President Nicolas Maduro announced that the National Constituent Assembly will cease operations by the end of the year. The pro-government legislature was widely criticized for undermining democracy after its creation in 2017. Maduro said the assembly was no longer necessary following his party’s victory in parliamentary elections earlier this month (Reuters)
Venezuela’s Maduro Consolidates Control in Parliamentary Elections
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s party and its allies won a majority of the seats in the National Assembly yesterday. Maduro already controlled the presidency, the courts, and the military (Washington Post)
Only 31 percent of eligible voters participated, and poll stations were barren in an embarrassment for Maduro’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). The United States and many European nations said they would not recognize the results of the election, which U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called a “sham” (Reuters)
Regardless, the election will weaken the standing of opposition leader Juan Guaido, whom the United States and many other countries recognize as Venezuela’s legitimate president and who boycotted the vote. Guaido’s claim to the presidency is predicated on his position as head of the National Assembly. The opposition will hold a referendum this week to ask Venezuelans whether they reject the results and want to end Maduro’s rule (Associated Press)
Venezuelan Opposition’s UK Ambassador Quits
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido’s envoy to the United Kingdom, Vanessa Neumann, resigned, saying that the future of Guaido’s leadership is unclear. The opposition is expected to lose control of the National Assembly, the country’s last democratically elected body, after elections this weekend (Financial Times)
Iran Seeks to Strengthen Ties with Venezuela
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif arrived in Venezuela yesterday for a tour of Latin America that will also include stops in Bolivia and Cuba. He said Tehran is looking to boost ties with Caracas (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty)
Opposition Activist Arrested in Venezuela
A leading opposition activist, Roland Carreno, was arrested for allegedly conspiring “against the democratic peace.” Opposition leader Juan Guaido alleged Carreno was forcibly disappeared. Rights groups say President Nicolas Maduro frequently arrests opposition members (Reuters)
Venezuelan Opposition Activist Flees
Leopoldo Lopez, a prominent Venezuelan opposition activist, fled the country and is traveling to Spain and then the United States, sources close to him said. Lopez heads opposition leader Juan Guaido’s political party (Miami Herald)
Venezuelans Flee Country on Foot
Thousands of Venezuelans are again fleeing the country, many on foot, after months of pandemic lockdown measures. Officials in neighboring Colombia expect two hundred thousand Venezuelans to enter the country in the coming months (Associated Press)
UN to Continue Investigating Rights Violations in Venezuela
Citing “widespread” political persecution, the UN Human Rights Council voted to extend its investigation of alleged rights violations in Venezuela for two years (Buenos Aires Times)
Venezuela’s Madruo Wins UK Court Appeal Over Access to Gold
President Nicolas Maduro successfully appealed a British court ruling that said the UK recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s leader and denied Maduro access to $1 billion worth of gold held by the Bank of England. The case will now go back to the UK High Court (BBC)
Iranian Tanker Delivers Fuel to Crisis-Stricken Venezuela
An Iran-flagged fuel tanker entered Venezuelan waters yesterday, and two others are expected to arrive in early October (Reuters)
EU Officials Meet With Venezuela’s Dual Governments
EU officials met with the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and with Juan Guaido, who the United States and over fifty other countries view as Venezuela’s legitimate leader, to discuss delaying the country’s controversial legislative elections. The United States accused the European bloc of subverting its isolationist policy toward Maduro (Washington Post)
UN Panel Accuses Maduro Regime of Crimes Against Humanity
UN investigators accused Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and other high-ranking officials of crimes against humanity, including extrajudicial executions, the jailing of political rivals, and the torture of protesters (Wall Street Journal)
They urged the International Criminal Court and other bodies to criminally investigate. Venezuela condemned the investigators’ report (teleSUR)
Venezuela Claims It Foiled Plot to Destabilize Country
The Venezuelan government claimed it foiled a plot to blow up oil and power facilities. The government said it detained eight alleged participants, including a U.S. citizen whom Attorney General Tarek William Saab accused of espionage (Washington Post)
Venezuelan Opposition Parties to Participate in Elections
The five opposition parties that make up Venezuela’s Democratic Alliance announced they will participate in the country’s December parliamentary election. Opposition leader Juan Guaido has called for a boycott of the election (teleSUR)
Venezuela’s Maduro Pardons More Than One Hundred Opposition Members
President Nicolas Maduro pardoned 110 opposition figures. Some recipients rebuffed the pardons as an attempt to boost the legitimacy of the country’s December legislative elections, which have attracted widespread criticism in Venezuela and abroad and divided the opposition (Washington Post)
Report: Venezuela Using Coronavirus to Crack Down on Dissent
Human Rights Watch said Venezuelan authorities have used the pandemic as a cover to crack down on dissent. Since a coronavirus-related state of emergency was declared in mid-March, dozens of health workers, human rights lawyers, journalists, and opposition figures have been arrested and prosecuted, it said (Guardian)
Russia Approves Loan to Venezuela
Russian President Vladimir Putin greenlit a $4 billion loan to cash-strapped Venezuela (MercoPress)
British Judge Denies Venezuela’s Maduro Access to Gold
A British judge refused to give Caracas access to more than $1 billion in gold held in a Bank of England vault because the UK does not recognize Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela’s president (Associated Press)
Venezuela’s Maduro Expels EU Diplomat After Sanctions
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro ordered the EU’s ambassador to leave the country after the bloc imposed sanctions on officials loyal to him (Associated Press)
U.S. Sanctions Iranian Ship Captains for Delivering Oil to Venezuela
The United States imposed sanctions on five Iranian ship captains for delivering oil to Venezuela and warned mariners against doing business with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (Reuters)
Venezuela Accuses U.S. of Blocking Payments to UN
Venezuela’s UN ambassador said U.S. sanctions prevented the country from making payments to the United Nations, causing Caracas to lose its voting rights at the General Assembly (Associated Press)
Venezuela’s Maduro Moves to Weaken Political Opposition
President Nicolas Maduro revoked the license of one of the country’s biggest political parties, giving control to an ally. Critics said the move is meant to weaken Maduro’s political opposition ahead of congressional elections (Wall Street Journal)
Venezuela’s Maduro Restricts Return of Migrants
President Nicolas Maduro is restricting the return of Venezuelan migrants, blaming them for the spread of the coronavirus (MercoPress)
U.S. Tightens Oil Sanctions on Venezuela
The Trump administration blacklisted four companies allegedly involved in Venezuela’s oil sector as it seeks to choke off funds to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Iran has recently begun shipping oil to the country (Wall Street Journal)
Advisor to Venezuela’s Guido Resigns Over Involvement in Botched Raid
An advisor to Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido resigned over his involvement in a failed paramilitary operation against President Nicolas Maduro. The advisor was linked to Silvercorp, a private security firm owned by the former U.S. Green Beret who allegedly orchestrated the attack, which resulted in the capture of two U.S. citizens (Miami Herald)