US recognizes Maduro’s opponent as winner in Venezuela election

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez addressed supporters after election results awarded President Nicolas Maduro a third term on July 30

.WASHINGTON, Aug 1 (Reuters)

The United States recognized President Nicolas Maduro’s opponent and opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez as the winner of Venezuela’s disputed presidential election, rejecting Maduro’s claim of victory. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, said,

“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election.”

The announcement from Washington did not go beyond congratulating him for a “successful campaign,” the closest the U.S. has come since Sunday’s contested election to recognizing Gonzalez as the OPEC founder’s new leader.

The dispute over the election results sparked protests as Venezuela’s electoral council proclaimed Maduro, who has been in power since 2013, the winner of the July 28 election with 51% of the vote. The opposition says its tally of about 90% of the votes shows that Gonzalez received more than double the support of the incumbent president, in line with independent polling conducted before the contest.

The opposition released detailed tallies on a public website, while the government has not shared any information beyond a national total of votes for each candidate.

Blinken stopped short of threatening new sanctions on Venezuela but hinted at possible “punitive action.” Reuters reported that Washington was considering fresh sanctions following the disputed election.

Blinken said. “We fully support the process of re-establishing democratic norms in Venezuela and stand ready to consider ways to bolster it jointly with our international partners,”

Blinken also urged that opposition leaders be protected and kept safe.
“Law enforcement and security forces should not become an instrument of political violence used against citizens exercising their democratic rights,” he said.

Presidents of Brazil, Mexico and Colombia urgled Venezuela to release detailed voting tallies amid the dispute over presidential election results.

Reporting by Kanishka Singh, Matt Spetalnick and Jasper Ward;

(Reuters) Editing by Caitlin Webber and Tom Hogue

 

 

 

High Commissioner for Human Rights concerned about Venezuela

August 14th 2024

“All this is exacerbating tensions and further fragmenting Venezuela’s social fabric,” Türk said

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed his “deep concern” for the large number of arbitrary detentions registered in Venezuela since the July 28 elections which incumbent President Nicolás Maduro claims to have won despite the National Electoral Council (CNE) never producing the minutes vouching for it. The Austrian Türk’s office mentioned some 2,400 arbitrary detentions by Maduro’s regime in the ensuing protests and spoke of disappearances in addition to a “disproportionate use of force” resulting in an atmosphere “of fear” in the South American country.

“It is particularly worrying that so many people are being detained, charged, or accused of incitement to hatred or under anti-terrorism legislation. Criminal law should never be used to unduly limit the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. I call for the immediate release of all persons who have been arbitrarily detained, and guarantees of fair trials for all detainees

“The disproportionate use of force by law enforcement agents and attacks on demonstrators by armed government supporters, some of which resulted in deaths, must not be repeated. There have also been reports of acts of violence against officials and public buildings by some protesters. Violence is never the answer. All deaths that occurred in the context of protests must be investigated and those responsible must be held accountable and punished, in line with standards of due process and fair trials.”

The UN website stated that the 2,400 detained included demonstrators, human rights defenders, adolescents, people with disabilities, members of the opposition or those considered to be related to them, and electoral observers accredited by opposition parties in the voting centers.

In most of the cases documented by UN Human Rights, the detained persons have not been allowed to appoint a lawyer of their choice or to have contact with their relatives. Some of these cases would constitute forced disappearances.

The High Commissioner also ratified his concern over the possible adoption of the bill on the control, regularization, performance, and financing of non-governmental and related organizations, as well as the bill against fascism, neo-fascism, and similar expressions.

“I urge the authorities not to adopt these or other laws that undermine the civic and democratic space in the country. I am concerned that some people have had their passports canceled, which appears to be an act of retaliation for their legitimate work in the country. All of this is exacerbating tensions and further fragmenting the social fabric of Venezuela,” Türk warned.

Türk’s Spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani explained that since Caracas shut down her agency’s mission, on-site work needed to resume. United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Association Gina Romero denounced the Venezuelan regime’s planned onslaught against NGOs.

She underlined the “stigmatizing discourse” whereby NGOs and other organizations were linked “with serving as a ‘front for terrorism’, as well as expressions of social hatred and fascist ideas.”

 

 

 

Machado: It’s best for Maduro to negotiate his way out

August 13th 2024

The opposition leader would not object to “guarantees and incentives” being offered to help Maduro make up his mind Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado insisted that, given the growing international repercussions of the July 28 elections, President Nicolás Maduro should negotiate his departure from office with her political group.

“If Maduro makes a realistic assessment of his options, he will end up understanding that a position of entrenchment with the military high command, and based on repression and lies is simply not sustainable and that it is in his own interest to enter into a negotiation as soon as possible.“

The National Electoral Council (CNE) said on July 28 that Maduro had been reelected for the 2025-2031 term but never produced the minutes for each voting table to back these allegations. Machado’s Unitarian Democratic Platform (PUD) posted over 80% of these documents on the internet to sustain its claims that Edmundo González Urrutia had prevailed. In the aftermath of this controversy, protests erupted with Maduro’s regime incarcerating over 2,200 demonstrators for whom he refurbished two maximum security prisons.

