U.S. Navy Admiral Craig S. Faller, commander of U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), spoke before the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee on January 30, 2020, to provide lawmakers an assessment of SOUTHCOM’s concerns and initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean. Stressing that the Western Hemisphere is a shared home, Adm. [ … ]
Venezuela
US Sanctions Luis Parra and Six Other Venezuelan Lawmakers
On January 13, the U.S. Department of the Treasury sanctioned seven former opposition lawmakers, among them Luis Parra, who was sworn in as president of the National Assembly (AN, in Spanish) after the Nicolás Maduro regime blocked entry to Venezuela’s congress to Interim President Juan Guaidó and other lawmakers. In [ … ]
Almagro: ICC Should Investigate Torture in Venezuela
On December 12, 2019, Luis Almagro, secretary general of the Organization of American States (OAS), said that the International Criminal Court (ICC) should investigate torture in Venezuela inflicted on adversaries with the support of Cuban agents. Almagro’s statements followed the presentation at OAS headquarters in Washington, D.C. of the annual [ … ]
Colombian Armed Groups Exploit Venezuelan Minors
In late 2019, several international organizations reported that Colombian illegal armed groups have been exploiting Venezuelan minors. Groups such as the National Liberation Army (ELN, in Spanish), dissidents of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, in Spanish), Clan del Golfo, and other criminal rings engaged in narcotrafficking, illegal mining, [ … ]
Gas Shortage Affects the Venezuelan Capital
Víctor Quintero works as a motorcycle taxi driver in Caracas, but says work has now become difficult because of long lines to buy fuel. “I’ve been to more than five gas stations, and there are lines everywhere. This is not normal in Caracas [...]. It shouldn’t be like this. We [ … ]
Social Control: Maduro’s CLAP
In 2019, the food distributed through the Local Supply and Production Committees (CLAP, in Spanish) of the Nicolás Maduro regime, reached fewer families, while delivery time increased. In addition, some products, such as canned tuna and wheat flour, were excluded from the subsidized food program, said a report from Venezuelan [ … ]
Why Guaidó’s Role in the Venezuelan National Assembly Matters
The importance of Interim President Juan Guaidó’s for democracy in Venezuela. In Venezuela, the National Assembly is the only democratic institution left. Juan Guaidó is its president. He also serves as the country’s interim president. Here’s how one role led to the other: What is the National Assembly? Formed as [ … ]
Venezuelans Ask for Better Services After Chaotic 2019
Problems with the supply of basic services in Venezuela have worsened during 2019, Venezuelans told Voice of America (VOA). They addressed the consequences of living in a country going through a crisis that, in their opinion, has interrupted the supply of public services, such as drinking water, electricity, garbage collection, [ … ]
Research: Displacement of Venezuelans to Surpass that of Syrians
Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis is on the verge of surpassing that of Syrian refugees, and could become the largest crisis in modern history within a few months, a research study from the Brookings Institution indicates. The study, published December 9, makes the comparison: 4.6 million Venezuelans have abandoned their country to [ … ]
At Least 80 Tons of Gold Are Smuggled Out of Venezuela Each Year, Experts Say
Thirty percent of Venezuela’s gold production is destined for contraband, according to data from the nongovernmental organization Transparencia Venezuela. During a speech at the headquarters of the think tank the Atlantic Council, experts warned about illegal mining activities, contraband, displacement, and violence taking place in Venezuela due to gold mining, [ … ]
Armed Civilians: The Maduro Militia
In late 2019, Nicolás Maduro swore in thousands of civilians as new members of the so-called National Bolivarian Militia. Dressed in beige uniforms, men and women joined the special corps that complements the National Bolivarian Armed Force (FANB, in Spanish.) “We have reached 3.3 million organized militia members who are [ … ]
Brazil Grants Refugee Status to More Than 21,000 Venezuelans
Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported on December 5, 2019 that Brazil’s refugee agency, CONARE, granted refugee status to 21,432 Venezuelans. Until then, CONARE had only granted asylum to 263 Venezuelans, and according to HRW, 224,000 Venezuelans are living in Brazil. In June 2019, CONARE concluded that “there are serious and [ … ]