September 23, 2024
Maduro Warns Against Accepting Electronics Gifts
Following up the Israeli operation against Hezbollah leaders through blowing up rigged electronic devices like pages, Nicolas Maduro, the embattled President of Venezuela, is warning members of his government to avoid accepting any electronics gifts. He stated in a Presidential speech on national tv, “Do not accept electronic gifts… be careful with telephones, cellphones, be careful everyone.”
Maduro issues Christmas gift warning — RT World News– www.rt.com
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Excerpt:
The Venezuelan leader has pointed to recent pager blasts in Lebanon, while urging caution for the upcoming festive period
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has warned members of his government against accepting electronic devices as Christmas presents.
Maduro’s comments at a meeting on Venezuelan culture in Caracas on Friday followed a series of deadly explosions involving communications equipment in Lebanon last week.
”Do not accept electronic gifts… be careful with telephones, cellphones, be careful everyone,” the president said during a speech broadcast on national television.
EU’s recognition of González as winner in Venezuela vote historic, opposition leader tells Euronews– www.euronews.com
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The European Parliament’s decision showed Europe is with us, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said in an exclusive interview…
On Thursday, the European Parliament voted in favour of a non-binding resolution stating that González, not Maduro, is the legitimate winner of the presidential election.
The partnerships with Russia, Cuba and Iran, as well as oil, gold and drug trafficking and human rights violations, have put Venezuela among countries antagonist to the interests of the West.
In an exclusive interview, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, Maria Corina Machado, told Euronews why Venezuela is crucial for European interests and why the decision in Brussels matters so much to her and her compatriots.
September 18, 2024
Venezuela’s government says 4th US citizen detained in alleged plot to kill president – POLITICO
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Excerpt:
Venezuela’s government Tuesday announced the arrest of a fourth U.S. citizen in connection with an alleged plot to kill President Nicolás Maduro in which authorities claim the CIA, Spain’s intelligence agency, organized crime groups, sex workers and members of the opposition are involved.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello revealed the arrest and details of the plot during a speech before the National Assembly, whose members applauded the detention. Cabello did not identify the most recently detained American.
The alleged plan joins dozens of other anti-Maduro plans that his government earlier this year claimed to have foiled.
“Those who try to mess with Venezuela, we will screw them, regardless of their name,” Cabello said.
He spoke hours after an independent panel of experts backed by the United Nations’ Human Rights Council issued a scathing report against Maduro’s government, accusing it of deploying the “harshest and most violent mechanisms of its repressive apparatus” in the wake of the disputed July presidential election.
Venezuela intensified ‘repressive machinery’ after Maduro re-election: UN | Nicolas Maduro News– www.aljazeera.com
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Excerpt:
Venezuela’s government has unleashed an unprecedented wave of repression following the contested re-election of Nicolas Maduro in July’s presidential election, a United Nations fact-finding mission has reported.
Maduro’s victory in the disputed vote saw authorities crack down on the opposition and protesters, the mission said in its report released on Tuesday. The response of the authorities has thrown the country into one of its most “acute human rights crises in recent history” the report by the UN Human Rights Council (OHCHR) warned.
Amid weeks of unrest on Venezuela’s streets, 25 protesters were killed and at least 2,400 arrested, the report said.
“We are witnessing an intensification of the state’s repressive machinery in response to what it perceives as critical views, opposition or dissent,” said Marta Valinas, chair of the fact-finding mission.
Twenty-four out of the 25 deaths were caused by gunshot wounds, mostly to the neck, the mission reported. Many of those arrested, including more than 100 children, “were accused of terrorism and incitement to hatred”, it noted.
“These arrests involved and were followed by serious violations of due process, reaching unprecedented levels in the country,” the report read.
Venezuelan leaders accuse the CIA of trying to overthrow the government – wbhm.org
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Excerpt:
Top Venezuelan officials are accusing the United States of plotting to overthrow the government and assassinate President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuelan authorities arrested six people, including three Americans in the alleged plot.
U.S. State Department officials call the accusation “categorically false.”
