PROSUR - Chilean President calls on South American leaders to defend ideas of freedom and respect for human rights

Santiago de Chile - Chilean President Sebastian Piñera encourages the Latin American right and calls his supporters to be "warriors" in the face of 21st century socialism.

During his speech at the Santiago Forum, the President summoned the leaders of the sector to defend the ideas of freedom in each of their countries to "counteract" the influence of the left in the continent.

President Piñera made a clear call to the leaders and right-wing parties in Latin America to defend freedom and respect for human rights in their countries, with the aim of "counteracting" the ideas promoted by the socialism of the 21st century that led to failure in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua.

During his speech at the Forum of Santiago, organized by the Chilean conglomerate "Chile Vamos", in which they called representatives of different collectives and study centers of the sector at the regional level, the President underscored the need for everyone to act in a coordinated manner to defeat the ideas that the left has permeated in the countries of the continent.

After referring to the political crisis in Venezuela, Piñera recalled that "ten years ago virtually our entire continent was under the influence of misguided ideas of the Sao Paulo Forum, under the auspices of the Cuban Communist Party and the Brazilian Workers' Party, which preached ideas that have failed in the whole world. "

"The fall of the Soviet Union is the best expression of the failure of twentieth century socialism: Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, are the best expressions of the failure of 21st century socialism and for that reason, because there is no evil that lasts 100 years, I am sure that the dictatorships and especially that of Venezuela has his days numbered", he said.

In this context, the head of state said that "today we are sowing a seed to counteract the bad teachings and bad ideas that unfortunately spread and dominated our Latin America from the Forum of Sao Paulo and replace them with the ideas of freedom, respect for people. "

"The State must be at the service of the common good and of the people, and not try to use them or manipulate them in causes that we all know have not only been wrong, but have only led to pain, suffering and death wherever they may have been applied", he said.

In his opinion, "we have to play the mission that corresponds to us: To be the warriors, the ideologists, those who defend our ideas with conviction, with will and with enthusiasm and in that way we will be able to build a Latin America and in each one from our countries more free, prosperous and just societies".

Cuba and Venezuela are dictatorships

During his speech, the president stopped in the Venezuelan situation, saying that "today we have brutal dictatorships and that is something that for a long time the countries of Latin America did not know how to confront: 60 years in Cuba and more than two decades of a democracy that it was transformed into a dictatorship, as it is the case of Venezuela. "

"Because Venezuela and Cuba, let's say it with force and clarity, are dictatorships: there are no political freedoms, no human rights are respected, no separation of powers, no freedom of expression and today we have known sad news, which is the kidnapping of Roberto Marrero, who is the chief of the cabinet of President Juan Guaidó", he stressed.

The President stressed that "once again the Venezuelan dictatorship shows its most miserable and most perverse face to the whole world, I was in Cúcuta and many people ask what was achieved." Many things were achieved: unite, motivate and revive the opposition democracy in Venezuela"

"The world saw a President trying to get humanitarian aid in a peaceful way, medicine and food that the Venezuelan people needed urgently, and it saw, on the other hand, a dictator who brutally repressed his own people and who showed the ugliest and most miserable face of that dictatorship", he concluded.

Source: emol.com

The Collapse of the Venezuelan Economy and the Plan of the Inter-American Development Bank

Venezuela's economy depends mainly on the heavy oil it produces. This is processed in specialized refineries, concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico, in the state of Louisiana, although something is processed in China and India. By the year 2000, Venezuela was producing over three million barrels per day.

The strikes by PDVSA (Venezuelan oil company) in 2002 and 2003, organized by a front of businessmen, managers and engineers to stop Chavez's reforms, were followed by the massive dismissal of its administrators and technicians, which negatively affected production in more than half a million daily barrels. 

Putting loyal chavismo groups without adequate training, to manage a very complex business in itself was deteriorating the capacity of the state company, which was also milked to finance social gifts and subsidize the consumption of gasoline in the Caribbean countries.

When Maduro assumed power, in 2012, production was at 2.4 million barrels per day to deteriorate much more from then on: in 2017 it was 1.5 million daily and last year it was reduced to one million barrels, when it was handed over to the Bolivarian Guard to administer it. 

