Venezuelanalysis

The Venezuelan government held a closing campaign rally ahead of a non-binding referendum that will measure popular support for a longstanding territorial claim over the Essequibo Strip. “This Sunday, with our votes, we will defend the Guayana Esequiba,” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro told crowds in Caracas, using Venezuela’s name for the disputed territory. “I call on everyone to take part in this popular initiative.” On December 3, around 20 million Venezuelan voters are eligible to participate in a five-question referendum centered on the controversial border between Venezuela and neighboring Guyana. https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/venezuela-gears-up-for-essequibo-referendum-icj-warns-against-changes-to-status-quo/

The Venezuelan government and the US-backed hardline opposition have agreed to allow the country’s Supreme Court to review the cases of candidates disqualified from running for public office, the parties announced Thursday via Norwegian mediators. “Today we have taken another step in the right direction, ratifying what was agreed in Barbados, to ensure respect for the decisions of [our] institutions, the rule of law and the Constitution of Venezuela,” said lead government negotiator Jorge Rodríguez. The opposition and US officials argue that the political agreement signed in Barbados, which lays out conditions for upcoming presidential elections, includes a provision to allow disqualified opposition leaders to run. Meanwhile, Caracas maintains that the Barbados Accords do not provide for such a measure. https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/venezuela-disqualified-politicians-can-launch-supreme-court-appeal/

Too little attention has been paid to the dire impact of the 8-year-old US blockade on the lives of children and adolescents, who are among the most vulnerable parts of the Venezuelan population. To counter this oversight and raise awareness about the condition of Venezuela’s children, Anahi Arizmendi, a journalist and human rights advocate, has written the new book Infancia bajo asedio [Children Under Siege]. Here she talks to Venezuelanalysis about the real-life impact of the unilateral coercive measures on Venezuela’s youth. https://venezuelanalysis.com/interviews/venezuelan-children-under-the-us-blockade-a-conversation-with-anahi-arizmendi/

The Venezuelan government has urged the US government to lift all sanctions against the country, while also denying any violations of the Barbados agreement. The stance came in response to a November 30 deadline set by Washington for Venezuelan authorities to lift political bans on Venezuelan opposition leaders are not lifted. US officials threatened to reverse recent relief measures otherwise. “Venezuela as a whole, by consensus, demands that all sanctions against its economy be permanently lifted and that we begin a new era of relations based on respect and collaboration between the United States and Venezuela,” voiced President Nicolás Maduro on Wednesday during a meeting with representatives of different economic sectors in Caracas. https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/venezuela-govt-rejects-us-ultimatum-demands-permanent-sanctions-removal/

The unsolved border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana sparked renewed tensions in recent weeks. The two governments have engaged in a war of words, military presence has increased, as well as fears of US intervention. The following infographic recaps the main chapters of the longstanding controversy over the resource-rich Essequibo Strip. https://venezuelanalysis.com/infographics/justice-and-sovereignty-the-dispute-over-the-essequibo-strip/

Venezuelanalysis was founded 20 years ago in the aftermath of the coup against Hugo Chávez. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we look back on all the work we have done, and we also look to the challenges ahead. How can we continue to provide solidarity organizations and the general public with the tools to understand Venezuela and organize against US imperialism? That is why we are asking for your support during our yearly fundraiser. A one-time donation or a monthly subscription will help us carry on expanding and improving our content. Remember no amount is too small! https://venezuelanalysis.com/donate/

In political gossip, it is said that Machado is debating between three options: calling for a rebellion in the streets to force the government to accept her candidacy; calling for abstention in the presidential elections; and appointing a chosen one, a candidate who represents her in the process and who, eventually, appoints her as vice president. One of those mentioned as Machado’s “frontman” is lawyer Gerardo Blyde, who has headed the opposition delegation in the dialogue process with the government in the last few years. Meanwhile, other reports point out that Venezuelan tycoon Lorenzo Mendoza, owner of Empresas Polar (one of the largest conglomerates in the country’s food, beer and soft drinks sectors), who has appeared as a possible outsider in past presidential elections, should not be discarded. Machado may not be able to go “all the way”, as her campaign slogan says, but there is no doubt that she will be the main disrupting factor of the 2024 presidential vote, both for President Nicolás Maduro, in his role as candidate for reelection and for whoever turns out to be the main opposition candidate. https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/unusual-and-extraordinary-opposition-prospects-remain-unclear-after-primary-elections/

In Venezuela, the expressions of solidarity with the people of Palestine have been powerful and permanent, perhaps because Venezuelans know firsthand the brutality of the US and its allies exercise in pursuing their ends. In this exclusive interview, Medea Benjamin reflects on the brutality of US policy against both the people of Palestine and Venezuela, and the mechanisms by which the “enlightened” West carries out wars and genocides. https://venezuelanalysis.com/interviews/gaza-venezuela-and-collective-punishment-a-conversation-with-medea-benjamin/

Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) has carried out a “successful” dry-run to prepare for the December 3 referendum intended to measure popular support over the country’s centuries-long claim over the Essequibo Strip. On November 19, Venezuelans participated in an electoral simulation drill with 800 voting centers opened nationwide, which registered long queues throughout the day. The ballot had five questions regarding the country’s territorial dispute with neighboring Guyana over the 160,000 square kilometer resource-rich Essequibo region. Venezuela and Guyana’s dispute over the Essequibo Strip dates back to colonial times and remained dormant for years until Texas-based ExxonMobil found significant oil reserves in the region in 2015. Since then, the Guyana government, presently led by President Irfaan Ali, has expanded a bidding process for oil exploration in Essequibo’s undelimited territorial waters, which Caracas argues violates the unresolved legal battle. https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/venezuela-maduro-warns-of-exxonmobil-interference-ahead-of-historical-essequibo-strip-vote/

Got 40 minutes to spare today? You can listen to our latest podcast episode to learn about Washington's calculations regarding its sanctions relief against Venezuela to access its oil resources and how this affects the 2024 presidential election. https://venezuelanalysis.com/podcasts/the-venezuelanalysis-podcast-episode-20-sanctions-relief/

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his Colombian counterpart Gustavo Petro pledged to deepen economic integration and cooperation between their two countries following a presidential-level meeting Saturday. The two leaders discussed a variety of topics, including migration, tourism, Venezuela’s support for Colombia’s ongoing peace process with the ELN guerrilla organization, economic revitalization for both countries, and energy integration. “Excellent work meeting with Gustavo Petro, President of the Republic of Colombia, with whom I spoke about the broad bilateral agenda of our nations and, above all, the map of mutual cooperation that advances with the principles of union and fraternity,” said the Venezuelan president on social media. Petro has made a deliberate effort to mend economic and political ties with neighboring Venezuela, with the meeting at the Miraflores Presidential Palace in Caracas marking the fifth such meeting between the two heads of state. https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/colombias-petro-touts-deeper-cooperation-and-energy-integration-with-venezuela-during-visit

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