Every morning, before I get out of bed, when my alarm goes off at 6:00 AM, I check my email for the news roundup from Venezuela.
I really should stop doing that. On mornings such as today’s, reading it gives me a knot in my stomach.
Here’s what I woke up to – what all Venezuelans woke up to – today:
- At 3:15 AM, the National Guard and the National Police attacked the student protest campgrounds in Baruta and Chacao. Many were detained.
- Warnings are raised about the quality of Caracas’ drinking water.
- Director of press freedom NGO Un Mundo Sin Mordaza is detained.
- Opposition radio show Plomo Parejo suspended from the air.
- Private school principals in Bolívar state are fired
- El Universal only has paper for a few more weeks.
- Failures in the Amuay Refinery stop gasoline plant.
- Maduro acknowledges 20% of Venezuela’s industries are not working.
- In 2014 there have been fewer dollars disbursed for imports than in the same period in 2013.
- Cheese industry about to go bankrupt due to a lack of packaging material.
- Venezuelan Chamber of Packaging (glass an aluminum for food) says the industry is paralized due to a lack of dollars.
- Steel industry has been on strike for fifteen days.
- $4 billion debt has airlines reconsidering leaving Venezuela altogether. They are contemplating international legal arbitration options.
- Government owes car assembly plants 2.8 billion.
- Electricity rationing in Zulia.
- Chacao businesses are geting their water from water trucks.
- Attempted mutiny in Los Teques leaves several wounded – prisoners and their relatives.
And that’s just a slow news day!
We’ll try and post more specifics on all of these topics. Try … because as soon as we catch up with the day’s events, a new day comes, bringing with it a fresh batch of badness. And so it goes…
Caracas Chronicles 
IMO the crisis in every sector is the result of planned actions and inactions.
Having people distracted is the motto. Having media chose their pet peeve to chase and discuss a plus.
When there is so much noise, it is important to cut to the chase and use simplification.
Occam’s razor, or Qui prodest questions.
Who benefits form all this madness?
Not a “normal” democratic bad government, but a foreign occupation force its my answer.
Donde estan los reales?
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During the 2013 elections, I remember thinking that Capriles was highly effective at sidestepping the noise and provocations in order to focus our attention on the topic of his choice.
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I assume that you refer to the Cuban occupation forces that have now superseded Venezuelan sovereignty.
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at least it rained yesterday
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😳😳😳😁😁😁😰😩😱
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“Cuando lo extraordinario se hace cotidiano, hecho en socialismo”
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I must add that Venezuelans have been left alone. The oil checkbook has reached everywhere. No country will do anything against Venezuela for fear the regime cuts their contributions. All we want is for other countries to stop buying our oil. Specifically, the USA; since the regime lives off the money they pay. Stop buying Venezuelan oil! We will take care of the rest. We are not asking to invade us and/or fight our war. Stop buying our oil. Don’t help the regime!!!!!
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Do you hear what Aveledo is now saying about the US??????
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First I read that the US was refraining from sanctions altogether (general and targeted) claiming MUD leaders had asked them to let dialogue follow its course.
Then I read, RGA saying that MUD is opposed to general sanctions, but not to targeted sanctions, and also clarifying that MUD hadn’t authorized anybody to ask the US to refrain from sanctions.
Has this story evolved further?
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Esto es lo que leí:
http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/protestas-en-venezuela/140508/unidad-niega-haber-pedido-a-eeuu-que-no-sancionara-al-gobierno
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I don’t believe anything that Aveledo says. Traitorous bastards, the whole of them.
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I’d really be interested to know what people here think of sanctions.
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I LOVE targeted sanctions.
On the other hand, general sanctions would be counterproductive, as has been in Cuba, since they become a perfect scapegoat for every and all problems.
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I think the US government can do what it wants but the best would be, in my opinion, to deny visa to a set of top Chavezcrats like Cabello and Flores as well as all the GNs involved.
I am against economic sanctions although the US should do well if it slowly but surely tries to become less dependent on foreign oil, perhaps on oil in general…but that should not be through sanctions to Venezuela less Chavismo says Venezuela’s mess is the US fault. See what Navarro said: those sanctions are counter-productive as the case of Cuba shows
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the US is way too common for Flores, who prefers the more stratified vibe of Milan, where she can spend weekends shopping for its offerings in furniture, clothing, etc.
