Despite Venezuela’s constitution being progressive in many senses, abortion remains illegal in the country. However, the past few years have seen the emergence of Ruta Verde [Green Route], a robust feminist coalition organized to promote the decriminalization of abortion. The Ruta Verde is currently promoting a new law that it believes would take the first steps toward legalizing abortion. We talk to Laura Cano, a young feminist militant who is part of both Ruta Verde and Tinta Violeta – an organization that combats machista violence – about the current status of abortion in Venezuela and the struggle to legalize it.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/interviews/15605

Venezuelan human rights group SURES has called into question a recent report by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

On September 20, the team of Marta Valiñas (Portugal), Francisco Cox (Chile) and Patricia Tappatá (Argentina) published a report accusing the Venezuelan state of committing crimes against humanity, including arbitrary arrests and torture, and claiming that President Nicolás Maduro and other high-ranking officials are directly involved.

The Venezuelan human rights organization classed the investigation’s methodology as “unreliable.” Valiñas, Cox and Tappatá never visited Venezuela and relied on 246 anonymous interviews, which make claims impossible to independently verify according to SURES.

“The report is inconsistent with the principles of independence, impartiality, objectivity, integrity and transparency,” the collective concluded.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15607

Venezuelans and Colombians flocked to the Simón Bolívar international bridge Monday to celebrate the reopening of the international border following the restoration of diplomatic and economic relations between Caracas and Bogotá.

Prior to the official opening, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro called it a “historic and transcendental” day.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who has worked to improve bilateral relations with Venezuela after taking office in August, personally traveled to the border region to take part in the ceremonies.

“This is a symbol of unity, [the border] should never be closed,” said Petro as we walked along the Simón Bolívar international bridge, the locale chosen for the ceremonial event

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15608

VA columnist Reinaldo Iturriza examines discoursive SM trends in Venezuela with a Benjaminian turn:

In principle, the phrase “Venezuela is fixed” is a denial of “normalization.” In some cases one can even identify the intention of questioning the deeply regressive character of the policies aimed at controlling hyperinflation and “stabilizing” the economy, but this is not often the case. Generally emptied of true critical nuances, the phrase tends to be associated with a massive renunciation from the attempt to understand what is actually happening.

In any case, this cynical attitude is largely the result of confusing times during which it is increasingly difficult to maintain the idea that the two antagonistic projects are still in dispute. Programmatic boundaries have become blurred. In the twilight of the Bolivarian Revolution, everything is gray on gray.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/politics-commons/15609

With a colorful display of cultural performances, music and dancing, women’s rights groups joined by a number of allied grassroots collectives marched across Caracas’ main avenues all the way to the National Assembly (AN), where they introduced a document demanding the abolition of the country’s over 100-year old penal code that criminalizes abortion.

The September 28 march also promoted a legislative proposal that guarantees comprehensive sexual and reproductive rights for women, teenagers and the LGBTIQA+ community, including non-binary people.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15610

Venezuela has suffered another reversal in its legal fight to overturn a multi-billion award to US oil giant ConocoPhillips.

On September 27, David Malpass, chairman of the Administrative Council of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), rejected a motion to disqualify two members of an ad hoc committee that will evaluate the Caribbean nation’s demand to annul the original ruling in favor of ConocoPhillips.

Following years of litigation, ConocoPhillips secured a US $8.7 billion compensation award in March 2019 for the Venezuelan nationalization of three oil projects by the former Hugo Chávez government in 2007. The ventures were an offshore oil field, Corocoro, and heavy crude upgraders Hamaca and Petrozuata.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15611

The Venezuelan government has reportedly released 7 US citizens who were imprisoned in the country.

The announcement came from the Biden White House: https://bit.ly/3BYV7iD

The Maduro gov't reacted shortly after: https://bit.ly/3CrX9tm

Check out the twitter thread for comments

https://twitter.com/venanalysis/status/1576289394507464704

🇻🇪 🎶 A nation of rhythms! Venezuela is a beautiful, vibrant country in more ways than one. A rich and complex history has left its mark on Venezuelan culture, and in one area in particular: music.

In this infographic, we aim to offer a first look at the Caribbean nation’s wonderful musical expressions. We look at some of the most common instruments and traditional genres. The list is certainly not exhaustive. We also hope to complement this work with other music-related content in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

You can download and share! 👇

https://venezuelanalysis.com/images/15613

The Venezuelan government released seven US citizens who were imprisoned in the country for “humanitarian” reasons, in exchange for two Venezuelan citizens detained in the United States.

“We would like to publicly state that the Venezuelan justice system has decided to free, for humanitarian reasons, a group of United States citizens who were subject to judicial processes in our country,” read an official communiqué from the Venezuelan government published Saturday.

News of the release of the seven US nationals first came via a statement from the White House, which described them as being “wrongfully detained in Venezuela.”

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15614

VA columnist Jessica Dos Santos contrasts grassroots-led and top-down participatory processes in the context of the Bolivarian Revolution.