With the US financial boycott and the loss of control over its CITGO subsidiary in the United States, the prospects of the state company are darker. The collapse of the electrical system is associated with the same tendency to dismiss the technical and experienced body of the administration, with the consequent disorder and unpredictability in the maintenance of what was one of the most modern integral electrical systems in the world.

Under Chávez, inflation ranged between 20 and 40% per year, while imported products with oil at USD 130 a barrel abounded. In 2015, inflation was around 160%, the printing presses of the regime could not cope and millions of bills were imported, each time worth less. 

In 2018 inflation ended at approximately 1.3 million%, because nobody can measure it, rationing the few assets available to the militants, because they did not even reach for the supporters of Maduro, quite alienated from the original Chavism. Each Venezuelan citizen has lost about 11 kilos of weight.

The impact that Maduro's incompetent and corrupt administration has had, it has been the destruction of more than half of the Venezuelan economy. According to figures published by the BBC, the economy contracted 16% in each of the last three years, to which it is necessary to add another 10% of contraction in 2014 and 2015. 

The expropriations of the private sector that Chávez made from 2003, plus the terrible administration in the socialized sector, explain this enormous tragedy, marking one of the most acute economic contractions recorded in the history of mankind.

The consequences for public health have also been negative: it is estimated that there are more than 600,000 cases of malaria, when this disease was practically controlled in Venezuela. Diseases such as measles threaten to become endemic, with more than 3,500 cases reported in 2018.




The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has a plan to resuscitate Venezuela's economy when Maduro leaves

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is willing to work with the government of Juan Guaidó to recover the potential of the Venezuelan economy. It is estimated that USD 4 billion a year will be needed to relaunch the Venezuelan oil sector. But priorities are clear. First? Address the humanitarian problem. Second? "Restore the conditions so that the productive apparatus of the country works fairly well". 

Luis Alberto Moreno: The IDB has not had relations with Maduro for 15 months (Photo: WEF)

Although Venezuela remains officially a shareholder of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), it has been more than 15 months since Nicolás Maduro's regime paid the IDB the commitments it had acquired. In May 2018 the default reached such a point (212.4 million dollars) that this multilateral bank automatically suspended all relationship with the regime: disbursements on loans, missions to the country, donations for projects ... The relationship was frozen.

The IDB also criticizes the fact that Venezuela's fiscal deficit is 25%, that 56% of households do not have the capacity to buy food, and that the stock of flours and oils does not meet the demand of more than a week. "That is the kind of reality that President Guaidó is going to find," stresses the IDB president.

But there is an even more "impressive" fact, as Moreno describes it. And it is that "94% of Venezuelans are in poverty," he says. A harsh reality in an economy that today barely adds USD 100,000 million of GDP and with a debt of almost USD 145,000 million, according to IDB data.

To resuscitate the Venezuelan economy, this multilateral bank has clear priorities. The first, address the humanitarian problem. The second, to restore the conditions so that the productive apparatus of the country works fairly well. "In the case of electricity, almost 50% of the generation capacity that Venezuela has it is paralyzed for different reasons.

As for the plan to relaunch the oil sector, crucial in the Venezuelan economy, this is to invest "at least USD 4,000 million a year, to continue producing the same million barrels they currently have." "If you want to raise that production, you would have to significantly increase those investments."

And although the plan is designed, the slogan is clear: "You can not do everything at the same time, you have to start sector by sector. There has to be a stabilization process in the first year, and then gradually go on doing more things. 

Source:  UTADEO - University of Bogota El Espectador newspaper Alnavio.com

The History of Rock - The Beginnings

The Beginnings of Rock

The war economy and the development of industry had brought more people from the countryside to the city, forcing the relationship between whites and blacks and social and racial tension, but also favoring the mutual influence between black music (blues) and white music (mainly country and jazz).

Rhythm and blues emerged from the fusion of the original blues with the more danceable rhythms of whites, which brought black music to the knowledge of the consumer population.

In the early 1950s, with the end of World War II and the Korean War, the United States emerged as a great world power. More than at any other time in history, the enjoyment of life was encouraged, a way that society had to overcome the years of suffering of war. The population in general and even minorities for the first time had money to spend on superfluous items such as music.