Machado pointed out that her group was open to a “transition to democracy” for which the July 28 results would be non-negotiable. She ruled out any shared administration with the Chavistas but admitted “guarantees and incentives” could be on the table. She welcomed the diplomatic efforts by Presidents Andrés Manuel López Obrador (Mexico), Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Brazil), and Gustavo Petro (Colombia) to find a way out of the current stalemate.

“In the end, I feel that at least the willingness of not having closed the channel with Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia is a good sign,” Machado reckoned while explaining that her contact in Bogotá was Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo and not Petro.

This week, Murillo spoke with US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken and agreed on the importance of publishing the detailed election results. US State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel said Washington hoped the Organization of American States (OAS) would be instrumental in finding a solution to the Venezuelan question.

“It is our hope and our goal to use the OAS as a vehicle for” a return to democracy. In Blinken’s view, the region should “speak with one voice, including the Organization of American States.” Patel admitted that it was clear that González Urrutia had “obtained the highest number of votes on July 28 and Nicolas Maduro must accept it.”

 

 

 

Eleven states in the Americas reject TSJ ruling

Saturday, August 24th 2024 –

Eleven countries in the Americas issued a statement saying they would not be recognizing Venezuela’s Supreme Court (TSJ) ruling declaring Nicolás Maduro the winner of the July 28 elections without producing the voting minutes to back up such a claim.

The signatories argued that the TSJ was thus validating “the unsupported results” announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE) and warned that “only an impartial and independent audit of the votes, which evaluates all the records, will guarantee respect for the sovereign popular will and democracy in Venezuela.” In this scenario, the international community would insist “on the respect for the sovereign expression of the Venezuelan people.”

The document also addressed the human rights violations perpetrated by Maduro’s regime against people who “peacefully” demand “respect for the vote of the citizens” and the “reestablishment of democracy.”

The note from Chile, Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, the United States, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay stressed,

“Our countries had already expressed their ignorance of the validity of the CNE’s declaration, as soon as opposition representatives were denied access to the official count, the minutes were not published and an impartial and independent audit of all of them was subsequently refused.

The International Independent Fact-Finding Mission to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has warned about the lack of independence and impartiality of both the CNE and the TSJ. The signing countries reiterate that only an impartial and independent audit of the votes, which evaluates all the minutes, will make it possible to guarantee respect for the sovereign popular will and democracy in Venezuela,.”

US State Department Deputy Spokesman Vedant Patel said the ruling “by the Maduro-controlled Supreme Court of Justice has no credibility..the voting spreadsheets at a district level, publicly available and independently verified, show that the majority of Venezuelan voters chose Edmundo González Urrutia.”

The TSJ also instructed Attorney General Tarek Willian Saab to investigate opposition leaders for possible crimes disseminating documents challenging the official narrative.

The European Union’s (EU) top diplomat Josep Borrell insisted that “we continue to say that this electoral result must be proven and, for the moment, we have not seen any proof.” Hence, the EU does not recognize Nicolás Maduro as president of Venezuela until the records are produced and subjected to verification.

“As long as we do not see a result that is verifiable we will not recognize it. Everyone must be able to verify the result of an election”, something that “has not yet taken place and we have practically given up hope that it will happen,” he said, while explaining that the EU’s 27 Member States were trying to establish a position on the matter.

 

 

 

Venezuelan presidential election

29 July

He’s not giving up without a fight. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s election commission declared him the winner in Sunday’s vote, despite ample evidence of fraud and intimidation. Opposition candidate Edmundo González declared victory as the United States and other countries expressed concerns about the results.

• What will be the opposition’s next move? How will Maduro respond?
• What role will regional and global powers play?

We polled our experts for answers.

EXPERT RAPID REACTION COURTESY OF:

1. Jason Marczak Vice president and senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center
2. Iria Puyosa Senior research fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab
3. Geoff Ramsey (@GRamsey_LatAm): Senior fellow at the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center

HOW TO STEAL AN ELECTION
The stage was set for this moment in the months leading up to the vote, when the regime banned opposition leader María Corina Machado, with González ending up on the ballot. Then only small delegations from the United Nations and the Carter Center were allowed to monitor the vote, meaning “the González campaign could only count on its own observers to verify results.”

The González camp said he won about 70 percent of the votes that his team was able to verify—while Venezuela’s National Electoral Council claimed that González won 44 percent of the vote, with Maduro earning 51 percent.

Jason notes that “it would be a mathematical miracle for Maduro to prevail” based on how the opposition has described the votes that it has seen.

The public isn’t fooled. The outpouring of messages and videos on social media from witnesses on the ground indicating their certainty that González won is strengthening the opposition’s unity and determination to continue its fight for the restoration of democracy.

“As of this afternoon, those voters are mobilizing in the streets, creating a new test for the regime. Maduro has to convince the ruling elite that he can keep things under control, but both he and the military know that he can’t govern a country in flames. He’s effectively inviting the biggest loyalty test he’s faced in years.”

PRESSURE FROM ABROAD
In addition to the “serious concerns” expressed by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, countries throughout the region called for more transparency around the vote count, including Colombia, where “President Gustavo Petro has maintained a close relationship with Maduro.”

