PLOT TWIST! Self-proclaimed Juan Guaidó throws a hail mary. He pulls out all the stops: the pointless hand gestures, three Venezuela flags, a poorly lit portrait of Bolívar. It's a potpourri of sheer nonsense, but there's not much else going on, so let's have some fun! (thread)

https://twitter.com/venanalysis/status/1608649797011116038

#Breaking Opposition parties vote to end the self-proclaimed "interim government" led by Juan Guaidó after a very acrimonious Zoom session. A watershed moment in the history of made-up posts. Plenty of nonsense and backstabbing still to come, so stay tuned!

#News | The three largest Venezuelan opposition groups voted to eliminate the so-called “interim government.”

On Thursday, Democratic Action (AD), Justice First (PJ) and A New Era (UNT) followed through on their pledge to put an end to the bureaucratic apparatus led by self-proclaimed “Interim President” Juan Guaidó.

The decision was taken during a virtual session of the defunct, opposition-controlled National Assembly (AN) elected in December 2015. Though its term ended in January 2021, the main anti-government parties boycotted the December 2020 legislative elections and instead kept a largely ceremonial parallel parliament by unilaterally extending its mandate on a yearly basis.

Via a Zoom call, a project to reform the so-called “Transition Statute” garnered 72 votes in favor, 29 against and 8 abstentions.

The “Transition Statute” was the framework set up by the US-backed political formations to reject the Nicolás Maduro government’s authority as well as not recognize the 2018 presidential elections. It was the basis for Guaidó’s self-proclamation as “interim president” in January 2019.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15676

#Opinion | And so it ended. Not with a bang, but with a whimper. After all, it was made of cardboard.

It is very rare to have a political phenomenon beautifully encapsulated in a single moment or image. But in the case of (former) self-proclaimed “Interim President” Juan Guaidó, we got exactly that.

On November 22, 2021, the Obama knockoff politician was giving a press conference in a fancy-looking set, with plenty of flags and a little podium. As he trudged along his nonsense something magical happened: the presidential shield behind him fell to the floor. It was made of cardboard.

For all the absurdity that preceded and followed this episode, this will be Guaidó’s defining moment. Last week, his opposition allies finally had enough and decided to end the “interim government.”

https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/15677

#News | Brazil’s Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva was sworn into office Sunday as tens of thousands of supporters cheered his return to power and social movements celebrated the beginning of a new era for Brazil-Venezuela relations.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro warmly greeted Lula’s inauguration, saying on Twitter that it marked a step forward for regional integration efforts.

“I congratulate with joy the inauguration of our comrade [Lula] as President of Brazil. A new wave of liberation runs through the Patria Grande, opening paths for the geopolitical advancement of South American unity projects,” wrote the Venezuelan leader.

Mauro Vieira, Lula’s incoming foreign minister, confirmed last month that the return of da Silva to the presidency would also bring the restoration of diplomatic relations with Venezuela following years of strained relations with Lula’s predecessor.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15678

#News | The Venezuelan Central Bank (BCV) reported 17.73 percent economic growth during the first nine months of 2022 in comparison to the same period in 2021.

“With this result, there have been five consecutive trimesters of positive variations in most economic activities, reflecting the favorable performance of the national production, which began in the third quarter of 2021,” the bank said in a statement.

In a recent interview, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro praised the economic progress as the result of “the country's productive forces being unleashed in 2022” amidst efforts to leave behind the oil-rentier model.

“For the first time in more than 100 years, [this] is a growth of the non-oil economy that produces food, goods, services, and wealth, and that pays taxes. We are breaking records in tax collection for the year 2022,” Maduro said on Sunday.

Maduro added that Venezuela used to depend largely on food imports, but “today we produce 94 percent of the food that goes to Venezuelan homes. It is an agricultural miracle, the result of hundreds of rural producers' work.”

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15679

What's in store for Venezuela in 2023? Here are the top stories to pay attention to, including possible early presidential elections and more economic battles.

#News | Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro emphatically denounced a violent coup attempt against his Brazilian counterpart Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva after followers of former President Jair Bolsonaro attacked several buildings in the Brazilian capital on Sunday.

“We categorically reject the violence generated by Bolsonaro's neo-fascist groups that have assaulted the democratic institutions of Brazil,” read a statement issued by Maduro.

