Briefing

Negotiating and Bombing

Among other news, The UN said there are over 500,000 Ukrainian refugees.

Naky Soto
  • A negotiation between Russia and Ukraine took place today in Belarus. Despite the encounter, the attack against Ukraine got worse, including missile attacks on residential areas. Emmanuel Macron called Putin, as per the request of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, to ask for a cease-fire. Putin had three conditions: recognizing Russian sovereignty over Crimea and the demilitarization and neutrality of Ukraine. The U.S. approved new sanctions. Switzerland applied the same sanctions as the EU and froze Putin and other businessmen close to the Kremlin’s assets. Zelinsky signed the EU membership petition and ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan announced he’ll open an investigation on war crimes and crimes against humanity. 
    • The UN said there are over 500,000 Ukrainian refugees. 
    • The U.S. accused 12 Russian diplomats of espionage and were kicked out of the country. 
    • Canada bans importing Russian oil. 
    • The Russian stock market won’t open until March 5th and Russia activated special economic measures like the mandatory sale of 80% of foreign currency from exports, prohibiting loans in foreign currency and deposits in accounts outside Russia. 
    • Analysts say that Putin wanted to win fast and without that high cost, which hasn’t happened and that Russia’s failure can be explained by comparing the fact that they wanted large-scale invasion but didn’t prepare the military operation it would have required. They say Russia hasn’t used most of its resources for warfare. Russian losses have been significant but so have their advances in some places. 
  • Maduro used the UN Human Rights Council session to talk about Alex Saab and said that his trial isn’t fair. Maduro thinks Saab’s extradition is a kidnapping and that justifies suspending the dialogue process with the opposition in Mexico. He said there were 502 sanctions that have impacted the economy. He said that Venezuela has the best performance in combating the pandemic and that he reached 102% vaccinated citizens over 18 years old, while PAHO says it’s 49.8%. He said sanctions won’t allow him to govern but showed incredible performance figures at the same time. 
  • Miguel Pizarro assured that Maduro “lied and played down the country’s reality” before the UN Human Rights Council and denied five fake achievements on the pandemic, CLAP and education. 
  • “We’re getting (CLAP)  flour that not even dogs can eat, we have to throw it out (…) we’re starving with this bag. Make them better,” said a man from Vargas in a video that went viral. 
  • Andrés Velásquez led a peaceful protest in Bolívar rejecting the Ukrainian invasion. “Maduro, Diosdado and their cronies may support Putin, but the Venezuelan people support Ukraine.” 
  • The U.S. exhorted the regime to implement the recommendations of the EU electoral mission, to re-establish the independence of the Judicial Branch, stop electoral interference, restore all candidates’ ability to run, release political prisoners and guarantee the media’s fair access to information. 
  • SEBIN and GNB officers deactivated a grenade that was abandoned at El Jobo Sq. in Bolívar.
  • GNB reported they rescued three people on a fisherman’s boat that was adrift. They were taken to Carenero, Miranda.
  • Three fake dentists were arrested by CICPC in Miranda: Gabriel Lopez Misler, Ghislen Delgado and Carlos Pereira had a dentists’ office but no degrees. 
  • Governors Manuel Rosales, Sergio Garrido and Alberto Galíndez met with U.S. ambassador James Story in Bogota, to request, among other things, reviewing sanctions to allow for foreign investment. 
  • FARC dissident a.k.a. “Arturo”, who died on February 24th, had Venezuelan documents (ID card and license) under the fake name José Rodrigo Caile. 
  • The Chinese ambassador to the UN said that it’s necessary to find a diplomatic solution for the conflict. 
  • A different Josep Borrell than the one we’re used to seeing when it comes to Venezuela said: “We’re at war” and said that “I’m not going to give any information that can aid the side we’re fighting against. I won’t give any details on how and when the aid we’re providing will be moved into Ukraine.” 

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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