Caracas Chronicles

Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy met on Tuesday with the Speaker and the Vice-president of the National Assembly, lawmakers Julio Borges and Freddy Guevara, to reiterate his willingness to work for the restoration of democracy in Venezuela: “Spain will fight side by side with Venezuelans until they recover their democracy,” said Rajoy, expressing his concern for the deteriorating economic, political and social situation.

Spanish Foreign minister Alfonso Dastis and Congress Speaker Ana Pastor Julián also expressed their support and interest in helping Venezuela find a peaceful, electoral solution to its conflict. The statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that “Spain will keep insisting that the EU impose individual and selective sanctions against those responsible for the current repression,” as a way of encouraging the reestablishment of constitutional order in the country.

Nicolás won’t go

Francisco José Eguiguren, head of the Inter American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), said that Venezuela is among the countries where human rights are most endangered by the “conflicts of polarization within democratic institutions” that we’re experiencing.

Perhaps this is why Nicolás won’t speak next Monday before the UN Human Rights Council, but he’ll be replaced by Foreign minister Jorge Arreaza, a bold strategy to reduce the severity of the judgement of their atrocities by boring his entire audience to sleep.

Another projection

Foreign minister Jorge Arreaza said that the “arrogant and insolent” tone of the statement issued by the the President of France’s Office was unacceptable as, in his view, they’re trying to recall their imperial past and claimed that president Macron’s opinion of Venezuela depends on Donald Trump’s foreign policy: “The crimes committed by the Venezuelan right-wing, linked to corruption and violence, are punishable under France’s own legislation,” he tweeted, also taking the chance to criticize Spain, saying that their administration is going through “the worst corruption scandals in their history (…) with a record in unemployment and evictions, [Rajoy’s] government has done the most damage to the people,” which means Rajoy is attacking Venezuelan dignity by “representing the worst colonial past.”

Additionally, Roy Chaderton accused Macron of sabotaging José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero’s efforts towards the non-existent dialogue and attributing the great international concern for Venezuela to “the theory of media conspiracy.”

Get your popcorn (and caffeine) ready for Arreaza’s speech at the UN.

Immunity

The National Assembly’s Delegate Committee approved an agreement regarding parliamentary immunity and condemning the government’s unconstitutional disregard for it. Delsa Solórzano pointed out that according “article 138 of the Constitution all usurped authority is ineffectual and its decisions are void. It’s impossible for the fraudulent ANC to breach immunity.”

Regarding the investigation on Odebrecht’s corruption case, Juan Guaidó said that amount of money stolen through bribes alone “would be enough to pay the country’s debt in food and medicines” and that they’ll reveal the final report in the next few days.

Dip.@jguaido: En los próximos días y con los resultados finales del informe recabado por #CPContraloría se establecerán responsabilidades. pic.twitter.com/8mfYcajFz7

— Asamblea Nacional (@AsambleaVE) September 5, 2017

They approved an agreement condemning the regime’s crackdown on the media, urging the opening of an investigation on censorship and demanding that the administration respect free speech.

Radio Fe y Alegría

Yesterday at 2:00 p.m., the National Telecommunications Commission (CONATEL) ordered radio station Fe y Alegría 88.1 FM in Maracaibo, Zulia, to immediately cease operations, arguing that the station didn’t have the necessary concession to operate, despite the fact that the station has been requesting it since 1975.

But at 3:00 p.m., the same CONATEL official that ordered the shutdown, authorized them to resume operations “on orders from Caracas.”

Attacking an educational station is wretched and demonstrates the arbitrary nature with which these abuses are committed, equally wretched.

When you have the chance, check out the beautiful thread of a station employee, Mario Pérez Chacín on Twitter, starting with this tweet: “Being a part of @radiofeyalegría is understanding that there is an apostolate for life that goes beyond your own, in service of many…”.

Such is Fe y Alegría’s mission.

Dying in jail

Relatives of UPEL student Kevin Rojas, illegally held in El Dorado prison, Bolívar, requested that he be urgently transferred to a hospital to be treated for the mixed malaria he’s suffering. Kevin regularly faints, imprisoned under terrible conditions. The physician stationed at El Dorado has requested Kevin’s transfer to a hospital, but there’s been no answer.

The military prosecutor Katiusca Ochoa requested that the cases of 22 UPEL students detained in this prison be dismissed, but there’s been no answer about this either.

What are they waiting for? Is death by negligence one of the exemplary punishments chavismo wants to exhibit?

They’re quite experienced on the matter, no doubt.

Abroad

The United Kingdom’s government is evaluating the way to apply sanctions against Venezuelan authorities responsible for human rights violations and other crimes. Minister Alan Duncan said that he’s working with the international community to implement them. Lawmaker Graham Jones urged the government to take action, referring to Venezuela as a narco-State and remarking that two thirds of the cocaine in the United Kingdom has been trafficked from here. Graham requested freezing officials’ assets, banning them from entering the EU and blocking the selling of weapons to the government.

The Canadian Embassy tweeted that the ANC’s threats against dissidents and in favor of imposing censorship on social networks are “alarming actions that erode even more democratic rights,” reminding the government that free speech and the right to political representation are commitments, not options.

OAS chief Luis Almagro met with the relatives of mayor Alfredo Ramos and requested that he be transferred to a hospital due to his severe health condition, including hypertensive crises and heart problems.

Spain’s Partido Popular will organize a commission to investigate alleged connections between the party Podemos and Venezuela.

…

Bolivia defeated Chile (1-0). Colombia and Brazil tied (1-1). Peru defeated Ecuador (2-1). Italy defeated Israel (1-0) and the Vinotinto, the Remolacha Mecánica, tied with Argentina (1-1) in the Monumental stadium. Great work, Wuilker Fariñez.

The sign reading “Venezuela libre” on the Argentine flag was beautiful.

We go on.