Parallel to the unusual international activity associated with Venezuela internal protests are multiplying. The critical fuel shortages have now been added to those associated with basic services. The fact is very relevant as protests are beginning to appear, mainly union protests, where claims are no longer being vindicated but instead migrate to the political aspect: they request Maduro’s departure. By the way, these facts are not led by political parties. Internationally, the United States together with Brazil and Colombia are redoubling their efforts to weaken the Venezuelan regime.

 

The gloomy international week of the regime

In a few days, the pressure on the Venezuelan regime increased exponentially, and the immediate effect was that the parliamentary elections of 12/6 cannot be carried out with impunity and if they are held, they will not be recognized by the international community at large:

1. The UN report exposed the Human Rights crimes committed by the Maduro regime. It is a report of transcendental importance since it identifies Nicolas Maduro, Nestor Reverol and Vladimir Padrino by name and surname, in addition to documenting 223 cases of torture and mistreatment of more than 2,000 people who have been victims of inhuman treatment, which end up constituting crimes against humanity .

2. The UN report will be discussed in the Human Rights Council this week, and this should also be an input for the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

3. The Trump administration report on drug trafficking which includes Venezuela in the list of countries used by drug trafficking mafias to move or produce drugs.

4. The statement from the General Secretariat of the OAS, expressing its support for the Report of the UN Human Rights Council on Venezuela.

5. The German parliament stating that a strong response from the European Union and its allies is necessary.

6. The Contact Group, traditionally soft with Maduro, was forced to declare that, for elections to be held in Venezuela to have their support, “all obstacles to political participation must be eliminated … including respect for the constitutional mandate of the National Assembly ”.

7. Mike Pompeo, made a tour of Guyana, Brazil and Colombia, to coordinate joint actions in favor of neutralizing the threat that Maduro poses to the region.

8. The newspaper ABC concludes that “Maduro can be prosecuted by third countries such as Pinochet for crimes against humanity.”

 

Survey

According to a survey by Meganalisis, conducted from September 9 to 14, 2020, 79% of Venezuelans want Maduro to leave this year. When these respondents are asked how they think Maduro should leave, 59% respond “requesting foreign intervention” and only 13% say that they should participate in parliamentary elections. 22.4% of those surveyed reward Maria Corina Machado and 6.1% support Guaidó. It seems that the best path towards unity is to combine the two groups, where Guaidó has legitimacy and MCM responds to the majority’s expectations of the population. Of course it would have to be with a unique strategy of local and international pressure.

 

Opposition

Sectors that identify with the opposition and that call for participation in the 6D Electoral event, have taken on the task of minimizing and silencing the scope of the report of the UN Fact-Finding Mission, which indicates that the regime commits crimes against humanity . These are the “leaders” who will come to the AN to “control”, to demand “accountability” and to “deal with” the problems of the people “. That external commission ended up confirming that the regime is an international criminal organization and not the opposite. They generate an enormous degree of confusion, and seem rather to produce signs of abduction and to be textbook example of the Stockholm Syndrome.

 

Regime

Pedro Pablo Peñaloza, generally very well informed about the interior of the regime, reports that “The report has generated contradictions within international and national Chavismo. For example, the statement of the Chilean communist Camila Vallejo. Furthermore, it comes at a time when the PSUV leadership is intensifying the harassment and persecution against its own allies. ” On the political level, the PCV asks to dissolve the FAES after denouncing a raid on one of its candidates.

 

Violent internal disagreements also appear, when we see that there is a struggle behind the confrontation between “dissidents” Farc and Maduro forces. Although the conflict between the GNB and the FARC “dissidents” may seem a surprise, the fact is that the dissidents are not integrated under a single command, and several fronts are in conflict with each other. The regime supports the Second Marquetalia, under the command of Iván Márquez and Jesús Santrich. Likewise, reports appeared that indicate that in Petare a couple of groups, with their bodyguards, entered the Jose Félix Ribas neighborhood, the underworld assaulted them, took away their weapons and kidnapped several groups, forcing police action.