With the announcement of the explosion of atomic bombs by the Soviet Union and a possible "end of the world" at any moment, the general order was to take advantage of each moment as if it were the last.

In full capitalist economic growth consumption was considered a prime factor for the generation of jobs and foreign exchange, as well as the best antidote against communism, and the search for new consumer markets was incessant.

Obviously the youngest part of the population quickly became more easily influential and for the first time the adolescent public was given the right to have products destined for their exclusive consumption, also as a power of choice. Strangely, the white youths largely refused to consume the music normally consumed by the white majority and began to look for something different in the music of the ghettos.

With the large record industry not ready to supply the consuming public with this type of music, small labels of black music have gained importance. The acceptance of this type of music by the public of greater purchasing power led the incipient record industry of the time to invest in the evolution of style and the search and hiring of new talents, mainly in the search for a young white man who could tame that style allying to him an image that could be sold more easily.

Re-releases of songs by blacks re-recorded by white artists became common, which ended up taking the true creators of the style from the top of the charts.

Another great revolution of manners was in progress. Sex was no longer taboo and was considered fun (both for men and women). The songs of love by pressure of the buying public happened to give rise to more vulgar letters, although many times it was necessary to create attenuated versions of more direct verses. The explosive mix of thrilling black music with teenage white consumerism had been created ... the explosion was a matter of time.

But who would have been the man who deserved to be crowned as responsible for the "creation" of rock and roll? Obviously such a complex musical style could not have its invention indisputably attributed to a single individual or group of individuals. But if someone deserved to have his name associated with the "creation" of rock as we know it, this would not be Elvis or Bill Haley or Chuck Berry or any other leading singer or band. The "inventor" of the term rock and roll and responsible for the dissemination of the style was the disk jokey Alan Freed, promoter of rhythm and blues programs in Cleveland, Ohio, who first captured and invested in the lack of the young consumer for a new type of music more energetic and first perceived the commercial potential of black music.

The term rock and roll was a slang for black Americans, referring to the sexual act, present even in many blues lyrics. Allan Freed was responsible for using the sound name to name the new musical style in which he was investing.

While young people adopt the new rhythm as their trademark, adults mainly from the most conservative sectors of society, blamed it as a cause of all juvenile delinquency... despite the exaggeration of the protests, they were not so wrong, the taste for rock was really part of the youth gang style.

Alan Freed on Spotify

Venezuela - How to understand its social crisis

Presidential Chronology of Venezuela (1994-2019)

To understand the events that have occurred in recent years, let's review the presidential chronology of Venezuela in the last 25 years:

Rafael Caldera (February 1994 - February 1999)

Convergence Party

- Attorney General and President of the Chamber of Deputies

- Founder of COPEI

- Essayist, doctor of political science, deputy, professor

Chronology

Popularly elected between 1994 and 1995, the financial crisis worsened and several banks were intervened.

SENIAT is created in a context of low and stable oil prices.

In 1994 Caldera dismissed the 1992 military insurgents, leaving free Hugo Chávez among others.

In the economic sphere, the so-called Agenda Venezuela is applied, a program oriented towards the oil opening, the attraction of new investments to the country and control of the fiscal deficit, among other measures.

The anti politics and the criticism of the parties in their apogee.

Hugo Chávez (February 1999 - July 2000)

Movement 5th Republic
- Professional military
- Popularly elected.

Chronology In April there is a consultative referendum to call a Constituent Assembly and refound the State. The proposal triumphs.

In July, the election for said Constituent Assembly is held. 

In December, the work of the old National Congress ceased.

That same month, after the approval referendum, the 1999 Constitution was promulgated. Presidential term extended to 6 years with immediate re-election. 

The Recall Referendum is introduced, two new powers are introduced and the position of Vice President is reinstated, nonexistent in the 1961.

From January to August 2000, the National Assembly functions in a similar way to a delegated commission with few deputies, who will be responsible for continuing with the legislative affairs of the country and popularly called as the "Congresillo" (little congress).

According to the new Constitution, general elections are called again.

July 2000 - April 2002

Popularly elected.

The political map changes again; the old parties begin to decline while the new revolutionary forces begin to establish a new hegemony. 

In Congress the ruling party gets broad support.