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Excerpt from Reuters Canada
Venezuela says US Navy SEAL among foreigners arrested over alleged CIA ‘operation’ to assassinate Maduro – CNN
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Venezuela says it has arrested six foreigners, including a US Navy SEAL, for an alleged plot to “destabilize” the country that has been in crisis since disputed elections earlier this year.
Interior minister Diosdado Cabello claimed that the alleged plot was led by the CIA, and aimed at assassinating the country’s leader Nicolás Maduro. The US State Department rejected the claim as “categorically false.”
The accusation comes as Venezuela’s opposition, multiple Latin American leaders and the United States refuse to recognize Maduro’s disputed election win, which has been followed by deadly protests during which thousands were arrested.
In a news conference on Saturday, Cabello identified the purported Navy SEAL as William Joseph Castañeda Gómez, and claimed he was the leader of the operation. The minister also named two other detained Americans: David Estrella and Aaron Barrett Logan.
The minister said that in addition to the Americans, two Spanish citizens – José María Basoa Valdovinos and Andrés Martínez Adasme – and one Czech citizen, Jan Darmovzal, were arrested. Venezuelan authorities have also seized 400 US rifles linked to the alleged plot, he said.
“The CIA is at the forefront of this operation,” Cabello said in the news conference, claiming that Spain’s National Intelligence Center was also involved. “That does not surprise us at all,” he said.
He alleged that the operation had “very clear objectives of assassinating President Nicolás Maduro” and other high-ranking Venezuelan politicians including himself and the vice president.
The State Department denied the claims. A spokesperson confirmed on Saturday a member of the US military had been arrested in Venezuela, and that the department was “aware of unconfirmed reports of two additional US citizens detained” in the country.
“Any claims of US involvement in a plot to overthrow Maduro are categorically false,” the spokesperson added. “The United States continues to support a democratic solution to the political crisis in Venezuela.”
The department is seeking additional information, the spokesperson said.
A Spanish foreign ministry source told Reuters it was asking Venezuela for more information.
“The Spanish embassy has sent a verbal note to the Venezuelan government asking for access to the detained citizens in order to verify their identities and their nationality and in order to know what they are accused of exactly,” the source told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Venezuela is still grappling with the fallout from its presidential election in July, which saw Maduro claim a third term despite global skepticism about the result and outcry from the country’s opposition movement.
The coalition backing opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez insists the vote was stolen, publishing online vote tally sheets which experts say indicate Maduro actually lost the presidency by a significant margin.
The US has acknowledged Gonzalez as the candidate who received the most votes in that election, but has not formally recognized him as president-elect of Venezuela.
Last week, Gonzalez flew to Spain, fleeing Venezuela after an arrest warrant was issued accusing him of terrorism, conspiracy and other crimes.
On Thursday, the US imposed sanctions on Venezuelan officials aligned with Maduro for allegedly obstructing the election.
The US also announced that a Venezuelan plane used by Maduro for international travel was seized in the Dominican Republic; a second plane linked to Maduro is under 24-hour surveillance by authorities in the Dominican Republic, a source with knowledge of the matter told CNN.
Meanwhile inside the country, Maduro’s government has cracked down on dissent – the harshest crackdown in years, according to Human Rights Watch. Protests have been fiercely repressed, some 2,400 people have been arrested, and many others are now fleeing the country.
Venezuela opposition leader Machado wants US to do ‘much more’ on election dispute
Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Thursday she wants the United States to do “much more” to press President Nicolas Maduro amid an ongoing dispute over July’s presidential election.Democracies around the world have criticized the Venezuelan government’s handling of the July 28 vote, which election officials and its top court say was won by Maduro, who has been in power since 2013. Authorities have not released full tallies, blaming a cyber attack.
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Excerpt fromAsharq Al-awsat
Venezuela Issues Arrest Warrant for Opposition Leader Gonzalez, AG Says
Venezuela’s attorney general’s office said on Monday a court has issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez, accusing him of incitement and other crimes amid a dispute over whether he or President Nicolas Maduro won a July election.
