Briefing

Prison for the Azul Positivo Team

More attacks against humanitarian workers, NGOs and media in Venezuela; Maduro's Assembly created a commission of "peace and reconciliation; Oil analysts estimate that 2020 was the worst year in the history of Venezuelan oil.

Naky Soto
  • On Thursday, five members of NGO Azul Positivo, detained by DGCIM last week in Zulia, were taken to the military court, their case was rejected and then taken to a criminal court. Last night, judge Yesiré Rincón Pertuz ruled that workers Johan León Reyes, Yordy Bermúdez, Layners Gutiérrez, Alejandro Gómez and Luis Ferrebuz would have to stay in prison. They were charged with fraudulent use of cards and analog instruments and association to commit a crime. 
  • The UNHCR issued a communiqué expressing their concern for constant and growing attacks on NGOs, human rights activists and media by Maduro’s regime. They mention the detention of Azul Positivo workers. Amnesty International also condemned the recent attacks against the media.  
  • Provea coordinator Marino Alvarado rejected Diosdado Cabello’s threats against the organization and reminded everyone that this NGO defended Diosdado Cabello during the coup in 2002 and Maduro when he was fired from the Caracas Metro. 
  • Jorge Rodríguez, the speaker of Maduro’s Assembly, created a commission for dialogue, peace and reconciliation, which he said will be “marked by the spirit of inclusion.” 
  • Maduro’s AN approved changes on the internal rules at the request of Diosdado Cabello, who wants to create a new commission for developing communes. Cabello also wants the permanent commissions to have two vice presidents. 
  • Miguel Pizarro, the caretaker government’s commissioner for the UN, denied an alleged rejection of a vaccine purchase. He said that the AN (2015) and the caretaker government are willing to articulate and combine efforts to aid Venezuelans who are “victims of the pandemic in addition to the complex humanitarian emergency.” 
  • Dr. Julio Castro said that the price of the Sputnik V vaccine is 12 dollars. The country would also have to invest in logistics for distribution and vaccination. 
  • Credit Suisse Investigation Unit expects the Venezuelan economy to grow by 3% in 2021 and inflation to be 590.7%, reported economist Asdrúbal Oliveros. Credit Suisse estimated that the economy would drop 25% in 2020. 
  • Oil analysts estimate that 2020 was the worst year in the history of Venezuelan oil: the OPEC’s annual report estimates that the country produced an average of 557,000 bpd, the lowest in the last 77 years. The report also showed that PDVSA produced 431,000 bpd in December: “Venezuela is now the sixth producer of Latin America and it’s producing the same as it did in the 1930s,” said professor Francisco Monaldi.
  • Chavista officials have met with small contractors of national oil fields to propose they let them operate fields property of PDVSA and they’d pocket the revenue, reported Reuters. 
  • Colombia’s WRadio revealed that the Cape Verdean government doesn’t recognize Maduro, but Guaidó, as they notified Alex Saab’s lawyers. Meaning, they care little about the alleged position as ambassador to the African Union. 
  • OAS Secretary Luis Almagro said that Saab’s extradition to the U.S. is fundamental in order to obtain justice and that “it’s key in dismantling the regime.” He mentioned the efforts to bring the chavista high ranks to international justice. 
  • Carlos Vecchio, ambassador of the caretaker government to the U.S., was invited to Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20th.
  • Venezuelans who want to enter Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao will have to get a visa starting January 15th. 
  • Justicia Venezolana reported that even after the release of prisoners in December, there are 150 military prisoners in Venezuela. Lilia Camejo said that there are cases in judiciary limbo, as the cases of former Interior Minister Miguel Rodríguez Torres and former Defense minister Raúl Isaías Baduel.

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.

Related