor," and followed a high-profile defection by the country's top military diplomat in the United States on Saturday.

Slideshow (19 Images)
As nations turn on Maduro, Venezuela leader parades with military | Reuters

 

[mabar]

there are a couple of tweets from Zakharova at the beginning but, find more interesting about the legal illegality and such about the autoproclamation of Juan Guaidó as "legal" president.

...
A Matter of Constitutional Interpretation? No, just obfuscation

What is ethically and legally perplexing on multiple levels, is the premise Guaido used in his self-declaration as acting president. Guaido cites several articles of the Venezuelan constitution to support his claim to legitimacy, but the constitution actually points the opposite direction. The National Electoral Commission in Venezuela, considered clean and fair by international monitors for several decades, approved the electoral process which saw Maduro re-elected.

That is, Maduro and the government followed the constitutional requirements for an election – they were even held earlier than required, because the opposition according to the constitution has the right to determine the timing of elections. This provision is quite the opposite of ‘dictatorial’ – and indeed the Maduro led government conducted the elections when the opposition wanted. Specifically, these elections were held at the time when, according to polling, the opposition had the most support.

However, several opposition parties refused to participate – boycotting the election, while those opposition parties that did participate and whose platforms are very similar, failed to get behind a single candidate. In short, even though the opposition exercised its right to determine the timing of elections, and timed it during a period that polls indicated Maduro’s weakest support, Maduro still won.

In deciphering Guaido’s specific citation of articles 233 of the Venezuelan Constitution, we find something that under other circumstances would be simply amusing. Wherein he says that the National Assembly that he leads has the obligation to recognize if the president is unwilling or unable/unavailable to act as president, and then proceed to name the president of the National Assembly – Guaido – as acting president pending snap elections, he has interpreted this wrong on several counts. So why was 233 ?


The only constitutional way to get Guaido or any other U.S proxy into power, failing an actual election, is if the president is permanently unavailable.

This explains the connection between the citation of Article 233 and the assassination attempt on Maduro back in August. Bear in mind that while August came after the May election that Maduro won, his inauguration wasn’t until January. This means that Guaido’s citation of article 233 to place himself as president of the republic, is incoherent. Only if the August assassination attempt had succeeded, would the president by permanently unavailable prior to his January inauguration.

Another ‘interpretation trick’ which Guaido tried to pull was the phrase ‘duly declared by the National Assembly‘ (see below). He emphasized these words in his speech, while he ‘declared’ himself president, but here too we find something entirely off-point.

An incoherent reading may leave the interpretation that the National Assembly has the right to determine if the President of the Republic has abandoned his position. It does not – it is the due obligation to declare it if he has abandoned his position; not its authority to determine that he has abandoned the position. An analogy may be to the national weather service. The national weather service has a due obligation to inform the public of a coming tsunami. The national weather service does not conjure tsunamis into existence through declaration.

Even though the attempt on Maduro failed, and he is ‘ready, able, and willing’ to serve his second term, the U.S nevertheless goes ahead with their plan, and Guaido’s script goes forward unchanged. The problem of course is that the duly elected president is just fine, and came out of the assassination attempt unscathed.

In the event that something happened to Maduro after his inauguration, then power would transfer to the vice-president, not the president of the national assembly (akin to Speaker of the House).

The language of the constitution is pretty clear.

Article 233: The President of the Republic shall become permanently unavailable to serve by reason of any of the following events: death; resignation; removal from office by decision of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice; permanent physical or mental disability certified by a medical board designated by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice with the approval of the National Assembly; abandonment of his position, duly declared by the National Assembly; and recall by popular vote.

When an elected President becomes permanently unavailable to serve prior to his inauguration, a new election by universal suffrage and direct ballot shall be held within 30 consecutive days. Pending election and inauguration of the new President, the President of the National Assembly shall take charge of the Presidency of the Republic.

When the President of the Republic becomes permanently unavailable to serve during the first four years of this constitutional term of office, a new election by universal suffrage and direct ballot shall be held within 30 consecutive days. Pending election and inauguration of the new President, the Executive Vice-President shall take charge of the Presidency of the Republic.