Although Chávez is sworn in in August 2000, the Supreme Court of Justice indicates that the formal exercise of the sexennium began in January 2001.

The president requests an Enabling Law that is approved by Congress to legislate in different matters.

This generates strong criticism from the opposition that gathers around the CTV and Fedecamaras making a general strike in December.

Tensions are increasing and in April 2002 PDVSA management rejects government interference. A stoppage of activities begins. The CTV joins and Chavez dismisses several employees of the company on TV.

On April 11th there is a march that ends up arriving at the Miraflores Palace and several murders take place. 

The Armed Forces disregard the orders given by the president and demand the resignation which does not occur. 

Chávez is captured by the military and held in Fuerte Tiuna.

Pedro Carmona Estanga (April 2002)

Independent
- Economist of the UCAB.
- Professor, businessman, director of several companies, and president of
  Fedecamaras.

Chronology
Self-proclaimed president (de facto president).
Faced with a situation of confusion and uncertainty, the momentary emptiness of power is assumed by Estanga. 

It gives a coup by violating the constitution with his assumption and dissolving the constituted powers of the republic.

A part of the armed forces led by Isaías Baduel go to the rescue to the president and Estanga runs away.

Diosdado Cabello (April 2002)

Movement 5th Republic
- Professional military
- Vice president, minister, governor, deputy and president of the AN. 

Chronology
Vice President at that time, before the April coup goes into hiding but once government forces resume control returns to Miraflores.

He is sworn in as provisional president by the president of the AN until the return of Chávez on April 14th.

Hugo Chavez (April 2002 - January 2007)

Movement 5th Republic
- Professional Military 

Chronology In the following months, the Organization of American States installed a dialogue table between government and opposition that does not achieve great progress. Marches and pronouncements against the government take place.

In December 2002, an oil strike occurred that was carried out by other industrial sectors. 

Fails in January 2003 and the government gains control of PDVSA.

Polarization grows in the country and low levels of government popularity are registered.

In mid-2003 Chávez created the "Misiones" important social assistance programs that are responsible for helping the population from their food and education to the construction of housing. His popularity begins to increase.

In August 2004 the government triumphs in the recall referendum activated by the opposition.

Opposition leaders denounce fraud and adopt a strategy of not attending the next elections. 

As a result, the ruling party takes over most of the regional offices and the AN in 2005.

January 2007 - January 2013

Popularly elected 

He begins his new mandate tracing the new course of the nation towards the "Socialism of the 21st century".

The expropriation and nationalization policy was intensified in 2007 with the purchases of CANTV and electricity from Caracas. 

RCTV must leave the air because its concession is not renewed.

In December of 2007 a project of constitutional reform is promoted that looks for the update of the Magna Carta in the way towards the Socialism. 

It considered, among other things, the introduction of the communes and the immediate and unlimited re-election of the president. The government loses by narrow margin.

Inflation in the country begins to be a problem and high crime rates are registered. The private initiative loses space in front of state companies.

Some opposition parties consider a strategic alliance creating the Table of the Democratic Unit in January 2008 as an opposition block.

Later other political organizations were incorporated. 

Chávez creates a unique party that brings together different forces of the left: United Socialist Party of Venezuela in March. 

The political polarization is based in the country between these two blocks. 

Popular reform of the 1999 constitution was approved in February 2009. This new proposal focused mainly on allowing indefinite re-election in all elected positions including the president.

Corruption continues in the country as one of the worst scourges. Also the inefficiency in some state entities. (Case PDVAL May 2010).

Crisis in the energy sector between 2010-2011 leaves recurrent failures in the supply of electricity.

The policy of housing construction continues, the underground lines are expanded in Caracas and the construction of other undergrounds in Valencia, Maracaibo and other cities begins. New roads and bridges are also built.

New public universities like the UBV are created. In terms of health, the "Barrio Adentro" module network is expanded and other health centers are completed. 

Creation of the Bolivarian National Police as a mechanism to fight against insecurity.

January 2013 - March 2013
PSUV

Popularly elected, however, due to his cancer travels to Cuba suffers to be treated. Temporarily in charge of the presidency Nicolás Maduro, vice president of the moment. 

In case of death, Chávez designates Maduro as his successor.

Chávez dies in March.

