What's happening in Venezuela?
After the assassination of former police officer Oscar Pérez and his rebel group, the Venezuelan political climate has warmed up even more than it was already. Far from calming the waters, the international condemnation towards the regime of Nicolás Maduro has increased.
The European Union, which to date had maintained a hesitant position regarding the application of sanctions to Venezuela, revealed this week the first group of Venezuelan State officials subject to individual sanctions enacted by the aforementioned political community on the other side of the Atlantic.
The response of the Venezuelan government did not wait, and Maduro’s administration proceeded to expel from the Venezuelan territory the ambassador of Spain in Venezuela, Jesus Silva Fernandez. To make matters worse, the Venezuelan government also announced the holding of "presidential elections" no later than April.
Fortunately, the Western Hemisphere, with the United States, Europe and some Latin American countries at the head, have immediately condemned the realization of these elections and their results.
Within Venezuela, the "electoral" announcement should not take us by surprise, even though presidential elections are traditionally held in the last quarter of the year. What is worrisome is the division that has the opposition between its factors prone to participate in the election (even being condemned by the international community) and those that put the rule of law and minimum conditions first to an eventual popular participation.
Meanwhile, the collapse of the country continues its course and the local consulting firm Ecoanalitica, taking as its source the data of professor Steve Hanke and Nicholas Krus, locates the hyperinflationary process of Venezuela as number 42 of all times, with 2 months of duration, and 84.6% of monthly inflation at its highest point so far.
In the midst of this context, CEDICE has resumed its outreach and activism activities. This week, the director of the Observatory of Property Rights, Isabel Pereira, attended the national parliament to the committees of citizen participation. Our researcher, Andrea Rondón García, dictated a conference related to January 23, 1958, historical date for Venezuelan democracy. Finally, our researcher Andrés F. Guevara B., together with our journalist David Ludovic attended the bookstore “Lugar Común” to give a talk about how migration should be seen through freedom.
The European Union, which to date had maintained a hesitant position regarding the application of sanctions to Venezuela, revealed this week the first group of Venezuelan State officials subject to individual sanctions enacted by the aforementioned political community on the other side of the Atlantic.
The response of the Venezuelan government did not wait, and Maduro’s administration proceeded to expel from the Venezuelan territory the ambassador of Spain in Venezuela, Jesus Silva Fernandez. To make matters worse, the Venezuelan government also announced the holding of "presidential elections" no later than April.
Fortunately, the Western Hemisphere, with the United States, Europe and some Latin American countries at the head, have immediately condemned the realization of these elections and their results.
Within Venezuela, the "electoral" announcement should not take us by surprise, even though presidential elections are traditionally held in the last quarter of the year. What is worrisome is the division that has the opposition between its factors prone to participate in the election (even being condemned by the international community) and those that put the rule of law and minimum conditions first to an eventual popular participation.
Meanwhile, the collapse of the country continues its course and the local consulting firm Ecoanalitica, taking as its source the data of professor Steve Hanke and Nicholas Krus, locates the hyperinflationary process of Venezuela as number 42 of all times, with 2 months of duration, and 84.6% of monthly inflation at its highest point so far.
In the midst of this context, CEDICE has resumed its outreach and activism activities. This week, the director of the Observatory of Property Rights, Isabel Pereira, attended the national parliament to the committees of citizen participation. Our researcher, Andrea Rondón García, dictated a conference related to January 23, 1958, historical date for Venezuelan democracy. Finally, our researcher Andrés F. Guevara B., together with our journalist David Ludovic attended the bookstore “Lugar Común” to give a talk about how migration should be seen through freedom.
Click here to view the full report