Without full results and an independent audit, “the international community has no choice but to respond with swift condemnation and diplomatic pressure,” with the United States and its allies in Latin America and Europe playing a crucial role.

That international pressure will be important to uphold the will of Venezuelans, but there are self-interested reasons for regional and international powers to push for change. Another six years of Maduro will lead to “new outward migration flows and new transnational criminal activity that will extend far beyond Venezuela’s borders.”

CRACKDOWN AT HOME?
The major point of contention will be sanctions, which the United States reimposed in April after the Maduro government didn’t uphold its end of last year’s deal to hold free and fair elections. “I doubt Venezuelan elites are eager for six more years of repression, sanctions, and economic catastrophe.”

The opposition, therefore, should “exploit divisions within the ruling coalition.” At the same time, opposition leaders should “find ways to address public discontent without exposing the population to the violent repression experienced in 2017.”

If Maduro were to return to the bargaining table, it would look very different from previous negotiations between the government and the opposition. Now, negotiations would no longer be about electoral conditions

“but rather on Chavismo’s exit from power after its defeat in the voting booths. The next six months will be a crucial period of intense conflict in Venezuela.”

 

 

 

Maduro’s Government has “an authoritarian tendency”

August 16th 2024

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva voiced strong concerns about the political situation in Venezuela, describing the current regime under Nicolás Maduro as

“very unpleasant, with an authoritarian tendency.” He stopped short of labeling it a “dictatorship,” underscoring the need for transparency in the electoral process.

Lula expressed doubts about the validity of the recent presidential elections in Venezuela on July 28, which have been mired in controversy.

“The opposition says it won, [Nicolás] Maduro says he won, and I can only recognize that the process was democratic if they present the evidence,” Lula stated, emphasizing the need for the publication of the official electoral records.

The election results, which the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared in favor of Maduro with 50.20% of the votes against 44.20% for opposition candidate Edmundo González, sparked widespread protests and accusations of fraud from the opposition. Lula’s comments come as both the Venezuelan government and the opposition rejected his proposal to hold new elections if the results are not verifiable.

“They did not like the idea,” Lula acknowledged, noting that the resolution of Venezuela’s political crisis “depends solely and exclusively on the behavior of Venezuelans.”

Both the opposition and Maduro rejected Lula’s suggestion that fresh elections could be held as a way out of the current crisis stemming from the July 28 polls when the CNE announced his victory but the opposition cried “fraud” since no documents were produced to back up that result. Lula reiterated that the Brazilian government’s recognition of the election results hinges on verifying the accuracy of the CNE’s numbers.

“It is necessary to know if the numbers are true,” he stressed, reflecting broader concerns within the international community about the legitimacy of the electoral process in Venezuela.

 

 

 

OAS recalls Mexico City and Barbados deals with Venezuela

August 16th 2024

The Organization of American States (OAS) Permanent Council passed a resolution urging Venezuelan authorities, political forces and citizenry to abide by the Memorandum of Understanding signed in Mexico City on August 13, 2021, as well as the Partial Agreement on the Promotion of Political Rights and Electoral Guarantees for All signed in Barbados on October 17, 2023, and therefore:

“abstain from any conduct that might jeopardize the peaceful settlement of this crisis, fully respecting the sovereign will of the electorate of Venezuela.”

The OAS noticed with concern the various “reports of serious irregularities and violence associated with the electoral process in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, following the elections held on July 28, 2024.”

In this scenario, the continental agency insisted “with the utmost firmness that the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, the right to life, liberty, and security of person, especially the right to assemble peacefully and to the full exercise of civil and political rights without reprisal, the right to not be subject to arbitrary arrest or imprisonment, the right to a fair trial, be an absolute priority and an obligation for Venezuela, as it is for all states of the Americas.”

The OAS requested “that the authorities of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela protect diplomatic facilities and personnel residing in Venezuelan territory, including individuals seeking asylum in such facilities, consistent with international law, and in particular the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.”

The Permanent Council underscored the “importance of protecting and preserving all equipment used in the electoral process, including all printed election records and results, in order to safeguard the entire chain of custody of the voting process.” The National Electoral Council [CNE] of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela was urged to “expeditiously publish the presidential election records, including the voting results at the level of each polling station,” as well as “respect the fundamental principle of popular sovereignty through an impartial verification of the results that ensures the transparency, credibility, and legitimacy of the electoral process.”

 

 

 

Venezuela opposition organizing a massive march 

August 13th 2024

The Venezuelan opposition called for global demonstrations on Saturday August 17 in support of its claimed victory over President Nicolás Maduro in July’s presidential ballot. On that day the National Electoral Council, CNE is supposed to give its final verdict on the election result.

Maduro — who has held the office since 2013 — was declared the winner by the National Electoral Council, despite exit polls showing the election going in favor of the joint opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado posted a video on social media platform X urging people to join the protest for “truth.”

“This message is for you, who do not recognize yourself in today’s Venezuela, who are tired of having your family separated, who voted and want what you decided on July 28 to be respected. See you next Saturday the 17th at the Great World Protest for the TRUTH.”

