2020 might be the stage for new parliamentary elections in which chavismo expects to revert the effects of MUD’s 2015 victory. In the meanwhile, harassment and coercion have scraped off the opposition majority.
Daily Briefing
Lunch Break: The Takeover of Primero Justicia
Chavismo is hellbent on decomposing opposition party Primero Justicia and hold Parliamentary elections this year, and the fake opposition is more than happy to help; International scorn piles up against the Maduro regime.
Women of the Venezuelan Chaos
The crisis in Venezuela extends to all sectors, yet Margarita Cadena’s documentary, “Women of the Venezuelan Chaos,” displays how women are distinctly touched—and how they fight back against the turmoil.
Dealing Drugs in Clandestine Airports of Perijá
In the mountains of northwestern Venezuela, Colombian guerrilla and paramilitary linked to local authorities have installed an economy of landing lanes that offer a way to make a living for hundreds of people.
A Trip Back in Time: Holidays in the Andes
We just started a new year, but in the Venezuelan Andes it’s a trip seventy years into the past, with daily power outages, long lines for fuel and the Colombian peso as local currency.
A New Battle for the National Assembly
The new twist in the neverending political crisis in Venezuela is the regime’s attempt, so far unsuccessful, to control the National Assembly, apparently by order of the Kremlin.
The Takeover of the National Assembly
Using police and military personnel, chavismo kept most of the journalists and opposition lawmakers out of the Legislative Palace, in order to appoint a loyal board led by a corrupt deputy. But Juan Guaidó was reelected as speaker in an official session.
2019 Migration Year in Review
Venezuelan migration is today the largest displacement crisis the Americas has ever seen, and globally the second largest after Syria’s. The predictions for 2019 became true: there are now at least 4.7 million Venezuelan migrants and refugees in the world
Previous Posts
2019 Gave Us a New Kind of Country
It was a year where political change looked closer than ever in two decades of chavismo. However, hope dissolved again. But this defeat was...
Sanctioned Baseball Goes On
The OFAC sanctions produced another case of overcompliance when American baseball cut its ties with the Venezuelan league. This is the story of how I learned to stop worrying about MLB and love the game.
Best of GEHA 2019
2019 felt more like an endurance test: we went through a lot during these 12 months. This time around, the compilation will be more focused on the events and larger themes that shaped the country this year instead of a larger chronological review.
Older Venezuelans Also Deserve to Rebuild Their Lives Abroad
They should be enjoying retirement. Instead, some of them are leaving their country on foot. Senior Venezuelans, as well as pregnant women and infants, are the most vulnerable victims of the Venezuelan migration.
A Safe Haven for Venezuelan Walkers in Colombia
In the Colombian city of Bucaramanga, the Fundación Entre Dos Tierras managed to organize a humanitarian assistance device for migrants. Adriana Parra, deputy director of the foundation, tells us how it works.
Blame the Gold Rush: Malaria Keeps Spreading
The 2019 World Malaria Report released by the World Health Organization last week shows that the disease hasn’t been controlled in Venezuela and threatens the regional efforts to tackle it.
A Miracle of Music and Hard Currency
Last weekend, caraqueños enjoyed CúsicaFest, a two-day music festival with three generations of Venezuelan bands. It was a triumph of organization, frank capitalism and nothing but joy for those who could join the crowd.
The Long Journey of the 1999 Constitution
On December 15th it will be twenty years since the referendum that passed the Carta Magna designed by the chavismo to take over the State. But today, that fundamental law has many meanings.
The Forced Migration of the ‘Dignified’
After the disaster, many people who lost their homes were taken far, far from Vargas by the civic-military apparatus. In Merida, not all families were able to adapt and had to deal with being controlled by the state and distrust.
‘Only Two of Us Survived’
Twenty years after the landslides, it’s still hard to understand what survivors went through. This is the story of Ramón Díaz, the first mayor of Vargas, and his two lives: the one before the tragedy and the one afterwards.
