The truth about Venezuela

Transcription

1 Press Note The truth about Venezuela INTRODUCTION Venezuela lives a deep political crisis that has led in a humanitarian tragedy. Thousands of Venezuelans cross the country s borders running from the horrors of Maduro s dictatorship. There is no democracy in Venezuela instead, it exist a mockup of a democracy that counts with the support of several international parties and that is financially supported by one of the largest industries with assets all around the world, that is Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). PDVSA counts with one of the largest crude oil reserves in the world. It has the second largest refinery and 18 others allocated around the globe. It is the owner of Citgo whose infrastructure includes 7 refineries, at least 60 terminals and gas stations across United States. Venezuela has the 4th largest gold mine in the world, certified by Canadian Gold Reserve. It is the 2nd main aluminum exporter in South America and has great iron, copper and diamond reservoirs. In addition, Venezuela is an important steel manufacturer. The country has one of the largest water reserves of the continent, a significant thermoelectric structure and the 4th largest hydroelectric power station of the world.

2 Venezuela has one of the best beach coasts in the world, a mild climate with only 2 seasons and one of the most versatile farmlands in the continent. It is widely known by the signature kindness of its people and the beauty of its culture. Venezuela has been the winner in several of the most famous beauty pageants in the world, meaning: 7 Miss Universe, 6 Miss World, 7 Miss International and 2 Miss Earth. The country has renowned educational facilities, public and private colleges, great highways, buildings and huge public hospitals. In conclusion, based on objective figures, Venezuela is one of the richest countries in the hemisphere, both for its leadership in oil industry and for its large natural deposits in iron, copper, bauxite, among others. However, since Chavez came to power and currently with Maduro, the country has had a regression in human rights and an increase in corruption, to the point that is considered as a failed state in terms of human rights with an economic crisis showing hyperinflation levels. HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATION At his third report about current Venezuela s Situation, published on July, 19th 2017, OAS Secretary- General, Luis Almagro, pointed out evidences that show the systematic, tactical and strategic use of murder, imprisonment, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, as another mechanisms to terrorize Venezuelan citizens in a planned campaign created to crush the regime opponents. Article 7 of the Rome Statute established that crime against humanity means any of the acts listed there when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against any civilian population, with knowledge of the attack. September 14 th 2017, Secretary-General designated an International and Independent Expert Panel whose objective is to analyze if there is a reasonable basis to establish that the Venezuelan Government, through President Nicolas Maduro s ruling, has

3 committed crimes against humanity and, to determine if there is a foundation to submit this case to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. Venezuela is one of states who are party to the Rome Statute since July 1 st Upon completion of their exhaustive analysis from evidences shown, the International and Independent Expert Panel estimate that, in fact, there is enough foundation to submit the case. Foundation that satisfies the test criteria listed in Article 53 of the Rome Statute. Enough to consider that the acts to which Venezuelan population was subject, since at least February 12 th 2014, represents crimes against humanity, in accordance with Article 7 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. The crimes of Maduro s regime are widely reviewed in social media, several cases can be listed, for example, the media-feeding case of the murdering of Oscar Perez, a policeman who rebelled to the regime, trapped and surrounded by the corrupted police and the Colectivos, murdered although he had surrendered already. Terrible pictures from his last hours alive, recorded by himself, circulated around social media and went all over the world. At the same direction, the General Prosecutor of the Republic, Luisa Ortega Diaz, is exposing Maduro to International Criminal Court for crimes against the humanity due to the murder of 8 thousand citizens and the arbitrary detentions of 17 thousand between January 2015 and June OAS AND UNITED NATIONS (UN) Declarations given by OAS and the United Nations High Commissioner quantify more than 300 students murdered by Maduro s corrupted police and Colectivos. Luis Almagro, OAS Secretary-General, confirmed that currently, in the country are 248 political prisoners registered by nongovernmental oganization Foro Penal. At this point, Maduro s dictatorship is trying to build a world perception matrix to discredit the massive Venezuelan exile, this explain why ACNUR stated the Venezuelan exile as economic but political. At the same time, Maduro s dictatorship faults the humanitarian crisis to a false economic blockade from USA. The truth behind this is that there is any blockage but a systematic theft of public funds and an exchange control rule that only delivers dollars to friends of Maduro s regime. Currently, the country depends 90% from international imports for medical, food and even fuel supplies, this explains the economic crisis that exists in Venezuela.

