La muerte por facismo! Maduro vete ya!

[basquebromance]

Maduro es un hijo de Chavez! MADURO VETE YA!

 

[basquebromance]

let me translate for all you tiny brains:

death to fascism. maduro go away. maduro hearts chavez.

 

[basquebromance]

 

[waltky]

Venezuelans skipping meals to cope with food shortage...

Venezuela election board sinks push for Maduro referendum in 2016
Thursday 22nd September, 2016: Venezuela's national election board on Wednesday dashed opposition hopes of holding a referendum this year to remove unpopular socialist President Nicolas Maduro.

If the opposition next month successfully collects 20 percent of total voter signatures requesting the plebiscite, then it "could take place halfway through the first quarter of 2017," the board said in a statement. The timing is crucial because if Maduro were to lose a referendum this year, as polls indicate he would because of an economic crisis, that would trigger a new presidential vote, giving the opposition a chance to end 17 years of socialism.

But should he lose a referendum next year, Maduro, 53, would be replaced by his vice president, maintaining the Socialist Party in power until the OPEC nation's next presidential election scheduled for the end of 2018. "We reject the anti-constitutional elements of this announcement by the election board," said Jesus Torrealba, head of the opposition Democratic Unity coalition, which has been holding street rallies for months demanding a vote this year. Conditions around the next phase toward a referendum, the collection of 20 percent of voter signatures or about 3.9 million in total from Oct. 26 to 28, also appeared designed to stymie the opposition.

Opposition members had wanted the 20 percent threshold to be at the national level and 19,500 vote machines to be placed around the country to maximize Maduro foes' ability to register signatures. But the board approved only 5,392 machines and said the threshold had to be met in each state. Opposition leaders, who say the years of socialism under Hugo Chavez and then Maduro have wrecked Venezuela's economy and stamped on basic rights, accuse the election board of being in the government's pocket. They contrast Venezuela's laborious referendum process with the speed with which neighbouring Colombia is organising a referendum on a peace deal with guerrillas.

But government officials say the opposition coalition, of about 30 diverse groups, wasted time at the beginning of 2016 reaching consensus on seeking to activate the referendum. They also accuse them of fraud in an initial signature collection drive of 1 percent of voters. "There will be no referendum in 2016, it's not under discussion. They are cheats," the Socialist Party's No. 2, Diosdado Cabello, said on state TV. After narrowly winning election in 2013, Maduro has seen his popularity plummet amid an economic crisis. Venezuela's 30 million people are suffering shortages, huge shopping lines, triple-digit inflation and a third year of recession. Many people are skipping meals.

Venezuela election board sinks push for Maduro referendum in 2016

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - da fix is in...

Venezuela's high court deals blow to bid to unseat Maduro
Oct 17,`16 -- Venezuela's government-stacked courts have dealt another blow to the opposition's attempts to unseat President Nicolas Maduro.

In a decision Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that opponents must collect signatures from 20 percent of registered voters in each of Venezuela's 24 states in order to force a recall referendum. The opposition had argued it needed to garner only 20 percent nationally to trigger the vote.

The ruling will make it harder for opponents to mobilize support, especially in rural states dominated by the government, when it attempts next week to collect and electronically verify 4 million signatures over three days allotted for the petition drive.

Polls show Venezuelans overwhelmingly want to cut short Maduro's term. But the embattled socialist still has control over key institutions including courts and the electoral council.

News from The Associated Press

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - the system is rigged...

Venezuela suspends recall campaign against President Maduro
Oct 20,`16 -- Venezuela's electoral authority suspended a recall drive against President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday less than a week before it was set to start, throwing the opposition's key campaign to oust the socialist leader into disarray.

Officials cited alleged fraud in a preliminary signature-gathering effort as justification for blocking the opposition from proceeding to the next stage of its push to hold a referendum on Maduro's removal. His critics blame the late President Hugo Chavez's heir for Venezuela's economic collapse, bare store shelves and the jailing of opposition leaders. The opposition immediately blasted the decision as unconstitutional. "We alert the diplomatic corps in our country that the government today is pushing toward a very dangerous scenario," former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles said on Twitter. The official announcement came as a shock to many Venezuelans, who were gearing up for the chance to sign petitions next week seeking the embattled leader's removal. To trigger a stay-or-go referendum, the opposition needed to collect and validate some 4 million signatures from 20 percent of the electorate in 24 states over three days next week.

