GEHA’s Best of 2018, Part II (April - June)

We continue with the Caracas Chronicles’ best pieces from the second quarter of the year, with the May 20 presidential “election” as the main event, for better or worse.

To Helmut, my dear stepfather (1945-2018)

The second trimester of 2018 we saw the crisis worsen, in its many dimensions: political, socio-economical, even demographical. But as the crisis keeps unfolding, the government doubled down in their quest to hold power, just like they did in 2017.

In January, the Constituyente unilaterally decided to move the presidential election from the first Sunday of December to April 2018. Then, they postponed it to May 20, as a gesture to convince some members of the opposition to join in. Only a small part stood behind former Lara State Governor Henri Falcon. The rest boycotted it, just like great part of the international community. So, the “election” went on, surrounded by indifference. And it changed nothing.

April

In Venezuela, the government of President Nicolás Maduro is arresting and detaining—in horrific conditions—teenagers who use Facebook to call on friends to attend anti-government demonstrations. Read more.

Special Mention: Frontera Chronicles: Venezuelan Migrants Hope for a Better Life in Brazil Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian

May

Today, we face a government who’s using the SEBIN and DGCIM to take people from their beds at three in the morning, execute insurgents on live TV and kidnap innocent bystanders with the sole purpose of shifting blame and attention from the issues that really plague Venezuela. Read more.

Special Mention: Armando Reverón: Macuto, Juanita, Light and Nothingness, Rafael Arráiz

June

One of the fundamental aspects of the government’s political strategy is the establishment of a “new opposition” tailored to its needs, a process started a few years ago, but sculpted with care in the last couple of months. Read more.

Special Mention: Chavismo’s Shifting Crypto Strategy, Alejandro Machado

As the World Cup in Russia distracts us, half of 2018 is over. What will the rest of the year bring? Wait for Part III.