Machado was replaced by Gonzalez Urrutia for the vote after she was banned from contesting in the elections. Both leaders have gone into hiding since last week, with Maduro threatening to lock them up.

“Defending the truth is not a crime. A crime is not complying with the popular will expressed on July 28. Let us continue together, defending the truth and the popular will,” Gonzalez Urrutia said on X.

Election authorities handed the vote to Maduro in the July 28 elections with 52%, but have not yet released a detailed tally of the results. However the opposition claims to have tally sheets showing it won. Venezuela’s Supreme Court — which is widely loyal to Maduro’s government — said that its ruling on the presidential election will be “final.”

The court “is continuing the assessment begun on August 5, 2024, with a view to producing the final ruling… Its decisions are final and binding,” the body’s president Carylsia Rodriguez said.

 

 

 

ICC monitors Venezuela 

August 13th 2024

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is “actively monitoring” the situation in Venezuela, Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said in The Hague. The petrostate is already under investigation for possible crimes against humanity since 2021.

The ICC is “independently assessing” the crisis that erupted on July 28 when the National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that the incumbent Nicolás Maduro had been reelected for the 2025-2031 term while the opposition of Edmundo González Urrutia and disenfranchised Vente Venezuela leader María Corina Machado cried “fraud.”

González Urrutia’s camp posted the minutes for over 80% of the voting tables on the internet which would render Maduro unable to bounce back even if he got 100% of the remaining votes. Meanwhile, the pro-government CNE claimed its systems were hacked which is why it was unable to produce the documents supporting the Chavista candidate’s alleged victory.

In a written statement to journalists, Khan’s office said it “actively monitors current events and has received multiple reports of cases of violence and other allegations following the July 28 presidential elections in Venezuela,” after which the regime’s forces have detained over 2,200 people demonstrating against Maduro.

”The (prosecutor’s) office is independently evaluating all these reports and other available information within the scope of its mandate and jurisdiction. The office has previously successfully asserted its right to continue investigations regarding the situation in Venezuela.”

Khan’s office has also “engaged with the Government of Venezuela at the highest level to underline the importance of ensuring that the rule of law is adhered to in the present moment and emphasize that all persons must be protected from violations that may constitute Rome Statute crimes.” The Rome Statute is the court’s founding treaty and outlines the crimes over which it has jurisdiction.

Maduro urged Venezuelans to denounce election doubters via a government-run app once created to report power outages. He also pledged to incarcerate the unruly opponents for whom there would be ”no pardon“ and ”no mercy.”

“Should any individual or organization have information that may be relevant to this ongoing investigation, we would welcome you to submit this,” Khan said.

 

 

 

US hails support on Venezuela, denied by 6 CARICOM states

22 August 2024

The United States is disappointed that only two CARICOM member states endorsed a joint statement urging democracy in Venezuela but welcomes support of Guyana and Suriname.

“We were extremely pleased that the governments of Guyana and Suriname signed on to that statement. It’s incredibly important to us that we are all together in defending democracy in this region and globally and it meant a lot to us to have those partners in the region…”, US Ambassador to Guyana and CARICOM, Nicole Theriot said .

In particular, she hailed Guyana’s decision to ink the statement issued on August 16, by 22 countries that met in Santo Domingo de Guzmán, the capital of the Dominican Republic. “Especially, Guyana, becoming a global leader it meant so much to have Guyana on that statement and we’re very, very grateful. We hope that it will have an impact on President Maduro and his administration moving forward.”

The joint statement on Venezuela seeks the immediate publication of all original records and the impartial and independent verification of Venezuela’s July 28 election results, preferably by an international entity, to ensure respect for the will of Venezuelans as expressed at the polls.

Guyana’s Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud, in re-posting the statement on social media, remarked that “Democracy will triumph, and those states, including Caribbean leftists which seek to justify rigging, must decide which side of history they want to be on.”

The left-leaning independent members of the sub-regional Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) – Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the Grenadines – had issued a joint statement in support of the re-election of President Nicolás Maduro. “We congratulate President Nicolás Maduro Moros on his victory and re-election to the Presidency of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela for a third term and urge that every effort be made towards national reconciliation.”

The American Ambassador says the US is disappointed that the other CARICOM member states did not support the statement. “That’s actually disappointing. You know, for us, it seems very clear that to support democracy, certain things need to be done with regard to the election and if those other countries chose not to sign on, that’s their right but we’re quite disappointed.”

The 22 signatory nations to the joint statement called for the respect for human rights and the immediate release of persons, including opposition representatives, who have been arbitrarily detained.

Guyana and Suriname, with significant oil and gas reserves, are now hotbeds for major American companies. Guyana has over the past few years intensified its defence and security cooperation with the US in pushing back against Venezuela’s aggression over the Essequibo Region.

Trinidad and Tobago, the petrostate with substantial US investment, is skating on thin ice but its silence may not be the wisest option to ignore the looming peril, hosting 60,000 Venezuelan migrants as crime escalates.

