Venezuela opposition rally – by Jordana Timerman

Thousands of people marched in Carcas yesterday in an anti-government protest that was smaller than others since the contested July 28 presidential elections. The opposition rally was overseen by a massive police deployment, thousands of officers, in a context of increased repression against government critics, reports The Country.

The head of the National Bolivarian Police posted on social media that there would be “free transportation to Tocorón” a jail where political prisoners are being held, “but it’s one-way.”

More than 1,400 people have been detained since the election, and authorities are canceling passports of human rights activists and others, trapping them in the country, reports the New York Times. “On Saturday, members of the National Guard dragged away a priest in the state of Zulia as his congregation watched.”

Opposition leader María Corina Machado has been in hiding due to risk of arrest, but participated in Saturday’s rally, reports the Washington Post.

Venezuelans around the world rallied to the opposition’s protest call, with demonstrations in Tokyo, Sydney, Mexico City and several other cities, reports the Associated Press. There were at least 300 demonstrations outside of Venezuela, a reflection of the country’s large diaspora.

More Venezuela

Venezuela’s Maduro regime is not a classic dictatorships — in his new book, José Natanson stated that it could be understood as “chaotic authoritarianism,” a system that “assumes that there is no perfect chain of command that applies a consistent plan, a central authority capable of vertically controlling what happens. Therefore, chaos is not an accident or an undesirable result, but the paradoxical condition of possibility of political stability and the validity of the authoritarian model.” (New Society)
Boris Muñoz spotlights Maduro’s “banality,” writing that Venezuela’s president “has never had and will never have a dream of his own, like all great leaders. He came to power almost by chance, burdened by a basic political ideology and thanks to his ability to follow the dictates of his boss. He is the epigone, without brilliance or delirium, of Hugo Chávez. However, he has shown himself to be a skilled negotiator with a “killer instinct,” which has undoubtedly helped him maintain power for 11 years.” (The Country)
Maduro’s efforts to stay in power make use of “autocratic legalism,” writes José Ignacio Hernández in Americas Quarterly“an expression coined by Amherst College’s Professor Javier Corrales to describe how democratic backsliding in Venezuela was driven by the use, abuse, and disuse of the law.”
In The Country presidential candidate Edmundo González wrote: “We reaffirm our commitment to talk and negotiate with whoever is necessary to move towards a new democracy where we all fit in.”
The OAS permanent council approved a resolution calling on Venezuelan authorities to publish the full tally sheets for the July 28 presidential elections, on Friday. (Ambito)
An oil spill, which appeared to originate from Venezuela’s El Palito refinery several days ago, has contaminated a bay off the country’s north-central coast in the Caribbean Sea, reports Reuters.

Nicaragua

Nicaragua’s government dissolved 1,500 organizations of civil society in a massive decree that accuses them of failing to report their financial status. The move mostly affects religious organizations, and transfers their assets to the government. The Ortega government has dissolved 5,163 organizations of civil society since 2018, reports Confidential.

Brazil

Elon Musk announced on Saturday that the social media platform X would close its operations in Brazil “effective immediately” due to what it called “censorship orders” from the Brazilian judge Alexandre de Moraes. (Reuters)
Earlier this year, the company clashed with de Moraes over free speech, far-right accounts and misinformation on X, notes the Associated Press. (See last Thursday’s post.)
However X remains accessible in Brazil, the company said. It was unclear how many staff it had in the region, reports the Financial Times.

Mexico

Mexican Supreme Court Justice Norma Piña is a leading critic of the government’s judicial reform. But “amid accusations that Piña has played too political a role in opposing the reform,” she has failed to get the government to modify a plan to make all Mexico’s judges chosen by election, reports Americas Quarterly.
The judicial reform bill passed by a Congressional commission last week seeks to fire all the Supreme Court judges next year, and maintains the electoral tribunal justices until 2027, by which point all the national judges will have been renewed by election, reports Animal Politics.
The killing of two Venezuelan women outside of Mexico City has cast a spotlight on sex trafficking, one of Mexican organized crime’s most lucrative activities, reports The Country.
Two fentanyl traffickers associated with Sinaloa Cartel leader Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada were found assassinated this weekend, fanning fears that Zambada’s detention could unleash cartel violence, reports The Country. (The Jordan)

Regional Relations

Zambada’s judgment in the US “has left Mexico — which has borne the brunt of the violence unleashed by drug cartels — reeling at the possibility it will complicate relations with the US, expose corruption and unleash more brutality,” reports the Financial Times.

Peru

A string of Mennonite settlements “have taken root throughout the Amazon, turning forest into thriving farms but also raising concerns among environmentalists about deforestation of a jungle already under threat from industries like cattle ranching and illegal gold mining,” reports the New York Times.

Haiti

Haiti’s security crisis is in a stalemate, and the international community’s support reiterates many of the same strategies that have failed in the past. I spoke with Haitian-based journalist Etienne Côté-Paluck and CEPR expert Jake Johnston about the situation for Cenital.
While experts say the international security mission to Haiti will require time, they also say it is underfunded and under equipped — and as the security crisis extends in time, the transitional government risks losing its legitimacy, reports The Hill.

Regional

Caribbean leaders are concerned about an epidemic of violence in the region. “As governments and organizations work to identify and address the root causes of escalating crime levels, academics in the region have examined the legacy of colonization and the culture of violence embedded by transatlantic slavery,” reports the Guardian.

Colombia

British Prince Harry and his wife Meghan wrapped up their visit to Colombia yesterday by participating in a forum on the challenges facing women of African descent as they participate in politics, reports the Associated Press.

Argentina

“Beef consumption in Argentina dropped 14.1 percent in the first seven months of 2024 year-on-year and is at its lowest level in the last 26 years,” reports the Buenos Aires Times.
Argentine authorities said “police have arrested seven people with alleged links to a “radical Islamic terrorist group” plotting anti-Christian and anti-Jewish attacks,” reports AFP.