Critics of Venezuela's 17-year left-wing administration have made the recall their central political issue after being sidelined in Congress and in virtually all other public institutions. But the campaign had already become mostly symbolic after elections officials in September said no vote would take place this year. That timing is crucial. A successful vote to oust Maduro this year would have triggered a presidential election and given the opposition a good shot at winning power. If Maduro is voted out in 2017, though, his vice president will finish the presidential term, leaving the socialists in charge. The electoral council's decision Thursday was in response to rulings earlier in the day by courts in four Venezuelan states that found there was fraud in the initial stage of the petition drive. During that stage the opposition had collected signatures from 1 percent of electorate.

But in standing by those low-court rulings it appeared to be ignoring its own decision in August validating the signatures and allowing the process to move forward. It gave no indication if and when the process would be resumed. "In adherence with the constitution, the National Electoral Council abides by the decisions ordered by the tribunals and has sent instructions to postpone the process of signature gathering until new judicial instructions are known," it said in a statement. Although the government-stacked electoral board had already thrown a number of obstacles in the way of Maduro's opponents, many had hoped that the next stage of the complex process would have drawn onto the streets millions of Venezuelans who polls show overwhelmingly favor firing Maduro, who they blame for triple-digit inflation and long food lines. The ruling comes on the heels of another decision by the electoral council this week to suspend by about six months gubernatorial elections that were slated for year-end which the opposition was heavily favored to win.

Polls say a majority of Venezuelans want Maduro gone. The opposition charges that in the face of overwhelming voter discontent, the socialist party has simply decided to put off elections indefinitely. The opposition staged its largest street demonstration in years on Sept. 1, with a rally in Caracas demanding a referendum against Maduro be held in 2016. But apart from that protest, most anti-government rallies this year have been relatively small and quick to disperse. On Thursday night, hard line leaders started calling for more massive street protests in the face of election authority's ruling. "This is the time for national unity," wrote former presidential candidate Maria Corina Machado on her Twitter account. "Every single person must take to the streets, with strength and without fear, to make the transition a reality."

News from The Associated Press

 

[waltky]

Hey - no fair!...

Lawmakers decry government ‘coup’ in Venezuela
Tue, Oct 25, 2016 - Venezuela’s opposition-majority legislature on Sunday declared that President Nicolas Maduro’s government had committed a coup d’etat by blocking a referendum on removing him from power, vowing mass protests and international pressure.

Furious over the electoral authorities’ decision to suspend the process of organizing a recall vote, opposition lawmakers passed a resolution declaring “the breakdown of constitutional order” and “a coup d’etat committed by the Nicolas Maduro regime.” The measure came during an emergency session on the economic and political crisis gripping the South American oil giant, which briefly descended into chaos when a group of Maduro supporters forced its way past security guards and burst into the National Assembly, causing lawmakers to halt the proceedings for 45 minutes. The legislators then called on Venezuelans to “actively defend” the constitution, declaring they would ask the international community to “activate mechanisms” to restore democracy. “An ongoing coup d’etat has been perpetrated in Venezuela, culminating in the decision to rob us of a recall referendum. We’re here to officially declare the regrettable and painful rupture of constitutional order,” said majority leader Julio Borges of the center-right opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable.

An opposition lawmaker struggles while pro-government supporters force their way into Venezuela’s National Assembly in Caracas during an extraordinary session held on Sunday.​

The assembly yesterday was to “lay the groundwork for a session that would include a legal and political trial of the president ... to determine what his role is in the interruption of constitutional order,” Borges said. Pro-Maduro lawmakers accused the opposition itself of seeking to stage a coup. “Don’t try to take advantage of these hard times to finish off our nation,” Deputy Earle Herrera said. Despite its harsh words, the legislature’s resolution is largely symbolic. The Venezuelan Supreme Court has declared the legislative majority in contempt of court for defying it by swearing in three lawmakers at the center of an electoral fraud investigation. The opposition, which says the accusations are trumped up, condemns the high court as a Maduro lapdog. The court has slapped down every bill passed by the legislature since the opposition took control in January.