 

 

 

TT sanguine over Dragon deal

17 Aug 2024

On August 13, Energy Minister Stuart Young told media he was optimistic the deal for TT to market gas from Venezuela’s Dragon gas field could survive current geopolitics. The TT/Venezuela agreement to de-link TT’s Manatee field – from the formerly unified Loran-Manatee field straddling both countries’ borders – was still valid.

As Venezuela’s incumbent leader Nicolas Maduro and Opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez both claimed victory in the July 28 presidential elections, a tough police crackdown on protesters ensued.

Russia, Iran and China viewed Maduro as election winner, but the US supported Gonzalez, raising fears as to whether the US Treasury Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) would still license TT to exploit gas from Venezuela that was otherwise under embargo. Young firstly said the Manatee field did not need any grant of a licence to TT.

“No one can take away Manatee from us. Manatee is not ‘going anywhere’ regardless of what is happening in geopolitics.”

Shell has taken a final investment decision on Manatee, calculated to hold 2.7 trillion cubic feet of gas. set to produce 104,000 barrels of oil equivalent (604 million cubic feet) per day.

At the outbreak of the Russia/Ukraine War, TT had said it could be part of an energy solution whereby building certain infrastructure could boost TT’s supply to the world of liquefied natural gas (LNG), ammonia and methanol.

Subsequently TT was granted an OFAC licence for the Dragon field plus a subsequent amendment to the licence to let TT pay Venezuela in cash.

While US multinational Chevron usually gets OFAC licences for just three or six months, TT had one for two years. Further, TT had a 30 year licence with Venezuela for the Dragon field.

Shell has the expertise and money to drill wells and get things done and was a “terrific partner.”

TT also had a 20 -year licence from Venezuela for bpTT to exploit the Cocunia field on the Venezuela side of the unified one trillion cubic feet Cocuina/Manakin field, of which bpTT has an operatorship of the Manakin sector in TT waters. Both Loran-Manatee and Manakin-Cocuina lie in an east-south-east direction off TT’s coast.

Young asked who in TT has the leadership qualities to take the country’s energy sector in the right direction. “Who has the confidence and competence? Success in the last nine years was because you have people who are not corrupt batting for TT.”  Young expressed optimism over the Dragon field which is to be exploited on TT’s behalf by Shell.

“Shell appointed a dedicated general manager based in Port of Spain – I met with him a few weeks ago – for their Venezuela operations. They would not have done that if they were not serious.They also appointed a subsurface person to focus on getting the Dragon project done.”

Two weeks ago, TT delivered the development plan for the Dragon field to the Venezuelans.

“All of that is progressing”. Shell has told me, ‘We are going full speed ahead with Dragon, until…” Let us hope something does not interrupt it. But they said,

“Listen, Minister Young, we are pursuing it full speed ahead. So we are progressing. Shell and NGC are working overtime to get that thing done. Right now, fortunately, the work continues. It proceeds. Trinidad and Tobago, for our sake let us hope that despite all of the geopolitics taking place, we are able to pursue the Dragon and bring that to market in 2027.” In the event of hiccups, TT has a 30-year licence with Venezuela over Dragon.

Reflecting on fear of a change of government in Venezuela regarding the Dragon and Cocuina licences, he said,

“Those licences can stand up to any scrutiny. They are above board. Those licences – anybody looking at it, international consultant – will say those are good deals for the people of Venezuela and for the people of TT.”

The terms of the Dragon and Cocuina licences could stand up to scrutiny. The licences were valid, even among ongoing sanctions on Venezuela.

“We have not seen any tightening on Venezuela. I can’t predict the future. Let’s hope it stays that way.”

Young also engaged the European Union (EU), which knew what TT was doing.

“Remember the EU needs gas. They need LNG. So we have told them once we get these things going, they will get a supply of LNG.”

Mulling the US presidential elections in November, he said, “We have talked to the Republicans, we have talked to the Democrats. We keep the channels of communication open.”

 

 

 

 

TT Analysts urge PM to end ‘cowardly’ stance on Venezuela

2024, 08/08

International relations experts offer differing views on the Prime Minister’s handling of political turmoil in Venezuela in the aftermath of presidential elections. While one expert believes he must maintain neutrality, another thinks it is a cowardly approach. Venezuela’s incumbent President Nicolas Maduro and Opposition leader Edmundo González are locked in a political standoff with both claiming victory in the elections.

Deadly protests erupted as multitudes refused to recognise Maduro as the victor even though it was announced by the electoral authority.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said Cabinet will not be taking a position on the Venezuela election result, nor will he make any pronouncements on it. University of Miami Professor Emeritus Anthony Bryan said it’s an unsurprising strategy from the Prime Minister.

“T&T has always followed a principle of neutrality and non-intervention in the domestic affairs of other nations. The Venezuelan elections are an internal matter to be resolved by the Venezuelan people and if they want to solicit the help of others that is their prerogative. T&T has to adhere to this principle particularly in the case of a very close neighbour of about 30 million persons and with one of the strongest militaries in Latin America. T&T must maintain this neutrality and be prepared to do business as usual with whatever government is in power at a particular time. Countries such as Mexico, Uruguay and Barbados among many others, hold to this principle of non-interference.”