In the cases describes above, the new President shall complete the current constitutional term of office. If the President becomes permanently unavailable to serve during the last two years of his constitutional term of office, the Executive Vice-President shall take over the Presidency of the Republic until such term is completed.

Legally speaking, all countries and people following Guaidó, are a buch of laughingstock, missinerpreting Venezuela's Law ... to bad is not being said from the rooftops

 

[mabar]

Venezuela devalues currency to align it with black market – AFP citing official

Venezuela has devalued the Bolivar, in an attempt to align the currency’s value with the country’s black market, AFP reported. Amid hyperinflation, many Venezuelans rely on the black market to gauge the currency’s value.

The Central Bank of Venezuela announced the devaluation on Monday, and reported that the Interbanex private exchange platform would be allowed to exchange money in the country at a rate determined by supply and demand.

Interbanex has said that its exchange is rate 3,200 sovereign bolivars per dollar.

A dollar exchange rate in the black market as of Monday 01.28 was 2,909 bolivars, compared to 2,084 bolivars on the last auction at Exchange Market System (Dicom), EL Nacional reported citing the Central Bank of Venezuela.

The country's economy has been in a steady decline since the sharp drop in oil prices in 2014 that hit the budgets of the world’s major oil producers, such as Saudi Arabia, Russia, Norway and Iran. Apart from the oil price crash, Caracas has been under constant pressure from US sanctions aimed at President Nicolas Maduro and his government.

Since last week situation in Venezuela has become more tense after the opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself the interim head of the state, with the support from US and its allies.

This means that the minimum monthly salary of 18,000 bolivars translates into only $ 8.64.

Venezuela stopped using dollar for its transactions on the country's exchange market since October last year switching to euro.
[/embed]

 

[angelburst29]

there are a couple of tweets from Zakharova at the beginning but, find more interesting about the legal illegality and such about the autoproclamation of Juan Guaidó as "legal" president.

Legally speaking, all countries and people following Guaidó, are a bunch of laughingstock, misinterpreting Venezuela's Law ...
to bad is not being said from the rooftops

It's part of Maria Zakharova's position in Foreign Affairs, to have a complete and accurate understanding of Venezuela's Constitutional Law's and Mandates, when addressing their Foreign Policy and what measures can be taken, according to those "specific" Constitutional Law's. Each Country has a Constitution or Legal directive ratifying it's governing body. Legal language and purpose might vary from one Country to another but most are generally guided by accepted International Law's and those stipulated governing Mandates.

I know from my own experiences, Legal Writ isn't something you read through like the Morning paper. Each "word" carries weight and is placed in a certain position in a statement, that either compounds the meaning of the words next to it or further clarifies it's meanings. In plain English and to the average person not indoctrinated into the Legal professions - it's basically "crazy-shit" and you need to hire a New York or Philadelphia Lawyer - to get through and "really" understand the words in the first sentence of any Legal Document. So, what Zakharova is trying to explain - the Venezuelan Constitution is carefully defined by certain mandates/laws and it's Constitutionally elected President Maduro has followed those directives "to the letter (word)" and Juan Guaido and the misfits backing him are only a staged comedy act, pretending to have Legal Authority to manipulate the system and mold the circumstances to fit their own agenda. They're only a bunch of clowns but one of dangerous things that idiots possess - is stupid erratic behavior. The last thing Venezuela needs - is to be invaded like Syria - and decimated like Libya!

The only constitutional way to get Guaido or any other U.S proxy into power, failing an actual election, is if the president is permanently unavailable.

This explains the connection between the citation of Article 233 and the assassination attempt on Maduro back in August.

In the event that something happened to Maduro after his inauguration, then power would transfer to the vice-president, not the president of the national assembly (akin to Speaker of the House).

Something of a similar nature recently took place in the United States, with the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi "dictating" to President Trump - to postpone (delay) the President's State of the Union address. Yet, the President is Constitutionally Required
by Mandated Law to deliver an annual address. Prior to 1913, the address was presented in writing and the Speaker of the House would present the reading (letter) to the governing bodies, elected Officials and the American Public. Since 1913, the President has presented the State of the Union address, in person, at the National General Assembly. Days after this, VP Pence acted "above" Presidential decree (side stepping Trump's position as US President) acted on his own accord, to draft and video tape an unauthorized communique' - "On behalf of President Donald Trump" who didn't come forward until a few days later, claiming to support Guaido?
Something is really screwed up in Washington?

