The Venezuela Reader

  2024: Two Electoral Rectors Represented the Opposition in the 2024 Presidential Election The 1999 Constitution established the Electoral Power as one of the five independent branches of the national government. The National Electoral Council (CNE) sets the rules and runs all national elections in Venezuela. The CNE is governed by a 5-member Board of Rectors which are appointed by the National Assembly. In August 2023 a new CNE Board was designated by the National Assembly. As Rectors, they had access to all CNE staff, meetings and documents. Two of the new Board members were viewed as aligned with the opposition to the government of President Nicolas Maduro:[1] ·         Juan Delpino -Member of the opposition Democratic Action party ·         Aime Nodal- Member of the opposition Un Nuevo Tiempo party On March 5, 2024, the CNE announced that the Presidential Election would be held on July 28, 2024. Six...

  2015: Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma was Charged with Plotting “The Blue Coup”   Antonio Ledezma was elected Mayor of Caracas in 2008 and reelected in 2013. Ledezma was a vocal critic of President Nicolas Maduro. Ledezma was popularly known as “The Vampire.” [1] On February 11, 2015, the newspaper El Nacional published a Call for a National Transition Agreement to replace Maduro whose government was described as being in its “terminal” phase. The Call was coauthored by Ledezma, Maria Machado and Leopoldo Lopez. On the night of February 11,2015, three civilians and five junior military officers of the Venezuelan Air Force were arrested by the National Intelligence Service (SEBIN). They were charged with planning a coup d’etat against Maduro. (The Coup was referred to as the “Blue Coup” because of the color of the Air Force uniforms). The plot involved the bombing of targets in Caracas including the Presidential Palace, the Electoral Board, and the HQ of Telesur. The b...

  2013: President Maduro Started Talks with the U.S and Stopped Them After a Month and a Half President Maduro met with former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson in April, 2013. Maduro asked Richardson to tell President Obama that he wanted to improve the relationship with the US. On April 24,2013, the US filmmaker Tim Tracy was arrested and charged with providing funds to violent protestors. President Obama said the charges were “ridiculous.” Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua wanted to meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry at an OAS meeting in Guatemala in June to formally start talks. Maduro freed Tracy who was flown to Miami on June 4. Kerry called Tracy’s release “a very positive step” and met with Jaua that night.[1] It was the first public meeting of top officials from the two countries since President Obama and President Hugo Chavez shook hands in a brief encounter at a meeting in 2009.[1] At the meeting, Kerry said: ” We would like to see our countries find...

  2017: Oscar Perez, Led a Terrorist Attack in Venezuela On June 27,2017 a police officer, Oscar Perez, carried out a helicopter attack on Government Buildings in Caracas. The occupants of the helicopter opened fire on the Minister of Interior Building where a reception for eighty journalists was being held on the roof. Then it flew to the Supreme Court of Justice Building where they threw four grenades [1]. Perez broadcast an appeal for the police and military to join in and overthrow the government. President Maduro called it “an act of terror.” While Perez eluded security forces for almost seven months, he made at least one appearance at an opposition rally where people cheered him [2]. Perez raided an Army barracks in December 2017 stealing rifles and ammunition. On January 15, 2018 Perez was killed in a nine-hour shootout with 150 police officers. Two police officers and six members of Perez’s group were also killed [2].   1. Venezuelanalysis , Official Communique:...

  2016: New Chinese Loans and Investments in Venezuela Were $2.43 Billion in 2016 Economic relations between China and Venezuela expanded significantly during Hugo Chavez’s Presidency (1998-2013). China had a large need for energy and Chavez wanted to lessen Venezuela’s dependence on oil sales to the United States. By 2015 Venezuela was exporting about 700,000 barrels of oil per day to China. [1] The economic relationship also included a Chinese investment of US$62 billion in more than 600 development projects throughout Venezuela. China also extended loans to Venezuela and by 2016, loans had expanded to more than US $65 billion [1]. About one-half of Venezuela’s oil shipments to China were for loan repayments. In 2014, a Chinese loan added $4 billion to Venezuela foreign reserves (the joint China Venezuela Fund) [2]. In March of 2016, Maduro announced the withdrawal of $230 million from the Fund to pay for needed imports of raw materials for domestic factories.[3] In May 201...

  2014: Venezuela Was Elected to the U.N. Security Council The UN Security Council has five permanent members (the U.S., Russia, China, France and Britain) A negative vote “veto” by a permanent member prevents adoption of a proposal. The Security Council has ten temporary members that hold their seats on a rotating basis by geographic region. Non-permanent members are elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms. To be approved, a country must receive at least two-thirds of all votes cast for that seat. The Latin America/Caribbean region has two of the seats. Venezuela had served on the Security Council on four previous occasions (1962-63,1977-79, 1986-87, and 1992-93). In 2006, Venezuela and Guatemala both ran for the Latin America/Caribbean seat. The United States supported Guatemala with an intense lobbying effort and neither Country received the 125 necessary votes in the General Assembly [1].   Venezuela and Guatemala withdrew from the race and endorsed Panam...

  2006: After 48 Votes, the U.S. Prevented Venezuela’s Election to the UN Security Council The UN Security Council has five permanent members (the U.S., Russia, China, France and Britain) A negative vote “veto” by a permanent member prevents adoption of a proposal. The Security Council has ten temporary members that hold their seats on a rotating basis by geographic region. Non-permanent members are elected by the UN General Assembly for two-year terms with five replaced each year. To be approved, a country must receive at least two-thirds of all votes cast for that seat. The Latin America/Caribbean region has two of the non-permanent seats on the Security Council. In mid-October 2006, the General Assembly was scheduled to hold an election for five of the non-permanent seats. Argentina’s two-years as a Latin America/Caribbean non-permanent member was expiring. Guatemala announced its candidacy in 2002. Venezuela announced its plans to seek a Security Council seat in 2004. The U...