Nicolas Maduro (March 2013 - April 2013)

PSUV
- Militant of the Socialist League and left groups.
- Driver and union leader of the Caracas Metro.
- Deputy, president of the AN, Chancellor and Vice President.
- The TSJ ratifies Maduro as provisional president and early elections are called.

Chronology
April 2013

Popularly elected to complete the period of his predecessor.
Presents the Plan of the Nation (plan proposed by Chávez in the 2012 elections) as a road map of the nation towards Socialism.

The problems of product shortages, high inflation and insecurity grow.

In February 2014, peaceful protests against the country's major problems involving university students were unleashed in different states of the country.

During March and April the demonstrations continue and in some regions of the country they become violent with arrests and abuses by the Armed Forces and vandalism by some groups. 

Several protesters die in the course of these events.

In April a UNASUR commission together with the Vatican offer themselves as mediators for a dialogue between the political opposition and the government. 


On the other side, the students continue on the streets following their own agenda of protest against the government.

Nicolás Maduro is not the only problem in Venezuela

Neither Castro's Cuba, nor the Colombian armed conflict or any of the dictatorships of the Southern Cone caused the departure, in less than two years, of more than two million people. But leaving Nicolás Maduro is not the solution to the Venezuelan crisis.

Neither the exit, nor the overthrow, nor the death of Nicolás Maduro would solve the Venezuelan crisis in the short term. The country has not only experienced a process of democratic deterioration, but also the dismantling of the State and the disruption of its social relations.

Opposition leaders have focused their speech on the urgent need to remove Nicolás Maduro and the ruling group, arguing that the humanitarian crisis makes the support of the Chavez regime unviable and that their departure will lead to the reconstruction of the country. Some predict that it will not reach the end of the year.

And it is understandable, the opposition political leaders speak to a desperate people in the midst of the Chavista apocalypse, they also speak to an international community that until very recently was silent about what was happening in Venezuela. Fixing the exit of Nicolás Maduro as the central objective of their speech is valid and even necessary, since there are still a few sympathizers or accomplices of the first Latin American dictatorship of the 21st century.

But Nicolás Maduro is not the only cause of the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela; on the contrary, the crisis is the result of almost 20 years of a speech that sought to divide society between good and bad, between a corrupt elite and an oppressed people. A humanitarian crisis caused by the implementation of a political, economic and social model based on socialism and promoted by Hugo Chávez, who even arrogated to himself the right to appoint his successor.

The damage that Chavez did to Venezuela is not limited only to the appointment of Maduro. For years the institutions and organizations of the State were dismantled, but even relations between citizens and the different instances of civil society were altered. The Bolivarian Revolution not only damaged the State and the political and economic spaces of the country, but also damaged the family, friends, community, society and all of Venezuela.

In a few places in the world the disaster has been evidenced as in Venezuela. The material and social decline of the country is difficult to calculate. Not only because of the lack of official figures, whose absence can not hide the deterioration of the quality of life of the people, but because the only diagnosis is already a complex task. Despite the efforts made today by different civil society organizations to document what is happening, the real dimension of the problems is hard to calculate, because the government not only refuses to make information public, but conceals and lies, without caring the risk to which it exposes its citizens.


As if it were a war, a natural disaster or the proliferation of a plague, Venezuelan citizens have been forced to leave their country. The deterioration of the quality of life, the political instrumentalization of the economic crisis and the discretionary use of the organizations of the state apparatus to proscribe and persecute, have led millions of citizens to leave Venezuela. None of the right or left dictatorships that Latin America experienced in the 20th century caused a diaspora like the one that the brother country lives. Neither Castro's Cuba, nor the Colombian conflict or any of the dictatorships of the Southern Cone caused the departure, in less than two years, of more than two million people.

A diaspora that accumulates more than 10% of the population not only evidences the disaster that Chavismo has caused, but also intensifies the crisis and hinders its possible solution. The millions of Venezuelans who are outside the country will not return as soon as the dictator falls, a significant number of them will never return.

Maduro intensified the crisis, because at least in the time of Chávez, the project was pretended to be democratic, so the elections were advantageous. With Maduro the forms are no longer taken care of and the darkest face of the chavista repressive apparatus was known: deaths, kidnappings, threats, tortures, persecutions ... The repression in all its forms is what characterizes the ruling group; the systematic violation of human rights as an instrument to remain in power.

