Venezuelans celebrated Chávez's 68th birthday yesterday. We had the (bold!) idea of trying to boil down the main aspects of his political vision and legacy in a neat infographic. Download and share it widely!

Venezuelan authorities have blasted the latest court ruling in the struggle for control over 31 tonnes of gold stored in the Bank of England (BoE).

On Friday, the High Court of England and Wales decided in favor of opposition politician Juan Guaidó and dismissed a new effort by the Venezuelan Central Bank (BCV) to regain control over the reserves worth an estimated US $1.7 billion.

Caracas had brought to court the Venezuelan Supreme Court decrees stating that the parallel BCV board appointed by the US-backed opposition was illegal. However, judge Sara Cockerill decreed that the British Court could not recognize the rulings made by Venezuela’s highest judicial instance.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15575

Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Faría signed a joint declaration Thursday with his future Colombian counterpart Álvaro Leyva as part of efforts by the two countries to normalize binational relations following the victory of Gustavo Petro in June presidential elections.

President Nicolás Maduro praised the “successful and virtuous” encounter that was carried out in the “spirit of Bolívar,” in reference to the 19th century independence leader who sought to create a united Latin America.

The declaration reaffirms the commitment of Venezuela and Colombia to appoint ambassadors and other diplomatic and consular staff once the incoming Petro government takes office on August 7.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15576

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry has condemned US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's two-day visit to Taiwan, calling it a "direct provocation” and a “serious threat” to China's “sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“We reaffirmed our unrestricted adherence to the One China principle and the recognition of Taiwan as an inalienable part of China’s territory,” reads the communique, which highlighted Caracas and Beijing’s strong ties of friendship, cooperation and solidarity as well as their “strategic partnership,” launched in 2001 under the Hugo Chávez government.

Although the White House has insisted that Washington’s position regarding the One China policy has not changed, in May President Joe Biden told the press that the US would defend Taiwan militarily in case of Chinese intervention. House Speaker Pelosi has now added fuel to the fire by disregarding Beijing’s protest over her visit which included a televised meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15577

Venezuela's apparent "normalcy" is not all it seems, argues Jessica Dos Santos:

I would dare say that even those of us who realize the economic improvements are built on huge social inequalities try to convince ourselves: “recovery had to start somewhere,” “in the long run more economic activity will be to everyone’s benefit,” “it’s not different anywhere else.” The situation was so critical that just a bit of air is a big relief.

Truth be told, I think we also want to feel part of this progress, because we stuck around, suffered the pain of loved ones leaving, struggled mightily, tried new business ideas, and put our sweat and tears into everything, so we deserve this damn coffee in the damn hacienda of yesteryear’s elites.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/tales-resistance/15578

Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro denounced a US attempt to seize a Venezuelan state-owned aircraft.

A Boeing 747-300 owned by Emtrasur landed at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires on June 6. Two days later, the airplane was controversially denied permission to land and refuel in Montevideo while in midair. After its forced return to the Argentinian capital it was grounded by local authorities.

“The US wants to steal a plane that legally belongs to Venezuela. The order is coming from an imperial court in Florida,” Maduro said during a televised broadcast on Wednesday.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15579

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro celebrated the inauguration of Gustavo Petro as president of Colombia, with leaders pledging to rebuild the long but fraught relationship between the two Caribbean countries.

“I extend my hand to the people of Colombia, to President Gustavo Petro, to rebuild fellowship on the basis of respect and love between peoples,” said Maduro on Sunday.

For his part, Petro called for Latin American governments to leave aside their political differences and work toward regional integration.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15580

The Venezuelan Ministry of Culture organized the “International Festival of Progressive Theater” (FITP) from July 29 to August 7.

Culture Minister Ernesto Villegas stated that the “progressive” label was a nod to leftist governments that have taken power in Latin America recently and added that cultural initiatives, theater in particular, would continue in the coming months.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/images/15581

Venezuela’s oil output and exports have receded following a series of operational setbacks while recently renewed shipments to Europe have been reportedly halted.

Anonymous sources revealed that PDVSA is reportedly negotiating the terms of the oil-for-debt agreements with Eni and Repsol to receive fuel while still settling long-standing debts owed to the two companies.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15582

🎙️ In the tenth episode of the Venezuelanalysis Podcast, the subject is workers' control!

We look at the history of these struggles to democratize factories and workplaces, their characteristics and the challenges they face.

➡️ Subscribe and listen now: patreon.com/posts/venezuelanalysis-70522241

Colombian President Gustavo Petro took another important step toward restoring institutional ties with Caracas with the return of Monómeros, a subsidiary of Venezuela’s state-owned Pequiven, to the hands of the Maduro government.

