Briefing

Opposition Agreement for the “Nation’s Salvation”

Juan Guaidó proposed an agreement between the caretaker government, the Assembly elected in 2015, the political parties in the unitary platform and chavismo, with mediation by the international community. The agreement would entail holding free elections, entrance of humanitarian aid and COVID-19 vaccines.

Naky Soto
  • Juan Guaidó reacted to the new CNE appointment and former mayor Carlos Ocariz’s proposal about legitimizing the opposition leadership. With a video on social media that could have been shorter, he proposed an agreement for the “nation’s salvation” between the caretaker government, the Assembly elected in 2015, the political parties in the unitary platform and chavismo, with mediation by the international community. 
    • The agreement would entail holding free elections, the entrance of humanitarian aid, and COVID-19 vaccines. 
    • They also expect to achieve the release of all political prisoners, the return of exiled citizens and they include incentives for chavismo: more international pressure if they refuse to negotiate or slowly lifting sanctions, conditioned to comply with the agreement if chavismo subscribed to the pact.  
    • Guaidó gave answers to specific sectors and even warned that “conspiring with the dictatorship to be legitimized as a ‘loyal’ opposition doesn’t lead to freedom.” 
    • This message is an important shift in the caretaker government’s discourse, admitting their disposition to negotiate despite all the skepticism that negotiating with chavismo entails. 
    • A few hours after Guaidó’s message, U.S. Ambassador James Story confirmed that the U.S. backs Guaidó’s efforts to restore democracy through free elections. 
  • The new CNE board of authorities confirmed on Tuesday that they’ll hold a “mega election” for governors, mayors and legislative councils, but no presidential elections. After declaring they’ll be in permanent session, the CNE agreed to audit the Electoral Registry and the electoral system including the biometric devices. They also agreed to hold a special registration period for new voters and to update existing voters’ information. 
    • The CNE will upgrade the parties’ process to enroll and update their ballots and will check the status of politicians who have been barred from running for office, but Calzadilla warned that these revisions also depend on other institutions. 
    • They announced they’ll invite international observers once they’ve set a date. 
  • The Assembly’s Delegate Commission debated on Tuesday about the increase in the migration flow because of the complex humanitarian emergency: by the end of 2019, there were 3,675,000 Venezuelans abroad, but today, there are around 6 million and they keep leaving. 
  • They also debated about the sanitary emergency and the importance of getting vaccines to fight the pandemic: Venezuela is the country with the highest death rate among healthcare personnel in Latin America. 
    • According to Médicos Unidos, 537 healthcare workers have died of coronavirus by May 4th. 
    • Deputy Dinorah Figuera expressed her concern for an alleged black market of vaccines operating from the Military Hospital. 
  • Political party Primero Venezuela ratified their participation in the next election and presented a first group of preliminary candidates:  José Brito (Anzoátegui), Conrado Pérez (Trujillo), Félix Maiz (Miranda), Ángel Luis Guevara (Bolívar), Luis Loaiza (Mérida) and Carlos Dordel (Aragua). These former members of Primero Justicia announced a national tour for june and july. 
  • General Jesús Aldana Quintero was appointed as the new CANTV president. Quintero has been in the military for over 30 years and during chavismo he’s worked at Cavim, Corpovex, Suvinca and ZODI Portuguesa. 
  • The regime’s Assembly approved the first draft of the partial reform of the Science, Technology and Information Law. According to Ricardo Sánchez, its main goal is to develop the nation’s productivity model. Another deputy said it was “a technological effort for the country’s economic recovery.” 
  • The president of the Venezuelan Dairy Industry Chamber, Roger Figueroa, estimated that production is between 15 and 18% of its installed capacity. They fear factories will be shutting down for lack of diesel fuel. 
    • He said that at least 10 out of 21 companies in the sector have severe problems and the rest are only surviving. 
  • After a three-month increase in oil extraction, PDVSA once again dropped production, said OPEC secondary sources: Venezuela produced 445,000 BPD in April. 
  • Two people died on Tuesday after the flood of the Macoíta river in Machiques de Perijá, Zulia, said Yukpa chief Dionisio Manzano. 
  • The Supreme Tribunal of Justice declared the State can proceed in asking the Spanish government for the extradition of Leopoldo López and have him do the rest of his sentence in Venezuelan territory. 

 

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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