Lawmakers nevertheless said they were going to address the issue of Maduro’s purported dual nationality — Colombian and Venezuelan — in session today. If confirmed, it would make him ineligible to be president. Ruling party bloc leader Hector Rodriguez said that Maduro sent a message from the Middle East: “Tell them that I send my greeting, send a hug and that I will see them at the table to have a dialogue.” Venezuela’s crisis hit a new low on Thursday when the National Electoral Council indefinitely suspended the recall referendum process after criminal courts in five states ruled the opposition had committed fraud in an initial petition drive. Holding a recall referendum was the opposition’s main strategy to get rid of the man they accuse of driving the once-booming country to the brink of collapse. The opposition had been gearing up for the last hurdle in the complex process: a three-day drive starting on Wednesday to collect signatures from 4 million voters demanding a recall vote. Opposition leaders now say they will launch a new wave of nationwide protests tomorrow.

Lawmakers decry government ‘coup’ in Venezuela - Taipei Times

See also:

Pope meets with embattled Maduro to discuss mounting Venezuela crisis
Oct. 24, 2016 - "The pope ... has the well-being of all Venezuelans in his heart," the Vatican said Monday.

Embattled Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro met with Pope Francis for the first time in three years Monday to discuss mounting troubles in the South American nation. Maduro, Venezuela's fiery leader since the death of Hugo Chavez in 2013, made an unannounced trip to the Vatican on Monday and was received by the pontiff, the Holy See said in a statement. The Vatican said Pope Francis agreed to meet with the 53-year-old leader because he feels for the Venezuelan people as they endure political, social and economic upheaval at home. "The meeting took place in the context of the worrying situation ... which the country is going through and which has had severe repercussions on the daily life of the entire population," the Vatican statement said. "The pope, who has the well-being of all Venezuelans in his heart, wanted to offer his contribution in support of constitutionality in the country and to every step that could help to resolve the open questions and create greater trust between the parties."

Francis is well-versed in South American crises, having served as Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio in his home country of Argentina between 2001 and his election as pope 12 years later. Maduro made the stop in Rome on his way back from the Middle East, where he lobbied for limits on crude oil distribution in a bid to increase prices and help Venezuela's faltering economy. It was Maduro's first papal visit since both were elected in early 2013. Over the weekend, opposition lawmakers in Caracas accused Maduro's regime of orchestrating a coup d'etat by postponing a recall effort, and of facilitating the "breakdown of constitutional order."

Maduro has been a controversial world leader, particularly toward the United States, which has only exacerbated Venezuela's ongoing troubles. Monday, the Vatican encouraged Maduro to improve his relations with opposing Venezuelan officials and other nations to find a solution to the crisis. "[Francis] urged [the parties] to show courage in pursuing the path of sincere and constructive dialogue, to alleviate the suffering of the people, particularly of the poor, and to promote renewed social cohesion, which will allow the nation to look to the future with hope," the Vatican said. Maduro has a long way to go to get his government back on track. A recent poll found that 75 percent of Venezuelans disapprove of the job he is doing.

Pope meets with embattled Maduro to discuss mounting Venezuela crisis

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - tar n' feather him, an' run him outta town onna rail...

Venezuela's congress opens political trial against Maduro
Oct 25,`16 -- Venezuela's opposition-controlled congress has opened a political trial against President Nicolas Maduro for breaking the constitutional order, deepening a standoff triggered by the authorities' suspension of a recall referendum against the embattled socialist leader.

The move, in a special legislative session Tuesday, had been expected ever since opposition leaders declared themselves in open rebellion and called for mass street demonstrations to force Maduro from office. But it's unlikely to have any legal effect as Maduro still controls other branches of government, including the Supreme Court, which has already declared the National Assembly illegitimate.

In Tuesday's vote, in which the opposition argued Maduro had stopped doing his job and effectively abandoned the presidency, several lawmakers also questioned whether he was a dual Colombian national and therefore constitutionally ineligible to hold Venezuela's highest office. It's an old, unproven claim widely seen as a stretch but one that analysts say is a natural reaction to the government's own trampling of the constitution in scrapping the recall that offered the best hope of peacefully resolving Venezuela's political and economic crisis. "If Maduro has dual nationality, he has no constitutional right to govern Venezuela," said Juan Miguel Matheus, an opposition lawmaker. "He'll go down as one of the biggest liars in history and the constitutional mechanisms to remove him from power and call new elections should be activated."