January 22, 2019 - 'Hola, I'm Mike Pence' US VP delivers message of support to Venezuelans
'Hola, I'm Mike Pence': U.S. VP delivers message of support to Venezuelans | Reuters

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence issued a video message of support to Venezuelans on Tuesday to encourage those who are protesting against President Nicolas Maduro and underline U.S. backing for opposition leader Juan Guaido.

In a taped video message in English bit.ly/2sGkcvy with a few Spanish words and phrases mixed in, Pence, who has lashed out at Maduro before, declared him a "dictator" who has no rightful claim to power.

“On behalf of President Donald Trump and all the American people, let me express the unwavering support of the United States as you, the people of Venezuela, raise your voices in a call for freedom,” Pence said after offering a greeting of “hola,” which means “hello” in Spanish.

Pence has largely taken the lead within the Trump administration in condemning Maduro. He called the inauguration a sham and made clear the United States did not recognize the election result.

Venezuela's Guaido calls for new protests as pressure on Maduro rises
Juan Guaido, the Venezuelan opposition leader and self-proclaimed president, on Monday called for new street demonstrations as pressure intensified on President Nicolas Maduro and the crisis-stricken OPEC nation.

In a month, Venezuela's Guaido emerged from obscurity to challenge Maduro
(In 11th paragraph of Jan. 23 story, corrects to show Guaido studied political management at George Washington University but did not receive a master's degree in public administration there.)

Guaido took the helm of the National Assembly on Jan. 5 with a call for the armed forces to recognize Maduro as a “usurper” after his May 2018 re-election vote, widely viewed as fraudulent.

The eldest of six children from a working-class family in the coastal state of Vargas, Guaido survived a devastating 1999 mudslide that posed one of the earliest tests to Chavez’s 14-year rule.

He went on to study engineering, but became involved in politics while in college and studied political management at George Washington University in the United States. He is married with a 1-year-old daughter.

For some years, the focus of the opposition - both of Guaido and his mentor, Leopoldo Lopez, the well-known head of the Popular Will party, currently under house arrest - has been ousting Maduro from power.

Representing Vargas for Popular Will, Guaido assumed the parliament’s leadership as part of a power-sharing agreement between Venezuela’s main opposition parties. He has said little about what policies he would pursue as president, but Popular Will describe themselves as center-left social democrats.

 

[angelburst29]

Venezuelan authorities on Monday approved a new, privately run foreign exchange system that will operate in parallel to the official currency control system, as an emboldened opposition challenges President Nicolas Maduro.

Monday January 28, 2019 - Venezuela approves parallel currency exchange system amid political crisis
Venezuela approves parallel currency exchange system amid political crisis | Reuters

A customer pays with debit card at a store in Caracas, Venezuela, January 28, 2019. REUTERS/Andres Martinez Casares

The currency controls, originally created by late socialist leader Hugo Chavez in 2003, have sold dollars at an advantageous rate for basic goods while at times also selling hard currency for other items at a less favorable rate.

Critics call the currency controls one of the principal distortions of the crisis-stricken economy, which is expected to see inflation reach 10 million percent this year amid a broad collapse that has fueled a humanitarian crisis. With prices doubling every few weeks, cash is scarce and even the smallest transactions are carried out with debit cards.

“The system will not correct the distortion,” Henkel Garcia, a director of local consultancy Econometrica. “The country’s most serious problem is the inadequate supply of dollars.”

The new currency platform, called Interbanex, began operations on Monday, selling dollars at 3,200 bolivars, it said on Twitter. That rate is 34.5 percent weaker than the official rate of 2,084 bolivares to the dollar.

Venezuela’s central bank said on Twitter that Interbanex “will become part of the country’s currency exchange market,” and that it was authorized by the Finance Ministry.

The central bank did not respond to a request for comment.

Manuel Armas, a spokesman for Interbanex’s customer service department, said Venezuela’s state institutions would not participate for now due to U.S. sanctions on Maduro’s government.

