Caracas Chronicles

• The Social Humanitarian Observatory published its report on the situation in Venezuela. Their conclusion was expected but devastating: malnutrition keeps ravaging the citizens. Dr. Maritza Landaeta explained that the huge gap between the average income and the price of the basic food basket blocks Venezuelans’ access to food. She emphasized the spectrum of malnutrition and how it gets worse outside the capital. Provea’s Lissette González reiterated that the State has failed at protecting the right to provide food, caused by policies like the collapse of basic services and programs like CLAP being insufficient. 
• Teachers rejected the new wage announced by the regime. Unions say it violates their contracts and insists on the State being in debt with the education sector and that they should have raised their salaries 280% since 2018. 
• Amazonas’ ombudsman Gumersindo Castro said that Yanomami citizens in Parima B, haven’t allowed officers to leave their base since the massacre on May 20th. 

It’s been a year since the El Ripial massacre, where five people were murdered. Provea said the ministry has stalled the investigation. Marino Alvarado assured that this contradicts the MOA with the ICC. 

• Antonio Ecarri proposed primaries that include anyone who wants to run for president, including dissident chavistas and supervised by the EU, universities and civil society. He said he won’t participate in elections organized by “a little group that wants to kidnap the candidacy,” referring to the G4. 
• Swedish foreign minister Ann Linde spoke on the phone with Guaidó about the need of reactivating the negotiation process. 
• The president of Consecomercio, Tiziana Polesel, reported that they will request an extension to the implementation of the Tax on Large Financial Transactions, because most companies are not prepared for its implementation on March 28. She estimated that at least two more months are required to prepare.
• The U.S. didn’t approve a new license for Chevron. 
• The CIADI determined that the expropriation of Agroisleña was a violation of the agreement to promote and protect a national investment: Venezuela must pay $1.6 billion and $1.1 million for legal costs and  $16.3 million for expenses. With this decision, the amount CIADI has ordered Venezuela to pay surpasses $14 billion. 
• Five people were detained by the Chilean police for migrant trafficking. They announced they’ve managed to stop the Chilean operations of the criminal gang called Tren de Aragua. 
• Spain rejected Hugo “El Pollo” Carvajal’s second asylum request. He has delayed his extradition to the U.S. since October 2021. American authorities are requesting his extradition for drug trafficking charges.
• Maduro spoke of maintenance and renovations in schools today, which can’t be proved. He said that school returns to normal in schools, high schools and universities in the country starting next week. 
• National Assembly deputy Luis Eduardo Martínez said they’re expecting that 50 companies that were expropriated by the government would be returned to their owners again this year. With CIADI’s ruling favoring Agroisleña, we should be able to understand why returning assets under less than transparent conditions don’t convince anyone while the people who gave the orders are still in power. Martínez didn’t say anything about reparations. 
• SAIME director Gustavo Vizcaíno said that citizens will be able to choose the date of their appointments to get their passports, but he didn’t say when the option will be available. 
• It’s been a month since the Russian invasion of Ukraine started. Leaders of the G7 met yesterday and said they’ll collaborate to collect evidence of war crimes. President Joe Biden told China that their “economic future is tied to the West more than it’s tied to Russia.” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced they’ll strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself from biological, chemical and nuclear weapons. The U.S., UK and Japan announced new sanctions against Russia. England froze the assets of Lavrov’s stepdaughter. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy asked the leaders of the G7 for weapons, strengthening sanctions and creating a new security system for Ukraine. Zelenskyy also warned that the war may be followed by a global food crisis.