  2004/2005: Venezuela Closed US Army Offices and ended the US Military Cooperation Agreement Between 1958 and 1999, the US and Venezuela had one of the most robust bilateral defense relationships of any two countries in the Americas. [1] During this time, Venezuela’s perceived security and defense challenges aligned with US interests, making cooperation successful. The size of the US military mission in Caracas was the largest in Latin America [1]. Beginning in the 1950s, the US Army had a liaison office at Fort Tiuna armed forces headquarters in Caracas. Active US military personnel staffed the Army office. Prior to the 1998 election of Hugo Chavez as President, Venezuela had never seriously entertained the idea of reducing military cooperation with the US. However, under him, the Venezuelan government sought a reduction of its dependence on the USA for national defense [1]. On May 13, 2004 US military staff were asked to leave offices at Fort Tiuna and other military install...

  2014: Maria Machado Was Charged with Conspiracy to Assassinate President Maduro                                                                                       On January 23, 2014, Maria Machado and Leopoldo Lopez called on supporters to “Light up the streets of Venezuela” as part of a strategy called “the exit” of the government headed by President Nicolas Maduro. Riots in wealthy municipalities went on daily for three months. Rioters erected street barriers paralyzing traffic, burnt busses, burnt government buildings and 73 people were killed. On Februa...

  2000: Hugo Chavez Angered the U.S. by Visiting Iraq In 1990 Iraq’s President Saddam Hussein led an invasion of Kuwait and Iraqi forces took over the Country. The U.S. led a UN force that pushed the Iraqi forces out of Kuwait. The UN passed several resolutions to sanction and isolate Iraq for its actions including a ban on international flights to and from Iraq. Between 1991 and 2000 the sole senior leader to visit Iraq was UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 1998.   In 2000 Venezuela assumed the rotating Presidency of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Hugo Chavez scheduled an OPEC Meeting for September2000 in Caracas. This would be OPEC’s first heads-of-state Summit in 25 years [1]. Chavez set out on a trip in August 2000 to visit the leaders of ten OPEC member countries. Chavez ignored entreaties from the Clinton Administration to leave Iraq off his agenda [2]. Chavez visited Iran and on August 9, 2000 crossed into Iraq by car, respecting the UN b...

  2015: Maria Machado was Disqualified from Holding Public Office for a Year In 2010, Maria Machado was elected to the National Assembly (NA) for a five-year term (2011-2015). As a legislator, Machado was required by Law to file sworn financial disclosure and asset declaration forms. In March 2014, Machado was expelled from the National Assembly for accepting a position as an “Ambassador” from Panama without the approval of the National Assembly. The Supreme Court upheld Machado’s removal from office. Machado announced that she would be a candidate in the December 2015 NA election to reclaim the seat. The Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) opposition coalition announced that she would be among its candidates in the December election. The Comptroller General is part of the Citizens Branch, which is one of the five independent Branches of the national government. The Comptroller General monitors the actions of the other four branches watching for violations of the Law to assure ...

  2018: Maria Machado Asked Benjamin Netanyahu for Israel’s Assistance in “Regime Change” In December 2018, Maria Machado sent an open letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Argentine President Maurico Macri.[1] In the letter, Machado requested their support and influence to help remove the Venezuelan government led by President Nicolas Maduro. She requested that they “promote within the United Nations Security Council the adoption of effective protection measures for Venezuelans and the promotion of a process of regime change…” and concluded by saying “Your experience and influence can help advance urgent and decisive measures within the Security Council.” Critics saw Machado’s letter as a call for foreign intervention to help remove her Country’s government. She was also condemned for seeking support from right-wing leaders like Netanyahu. Her position was contrasted with Venezuela’s government, which had cut diplomatic ties with Israel in 2009. In June 202...

  2017:The U.S. Designated Venezuela’s Vice President as a Narcotics Kingpin                                                                  No Evidence was Presented Tareck El Aissami was born on November 12, 1974 in El Vigia, Merida, Venezuela. His parents were immigrants from Syria and Lebanon. El Aissami attended the University of the Andes in Merida where he was elected President of the student union in 2001. After graduating magna cum laude , El Aissami entered politics as a follower of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez. He was elected to the National Assembly in 2005. From 2007 to 2008 he served in the Ministry of the Interior as the Vice Minister of Public Security. In September 2008, President Chavez appointed El Aissami as Minister of the Interior and Justice serving in that position until October 2012.He s...

  2016:President Maduro Credited With Key Role in OPEC Agreement to Stabilize Crude Oil Prices Much of the cause of Venezuela’s economic duress in 2016 was due to the sharp decline in the price of oil which occurred in 2014. By 2016, Venezuela was losing $68 billion in annual oil sales. Oil export revenue accounted for 95% of Venezuela’s foreign earnings and 80% of Venezuela’s National budget. Throughout 2016 President Maduro lobbied fellow OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) member countries to agree to an output ceiling that would result in an   oil price increase. In October, Maduro made a lightening tour visiting Azerbaijan, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Qatar in a bid for a production freeze deal at OPEC’s November 2016 meeting[1] At the November Meeting OPEC member countries agreed to reduce oil production by 1.2 million barrels per day. Oil prices increased by 20% in 2017.This was the first coordinated oil output reduction to be agreed by the 14 member or...