However, Dr Indira Rampersad, head of political science at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, believes the Prime Minister must take a definitive position soon, as the political and socio-economic instability in Venezuela has a direct effect on this country.

“So, Venezuela is in turmoil, opposition forces are protesting heavily, allegations of election rigging are widespread, most of the Western world is against Maduro at this point and Trinidad and Tobago which is its closest neighbour, is taking a neutral stance?

I think it will be incredible to the world. Given not only the Dragon field, which we expect is the reason for the caution but also the migration conundrum and this is a crisis of intense proportions, the country cannot absorb more migrants from Venezuela.”

Venezuelan migration is a burden on taxpayers and the Prime Minister cannot play it safe for too long.

“So, we would have to make a statement sooner or later and we cannot take a neutral position which is a safe and cowardly position in the midst of this crisis.”

On July 29, St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister, Dr Ralph Gonsalves congratulated Maduro for winning the contentious elections.

Both analysts were unified in their objections to his statements.

“Dr Ralph Gonzales is out of place. He has his own agenda with respect to Maduro and should not try to foist it on others,” Bryan asserted.

Opposition Leader, Kamla Persad-Bissessar has refrained from stating the United National Congress’ position on the Venezuelan elections. In 2019, Persad-Bissessar backed then Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guiado who received support of foreign governments including the US, UK and Brazil when he claimed that he was the legitimate winner of the presidential election.

Rampersad believes while Persad-Bissessar doesn’t need to declare who the party recognises as the winner; she should acknowledge the socio-political issues.

“Many of their supporters are being affected by the crime and by the presence of Venezuelans in the country and the burdens on the health system, economic system and utilities, so it would be important for them to make a statement and not necessarily take a side.”

 

OAS rejects Venezuela Supreme Court ruling on presidential election

2024, 08/24

The General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) strongly rejected the ruling issued by the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) of Venezuela in which it “certifies” the electoral material and “categorically validates” the results issued by the National Electoral Council (CNE) based on which it declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner in the presidential election held on July 28.

“This General Secretariat reiterates that the CNE proclaimed Maduro, in a hurried manner, based on a partial bulletin issued orally, with numbers that showed mathematical impossibilities and without presenting the disaggregated results that, according to the law, must be tabulated table by table.

To this day, the CNE still has not published disaggregated results, as the opposition has done based on official tally sheets issued by the voting machines themselves on election day.

These records contain all the security measures that accredit them as authentic and have been subject to verification by public opinion and impartial analysis by national and international experts.

This openness contrasts with the total opacity of the electoral authority and the TSJ, whose behaviour has been characterized by the promotion of conspiracy theories and the issuance of announcements and statements without any documentary support, avoiding, at all times, citizen scrutiny and impartial verification.”

According to the Panel of Electoral Experts of the United Nations, “the announcement of the result of an election without the publication of its details or the disclosure of tabulated results to the candidates is unprecedented in contemporary democratic elections” and had “a negative impact on the confidence of the result announced by the CNE.”

The OAS noted that the panel underlined the absence of adequate procedures to guarantee the integrity and security of electoral materials, “evidencing a notable lack of transparency and accessibility in electoral activities, which prevented effective public oversight.“

“The TSJ now issues a ruling without revealing the arguments of the appealing party, without analyzing the active or passive legitimacy of the appeal presented, without detailing the technical elements that persuaded it about the alleged authenticity of the records that the CNE says it has submitted to its courts and without explaining on what basis or evidence it considers the “massive cyber attack” against the Venezuelan electoral system to be a fact.

The identity of the appealed party, the appealed act —except for the proclamation of Nicolás Maduro himself— or the factual and legal grounds that gave rise to the appeal are unknown.

It is also paradoxical that the CNE argues that it is unable to publish the results table by table, but, at the same time, is able to submit them to the TSJ.”

The OAS General Secretariat reiterated that there is no procedure in the Venezuelan legal system that allows the electoral authority to “investigate and verify” the results, or to carry out expert appraisals of them.

Both the Organic Law on Electoral Processes and the Organic Law on Electoral Power exclusively attribute to the CNE the function of totalling, adjudicating and proclaiming the results of the presidential election.

The OAS noted that the UN Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela indicated that both the TSJ and the CNE lack impartiality and independence, and have played a role within the state’s repressive machinery.

Other international organizations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the International Commission of Jurists have warned about the TSJ’s lack of independence.

The OAS noted that the Final Report of the 2021 European Union Electoral Observation Mission stated that both the CNE and the judiciary are perceived as “politicized and biased,” which “has meant a loss of confidence in the contentious electoral process.”

“It is clearly evident that Nicolás Maduro judicialized the electoral process in order to seek a seal of ‘legitimacy’ from a biased court. An illegitimate president seeks ‘legitimacy’ in the branches of the State that depend on him” – crude.

Recognizing the CNE results as valid based on the TSJ ruling is validating electoral fraud and turning one’s back on the Venezuelan people who, amid a brutal wave of repression, have continued to demand their right to live in freedom. It was ridiculous to expect the illegitimate Venezuelan Supreme Court to dispense justice in the Venezuelan electoral process and act in accordance with the law, respecting the Democratic Rule of Law, since it has been completely non-existent in the country for many years.

