Death is better than help

Your daily briefing for Monday, December 4, 2017. Translated by Javier Liendo.

“Venezuela is not a country of beggars, as some would say with this thing about humanitarian aid. No. We produce our things,” said Nicolás in his show yesterday, denying one of the crucial points of this negotiation before a new meeting even takes place, and proving that indifference in the face of the humanitarian emergency is a decision made by the government, just as they use hunger for social control and as their official “truths” are focused on widening the splits within the opposition by sheer insidiousness. Hopefully, the foreign ministers that acted as mediators are paying attention to this statement, further ratifying the death sentence against so many people suffering from malnutrition, so many Venezuelans in need of medication.

The “Petro” coin and show

Ignoring the drama of denying the opening of a humanitarian channel, the most talked-about subject in international media was the stupidity presented by Nicolás with these words: “I want to announce that Venezuela will create a cryptocurrency, the Petromoneda. It will bring progress in terms of monetary sovereignty, to defeat the financial blockade.” Then he added that it will be backed by the reserves of natural wealth such as gold, diamond, oil and gas, while the announced the creation of the National Blockchain Observatory under the University Education Ministry, made up of 50 people that will develop the cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies depend on trust, exactly what a nation in default, with production problems, amidst hyperinflation and in economic contraction, can’t offer and something Nicolás will never have.

Tea in Miraflores

Nicolás also invited National Assembly Speaker Julio Borges and other MUD leaders to a meeting in Miraflores to resume the negotiations that started in the Dominican Republic: “To review the six points and make progress in the necessary agreements for December 15,” offering to lend them a hand with a smile. Julio Borges replied on Twitter:

The date, he said, has already been established for the next meeting with the foreign ministers as witnesses, along with the agenda and clear rules. “Why don’t you invite Venezuelan families suffering from hunger and shortage of medicines created by your model (…) It’s not about personal invitations, but about reaching an accord with a roadmap for the future of Venezuela, including food, medicines and free elections.”

Speculating

Nicolás announced that workers whose annual income is less than 32,000 tax units (about nine million bolívares a year) are exempt from paying Income Tax. He announced a plan of financial support for families to get their CLAP, which will only be accessible for carnet de la patria holders. He repeated the lie that president Juan Manuel Santos denies, that pharmaceutical companies have access to Venezuelan dollars, which forces them to buy medicines in India as well as imported food for CLAPs, a corruption network that he described like this: “I do the grocery shopping for six million families.” He urged national producers to “work hard” because “Daddy State can’t provide everything, you have to look for your own supplies.” Just like that, without dollar auctions, without seeds, fertilizers or even water. A true genius, huh?

Another arrest

The Prosecutor’s Office reported on Twitter the arrest of José Enrique Luongo for his alleged involvement in acts of corruption committed by Diego Salazar Carreño through Banca Privada D’Andorra. Luongo was arrested in Maiquetía airport trying to board a plane to the United States. According to the Prosecutor’s Office, Luongo had made transfers to instrumental Panamanian entities linked to Salazar for over $192 million. Salazar Carreño was arrested on Friday.

Venezuelan host and producer Nelson Bustamante received an Emmy Award in Miami for his documentary RCTV: 10 Years Later, which tells the story of the experiences of some of the talents of channel 2 after it was shut down in 2007.

Naky Soto

Naky gets called Naibet at home and at the bank. She coordinates training programs for an NGO. She collects moments and turns them into words. She has more stories than freckles.