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Excerpt from Digital Journal
Venezuela opposition wants candidate recognized as president-elect
Venezuela’s opposition chief Maria Corina Machado on Thursday called on the world to recognize candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as president-elect after a disputed election in the oil-rich nation.
President Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in the July 28 vote but many in the international community have refused to recognize that result.
However, they have also stopped short of accepting Gonzalez Urrutia as the president-elect, instead calling for Caracas to publish detailed polling results.
“The world knows Edmundo Gonzalez is the president-elect and Maduro was defeated by a landslide,” Machado said during a virtual appearance.
Canada still hasn’t recognized the likely winner of Venezuela’s election — Venezuelans want to know why – cbc.ca
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Some Venezuelan-Canadians say the Trudeau government has failed to stand up for democracy in its response to the July 28 Venezuelan presidential election — an election tainted by widespread evidence of fraud and a government campaign of arrests, disappearances and torture of poll workers.
Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia ruled out seeking asylum abroad yesterday after a judge loyal to the Nicolas Maduro regime issued a warrant for his arrest on Monday.
Global Affairs Canada condemned the arrest warrant in a media statement. Gonzalez was still in hiding when this article was published.
According to digitized returns, Gonzalez’s unified opposition won the great majority of votes in the election. But his victory has been rejected by the Maduro regime, which claims to have received 51 per cent of the vote. It is backed by Venezuela’s courts and its National Election Commission, both packed with hand-picked Maduro loyalists.
While Gonzalez and his partner, opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, have refused international protection, they have asked for international recognition.
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Excerpt from Al Jazeera English
International leaders condemn arrest order for Venezuelan opposition leader
Foreign leaders, including in the United States and Brazil, have reacted with alarm and warnings after Venezuela issued an arrest warrant for opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia this week.
On Tuesday, Canada joined in the outcry, as the government of President Nicolas Maduro continues to crack down on opposition members after a contested presidential election…
Maduro’s government declared him the winner of the July 28 presidential election, with nearly 52 percent of the vote. But unlike in past elections, it did not release vote tallies to back up that claim.
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Excerpt from Financial Times
US seizes aircraft used by Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro
Washington has seized a private aircraft used by Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, citing alleged violations of US export controls and sanctions laws. The Department of Justice on Monday said the Dassault Falcon 900EX plane had been seized in the Dominican Republic and transferred to southern Florida.
“This morning, the justice department seized an aircraft we allege was illegally purchased for $13mn through a shell company and smuggled out of the US for use by Nicolás Maduro and his cronies,” said US attorney-general Merrick Garland.
The DoJ’s move comes as Maduro, a revolutionary socialist in power since 2013, has been cracking down on the opposition following allegations his government rigged the count to steal victory in July’s presidential election in the Latin American country.
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Excerpt from Canadian Free Press
Venezuela’s opposition faces setback after countries suggest repeat of presidential election
Venezuela’s opposition was dealt a blow Thursday when countries that had been pressuring President Nicolás Maduro to release vote tallies backing his claim to victory in last month’s presidential election began suggesting a repeat of the contest instead.
The proposal from the leftist governments of Brazil and Colombia, both Maduro allies, came less than three weeks after the results of the highly anticipated election came into question when the main opposition coalition revealed it has proof that its candidate defeated the president by a more than 2-to-1 margin.
The opposition categorically rejected any plan to redo the election.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, during a virtual news conference with Argentine media, said that repeating the July 28 presidential election would be “an insult” to the people, and she asked if a second election were held and Maduro still didn’t accept the results, “do we go for a third one?”
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Excerpt from Reuters
Venezuela AG received affidavit from opposition leader, lawyer says
The lawyer for Venezuela opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez said on Wednesday the attorney general’s office received his affidavit explaining why Gonzalez ignored three summons, amid an ongoing election dispute.The summons came before an arrest warrant was issued for Gonzalez, the opposition’s erstwhile presidential candidate, on Monday on accusations of usurpation of functions, falsification of public documents and conspiracy, among other charges.