Demonstrators who falsely claim that Lula’s 2022 election was fraudulent descended on Brasilia and called on the Armed Forces to intervene and oust the democratically elected government, which took office on January 1. The right-wing mob, through the complicity of the capital’s security forces, invaded various government installations in Brasilia, including the Government Palace, the Supreme Court and the National Congress.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15680

#Opinion | Political analyst Clodovaldo Hernández offers a candid take on the Venezuelan government's policies and electoral prospects:

"The discourse of “more consumption equals more economic growth equals more social happiness” is, in structural terms, the enemy’s discourse. And in politics, those who lie with the enemy’s discourse will end up carrying its child (it does not matter if the creature comes out with good intentions).

This has good and bad consequences for Chavismo. The good part is that day-to-day conflicts are toned down. There is no longer a climate of permanent confrontation and turmoil that we witnessed for years. It ruined several holiday seasons and at its hottest peaks it nearly drove us to a civil war.

The bad part is that there is no clear difference between the basic programs of Chavismo and anti-Chavismo. And indifference tends to favor, according to my political analyst friends, to whoever represents “change,” even if the proposal is vague or false. If the government and the opposition offer the same prenoscription, people might lean towards the opposition, especially when it comes to governments that have spent a long time in power."

https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/15681

#News | Hundreds of Venezuelan teachers took to the streets to demand higher wages and the restoration of collective bargaining rights, including social and medical insurance.

The nationwide protests began on Monday organized by the United Federation of Teaching (Fetramagisterio) alongside unions from around 18 states. Teachers were joined by workers, administrative personnel, and retirees from the public education sector with demonstrations taking place near education-related government buildings and public squares in city centers.

In Caracas, teachers gathered outside the Ministry of Education to demand immediate answers to their months-long struggle for decent salaries, the full payment of stipulated bonuses as well as the reactivation of the Hospitalization, Surgery, and Maternity (HCM) services and the Institute of Social Welfare and Assistance for the Ministry of Education Staff (Ipasme).

The leader of the Venezuelan Teachers' Association (Fenaprodo-CPV), Raquel Figueroa, ruled out a national strike but said members will remain in the streets until they secure a new collective contract that respects labor rights and sets a salary increase.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15682

Venezuelanalysis is entirely sustained by generous contributions from readers and followers. $5 or $10 a month goes a long way to support our on-the-ground mission.

Visit: https://venezuelanalysis.com/subscribe-options

#Interview | In the south of Yaracuy state, Urachiche is a township nestled between the Aroa mountains and the flatlands that open onto the Venezuelan llanos. It has a long history of struggle and – together with the neighboring Bruzual township – forms the heart of the vibrant cult of María Lionza, a syncretic goddess that brings together Indigenous and African traditions.

Urachiche is also home to two closely-related communes: Hugo Chávez and Alí Primera. Here we learn about the history of these communes and their struggles to collectively control the land.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/interviews/15683

#News | Venezuelan industrial workers have staged demonstrations to demand higher wages at state-owned steelmaking company Siderúrgicas del Orinoco (Sidor).

Since last Monday, hundreds of Sidor workers have walked out from their posts in the large-scale industrial complex in Ciudad Guayana, Bolívar state. They have blocked the local highway every day and urged the company to address a number of labor issues.

“This is not a political protest,” spokesman Henry Quintana told local reporters. “This is a workers’ protest, and we will not back down until we are heard.” Other spokespeople stated that salaries should be set in US dollars to shield them from currency devaluation.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15684

🎙In December, the VA staff sat down to look back at the "top stories" from 2022 and analyze what 2023 might have in store.

Listen here: https://youtu.be/1cQGckxxYeA

The latest iteration of Washington’s regime-change efforts against the democratically elected Venezuelan government came to an end. On December 30, an opposition-controlled parliament whose term ran out two years ago voted to end the US-backed “interim government” headed by Juan Guaidó.

A few outlets recognized that the latest developments represented “a blow” (New York Times, 12/30/22) or “a failure” (Financial Times, 1/8/23) for the United States, but for the most part the media’s goal seemed to be to solidify the biased premises underlying the regime-change operation. Corporate media remain as unwilling as ever to question US foreign policy, regardless of its deadly consequences.

The Guaidó-led operation had earned the wholehearted support of the media establishment from the get-go (FAIR.org, 1/19/19, 1/31/19). However, its end did not lead to a reckoning or reevaluation of past coverage. The loyal stenography from Western pundits is as reliable as ever (FAIR.org, 6/13/22, 5/2/22, 4/15/20, 1/22/20, 9/24/19).

https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/15685

#News | National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez warned that talks between the Venezuelan government and the opposition could face an imminent end as a result of the lack of progress on the release of US $3 billion in Venezuelan funds seized by Washington.

