Briefing

Europe Said ‘No’ to Maduro

The European Parliament reiterated on Thursday they recognize Juan Guaidó as caretaker president and exhorted member States to recognize the continuity of the National Assembly elected in 2015.

Naky Soto
  • The European Parliament reiterated on Thursday they recognize Juan Guaidó as caretaker president and exhorted member States to recognize the continuity of the National Assembly elected in 2015. The Eurochamber doesn’t recognize the legality or the legitimacy of Maduro’s parliament, installed on January 5th, because it wasn’t the result of a democratic election. The resolution was approved with 391 votes and the parliament is the communal institution recognizing Guaidó’s caretaker presidency. 
  • Eurodeputies asked for the immediate liberation of 350 political prisoners in Venezuela and Guaidó thanked them for their support and for continuing to pressure Maduro.  He said that this is a huge step in the implementation of the emergency government that the country needs to hold free and fair elections. 
  • On Friday, it would have been over 48 hours that Iris Varela, the vice president of Maduro’s AN, gave to the Judicial Branch to issue arrest warrants against the deputies of the 2015 AN. 
  • Juan Guaidó responded today, and assured that they won’t take it as an empty threat because they know that “the dictatorship doesn’t discriminate when it comes to persecution”. The Delegate Commission debated the defense of the parliament and Guaidó said that deputies are resisting, defending freedom and that they assumed the risk because Venezuela won’t fall at the hands of this dictatorship. He insisted on the need for unity and mobilization and reiterated the call on other opposition leaders. He also called on the UN Security Council, the OAS and other agencies to follow “Europe’s bold leadership.” 
  • With a ten-day delay, the UN expressed its concern for the detention of five Azul Positivo workers, who have been unfairly charged with the association to commit a crime and embezzlement.  This message was seconded by the OCHA.
  • Venezuela isn’t part of the WHO’s Covax mechanism because the country didn’t pay 11 million dollars of fees to PAHO on time. Chavismo decided to lie and used the trial for the gold in the UK to blame the caretaker government for the “impossibility” of paying for COVID-19 vaccines. 
  • Zaiwalla & Co., the law firm representing Maduro’s BCV in the UK, accused Guaidó’s ad hoc board of blocking the mobilization of the funds in the UK. The law firm assured they’ll use the funds to buy vaccines through Covax, when they know they can’t do that. A spokesperson for Arnold & Porter denied this accusation. 
  • Out of 340,000 PCR tests obtained by the AN and the PAHO, chavismo has only applied 1% in two months. All the excuses (lack of gas, electricity, water, personnel) are the regime’s responsibility. Bloomberg found that only 485,000 PCR tests have been done in Venezuela since March 2020, which represents 17 PCR tests per 1,000 people, one of the lowest rates in South America. Freddy Ñañez, Maduro’s Communications minister, reported 569 new cases and 7 deaths, for a total of 122,260 cases and 1,129 deaths they’ve admitted to.  
  • A court declared Pedro Jaimes (@MeteoAero) is innocent. He had been detained in El Helicoide since May, 10th, 2018, for tweeting the route of Maduro’s presidential plane. Pedro was a victim of tortures, poor sanitary conditions and his legal process wasn’t transparent. 
  • IACHR’s Pedro Vaca emphatically rejected the “escalation of intimidation against Venezuelan journalists.”
  • Maduro’s AN recycled threat of censorship: Juan Carlos Alemán talked on Monday about reviewing cable providers and mentioned yesterday the need to monitor social media and proposed creating a commission for surveilling online platforms. 
  • Brian Fincheltub, director of consular services of the Venezuelan Embassy in the U.S. announced that the caretaker government will hold an online census so Venezuelans can access the DED.
  • Jorge Arreaza said the ICJ’s scheduled hearing on the Esequibo case on January 25th was “rushed”. He asked to postpone until April 2021. 
  • Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced on Instagram there will be a popular consultation to “develop legal actions on Venezuela’s right to the Esequibo.” 
  • A Cape Verdean court authorized house arrest for Alex Saab while the rest of his extradition process goes on, said EFE. The measure will be enforced when they present an “adequate home certified by the authorities.”

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.

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