“To wait under the inaction of complementarity with respect to this judicial system that completely fails to meet its international obligations is to lend oneself once again to the mockery of the Bolivarian regime, whoever wants to do so.

It was also unthinkable to expect the Venezuelan CNE to hold free, fair and transparent elections, or that, even outside of that framework, it would have the minimum decency to award the results with even a minimal sense of justice.”

The OAS said the Maduro Government is “not willing to hand over power,” adding that is “not even willing to share it. For this General Secretariat it has always been like this, and it was demonstrated when we suggested an arrangement of co-participation. The indifference of the regime to that proposal made it clear that the path of dialogue for an electoral transition would be riddled with tricks. And it was.

If it was unthinkable before, today we hope it becomes clear that it is ridiculous to trust that the regime can comply with agreements – noting – only the absolute indecency of giving a result that is not verifiable in any way.

With a simple analysis of this context, it was also ridiculous to expect that the Venezuelan regime would make a transition towards democracy and respect for human rights. On the contrary, we should expect more repression and more political persecution.”

The OAS saluted the Venezuelan people, “who even in the worst political, social and economic conditions, suffering the worst humanitarian crisis and the worst migration crisis in hemispheric history, still continue to have democratic reflexes and continue to create democratic alternatives.

You, Venezuelans, deserve all our respect. Unfortunately, for Venezuela and the Venezuelans, we have had to repeat the warnings that we have made so many times during the last 10 years. Unfortunately, the regime, which has made a mockery of so many, has once again proven us right, as it has done so many times in the past.”

The only way forward for Venezuela is through the international justice of the International Criminal Court, stating that it will “continue to insist on this instrument because the victims and families of the victims of extrajudicial executions, the victims of torture, the victims and families of the victims of the disappeared and politically persecuted deserve justice.

These victims have suffered 10 years of a dictatorial regime that acts under the most absolute national and international impunity. We will continue our actions to end this impunity.”

The United States condemned the Venezuela Supreme Court ruling, stating that it “lacks all credibility, given the overwhelming evidence that Gonzalez received the most votes on July 28. The publicly available and independently verified precinct-level tally sheets show Venezuelan voters chose Edmundo Gonzalez as their future leader,”

US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel  said , “The will of the Venezuelan people must be respected.”

He said now is the time for the Venezuelan parties to begin discussions on “a respectful, peaceful transition in accordance with Venezuelan electoral law, and the wishes of the Venezuelan people.”

“Continued attempts to fraudulently claim victory for Maduro will only exacerbate the ongoing crisis. The United States calls on Maduro to release those who have been detained for exercising their right to free expression.”

The United States and the international community will “continue to stand up for the Venezuelan voters whose will and rights have been continuously undermined since July 28. We stand ready to support an inclusive, Venezuelan-led process to re-establish democratic norms.”

 

 

 

Official asserts ‘lack of transparency and veracity’ in Maduro’s re-election

2024. 08/26

Officials from the National Electoral Council (CNE) Acme Nogal, Juan Delpino, Antonio Meneces, Elvis Hidrobo Amoroso, Rosalba Gil, and Carlos Quintero, held a private meeting at the CNE headquarters in Caracas, Venezuela.

Aug. 25, 2023.

A Venezuelan electoral official has denounced what he calls a “grave lack of transparency and veracity” in last month’s election results, rebuking authorities who declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner despite strong evidence to the contrary presented by his opponents and doubts from several foreign governments.

Juan Carlos Delpino is one of five members of the National Electoral Council, or CNE and the only one who prior to the vote had shown a willingness to go against the wishes of Maduro’s government.

He published on social media a letter detailing several alleged irregularities before and on the day of the July 28 election.  Polling centres were slow to report results from automated voting machines while several opposition volunteers were banished, in violation of electoral rules guaranteeing the transparent transmission of tallies to CNE headquarters.

Delpino said he was informed that the hours-long delay was caused by a supposed hacking of the CNE platform and that only 58% of results had been collected. He said he decided in protest not to join his fellow rectors in monitoring the vote-counting from the CNE data hub or attending the midnight press conference when CNE President Elvis Amoroso, a ruling party loyalist, declared Maduro the winner.

“I deeply regret that the results don’t serve the Venezuelan people, that they don’t help resolve our differences or promote national unity but instead fuel doubts in the majority of Venezuelans and the international community.”

Delpino, an electoral expert close to one of Venezuela’s traditional opposition parties, was named to the CNE by the National Assembly controlled by Maduro’s allies last year after several predecessors were removed.

His letter comes as Maduro doubles down on assertions he won re-election by more than 1 million votes. His government defied calls from the U.S., European Union and even leftist allies from Brazil, Colombia and Mexico to release voting records that would back such claims.

The opposition published online what appear to be authentic tallies from 80% of polling machines showing that its candidate, Edmundo González, won by a more than 2-to-1 margin.

Last week, the Venezuelan Supreme Court certified the results and said voting tallies published online by the opposition were forged. Attorney General Tarek William Saab ordered González to testify this week in a criminal investigation over alleged attempts to spread panic by contesting the results.