Unlike other countries in Latin America such as Brazil, where Dilma Rousseff was removed from the presidency in August, Venezuela's National Assembly can't impeach the president. That decision lies squarely with the government-stacked Supreme Court, which has never voted against Maduro and has invalidated all legislation emerging from National Assembly until it remove three lawmakers linked to vote-buying claims. Maduro, speaking at a rally Tuesday, accused opposition lawmakers of behaving as if in a "circus" and trying to carry out a "parliamentary coup." "Congress is useless for our people's interests," he told thousands of mostly state workers outside the presidential palace. "It has a single goal: to damage Venezuela."

He also lashed out at President Barack Obama. "Obama is going and before he leaves he wants to cause Venezuela damage," he said. "This is Obama swiping his tail before he leaves." Even as tempers flared, with Maduro's opponents gearing up for a mass demonstration Wednesday, promoters are calling the "Taking of Venezuela," the government and opposition have agreed to embark on an attempt at dialogue to defuse the crisis. The talks, being sponsored by the Vatican and other South American governments, are set to begin Oct. 30 in the Caribbean island of Margarita.

News from The Associated Press

 

[basquebromance]

 

[waltky]

Maduro gettin' ready to step down?...

Maduro gives vice president wide-ranging powers
Wed, Feb 01, 2017 - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has given his vice president wide-reaching decree powers, including the ability to determine ministries’ spending plans and expropriate private businesses, in a move that has fueled speculation over possible succession plans.

Venezuelan Vice President Tareck El Aissami, appointed by Maduro this month, is now authorized to issue economic orders that affect everything from taxes to foreign currency allotments for state-owned companies, according to the official gazette dated Thursday and distributed on Monday.

The new powers exceed those historically accorded the vice president’s office and rival those at times enjoyed by the president, Central University of Venezuela constitutional law professor Jose Vicente Haro said.

The last such decree issued in Venezuela was made when then-president Hugo Chavez removed himself from the public eye for treatment during the last round of his fight with cancer.

Maduro’s opponents have been pushing ahead with a recall referendum begun last year to bring an early end to his mandate, which the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice and the National Electoral Council delayed to effectively prevent a new presidential election.

Under Venezuela’s constitution, a successful recall referendum against Maduro would lead to El Aissami taking over for the remainder of Maduro’s term.

Maduro gives vice president wide-ranging powers - Taipei Times

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - he looks guilty as sin...

U.S. blacklists Venezuela's vice president as drug trafficker
Mon Feb 13, 2017 | WASHINGTON - The United States blacklisted Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami for drug trafficking, the first crackdown by the Trump administration against a top official in President Nicolas Maduro's government for money laundering and the drug trade.

The U.S. Department of Treasury said it designated El Aissami for sanctions under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. His associate, Samark Jose Lopez Bello, was targeted for providing material assistance and financial support for El Aissami's activities, Treasury said in a statement. Treasury also targeted 13 companies owned or controlled by Lopez Bello or other parties that comprise an international network spanning the British Virgin Islands, Panama, Britain, the United States and Venezuela. "El Aissami facilitated shipments of narcotics from Venezuela, to include control over planes that leave from a Venezuelan airbase, as well as control of drug routes through the ports of Venezuela," a senior U.S. administration official told a conference call with reporters.

Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami attends the swearing-in ceremony of the new board of directors of Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA in Caracas, Venezuela​

The Treasury Department said El Aissami oversaw or partially owned narcotics shipments of more than 1,000 kilograms from Venezuela on multiple occasions, including shipments to Mexico and the United States. Another U.S. administration official estimated the value of property blocked in Miami was worth "tens of millions of dollars." Another official suggested the value of the property seized was not commensurate with the salary of a public official. U.S. officials called Lopez Bello a "key frontman" used by El Aissami to handle financial matters and purchase assets.