4 We are in the presence of multiple corrupt operations from a government that has broken the economy, that refuse to leave power and that employs brute force and terror to control their population in order to remain in power and keep stealing the nation. All around the world companies and officials devotees to Chavism are being arrested with the charge of money laundering. At July 26th, 2018 the Justice Department of United States informed from an investigation grounded in Miami that it has been discovered a corruption network that, between 2014 and 2015, misuse about million dollars (1.023 million euros) from the coffers of PDVSA. Likewise, in Andorra it has been discovered a corruption network in Venezuelan crude oil industry by the embezzlement of million dollars. THE ODEBRECHT CASE Recently Maduro has been pointed by the company Odebrecht from receiving 35 million in bribes. Maduro has unknown the authorities from the Supreme Court of Justice chosen by the National Congress; likewise, he forcibly removed the General Prosecutor of the Republic, Luisa Ortega Diaz, replacing her with a regime supporter. Currently, Maduro s regime has been reelected in an election with more than enough evidence of fraud. Only a group of dictatorships accept this electoral outcome headed by the communist tyranny of the Castros in Cuba and dictators Daniel Ortega (Nicaragua) and Evo Morales (Bolivia). Most of countries members of OAS and EU, including United States, have condemned Maduro s regime and have publicly repudiated those elections. Maduro s main objective is to control all powers and systems, trough National Electoral Council he bans politicians, with Supreme Court of Justice he imprisons business men and, with Central Bank of Venezuela he controls the currency. Venezuelan crisis statistics are measure in multimillionaire losses and thousands of deaths. According to Fedecamaras, the institution that group business associations has lost 60% of their companies narrowing from 490 thousand to near 280 thousand companies. RESTRICTED FREEDOM OF SPEECH The Chavism/Madurism attack against free press has had a negative outcome, until ends of May 2018, 80 of the 115 newspapers that circulate in 2013 have gone completely, several TV chains have closed, as was the case of RCTV; has forced TV chains owners to sell their chains to Government supporters as was the case of Globovision TV and El Universal and Ultimas Noticias newspapers. Furthermore, more than 70 radio stations have been closed and the Supreme Justice Court has condemned the Nacional, the biggest and main newspaper in the

5 country. Maduro s regime has censored several main international media as are the cases of CNN, RCN News, NTN24 (Colombia), Infobae (Argentina) and AFP Agency and has a tight iron grip with the Internet, blocking web sites and imprison bloggers without any court order. Maduro s dictatorship goes from press control to electoral control, the National Electoral Council, the governing electoral authority, is formed by 5 members from which 4 are regime supporters and the one left is from the, so called, collaborationist opposition. Through National Electoral Council, they manipulate the numbers to win the elections. With the exception of 2015 Congress elections, where Maduro was shocked by the massive support to the opposition, losing the control of National congress, the legislative authority that Chavism had had under their control. Nevertheless, Maduro unknown this authority chosen by citizens and formed his own version to what he called Constituent National Congress (Asamblea Nacional Constituyente) where he has been able to create, generate and dictate his own laws. In his plan to remain in power, Maduro blocked the access to obtain dollars and accused businessmen of being behind the economic crisis, this situation deepens hyperinflation. According to International Monetary Fund projections, a million percent inflation is expected to the ends of The dollars deficit is reflected in the lack of basic food supplies. In Venezuela, people lost till 10 hours a day standing in line to buy food products. HUMANITARIAN CRISIS The impact of this political crisis has corroded the essential core of society, children and the elderly. They are dying in hospitals, in the streets abandoned by the government. Between 2014 and 2017, poverty has increased exponentially. Homes living in poverty conditions have increased from 48, 4% to 91, 3% in this period of time. Venezuela has 65, 8% of population living in extreme poverty. From 2016 to 2017, extreme poverty augmented a 14, 3% total.

6 An investigation report from economist Ricardo Haussmann established that a 74% of Venezuelans lost 19, 84 pounds by the lack of food and newborn death rate increased. Life quality standards also collapsed. The minimum wage- that in Venezuela is the average income due to the high number of people receiving it- dropped 255% (at constant prices) between May 2012 and July Seen in dollars (black market standard), Wage depleted 3000%, went from US$295 to just US$2 a month. Measured in terms of the cheapest calorie, the minimum wage dropped daily calories to just during the same period, not enough to feed a family of five, implying that all income is being invested to buy that calorie. Political refugees 2, 3 millions of Venezuelans have ran away from the country as consequence of the political crisis lived and that has derived in an economic crisis, this according to UN statistics. Venezuelans are leaving their country to save their lives, in normal conditions they would not have the urgency for migrate. To preserve the power and keep plundering the State coffers, Maduro s corrupt regime destroys democracy. Public protests are repressed with the use of fire guns and opponents of the regime are imprisoned without a court order violating the rule of law. The most recent case was of the Congressman Juan Requesens who, after giving his speech exposing the persistent human right violation by Maduro, was kidnapped and imprisoned violating his parliamentary immunity. If this happened to a Congressman what can a citizen expect? Maduro s regime has converted Venezuelan society in a state monitored by a corrupted police that kidnaps and murder dissidents. This is the reality from a country that do not has a voice and that is awaiting for global solidarity to rescue its democracy. The Venezuelan Federation of Political Scientists through his web platform FreedomVenezuela.com makes a call to international organisms and to all countries in the world to discuss the current Venezuelan situation aimed at finding a solution to the serious conundrum in Venezuela. Please visit our web site and participate, freedomvenezuela.com Please request the video Verdad de la Crisis en Venezuela (The Truth about Venezuelan Crisis) and share it in Colleges, communities, governments and international actors.