For a long time we have been commenting and warning about the increasing accumulation of frustrations among citizens and the organic growth of protests. Ramón Muchacho’s comments are very appropriate: “The protests have not stopped expanding throughout the country, and especially in small cities, protests due to lack of water, fuel, power and a long etcetera. They are spontaneous protests and with high doses of “frustration”, evidenced in images of official vehicles turned over by popular anger. It is not citizens timidly waiting for others to come to liberate it – as some fools say – no. It is a nation that is struggling, suffering and dying; and that needs decisive and forceful help from the world to free itself.”.

 

A recent starting point was represented by the oil trade unionists when in mid-July 2020 they decided that it was time to protest with the slogan “Between pandemic and demonstration there is no contradiction.” In these organized protests, the regime’s departure is already being required. The world of text messages , “WhatsApp” and, the oil workers are acting in a coordinated manner throughout the whole country.

 

Spontaneous protests also use mobile messages as a means of communication. The Arab Spring proved that with the use of this technology, available to practically everyone, unorganized protest can grow in moments, in unthinkable volumes and in multiple locations simultaneously. The regime has already begun to deploy all of its lethal force and to apply it against an unarmed, defenseless, and starving citizenship. What will happen when the volume of protesters is not manageable by the government authorities? The time will come when the uniformed men will have to choose between retreating or joining in.  And it should not be too far ahead. The decisive moment has not yet arrived, even though failures in public services are the main causes of the protest, it is the lack of gasoline that is the most incendiary. The regime will have a temporary respite with the arrival of limited amounts of Iranian fuel.

 

Services

On the subject of public services, the lack of gas throughout the country is increasingly noted, which joins water as a factor of enormous discomfort. Here we must add that the shortage of each service, including fuel, is used by those who distribute and control it to increase their personal share and raise prices. This doubles the frustration for all citizens. Power failures that have been endemic in the interior of the country are beginning to spread to the protected capital city. It is known from previous experience that limitations with electricity also directly impact all other services. Since everything is a black box, some experts are now wondering if luck is running out with electrical power? At that point it will get very ugly!

 

International

Spain is leading the European Union in a campaign to force a regime-opposition agreement. ABC wrote “The High Representative for Foreign Policy of the European Union, Josep Borrell, insists on whitewashing the Maduro dictatorship. Late yesterday afternoon, and after meeting with Pedro Sánchez, the President of the Spanish Government, in Brussels, Josep Borrell dispatched a mission to Caracas to negotiate with Nicolás Maduro and convince him to postpone for six months the December legislative elections.”  Borrell sent a delegation to look for an agreement with Maduro on the elections despite the damning UN report on Human Rights and without informing EC President Von der Leyen of his mission to Venezuela. To top it all, Spain fired its ambassador in Venezuela and will replace him with its emissary in Cuba.

 

The effect of the United Nations Human Rights report continues to be felt and there was also an oral update on the situation of human rights in Venezuela. The effect has been so strong that the regime is trying to counter it with its own report.  Iran has publicly recognized that they send fuel to the Maduro regime in exchange for gold bars. In addition to uniting the two countries sanctioned on military matters, it is a sign of Iran’s internal weakness that they need to clarify the fact that they charged for the gasoline.

 

In the United States President Trump announces that “many things are happening that I cannot tell you” and increasing the pressure, the US government began a search for three former Venezuelan intelligence leaders linked to international drug trafficking. It is also a fact according to Reuters that is associated with the sanctions , that Repsol, Eni, and others, scheduled the last purchases from PDVSA, after the deadline imposed by the US.

 

Opposition

Decisions associated with parliamentary elections keep the opposition divided. However, President (e) Juan Guaidó asked the United Nations for “decisive actions” associated with the activation of the R2P doctrine to save Venezuela. In some way, this brings his position closer to María Corina Machado’s, even when there is no agreement on the local and international pressure strategy. He also had a meeting with the Borrell emissaries. With regard to Borrell’s efforts, renowned Latin American personalities and the Venezuelan opposition sent a harsh letter to the Council of the European Union stating that “It is unacceptable to beg for ‘minimal conditions’ from a proven criminal regime, whose leaders are internationally accused of crimes against humanity and for being part of a structured transnational criminal organization. “