In order to rebuild Venezuela, Maduro's exit will be necessary, but this does not mean that with the departure, overthrow or death of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela will be rebuilt. Some projections affirm that USD 50,000 to USD 60,000 million are needed to begin the reconstruction process, to which a minimum average of USD 3,000 million in annual aid is added to begin to reverse the humanitarian crisis and even some projections affirm that for the recovery of the oil industry would require at least six years to a decade with annual investments of approximately USD 20,000 million, something difficult to obtain in a world in which oil is losing its energy leadership.


Everything indicates that the process of recovery will not be easy or quick: reversing the damage of chavismo can take the same as it has been in power, almost twenty years, or more.

Bibliographic references
- Arias, A. - History of Venezuela
- Cadena Carriles - Notes History of Venezuela
- Venezuela Yours
- Reference for business
- La Nación newspaper (Argentina)
- El País newspaper (Spain)
- El Espectador newspaper (Colombia)

Who is Juan Guaidó ?

Juan Gerardo Guaidó Márquez was born on July 28th, 1983. He graduated from the "Los Corales" Institute of Bachelor of Science in 2000. In 2007 he finished his undergraduate studies at the Andrés Bello Catholic University of Caracas, obtaining the title of Industrial Engineer.

During those years, Guaidó actively participated as a management member of the Engineering Student Center and he was recognized as the Ucabista Integral Student for his outstanding career in the academic and extracurricular areas during the university career. He was a representative of the Faculty of Engineering before the General Council of Student Representatives (COGRES), member of the Chair of Honor, UCAB Leadership Program and Founder member and General Secretary of the General Council of Student Representatives (COGRES), among many other academic activities he did.

After leaving this house of study he dedicated to continue his training and he obtained two postgraduate degrees, both in public management, one from the George Washington University / UCAB and another from IESA.

Outside the academic field, he made a full commitment to Venezuela, forming part of several important initiatives within and outside Vargas State, assuming various responsibilities in different areas of action. Among them he was highlighted as part of the Regional Campaign in Vargas State 2008, founding member and National Executive Secretary of the Youth for Social Democracy, founder of the organization Quiero Paz (I want Peace), until in 2009 he undertook the dream of creating Popular Will, a national party with a group of young people and Leopoldo López, of which today he is coordinator of the Vargas State and National Organization Manager.

Juan Guaido Twitter

Sworn the New Directive of the National Assembly

Date: January 05th 2019

The deputy Juan Guaidó (Voluntad Popular-Vargas) was sworn in as President of the National Assembly (2019-2020) during the parliamentary session held on January 5th.

Guaidó was sworn in with the right hand on the Constitution and his first words highlighted the victory of having consolidated the union of the Assembly, which today resists and keeps its doors open thanks to the determination and constant work of its deputies and workers, he said.

The swearing-in ceremony was attended by ambassadors, business managers and international bodies representing the diplomatic corps accredited to the government, such as Greece, Uruguay, Brazil, the United States, Canada, Peru, Guatemala, Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, Spain , Chile, Poland, France, Holland, Portugal, India, European Union, United Kingdom, Honduras, Japan, Ecuador, Germany, Italy and representatives of the Holy See.

Juan Guaidó: I swear to formally assume the powers of the National Executive as President in charge of Venezuela

Date: January 23rd 2019

Caracas. With a mobilization made from 9 points of the Capital City, the Venezuelans marched in the company of leaders of various political parties, to the Juan Pablo II Plaza, located at the height of Francisco de Miranda Avenue in the Chacao municipality, where from a platform the President of the National Assembly, deputy Juan Guaidó swore to formally assume the powers of the National Executive as President in charge of Venezuela.

"Today we take another step and to avoid any doubt, today I take the step with you. Today, January 23rd, 2019, before God Almighty, I swear to formally assume the powers of the National Executive as President in charge of Venezuela. The whole country is sworn in to carry the message to the National Armed Forces (FAN), to defend our Constitution to restore the freedom of Venezuelans. 