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According to Daniel, your wish has been transformed into reality, at least in part:Venezuela seeking the status of pariah state?
I don’t see the US stopping imports of Venezuelan oil. As you point out, were this to occur, Chavismo would transform the import cutoff into a propaganda talking point. In any event, US imports of Venezuelan oil are down by about 50% .
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Targeted sanctions seizing foreign assets and blocking travel visas for high level regime figures is great. It’s hard to them to spin it to their supporters…after all, why should Cabello have foreign bank accounts to be worried about?
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Good point. Why should patriots of the revolution store their money in foreign currency?
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This is the funny thing: already yesterday Chavismo said if sanctions come in, they could shut down the consulates in the USA. With that they would only hit the Venezuelan opposition in the USA. That’s funny:
“if you prevent Jaua and Cabello and their clans to visit Walt Disney and those wonderful shopping centres you have there, the fascist extreme right Venezuelan expats won’t be able to vote for Venezuelan elections or get Venezuelan passports”.
The MUD should actually ask the US to make it clear sanctions will be against Diosdado and declare it would be surprised if Diosdado’s right to visit to Walt Disney and US malls is linked to Venezuelans’ right to get their passports and vote from abroad.
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The way I heard it, the rumor going around, is that Ramon Jose Medina was the one that asked that sanctions not be used, neither general nor targeted.
Some add that Ramon G. Aveledo’s low key visit last month also served to bring that point across, however, like I said, it’s all rumor. Since I was not a fly on the wall I cannot vouch for the truth of that statement.
Still and all, Ramon Jose Medina’s economic relations with certain boligarchs certainly gives the MUD a whiff of trash it could well do without, just as with Ramos Allup’s father in law’s dealings with other boligarchs as well.
I really wish that the MUD did not have to swim with certain folks like Allup and Ramon Jose Medina, some day I hope we find out just why creeps like them are necessary to have around……
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You seem worried about the MUD delegation being led by an employee of Victor Vargas (allegedly shadow new owner of Cadena Capriles) and the son in law of a major infraestructure contractor.
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If you read the statement it doesn’t say anything about Aveledo or MUD. It says a portion of the opposition asked… The hard liner immediately said that was Aveledo and consequently Capriles and that is the reason for not supporting LaSalida. I need to stop reading Noticiero Digital, that’s the Enpantuflados HQ.
It is incredible how fast we can attack internally when the freaking PNB is kicking the student’s butt everywhere in the country. I am so disappointed today…
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A portion of the opposition on the *dialogue table*….
Come on man.
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You read the news and then go back to normal, but think about the students and neighbors in Chacao who suddenly had to wake up at 3am, to defend yourself or protect your children from bullets and tear gas….
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Juan you should mention that your list is just at the start of the day and that during the course of the day there are new items constantly being added to the list and that this goes on day after day , frayed nerves is a natural result unless you have some means of distraction that renders your mind oblivious to all news.!!
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I am really fucking tired of living “historical moments”, I want to concentrate in my own plans that, even if I don’t want to, go through Venezuela’s outcome.
It is obviuous this is just to keep the protest alive, thay want to keep the noise while they do all the important economical changes. I can bet that gas prices will be raised if this new wave last longer than a week
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I’m sure this is all just the propaganda workings of the Imperialist lackey press. The part that still has paper.
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I have read in the past people complaning about Venezuelans not focusing on just one issue, specially around elections time. But there’s always so much going on that’s almost imposible to concentra te on any one subject.
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I think this should become a daily post. It’s the shitty news you’ll torture yourself with anyway, only in the form of unwrapped, bite-sized candies.
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I get my news like I get my groceries: Checking every day, three times a day if there’s anything new out there.
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I know exactly how you feel, Juan. But when I start my exile in Europe, I will simply not read news from my native country anymore. Bolivarian South America’s news shortens one’s lifespan.
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I’ve tried that since 1995.
It doesnt work. Sorry to tell you
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