A crackdown on dissent by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government has increasingly included torture of military officers, according to a Caracas-based monitoring group. The group counted 250 cases of torture against members of the military, their relatives, and opposition activists since 2017 (New York Times)
Separately, Venezuela’s opposition-run congress announced yesterday that it will create a commission to renegotiate the country’s debt (Reuters)
Venezuelan Government Charges Lawmakers With Treason
The Venezuelan Supreme Court, filled with judges seen as loyalists to President Nicolas Maduro, stripped three opposition lawmakers of their parliamentary immunity and charged them with treason (Latin American Herald Tribune)
Separately, a pro-Maduro legislative body that rivals the opposition-controlled National Assembly said it will create a commission to look into holding 2020 elections early (Reuters)
Venezuelan Government Reportedly Preparing to Dissolve Opposition-Run Legislature
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said yesterday that the Venezuelan government is preparing to call for new legislative elections and dissolve the opposition-run legislature (Reuters)
Maduro Halts Talks With Venezuelan Opposition
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro canceled plans for a delegation to travel to Barbados for a round of talks with the country’s opposition, criticizing opposition leader Juan Guaido for celebrating sweeping U.S. sanctions (Latin American Herald Tribune)
Caracas said it was open to continuing the talks in the future, while the head negotiator for the opposition tweeted that Maduro’s administration fears “the possibility of a real political change in the country” (Associated Press)
United States Warns Against Doing Business With Venezuelan Government
U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton warned countries and threatened sanctions against international companies continuing to do business with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s government (Reuters)
Separately, Russia’s foreign ministry said that the U.S. freeze of Venezuelan assets implemented yesterday is illegal (Reuters)
United States Imposes Embargo Against Venezuelan Regime
U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order freezing all Venezuelan government assets in the United States and prohibiting transactions with the regime (Wall Street Journal)
U.S. National Security Advisor John Bolton and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross will be among representatives from about sixty countries meeting in Lima, Peru, today to discuss the Venezuelan crisis (Agence France-Presse)
Separately, John Bolton warned China and Russia against increasing support for Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (Reuters)
U.S. Officials Announce Plan to Rebuild Venezuelan Economy
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced a plan to rebuild Venezuela’s economy under democratic rule, contingent on the removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (Wall Street Journal)
Separately, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he was considering a blockade of Venezuela to increase pressure for Maduro to step down (Reuters)
Finally, officials from Maduro’s government met with opposition leaders in Barbados to attempt to negotiate a political settlement (Reuters)
Colombia: Venezuela is Terrorist Sanctuary
Colombian President Ivan Duque said yesterday that, under Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela has become a terrorist and drug trafficking sanctuary. The statement comes after Maduro announced that two former commanders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) were welcome in Venezuela despite being wanted by Colombian judicial authorities (Reuters)
United States Renews Chevron’s Venezuela License
Despite recent sanctions, the United States renewed Chevron’s operating license in Venezuela for three months. Chevron is the last U.S. oil company operating in Venezuela and has been in Venezuela for nearly one hundred years (Reuters)
Separately, the United States issued new sanctions against Colombian businesses accused of money-laundering operations that support the Venezuelan government (Wall Street Journal)
Venezuelan Opposition Rejoins Regional Defense Treaty
Venezuela’s National Assembly, led by opposition leader Juan Guaido, rejoined the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance yesterday. The move is thought to precede a request for foreign military intervention to unseat Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (Reuters)
Separately, Russia announced yesterday that it has been in contact with Venezuela’s opposition movement (Reuters)
Finally, Juan Guaido reported that he would preserve Chevron Corp’s assets in Venezuela should the United States fail to renew its operating license (Reuters)
Venezuela Blames Power Outage on Electromagnetic Attack
Venezuela’s government blamed a major power outage on an electromagnetic attack, in the first blackout to affect Caracas since March when the government blamed the outage on a U.S. electromagnetic attack (Reuters)
