Briefing

Maduro: “In Venezuela, We Don’t Depend on SWIFT”

Among other news, Maduro said that 93% of Venezuelans are part of the banking system but he didn’t say anything about the low amounts on Venezuelans’ accounts. “In Venezuela, we don’t depend on SWIFT,” he bragged.

Naky Soto
  • Maduro launched a website, Vitrina Venezuela, which has 30 bikes to deliver their products and speculated about the growth of production in the country, the increase of e-commerce and the progress of the digital bolivar in a country without credits, low internet speed and daily power outages. Maduro said that 93% of Venezuelans are part of the banking system but he didn’t say anything about the low amounts on Venezuelans’ accounts. “In Venezuela, we don’t depend on SWIFT,” he bragged. While the World Bank announced the suspension of aid programs in Russia and Belarus, Maduro said that Venezuela will continue having commercial relations with Russia and condemned the media campaign and sanctions against Russia. 
  • NGO Civilis reported that the IACHR issued measures to protect patients and newborns at the Concepción Palacios Maternity Hospital, considering they’re “in a serious situation and there’s an urgent risk of their rights being irreparably violated.” 
  • FundaRedes activists protested in San Cristóbal to demand freedom for FundaRedes director Javier Tarazona, who’s been in jail for 243 days. 
  • Melquiades Delgado, secretary of the Táchira Workers reported that 486 organizations will participate in a protest on March 9th. 
  • Over 16 T. of medical supplies arrived from China, reported health minister Magaly Gutiérrez.
  • Chile extended the State of Emergency for 15 days in four provinces due to the “unprecedented immigration crisis.” 
  • Economist Asdrúbal Oliveros warned that the Russian war against Ukraine will cause complications for Maduro’s regime. It’ll be harder to sell the cash they need to keep the exchange rate, since Russia is the largest economic actor in selling oil. 
  • Prodavinci’s investigation “Broken promises: the collapse of social security in Venezuela” won the Rey de España Award for International Cooperation and Humanitarian Action Journalism 2022. 
  • The Spanish justice system rejected an investigation on payments declared by Hugo Carvajal, former chief of DGCIM, to former leaders of political party Podemos. 
  • The Spanish tax authority detected accounting and fiscal irregularities in MS Trading, a company registered under the name of former ambassador Raul Morodo’s wife. The agency suspects money laundering from PDVSA. 
  • Bombs in Ukraine have destroyed buildings, hospitals, daycare centers and transportation infrastructure in Ukraine. Putin strengthened his attack on main cities. Putin’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov assured the only alternative against sanctions is World War III. French president Emmanuel Macron assured that the Russian invasion will get even worse in the next few days and said he hopes to stay in contact  with Putin and Zelenskyy to achieve a ceasefire agreement. He said that the tragic and historic turn caused by the war forces the acceleration of building a common defense program for the EU. 
    •  Over 874,000 people have fled Ukraine, according to the UNHCR. 
    • Over 2,000 Ukrainian civilians have died. 
    • Russia said that 498 officers have died and 1597 have been injured, in addition to 572 troops arrested, but the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said the Russians have lost 5,840 soldiers. 
    • 88% of Ukrainians think that Ukraine will win, 98% support the Armed Forces and 93% support President Zelenskyy. 
    • Cameraman Evgeny Sakun died in Kyiv today, while reporter Stefan Weichert and photographer Emil Filtenborg were injured in Okhtyrka, according to Reporters Without Borders. 
    • Russia is more isolated and affected by sanctions that are already hitting its economy. Russia received support at the UN by a shameful group that abstained, Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador and Nicaragua, and Belarus, North Korea, Eritrea and Syria voted against. Venezuela can’t vote because of missing payments. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad cheered for Ukrainian resistance and Zelenskyy’s honor. Analysts estimate that Russia will start being even more aggressive, which will translate into less precision and more civilian casualties. Russias and Ukrainians are scheduled to have another negotiation on Thursday to reach a ceasefire agreement. 

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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