The Lost Children of Vargas
Twenty years later, there are twenty open cases of children that went missing during the rescue operations of the landslides in Vargas, and they are believed to be alive.
Health in 2019: Humanitarian Emergency in the Dark
Even though the entry of humanitarian aid lit a spark of hope for the Venezuelan health system, the balance at the end of the year is anything but encouraging.
One Thousand, Ten Thousand, Fifty Thousand Dead
Twenty years ago, the Northern Venezuelan coast suffered one of the worst disasters in the country’s history. But we’ll never know how many people we lost.
It’s So Hard to Be a Feminist in Venezuela
The answer to Chilean performance “A Rapist in Your Way” (Un violador en tu camino) reaches Caracas in two different demonstrations, divided by politics and united by results: mockery and dogmas against a necessary message
Cucuta: Venezuela’s Currency Exchange
How do remittances get to Venezuela? Where does the cash come from? Why are Venezuelan businesses wary to accept worn dollars? This is an in-depth dive into the border’s most profitable business.
Time Machine: Argentina and Venezuela, 1947
One old, simple issue of Time magazine documented the rise of two parallel political processes that are still making the news. Peronism is in power again, and Venezuelans are still waiting for the rights the 1947 Constitution was trying to enforce.
How Foreign STEM Professionals Developed Venezuelan Science
When Venezuela was considered a land of opportunities, some immigrants were university graduates in science, technology, engineering and mathematics who spread ideas and developed institutions that are very much alive today, all over the world.
Left Behind & Killed
Working as a researcher for the non-profit organization Caracas Mi Convive, I became familiar with the most painful of stories: children murdered within families unraveled by migration and hunger
What Is Happening in Venezuela’s Protected Capital?
Are things better in Caracas? New business has sprouted, traffic jams are back, people are getting ready for Christmas, and no one talks about politics. Here’s a stab at understanding what’s going on.
Notes From The Venezuelan Black Friday Battlefront
Cash dollars made possible an illusion of recovery in the capital of the world’s worst-performing economy. Here’s how things looked in the Sambil mall
Chaotic Luxuries: Living with a De Facto Dollarization
With the vibe of “things improving in Caracas” comes a lot of chaos in a society that dollarized its trade based on trust, which is frankly a mess.
A Piece of the Venezuela You Love
We are re-launching our Cinco8 + Caracas Chronicles store: new design, new products, all related to the nation we keep deep inside.
A Witch Hunter in Cambridge
A stellar group of Venezuelan scientists are demanding University of Cambridge revoke a year-long fellowship from a former IVIC director with a witch-hunting past.
Yellow Fever Joins the Emergency
Fourteen years after the last outbreak, this disease is raising alarms about the possibility of a new epidemic. But to be honest, the really surprising part is that it took it that long.
How Dollars Make It Into Venezuela
Spontaneous dollarization seems to have taken over Venezuela. Even Maduro admitted it represents an “oxygen valve.” Two experts describe the different sources of cash dollars.
Mexico, the Tailor-Made Border
The number of Venezuelans mistreated and deported from Mexico has increased. The reason: AMLO’s government is doing Donald Trump a favor, stopping migrants way before the Río Grande.
Are Venezuelans Leaning Right?
On Venezuelan social media, Vox and Trump’s conservative policies are catching on. But testimonies and surveys on the actual street say otherwise.
Never Say the Night Is Slow
The Highway Angels have been offering first aid in 220 kms of Caracas highways for over six years now. We spent the night with this paramedic crew, and witnessed their passion and dedication up close.
The Dawn of Venezuelan Horror Films
For the first time ever, movie theaters in the country, used to playing real-life dramas, crime stories and inane comedies, are showing horror films produced in Venezuela. And the reason lies in our collective anxieties.
Of Course Bolivia Is Not Venezuela
Evo Morales, a close ally of Chávez and Maduro, resigned on November 10th, after the OAS issued a report invalidating the election he claimed he had won. That doesn’t mean we should draw false equivalences.