""We know that this will have consequences, but we will not allow it to deflate, because even though we are in dictatorship, we know that a united people will never be defeated and we must clarify that this is not about doing anything in parallel, because we have the support of the people in the street, so that those who usurp power today I tell them that we will continue until we achieve the prosperity of Venezuela. This movement is unstoppable. 

"The sector of the population that still supports the usurping regime, told them that "they are not going to twist anyone's arm" and that, on the contrary, what they are looking for is to shake hands with them, because in their opinion these have been deceived and defrauded by Nicolás Maduro and his corrupt government.

"For a long time we asked ourselves if it was worth the struggle and the insistence and I tell them that if we continue, we go out to the street and achieve freedom, all the sacrifice will be worth it, because leaving today was worth it, we told the whole world that we do not want the usurper. The silence with which we started this year is broken today with shouts and no more silence. In our hearts we have the faith that we will achieve it. 

"Finally, Guaidó said that today there were more than 53 marches held in parallel throughout the national territory and thanked the response of the convocation held throughout the country, affirming that Venezuela today, January 23rd, a symbolic date for democracy, has recovered the hope and vision of the future.

Guaidó demands the departure of Cubans from the National Armed Forces and authorizes the presence of the US Embassy in Venezuela

Date: January 25th 2019

Caracas. The president in charge of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, said during a press conference, held together with the citizens in the Plaza Bolívar de Chacao, that in two days the new presidency in charge has achieved what the Nicolás Maduro's usurper regime could not do in 6 years, which is to authorize humanitarian aid for the country.

"We said that when we had the national and international support we would take the step and we did. The recognition of the countries of the world in favor of the Venezuelan struggle, means trust and legitimacy. In just 2 days, we achieved what they did not do in 6 years, authorize humanitarian aid and although the usurping regime tries to sow doubt about our legitimacy, when hope comes, there is no one to stop it. 

"At the beginning of the act the President in charge of Venezuela, made a minute of silence in honor of those killed because of the repression of the dictatorship in recent days and sent a condolences to their family and friends on behalf of the entire national parliament .

"Military brothers is with you, it was time to side with the Constitution and Venezuela, you have to decide whether or not to allow the entry of humanitarian aid for the country and thereby recognize this Government. It is time for Cuba to leave the command posts of the National Armed Forces and at this point I clarify something: Cuban brother, you are welcome to stay in our land, but not in the command posts, those should leave them now. 

"Guaidó invited US officials to stay in Venezuela and reported that the American Embassy stays and keeps working with the doors open. Over the announcements of the usurper Nicolás Maduro, asking the Venezuelan diplomats in the United States to return to the country, he urged them to ignore the order and stay in US territory supporting the Venezuelans who live there.

"I just spoke with one of the officials and she told me: to the President order, I stay at the embassy to continue working for Venezuela. Our only framework is the Constitution, because it is the only one that protects and guarantees human rights. We are not only going to exercise the functions in the street, but we are doing our work for Venezuela. We are working on the Country Plan, which we have been working on for a long time. 

"The person in charge of the nation announced that in the next few hours they will make announcements aimed at protecting assets of corruption frozen in other countries and advanced the possibility of starting to use them to solve the crisis that crosses the country, initially through NGOs and organizations like Caritas, the Red Cross and the Catholic Church.

He also invited citizens to download the "Amnesty Law and constitutional guarantees for the military and civilians who collaborate and have helped with the restoration of constitutional order", print it and deliver it to military personnel who know or work near your homes.

"Leave the Law under the door. This is a non violent civil action, unprecedented, where we say come here, here there is future, opportunity and homeland. Maduro does not protect anyone. I am sure that within the National Armed Forces they have the same feeling that we do because they are also Venezuelans. 

"Finally he announced that next week a large mobilization is expected and the details will be unveiled this Sunday. He assured that they will return to the streets until the cessation of the usurpation, transitional government and free elections are achieved.

"This is not thanks to me, it is thanks to all of us who have fought for this, like Leopoldo López, Juan Requesens and all the political prisoners. More than a liberator, I prefer to be a public servant for you. Here there is already an established route. If they dare to kidnap power again, I ask you to keep us on the road, in the street peacefully fighting for freedom".

Source: National Assembly of Venezuela

CSA - Nuevo Presidente Encargado de Venezuela (23.Ene.2019)