Caracas Chronicles

Photo: El Nacional retrieved

The dictator’s plot

Perhaps it was the rejection he faced in Mexico after trying to attend López Obrador’s swearing in ceremony that hit him harder than usual, and that’s why he decided to come out this Wednesday and explain why Venezuela is a democracy and he’s not the dictator he is. According to Nicolás, people call him a dictator to justify actions against Venezuela as he faked shock because “since January, 4,142 negative news have been published about Venezuela,” a country in hyperinflation, with five years in recession, amidst a complex humanitarian crisis and with a record-breaking migration process. Such barbarity! The credibility of his democratic character resides on his grassroots origins, while in his imagination, “dictators emerge only  from the U.S. Embassy and from civilian or military elites.” He stated he’s proud because he owes the U.S. nothing (except the dollars he gets for selling them oil) and he declared himself a free and independent president.

The binational conspiracy

Without any evidence at hand, he claimed: “I have no doubt that the drone that was launched to kill me was armed in Colombia, under Santos’s supervision and by direct command of the White House,” adding that he knew the plan and told the world about it, but journalists didn’t publish his statements, which is why he now denounces the White House’s conspiracy to violate Venezuelan “democracy”, murder him and impose a dictatorial regime.

The credibility of his democratic character resides on his grassroots origins, while in his imagination, “dictators emerge only  from the U.S. Embassy and from civilian or military elites.”

He said that in the Tona municipality in Northern Santander (Colombia), 734 people are being trained to plant “false positives” to justify an attack on Venezuela, as well as a “command group of special forces” that’s being trained in the U.S. for “a surgical operation” that would neutralize the Libertador Air Base, the naval bases in Puerto Cabello and Barcelona. He added that U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton is the mastermind behind the plan to murder him, and warned Jair Bolsonaro that he’d give him “an unforgettable lesson” if he joined any plans for a coup.

But Putin’s cool

Nicolás wants the U.S. government to halt any plans to violate peace, because he doesn’t believe “that the future of U.S.-Venezuela relations will consistently be about plots and conflicts.” That must be why he gave instructions to Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza to summon the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires to “remind him, one last time, of the rules and let him know that if he oversteps, he should leave immediately.” After defining himself as a man of dialogue, he restated that he’s ready to talk to President Donald Trump. He said that right before he celebrated his fruitful meeting with Vladimir Putin and praised the military cooperation with Russia and the arrival of its aircrafts. Now, he’ll use five billion Russian dollars to increase oil production to a million barrels per day, plus “a bonus” of one billion dollars that he pulled from the Economic Vice-Presidency, because he recognizes the lack of investment in the sector.

My way or Maiquetía

On January 10, Nicolás will lose his legitimacy and become a de facto ruler. Because of this, various authorities have stated their intentions to break diplomatic relations. The (non) dictator, the man of dialogue, said today: “Let the governments do what they want. We held elections and I’m going to be the president until January 10, 2025 at least. Because nobody knows if I’ll run for re-election. If the governments want their ambassadors to leave Venezuela, let them leave. Whoever wants to leave, there’s the Maiquetía Airport. Those who stay must respect Venezuela.” He concluded these kind words declaring that he won’t be blackmailed.

After defining himself as a man of dialogue, he restated that he’s ready to talk to President Donald Trump, right before he celebrated his fruitful meeting with Vladimir Putin. 

About Canaima

Ignoring the most important data about the Campo Carrao mine, on the banks of the Akanan river, as well as the extraction methods used by Pemon miners (one again: there’s no such thing as ecological mining!); Nicolás spoke of armed groups in Canaima, denying that a native could shoot against the Armed Forces. He made Andrés Velásquez and Américo De Grazia responsible for leading mining mafias in Bolívar (when in fact, they’re illegal mining’s loudest critics); daring to denounce the “ecocide that’s been committed in Canaima” and ordering the ZODI-Bolívar to guarantee the safety and defense of nature. Rafael Uzcátegui from Provea wrote this morning: “Pemon natives who have condemned mining have been harassed, persecuted and intimidated by the Army, bureaucrats and various mafias, but also—and especially—by Pemon miners (…) Although some leaders and communities are resisting, it’s an open secret that those who engage in illegal mining in Bolívar are the indigenous communities themselves, since the government’s policies have made them miners.”

Is it going well?

While he forgot about 3% rate of daily inflation in November, the monthly rate of 144.2% and the yearly rate of 1,299,724%; ignored his false promise to eliminate the tax deficit and the fact that 48% of Venezuelan homes are poor; amidst a default! and eight billion dollars in late payments, as well as the monthly report that the OPEC published this morning, revealing that our production dropped by 4% in a month; with Citgo’s default and the risk of the nation losing this important asset, while various economists estimate that a new reconversion will be necessary in a few months, Nicolás had the nerve to claim that: “The program of economic recovery is going well,” promising important announcements for tomorrow.

He was bold enough to say that Sunday elections were successful and impeccable.

He’s the hub

He was bold enough to say that Sunday elections were successful and impeccable. He claimed that he watches CNN in English and reads Bloomberg every day; sadly, despite this practice, he said nothing about Alejandro Andrade, Raúl Gorrín or Alfonso Gravina Muñoz, PDVSA’s former acquisitions officer who plead guilty of corruption yesterday.

Nicolás the victimizer once again played the victim, too concerned with himself, with denying reality, the crisis, hunger, forced migration, diseases, the nation’s huge setback in any progress indicator. Democracies aren’t explained. Only dictators deny being what they are.