The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Maduro frequently accuses U.S. officials of trying to smear his administration. U.S. officials denied that Monday's designations had anything to do with El Aissami's prominent political role. He is a former minister of interior and of justice. "The designation is a result of a years long investigation of narcotics trafficking by OFAC. The designation is not aimed at Venezuela or any specific sectors of the Venezuelan economy," the senior official said. As a result of these actions, Americans are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions or otherwise dealing with individuals and entities, and any assets they have under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen.

DECISION PRAISED BY LAWMAKERS

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - he grinnin' like a possum eatin' a persimmon...

Venezuela's VP shrugs off drug sanctions as US weighs policy
Feb 14,`17 -- Venezuela's vice president shrugged off U.S. sanctions identifying him as a major international drug trafficker, saying Tuesday that the actions by the Trump administration only deepen his commitment to the anti-imperialist revolution started by the late Hugo Chavez.

In a series of defiant messages posted on social media, Tareck El Aissami said the "miserable and defamatory aggression" by the U.S. won't distract him from his job of rescuing Venezuela's crashing economy from what he called sabotage by its conservative opponents. "They'll never be able to defeat our unbreakable resolution to be free forever," El Aissami said. The Trump administration on Monday froze the U.S. assets of El Aissami and banned him from entering the U.S. for his alleged role facilitating multiple ton-loads of cocaine shipments from Venezuela. El Aissami is the highest-ranking Venezuelan official to ever be sanctioned by the U.S. and his designation as a drug kingpin is bound to ratchet up tensions between the two countries, who have not exchanged ambassadors since 2010.

But whether the action signals a hardening U.S. stance toward President Nicolas Maduro's socialist government, or is just a carry-over of policies set in motion by the Obama administration, remains to be seen, analysts said. Under Obama, the U.S. was careful not to call for the unpopular Maduro's removal, as the opposition has been seeking, choosing instead to support a Vatican-sponsored dialogue aimed at avoiding bloodshed. "Patience has worn out," said Chris Sabatini, editor of Latin America Goes Global, a website that tracks U.S. policy toward the region. "There's a mounting sense of frustration, even in the State Department and on the Hill, that the dialogue is going nowhere."

Venezuela's Vice President Tareck El Aissami, right, is saluted by Boilivarian Army officer upon his arrival for a military parade at Fort Tiuna in Caracas, Venezuela. The administration of President Donald Trump is slapping sanctions on El Aissami and accusing him of playing a major role in international drug trafficking. That’s according to individuals briefed on the U.S. government’s plans who requested anonymity to disclose the move ahead of a formal announcement.​

For now, no additional actions against Venezuela are in the works, said a White House official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss policy. It's also not clear whether Trump personally signed off on the sanctions, although in conversations over the weekend with the presidents of Peru and Colombia he raised concerns about Venezuela's deteriorating humanitarian situation. Sabatini pointed out that unlike previous sanctions, issued under legislation allowing Obama to go after Venezuelan officials behind human rights abuses, the latest asset seizure was carried out by the Treasury Department under two-decade-old drug kingpin legislation that in theory is driven by law enforcement investigations. The U.S. Embassy in Caracas, in announcing the sanctions, made no mention of El Aissami's position inside Venezuela's government.

El Aissami, 42, has been the target of U.S. law enforcement investigations for years, stemming from his days as interior minister when dozens of fraudulent Venezuelan passports ended up in the hands of people from the Middle East, including alleged members of Hezbollah. Before he was extradited from Colombia in 2011, Venezuela's top convicted drug trafficker, Walid Makled, told authorities he paid bribes through El Aissami's brother to Venezuelan authorities so they would turn a blind eye to cocaine shipments that have proliferated in the country's ports and airports during the past two decades of socialist rule.

MORE

 

[miketx]

That is what the stains want to bring here.

 

[basquebromance]

 

[Marion Morrison]

Mr. Trump, build that wall! Build Mexico one on their southern border, too!

 

[basquebromance]

75% of Venezuelans are literally starving to death. This is how Socialism always ends kids.

New study shows 75 percent of Venezuelans losing dangerous amounts of weight due to starvation

 

[Marion Morrison]

75% of Venezuelans are literally starving to death. This is how Socialism always ends kids.

New study shows 75 percent of Venezuelans losing dangerous amounts of weight due to starvation

That's bad, we should send them some rabbits and guns.