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Excerpt from Catholic News Agency
Venezuelan dictator decrees Oct. 1 to be start of Christmas season: Church responds
“This year, in homage and gratitude to you, I am going to decree that the Christmas season [begins] on Oct. 1,” declared Nicolás Maduro, leader of the ruling socialist regime in Venezuela, Sept. 2 on national television.
“For everyone, Christmas has arrived with peace, happiness, and security,” Maduro added. According to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, this is not the first time the socialist regime has done this, as in 2019, 2020, and 2021 it also decreed the “advance” of the Christmas season.
Maduro’s announcement came just hours after the Venezuelan justice system issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo González Urrutia, who won the July 28 presidential elections by a wide margin, according to vote tallies published by the opposition. However, the National Electoral Council, controlled by the governing socialist party, declared Maduro the winner.
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Excerpt from Big News Network
Major power outage hits Venezuela; Maduro government blames ‘sabotage’
A major power outage plunged much of Venezuela into darkness on Friday, affecting the capital, Caracas, and several other states. The blackout, which began around 4:50 a.m., was blamed on “electrical sabotage” by the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
In a statement shared via Telegram, Communications Minister Freddy Nanez attributed the outage to what he described as a “desperate” effort by Maduro’s opponents to remove him from power. Nanez claimed that all 24 states in Venezuela were at least partially affected by the power disruption. “The entire national government has been activated to overcome this new aggression,” he declared.
By evening, power had been restored to many parts of Caracas after a day marked by intermittent outages. President Maduro, appearing on state television, expressed gratitude to Venezuelans for their patience during a chaotic day that saw businesses close, hospitals switch to backup generators, and Caracas’ subway system shut down, leaving thousands stranded.
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Excerpt from CNN
US service member detained in Venezuela, officials say
A US service member has been detained in Venezuela, according to four US officials familiar with the matter.
The service member, a US Navy sailor, is a US citizen and was detained on August 30 in Caracas, according to the officials. One of the officials said he is being held by the Venezuelan intelligence agency SEBIN.
A defense official told CNN, “we are aware of reports that a US Navy Sailor was detained on or about August 30, 2024, by Venezuelan law enforcement authorities while on personal travel to Venezuela. The US Navy is looking into this and working closely with the State Department. We refer you to the State Department for additional questions.”
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Excerpt fromThe Hub at Johns Hopkins
Venezuela election fallout will worsen refugee crisis, Hopkins expert says
Venezuela has been ruled by dictators for nearly a quarter century, first under Hugo Chavez, and now under his protege, Nicolas Maduro. Their regimes have suppressed free speech, throttled the economy, committed untold human rights violations, and, in typical dictator fashion, ignored election results to remain in power. Maduro recently ran for reelection against Edmundo González, a stand-in for opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who was arbitrarily banned from running by the government. Exit polls indicate that the incredibly popular Gonzalez beat Maduro by 30 points, yet on July 28, Maduro declared himself the winner. In more than a month since, his government has provided no proof of victory but has cracked down on dissent, arresting around 2,000 protestors.
The SNF Agora‘s Dissident in Residence, David Smolansky, has firsthand experience with Maduro’s oppressive governance. Before seeking refuge in the United States, the native Venezuelan was elected mayor of El Hatillo, one of the five municipalities in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, in 2013. During his mayoral tenure, he reduced kidnappings in his district by 84%, gained recognition for establishing one of the most transparent local governments in Venezuela, and used his platform to condemn the Maduro administration.
Venezuela’s opposition leader calls for global movement to ‘rescue’ country – The Guardian
Protest against the election results announced by President Nicolas Maduro’s government, in Caracas – Colorado Springs Gazette
Argentina joins condemnation of arrest warrant for Venezuela opposition candidate – Buenos Aires Times
Venezuela: UN rights office describes pervasive ‘climate of fear’ – UN News
The Take: Venezuela unrest – Can Nicolas Maduro hold on to power? – Al Jazeera English
Major power outage hits Venezuela; Maduro government blames ‘sabotage’ = Big News Network
Blinken’s Inept Policies Make a Bad Situation in Venezuela Worse – The American Conservative
Venezuela revokes Brazil’s custody of diplomatic mission housing six Maduro opponents – SFGATE
