What Happened Last Week in Venezuela? ⚖️ The TSJ Has a New President
A union leader was detained in Barinas, the minimum income was raised and the TSJ has a new president.
The war against civil society
Security forces detained Víctor Venegas, a member of Vente and president of the Barinas chapter of the National Federation of Unions and Colleges of Education Workers of Venezuela (Fenatev). Barinas teachers had organized protests for better working conditions and wages. Union members were attacked at the Fenatev-Barinas headquarters. The arrest sparked another round of protests.
A few days later, Maduro announced the “civic-military-police plan” Bolivarian Fury in “every corner of Venezuela” to “confront any action that threatens the peace of the Republic” and “conspiracies.” Bolivarian Fury and the arrest of Venegas seem to be part of a new escalation against organized civil society after the success of the primary and before the presidential elections. For example, the Communist Party of Venezuela – today at odds with its former Chavista allies – denounced that the government intends to expel its only lawmaker in the National Assembly.
At the same time, María Corina Machado's team presented the 600K electoral operation team, which will bring together 600,000 volunteers to defend electoral integrity during the presidential elections. The announcement was made next to representatives of Primero Justicia, Un Nuevo Tiempo, Voluntad Popular, Convergencia, Encuentro Ciudadano and pre-candidates such as Pérez Vivas and Caleca. 20 parties (in addition to organizations, associations, and activists from other sectors) are part of the network, explained Henry Alviarez de Vente.
The TSJ has a new president
Caryslia Rodríguez was appointed as the new president of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice. Previously she headed the Electoral Chamber that issued a ruling against the effects of the opposition primaries. Rodríguez has a history of militancy in the PSUV and public support for the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro.
Meanwhile, the Political-Administrative Chamber of the TSJ decided to begin an inventory of the judicial cases pending there – generating further delay in the case of Machado's ban from running for office.
In other latitudes, the Delaware Court decided to open a brief incident to decide on the request of several PDVSA creditors to extend the terms of Citgo 's public auction. But Citgo is not lost yet: OFAC deferred for three more months, until April 16 , the license that prevents holders of PDVSA 2020 bonds from taking control over 50.1% of the shares of Citgo Holding.
New minimum income
The Maduro government increased "the economic war bonus" for public employees, from $40 to $60, starting February 1. The cesta ticket remains at $40 and won’t be increased. The minimum wage (around $4), for the second year in a row, remains without an increase. Maduro also appointed Alex Saab, recently released, as president of the Productive Investment Center previously led by Félix Plasencia.
Year of record heat in Venezuela
Venezuela had a "record heat" in 2023 according to the NGO Berkeley Earth it had an average of 1.3 °C degrees higher compared to the period 1951-1980. 2023 was the world's hottest year since records exist according to NASA, NOAA and Copernicus.
Country without doctors
The president of the Venezuelan Medical Federation said that at least 42,000 doctors have emigrated from Venezuela: "It is possible that many more have left; but the quantified figure is that, forty-two thousand doctors who have gone abroad." He added that there are still about 80,000 doctors in the country.