Last Monday, the Maduro government appointed a new board of directors of Monómeros, submitting the documentation to the Barranquilla Chamber of Commerce, where the enterprise is headquartered.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15583

From the occupation of land by landless campesinos to the redistribution of the country’s resources, the class struggle in Venezuela takes many forms. But one of its clearest expressions is the efforts by workers to seize control of the means of production directly.

In the tenth episode of the Venezuelanalysis Podcast, the subject is workers' control. We look at the history of these struggles to democratize factories and workplaces, their characteristics and the challenges they face.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/audio/15584

The Venezuelan government has announced the full payment of public sector education workers' vacation bonuses following a string of protests across the country.

Public sector trade unions celebrated the measure as a “first victory” but stated that protests would continue until authorities attend to all of their petitions.

The vacation bonus is only one of a long list of demands that have led to weeks of constant mobilizations in Caracas and other cities. Since early July, public sector pensioners, nurses, teachers, and university workers have been on the streets to reject a controversial ONAPRE directive that flattens salary scales, overrides collective bargaining rights and reduces a number of benefits, such as healthcare, loans and wage bonuses for experience or education level.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15585

The Asian giant started importing Venezuelan petcoke in 2022 after previously relying on the US and Saudi Arabia as suppliers.

The Venezuelan exports have hovered around US $220 per tonne, some 5 to 10 percent below market price, as Caracas seeks international trade partners while heavily targeted by US sanctions.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15586

Following Petro’s electoral triumph, the two countries began to look for the best routes to rebuild and reshape relations after years of hostilities and cut-off communication. Only three days after the election, Petro talked to President Nicolás Maduro talked on the phone and publicly announced a common disposition to normalize the countries’ 2.219-kilometer shared border.

For his part, Maduro congratulated the newly elected Colombian president on behalf of the Venezuelan people and that the phone conversation focused on peace and a prosperous future for both peoples.

The first conversation between Petro and Maduro set the tone to get rid of barriers, spurred by US interests in the region, that blocked normal political and economic ties.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/around-world-60-days/15587

The Venezuelan gov't has begun addressing some of the workers' demands following massive labor protests across the country for higher wages.

Venezuela is currently experiencing a slow recovery process after years of economic crisis under US sanctions (which are still in place).

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva rejected the recognition of opposition figure Juan Guaidó as president of Venezuela, calling him an “imposter”, and said he would instead honor the “self-determination” of the Venezuelan people.

The leftist Workers Party (PT) candidate also called on both Europe and the United States to restore ties with Venezuela, saying he felt encouraged by the recent efforts at rapprochement by the Joe Biden administration. However, he added that he hoped it was not merely motivated by geopolitical concerns over oil supply.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15588

On August 19, US District Judge Carl Nichols issued a default judgment in favor of ConocoPhillips to collect on a US $8.5 billion arbitration award plus around $22 million for reimbursement of legal costs after the Venezuelan so-called “interim government” failed to appear in court for more than two years. The default claim was entered by the court in October 2021.

The Nicolás Maduro government had carried out the country’s legal defense in its most important international arbitration award case until Washington recognized opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s self-proclamation as “interim president” in January 2019. This saw the hardline politician receive control of a number of Venezuelan assets abroad as well as assume the country's legal representation before US courts.

In December 2019, Guaidó’s legal team applied to ICSID for a stay of enforcement on the ConocoPhillips arbitration award and requested its annulment, prompting the court to name an ad hoc committee. However, the opposition leader’s lawyers never paid in advance for litigation costs as required by ICSID regulations and abandoned courtrooms altogether ever since.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15589

Siemens’ business manager in Venezuela, Eric Soto, stated that the German company would begin by working on two gas and diesel combustion facilities that could supply as much as 1,000 Megawatts (MW) to the capital Caracas. It would address the electrical infrastructure used by the oil industry as well.

The Caribbean nation’s power generation and distribution infrastructure has suffered from a lack of maintenance, corruption and a brain drain, with the issues heavily compounded by wide-reaching US sanctions.

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15590

The ratio between the US dollar and Venezuelan bolívar registered unofficially by a number of exchange operators soared from 6.95 on Monday to 9.33 on Thursday, forcing the Venezuelan Central Bank (BCV) to take emergency measures.

According to unofficial reports, the Central Bank provided US $300 million in two separate operations. While the parallel rate fell by 8.2 percent on Friday, the official one was steadily devalued during the week, from 6.18 bolívars per dollar on Monday to 7.85 on Friday, a 27 percent difference.

Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab urged “speculators” to adhere to the figure published by the BCV and promised “exemplary sanctions” against private actors operating with the black market figure. However, retailers could avoid any issues by simply adjusting prices in bolívars.

For his part, President Nicolás Maduro called on the people to “not allow businesses to rob them with the parallel dollar.” He also warned traders to stick to the official exchange rate, reminding them that “it follows the rules of the market” and “has been working well.”

https://venezuelanalysis.com/news/15591