Interbanex also said that private Venezuela bank BOD would trade on the platform. BOD did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The ruling Socialist Party has over the years launched six “complementary” foreign exchange systems meant to improve access to dollars, but those systems all collapsed amid complaints by businesses that they could not obtain the greenbacks they needed.

On its Twitter page, Interbanex says it is owned by “Spanish investors” and on its website it lists its owner as Interban Exchange. Interban is owned by a Granada, Spain-registered company called Ampajesu and a Barbados-registered company called Bull Equity Management, according to Interbanex.

Lima Group bloc will meet in Canada on Feb. 4 for Venezuela talks
Canada will host a meeting of the Lima Group regional bloc on Feb. 4 to discuss what to do next about Venezuela, where opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president, a top official said on Monday.

This is one of the dumbest headlines I came across today - pastoral imprudence is meant to be neutral - not take sides!

Pope fears bloodshed in Venezuela, not taking sides for now
Pope Francis said on Sunday he feared bloodshed in Venezuela but that it was premature for him to take sides because it could cause more damage.

Australia joins growing support for Venezuela's Guaido
Australia on Monday joined other Western nations in backing Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido as the country's interim president until fresh elections are held.

 

[goyacobol]

Critics call the currency controls one of the principal distortions of the crisis-stricken economy, which is expected to see inflation reach 10 million percent this year amid a broad collapse that has fueled a humanitarian crisis.

Inflation at 10 million percent is unbelievable...

Venezuela devalues currency to align it with black market – AFP citing official

Published time: 28 Jan, 2019 16:48 Edited time: 28 Jan, 2019 18:06
Venezuela has devalued the bolivar, in an attempt to align the currency’s value with the country’s black market, AFP reported. Amid hyperinflation, many Venezuelans rely on the black market to gauge the currency’s value.
The Central Bank of Venezuela announced the devaluation on Monday and reported that the Interbanex private exchange platform would be allowed to exchange money in the country at a rate determined by supply and demand.

Interbanex has said that its exchange is rate 3,200 sovereign bolivars per US dollar.
A dollar exchange rate in the black market as of Monday 01.28 was 2,909 bolivars, compared to 2,084 bolivars on the last auction at Exchange Market System (Dicom), El Nacional reported citing the Central Bank of Venezuela.
This means that the minimum monthly salary of 18,000 bolivars translates into only $8.64.
Read more
While Nicolas Maduro’s government has cracked down on the illegal money trade, many Venezuelans rely on this trade to buy and sell currency.
Inflation in Venezuela is set to hit 10 million percent in 2019, according to the International Monetary Fund.
The country's economy has been in a steady decline since the sharp drop in oil prices in 2014 that hit the budgets of the world’s major oil producers. Apart from the oil price crash, Caracas has been under constant pressure from US sanctions aimed at President Nicolas Maduro and his government.
Because of the sanctions, Venezuela stopped using the dollar for its international transactions since October last year, switching to the euro. The government also pegged the bolivar to the oil-linked cryptocurrency Petro last summer.
The spiraling cost of everyday items has led to shortages of food and medicine, which in turn prompted almost three million Venezuelans to flee the country since 2015, according to UN figures.
In addition to Venezuela’s deepening financial woes, the country is currently in political turmoil after opposition leader Juan Guaido declared himself interim president last week. Guaido has been recognized as Venezuela’s legitimate leader by the US and most of Latin America. Maduro denounced Guaido’s move as a “vile” Washington-sponsored coup, and severed diplomatic relations with the US in response. Meanwhile, the US promised $20 million in humanitarian aid to the Guaido-led government, and the UK rejected Venezuela’s request to withdraw $1.2bn in gold stored in the UK.

 

[mabar]

I had been checking prices of basic products in Venezuela comparing those to Mexico .... and even with the greatest inflation that had been mentioning in Venezuela through the years, some prices in Venezuela are way more cheaper than in México

Gasoline
Mexico

 

[mabar]

I had been checking prices of basic products in Venezuela comparing those to Mexico .... and even with the greatest inflation that had been mentioning in Venezuela through the years, some prices in Venezuela are way more cheaper than in México

Gasoline
Mexico

sorry, the time expired ..