Power returned to the capital today, but more than half of Venezuela’s twenty-four states remain without power (Reuters)
Venezuelan Plane Shadows U.S. Aircraft
According to the U.S. military, a Russian-made Venezuelan fighter shadowed a U.S. Navy EP-3 plane at an unsafe distance in international territory (Reuters)
The United States rejected Venezuelan claims that the plane entered Venezuelan airspace unannounced (Bloomberg)
European Union Prepares Sanctions for Venezuela
Yesterday, the European Union announced that it is preparing its next round of sanctions targeting Venezuelan security forces on grounds of human rights violations (Al Jazeera)
Separately, Venezuela released Karen Palacios, a musician detained after criticizing Maduro’s government on social media (Associated Press)
Lastly, the United States reportedly allocated forty million dollars for humanitarian aid to support Venezuela’s opposition (Reuters)
Venezuelan Government and Opposition Continue Talks
Yesterday, Venezuela’s opposition announced it will continue talks with the government to resolve the country’s political crisis. This development follows a meeting in Barbados last week mediated by Norway (Reuters)
Separately, the Colombian paramilitary group the National Liberation Army has reportedly expanded its operations in Venezuela, receiving sanctuary in exchange for supporting Venezuela’s government-aligned paramilitaries (Wall Street Journal)
Venezuelan Death Squads Revealed; Peace Talks to Resume
The United Nations reported that Venezuelan security forces have used death squads to murder thousands of young men (Reuters)
Separately, Venezuela released twenty-two prisoners amidst UN calls for humanitarian relief (Reuters)
As well, Russia announced its intent to bolster Venezuela’s armed forces (Reuters)
Representatives from Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s regime and the Venezuelan opposition are slated to resume talks in Barbados this week (Reuters)
Venezuela’s Maduro: Ready for Talks; Opposition Leader Guaido: Cannot Negotiate with Dictator
Yesterday, after opposition leader Juan Guaido announced that the time would never be right for negotiating with a dictator, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro indicated he was still committed to talks to achieve a political settlement (Reuters)
Venezuela Charges Officials Over Captain’s Death
Two Venezuelan intelligence officials have been charged with homicide in the death of naval officer Rafael Acosta. Acosta’s wife and rights groups said he was tortured in detention, and UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet called for a full investigation (Reuters)
Venezuelan Navy Captain Dies in Custody
Captain Rafael Acosta died in a military hospital while detained by Venezuela’s intelligence service for allegedly plotting to assassinate Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (BBC)
Regional Bloc Divided Over Venezuela
At the Organization of American States’ assembly in Medellin yesterday, several countries criticized the presence of a delegation sent by Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. President Nicolas Maduro withdrew Venezuela from the body in 2017. This week’s summit aims to chart a regional approach to Venezuela (Financial Times)
Venezuelan Minister Accuses the United States of Foiled Coup Attempt
Jorge Rodriguez, communications minister for the Venezuelan government, claimed that Venezuelan authorities foiled a violent coup plot against Nicolas Maduro and other top officials. Rodriguez implicated the United States, as well as Israel, Colombia, and Venezuela’s former spy chief, in designing the coup (Washington Post)
Former Ally of Venezuela’s Maduro Arrives in United States
Yesterday, General Manuel Ricardo Cristopher Figuera, former security chief under Hugo Chávez and intelligence chief under Nicolás Maduro, arrived in the United States to inform U.S. officials of Maduro’s activity (Washington Post)
Venezuela Detains Officials
Days after the United Nations urged Venezuela to release prisoners detained for peaceful protests, Venezuelan authorities arrested six military and police officials (Reuters)
Venezuelan Refugees Joining Armed Groups in Colombia
Venezuelan refugees are joining the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN) militant groups, as well as right-wing paramilitaries, in exchange for food and pay, five Colombian military commanders said. They estimated that 10 percent of militants nationwide are Venezuelan (Reuters)
Venezuela Frees Prisoner and Receives Medical Aid
Venezuela freed opposition activist Gilber Caro ahead of a visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (Reuters)
Separately, a second shipment of Red Cross humanitarian aid arrived in Venezuela, containing medical supplies and hospital generators (Agence France-Presse)
Venezuelan Asylum Seekers on Rise in Europe
More than fourteen thousand Venezuelans filed for asylum in the European Union last year, according to the EU’s asylum agency. The total puts Venezuela ahead of Afghanistan and now only behind Syria in terms of asylum applications to the bloc (Deutsche Welle)