"Maybe the mechanisms used to set up grassroots structures should also be left to the people themselves. After all, communities have a lot more ingenuity and capacity for mobilization than the ads shown endlessly through official channels.

In fact, soon enough there will be a renovation of party structures at the parish, municipal and regional levels in the run-up to the 2024 presidential elections. We should praise the intention to renew the party leadership, but it can only work if the people can get, and feel, directly involved."

https://venezuelanalysis.com/tales-resistance/15615

Venezuela welcomed the resumption of peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group, calling it another step forward for regional stabilization.

On September 13, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro accepted Petro’s request to resume Caracas’ years-long role as guarantor state of the peace negotiations and agreements with the ELN. Maduro pledged “absolute support” to help its neighbor country de-escalate the almost 60-year-old conflict, which has reportedly killed at least 450,000 people.

Inspired by the Cuban revolution, the ELN was founded in 1964 by students, union leaders, and rebel Catholic priests and grew to become a 4,000 men guerrilla army with strongholds on Colombia’s Pacific coast as well as along the 2,200-kilometer border with Venezuela.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15616

The Biden administration is reportedly considering handing a broader sanctions waiver to US oil corporation Chevron.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Washington could allow the energy giant to resume drilling and selling crude from its joint ventures with Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA.

If confirmed, the license would represent the first major step taken by the Democrat White House to revert its predecessor’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Venezuela.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15617

"The Venezuelan state has different spheres of action, from the local to the national, and certain class interests may enter into contradiction with communal initiatives at the regional level. At the end of the day, we are talking about a struggle between the old and new model. Such a struggle will emerge in any revolution.

However, it’s also worth highlighting that the Bolivarian Process has long been characterized by the transformative power of its creative tensions. In fact, creative tensions are at the very origin of the Chavista project, and I would even dare to say that they are the root of the communal model. As such, many of the contradictions that emerge should not be interpreted as a limit or a barrier, but as a spark."

A candid exchange with Hernán Vargas, Venezuelan Vice-minister of Communal Economy 👇

https://venezuelanalysis.com/interviews/15612

A landslide caused by torrential rains swept through Las Tejerías town, in Aragua state, central Venezuela, leaving over 20 people dead and more than 50 missing.

The tragedy occurred Saturday night when a downpour started dragging mud, large tree trunks, branches, and rocks from the surrounding mountains blocking roads and destroying homes, businesses, farmland, and a slaughterhouse. The small agro-industrial town is located some 67 kilometers from Caracas.

Speaking on national television from the disaster scene on Sunday, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez emphasized that military and rescue teams had been quickly deployed in the affected areas to search for survivors and people trapped under mud and rocks. At least 22 bodies had been found by Sunday.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15618

Venezuelan opposition figure Juan Guaidó suffered a strong rebuke after 19 countries voted Thursday to oust ​​his representation at the Organization of American States (OAS) during the regional organization’s 52nd General Assembly held in Lima, Peru.

The vote marks a dramatic shift in support from governments in the region for Guaidó, who once claimed to be the legitimate president of Venezuela and secured the backing of Washington and several of its allies in the hemisphere after declaring himself president at a demonstration in Caracas in January 2019.

Guaidó has increasingly found himself out of favor among Venezuelans themselves. During a recent tour in the country, the former lawmaker was met with hostile crowds, with one woman tearing away his shirt before he was able to board his vehicle. Meanwhile, at another stop, his car was pelted with eggs. Venezuelans have strongly criticized the opposition figure for his support for the US-led sanctions regime that has crippled the country’s economy and led to shortages of key goods.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15619

Venezuela’s US-based oil subsidiary CITGO is closer to being seized by creditors after a circuit judge set a share auction process in motion.

On Tuesday, Delaware District court judge Leonard P. Stark laid down a schedule and guidelines for a “competitive and robust bidding process” for PDV Holding shares, according to documents seen by Venezuelanalysis. PDV Holding is CITGO’s parent company. The order likewise hires banking firm Evercore as an adviser in the operation.

The legal proceedings stem from Canadian miner Crystallex’s efforts to collect a US $1.4 billion international arbitration award granted by the World Bank’s International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in 2016. A reported $970 million are outstanding. Crystallex sought compensation for the 2008 nationalization of Las Cristinas gold mine in eastern Venezuela.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15620

Recently, Venezuelan Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami condemned the Biden administration’s “irrational” and “senseless” continuation of the Trump sanctions program against Caracas and other oil-producing countries.

“The imposition of sanctions, blockades, and aggressions by the West [the US and its allies] against main oil-producing countries are part of the senseless and irrational measures that have caused an imbalance in energy markets,” stated El Aissami during the OPEC+ countries 33rd meeting last week in Vienna, Austria.

The Venezuelan official went on to praise OPEC's “transcendental” decision to slash production by 2 million barrels beginning in November to shore up prices. The production cuts have raised fears of higher fuel prices in the US, which would hurt Democrat prospects in November’s midterm elections as well as the energy war against Russia.

The market instability in turn has led to renewed discussions within the White House around easing sanctions against Venezuela.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15621