Gasoline per liter in dollars Venezuela gasoline prices, 21-Jan-2019 | GlobalPetrolPrices.com 21 january, 2019
Mexico .99
Venezuela 0.01
US .68

Subway
Mexico (5 pesos) .26 USD
Venezuela (.50 bolivar soberano) = 0.0003 USD Anuncian nuevas tarifas para el transporte público en Venezuela
US 2.75 New York Here's what it costs to ride the subway in 11 major US cities

The video is from a venezuelan youtuber of 15 january, 2019 its from CLAP stores, according to telesur Se cumplen dos años desde la creación de los CLAP en Venezuela using deepl--The CLAPs emerged to deal with the onslaught of economic warfare, product hoarding and price speculation. But people complain that the prices are expensive.

minimum salary Venezuela=4500 bolivar soberano =2.79 USD
minimum salary Mexico=102 mexican peso =5.36 USD

yellow cheese kg 6,750 bolivar soberano = 4.19 USD
yellow cheese kg 130 mexican peso = 6.83 USD

soy oil 900 ml 1077 bolivar soberano = .67 USD
soy oil 946 ml 35 mexican peso = 1.42 USD

ketchup heinz 567 gr 1220 bolivar soberano = .76 USD
ketchup hunts 600 gr 19 mexican peso = 1 USD

spaguetti 500 gr 511 bolivar soberano = .32 USD
spaguetti 500 gr 17 mexican peso = .89 USD

fusili 500 gr 858 bolivar soberano = .53 USD
fusili 450 gr 34 mexican peso = 1.79 USD

quaker oats 400 gr 970 bolivar soberano = .60 USD
quaker oats 475 gr 37 mexican peso = 1.95 USD

and etc ...
I compare the prices here https://www.heb.com.mx/catalogsearch/result/?q=espagueti+500+gr&cat= and use this currency conversion site https://cuex.com/es/ves-usd

https://youtu.be/KB1ErEucZMg

 

[sToRmR1dR]

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing mabar!

In the meantime Russia expects US to comment on stinky cowboy bastard's '5,000 troops to Colombia'.

OpSec fail or unspoken threat? Bolton’s ‘5,000 troops’ notepad line ups ante for Venezuela
29 Jan, 2019

Diplomat expects US to comment on potential troop deployment to Colombia
January 29, 2019

 

[angelburst29]

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing mabar!

In the meantime Russia expects US to comment on stinky cowboy bastard's '5,000 troops to Colombia'.

OpSec fail or unspoken threat? Bolton’s ‘5,000 troops’ notepad line ups ante for Venezuela
29 Jan, 2019

Diplomat expects US to comment on potential troop deployment to Colombia
January 29, 2019

In the past few days, I came across a recent article that featured this photo (below) claiming to decipher a portion of what was on President Putin's notes. I was able to find the photo but unable to locate the article. Maybe, in my travels today, I'll come across the article. (BTW - Putin looks "GREAT" in that photo!)

When I first read the headline above, my first thought - it was a deliberate spin-off of the photo of Putin below?

Keep in mind, John Bolton is U.S. National Security Adviser? It looks more like a staged prop? So, what kind of message is Bolton sending? Is it a scare tactic, along with the new round of Sanctions, to warn Maduro that the US is ready "to invade"- exerting more pressure for Maduro to step down?

Venezuela government strikes back: seeks Guaido probe, accounts freeze
Venezuela's chief prosecutor said on Tuesday he had asked the Supreme Court to open a preliminary investigation into self-proclaimed interim president Juan Guaido, as well to freeze the opposition leader's accounts and impose a travel ban on him.

• 
  

U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton arrives to address reporters as the Trump administration announces economic sanctions against Venezuela and the Venezuelan state owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PdVSA) during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., January 28, 2019. REUTERS/Jim Young

 

[irjO]

But people complain that the prices are expensive.

Because those prices that they mention in the video are almost impossible to get on the stores, most of the groceries stores and other types of stores sell food and stuff not with the official price mandated by the government but with the reference of the black market (parallel dollar) so it gets much more expensive.
That’s one of the faces of the economic war.