Message to INFODIO readers: investigative journalism, which is what this site does, takes lots of time. Visiting media looking for a quick run down on Venezuela's gargantuan corruption, have the decency to at least cite the source when plagiarising this site's content without attribution (exhibit Reuters here and here, exhibit Bloomberg here, exhibit OCCRP here). To all readers, do the right thing, the honest thing: support independent investigative journalism, help us expose rampant corruption. Note added 28/06/2021: impostors are using this site's former editor's full name, and a fake email addresses (alek.boyd.arregui@gmail.com) to send copyright infringement claims / take down requests to web hosting companies (exhibit Hostgator). The attempt is yet another effort paid by corrupt thugs to erase information about their criminal activities. Infodio.com has no issues with other websites / journalists using / posting information published here, so long as the source is properly cited.
The Ukraine invasion and meeting between President Biden's officials and Nicolas Maduro in Caracas has awoken PDVSA experts. These days, every "Venezuela energy sector expert" talking to the media is making unsustainable remarks about its alleged capacity to fill the gap that sanctions on Russia's energy will create in the market. They talk about "spare capacity... ability to increase production to 600,000 barrels a day rapidly... release of millions of barrels held in the strategic reserve... Venezuela taking Russia's place in U.S.
The case of Cuba, and how decades of failed U.S. foreign policies never brought intended objective of dislodging that dictatorship, should be mandatory reading not only with all "customer-facing" State Department's diplomats, but with senior Congressmen, Senators and relevant American policy-making folk.
It really is hard to figure the calculus here: "The United States continues to recognize the authority of the democratically elected 2015 National Assembly as the last remaining democratic institution and Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president.
Starbucks recently opened a shop in Caracas. It was an instant hit. Social media got inundated with the news, as sure sign that Venezuela is back on the mend. In other news, many sources report that Caracas looks different. There are bodegones (delis) popping all over the place. Restaurants and night clubs are filled with beautiful people. Some avenues in East Caracas are lit again, as part of a beautification effort launched by local authorities. The greenback is king...
On 10 December this site revealed Roger Carsten's visit to Caracas:
@StateDept’s @StateSPEHA flew to Caracas aboard “Ebola plane” #N173PA to negotiate release of some political prisoners of @NicolasMaduro
When it comes to foreign policy blunders that can't be hidden from view, it doesn’t really matter who inhabits the White House: Venezuela is a source of endless embarrassment.
UPDATED 15/10/2021 - Juan Guaido, the U.S. Department of State's designated "interim" President of Venezuela is in a bit of a pickle. So is his boss / handler, Leopoldo Lopez. People that claimed to propugn democracy and adhere to its core tenets will know that legitimacy isn't something the State Department can conjure and bestow on others. Legitimacy is something that only democratically elected officials have. When was the last time Juan Guaido won an election? When he did win, that last election, under which system / authority he got elected? How about Lopez?
As per Reuters: "The United States, Britain and other large, rich nations reached a landmark deal on Saturday to squeeze more money out of multinational companies such as Amazon and Google and reduce their incentive to shift profits to low-tax offshore havens.
Every journalist / media outlet out there is partial to its causes. When it comes to corruption, and specifically to graft in resource rich countries, there is little that is not known, that is doesn't form part of an ever evolving narrative particular to the field. Every person remotely acquainted with large scale corruption would have heard (by now) about Russia, Nigeria, DRC, Odebrecht in Brazil, China, Panama Papers, FIFA, Switzerland, London, Daniel Ortega, the Kirchners, HSBC actively helping Mexican narcos launder money, David Cameron and Greensill, Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump...
There's a report in Panampost that claims that Jimmy Story has communicated President Joe Biden / State Department's new Venezuela policy to Juan Guaido.
English
Español