González indicated he had no intention of complying with the order, saying his due process rights and Venezuela’s constitution were being trampled and the only authority he is accountable to are voters. He repeated calls for Maduro to release the voting records from about 30,000 machines nationwide so the results can be independently verified by international experts.

“Venezuela is living moments of uncertainty and unease due to your efforts to violate the desire for change,” González said, addressing Maduro directly in a video . “Releasing the voting acts is the guarantee of peace.”

Former diplomat González and his chief backer, opposition powerhouse Maria Corina Machado, went into hiding after the election as security forces arrested over 2,000 people and cracked down on demonstrations throughout the country protesting the results.They urged Venezuelans to take to the streets to commemorate a month since their purported victory at the polls.

Delpino said he too had gone into hiding. His letter also highlighted irregular decisions by the CNE including a lack of meetings prior to the vote that made it difficult to set clear rules on the participation of campaign poll workers, international observers and millions of Venezuelans living abroad.

—MIAMI (AP)

Four LatAm countries insist Venezuela’s TSJ consolidated fraud

August 23rd 2024

Four Latin American countries were quick to voice their disagreement with Venezuela’s Supreme Court (TSJ) ratifying incumbent President Nicolás Maduro’s alleged win at the July 28 elections despite fraud denunciations by the opposition backed by the Organization of American States (OAS) and a large part of the international community.

Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Guatemala insisted on the idea of fraud while countries ruled by leftwing coalitions such as Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico were yet to announce their position on the matter. These three nations have been trying to broker a solution with Maduro to the ongoing political crisis and the social unrest that led to over 25 deaths and 2,400 detentions.

Issued at Maduro’s request, the TSJ’s decision came 22 days after the filing for a writ of injunction for which the ten former presidential candidates were summoned to the Supreme Court, but Edmundo González Urrutia -whose Unitarian Democratic Platform (PUD) claimed to have won with 67% of the vote- never showed up.

Although stemming from a leftwing administration, Chile’s President Gabriel Boric Font said on X that “today the TSJ of Venezuela finishes consolidating the fraud. Maduro’s regime obviously welcomes with enthusiasm its sentence that will be marked by infamy.

There is no doubt that we are facing a dictatorship that falsifies elections, represses those who think differently, and is indifferent to the largest exile in the world only comparable to that of Syria as a result of a war.”

Uruguay’s Luis Lacalle Pou concurred: “Maduro’s regime confirms what the international community has been denouncing: fraud. A dictatorship that closes all doors to an institutional and democratic life of its people…we must not be silent or cease in defense of the Venezuelan cause.”

Santiago Peña of Paraguay said the court’s decision was “unacceptable” without an “exhaustive and independent” review of the controversial electoral process. He regretted “deeply the decision of the Venezuelan Government to move forward in the ratification of electoral results that do not reflect the will of the Venezuelan people. It is unacceptable to pretend to validate winners without an exhaustive and independent review of the votes,” insisted Peña, who had previously voiced his opinion that dictators do not leave by the force of votes.

Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo de León underlined that his country would not recognize the electoral “fraud” perpetrated by Maduro’s regime. “The crisis in Venezuela is indisputable, and from Guatemala, we have already said that its recent elections are only a demonstration [that] Maduro’s regime is not democratic and we do not recognize its fraud,” he wrote on X as did his Uruguayan and Paraguayan colleagues.

 

 

 

Foreign Ministers of Iran and Venezuela ratify partnership

August 27th 2024

The Foreign Ministers of Venezuela, Yván Gil, and Iran, Abbas Araghchi, held a telephone conversation about their countries’ willingness to expand bilateral cooperation.

Regarding the controversy following the July 28 elections President Nicolás Maduro announced to have won albeit without producing any documentation supporting these claims, Gil said on social media,

“We had a conversation with the Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, in which we reaffirmed the solid friendship between our countries and ratified the cooperation agreements in force with a view to exploring new areas. Araghchi conveyed to us the Iranian government’s support to Venezuela in the face of the current wave of aggressions that seek to destabilize our country.”

Venezuela and Iran maintain close bilateral relations under the principle of complementarity for joint development, local media explained. Their alliance is focused on tourism, food, defense, oil, gas, petrochemicals, science and technology, health, culture, and transport.

In the aftermath of the presidential elections, Venezuela held a popular consultation across some 4,500 communes this past weekend to decide on projects of interest for the citizenry to be sponsored by Caracas. It was the second such process in the country after the one on April 21.

National Communal Electoral Commission Chairwoman Carolina Arellano underlined the massive participation of Venezuelans in the direct democracy event where anyone over the age of 15 can vote. Arellano also pointed out that at least 120 observers from Europe, the United States, Africa, and Latin America had participated in the process, which was marred only by some rain at various polling stations in the morning.

A total of 27,420 projects were approved out of 103,000. They are focused on drinking water, roads, housing, electricity, health, education, sewage, productive units, environment, and public transport, among other issues. The projects are submitted through popular assemblies. Then, the members of the communes vote for the prioritized projects and collectively supervise their execution and the use of the funds provided by the Venezuelan State to finance them.