Rodríguez, who heads the government delegation, accused the opposition of not holding its end of the bargain.

“There is no reason to continue to dialogue with people who do not keep their word. If the more than [US] $3 billion dollars that was stolen from the people is not returned, the dialogue will not continue," said Rodríguez.

In November 2022, delegations representing both the government and opposition traveled to Mexico City to sign a partial agreement, mediated by Norway, focused on social issues following the resumption of the dialogue process after a year-long hiatus.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15686

#News | Venezuela’s most prized foreign asset has moved a step closer to being broken up and seized by creditors.

CITGO, the US-based subsidiary of Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, is worth an estimated US $8 billion. With three refineries and a network of over four thousand gas stations stateside, it faces a number of threats as several corporations and bondholders look to claim shares as compensation for arbitration awards and defaulted debt.

On Tuesday, the US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued general license 5J blocking transactions involving the PDVSA 2020 bond until April 20. Previous licenses had been issued for six months or an entire year, and the shorter term for the current one is seen by analysts as a signal that it will not be extended further.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15687

Nested in the mountains of Yaracuy, the Alí Primera Commune was born shortly after Hugo Chávez began to promote communes. However, its roots date from some 500 years ago, in the resistance that Indigenous peoples mounted against Spanish colonists. Later, in the 1960s, the mountains became home to communist-inspired guerrilla movements.

The Alí Primera Commune is solidly organized, with a fraternal spirit and solidarious attitude among its militants. However, this rural commune faces many challenges. Accessible only by walking or motorbike, a part of the community lives in very humble adobe homes where they cook on the open fires. Moreover, the US blockade has adversely impacted local production. The challenges these campesinos face are many, but their resilience and commitment to Chávez’s communal project is the stuff myths are made of.

In this interview by Cira Pascual Maquina and Chris Gilbert, we learn about the Alí Primera Commune, a rural, mountainous commune located in a territory of almost 12 thousand hectares and home to more than 4000 families.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/interviews/15688

#News | Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA has reportedly momentarily suspended oil sale contracts to Asian markets as the country’s oil production remains stagnated and exports slip.

In December, Venezuela produced 676,000 barrels per day (bpd), according to secondary sources from the latest Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) report, only 12,000 bpd above November’s output. The figure is virtually on par with the 681,000 bpd produced 12 months ago.

For its part, PDVSA reported 669,000 bpd, slightly below the previous month’s 693,000 bpd.

Caracas had set the goal to pump 1.5-2 million barrels in 2022 after Iran began providing diluents and other inputs the year prior, but recurrent operational disruptions and the need to prioritize fuel production made the target unreachable.

International analysts have ruled out that Venezuela will ramp up production in 2023, in the absence of significant sanctions relief, as the oil industry needs significant upgrades and repairs after years of disinvestment.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15689

Chris Gilbert and Cira Pascual Marquina look at the Venezuelan communes as a key force in an extended process of national liberation and social emancipation.

"When people come together and decide to work and relate to each other, not based on economic value and profits, but in the name of satisfying their real needs — that is, for the sake of life and not capital — as is happening currently in Venezuela, then it is an occurrence of world-historical importance. There may be no headline and it may sound like a mere whisper but, to appeal to the terms of Tracy Chapman’s song, it is a revolutionary whisper. That is because a commune’s shift to producing for real needs and use-values, not for an anonymous market, and with democratic control of its own production, spells the beginning of a profound transformation that could completely change the world, allowing for both unprecedented human flourishing and planetary survival."

https://venezuelanalysis.com/analysis/15690

#News | The VII Summit of Heads of State Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) concluded Tuesday with an affirmation of support for the dialogue between the Venezuelan government and the political opposition.

Citing security concerns, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro opted not to participate personally in the summit in Buenos Aires.

“Latin America and the Caribbean must be heard, in a single voice, and tell the United States of America: no more interventionism, no more coup plots, enough of sanctions against the free and sovereign countries of the continent,” said Maduro in a video message delivered during the gathering of the region’s heads of state.

The fate of the dialogue process in Venezuela is uncertain after the head of the Venezuelan government delegation accused the US-backed opposition of failing in its commitment to secure the release of US $3 billion in Venezuelan funds seized by Washington. A member of the opposition negotiating team claimed the release of the funds was “not easy”, while the White House has not commented on the delay.

In its statement, the region’s leaders explicitly called on the “international community” to support the implementation of the deal.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15691