Notes on Venezuelan Newscast on Venevision – August 20 2019
Headline Summary (0-1:30)
-Electrical problems bring subway in Caracas to a halt
-Trump says his officials have been talking to Maduro’s officials
-Russia says it will examine the situation in Venezuela after the latest US-imposed sanctions
-Juan Guaido says his allies are holding meetings with US officials
-Maduro government denounces US sanctions before UN
– Brazil prohibits the entry of Venezuelan government officials
-Italy seizes a Spanish aid ship and effectively detains 90 migrants on board
Brief reports from various states
2:05 Report about Merida residents protesting potholes in the streets
2:56 Report from state of Monagas about residents garbage creating a health hazard, about street lights not working which helps criminals perpetrate crimes. Residents also report water shortages which they say have been going on for 20 years. They say they feel forgotten by local authorities.
4:00 Report from state of Miranda on increased prices for public transport. Residents complain that services are dwindling and wait times are increasing.
4:53 Report from the La Guira parish about waterfront project that is under construction and supposed to inaugurated in November.
5:41 Report from the state of Tachira about an investigation into foundations and NGO that accused of corruption in the handling of using donations to a hospital
6:24 Report from state of Anzoategui about 1000 families at risk because of flooding.
6:54 Electrical problems bring subway in Caracas to a halt
It also impacted work day in neighboring regions like Miranda state
Some areas only lost power for about half an hour
8:46: Trump says his officials have been talking to top Maduro’s officials
Quotes/translates Trump saying “We are helping Venezuela as much as we can. We are on the outside but we are helping, but it needs a lot of help. It’s an incredible tribute to something bad and that’s socialism. It has petroleum reserves. It has a lot of things but it is really sad. They don’t have water or food but we are helping. We are talking with representatives at various levels. I don’t ant to say who but they are high level.”
9:39 Russia says it will examine the situation in Venezuela after the latest US-imposed sanctions
Russia rejects US sanctions and warns Washington
10:13 Juan Guaido says his allies are holding meetings with US officials
Guaido says meeting like this are “normal”.
Report says representatives of Guido who were in talks with Maduro’s officials went to Washington to confer with US officials. Shows clip of Guido saying “There is nothing extraordinary about us having these types of meetings with our allies to look for solutions. We are desperate to find a solution but we are not going to act in an irregular manner.” Report says Guaido opposes agreement with Russia to send ships to Venezuela. It then shows a clip of Guaido saying “We have made clear in parliament that we have not approved the presence of these war ships which would be a grave violation of our sovereignty…The international press must make clear that it does not accept Russian warships in Venezuela” Report then says Guaido claims his “three steps” he outlines at the binning to the year to “find a solution to the nation’s crisis”
12:10 Maduro government denounces US sanctions before UN
Reports that Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounces Trump’s threats to impose naval blockade on Venezuela. Also reports that Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez also denounced Trump’s threat as criminal.
12:59 Unicef appeals for 70 million dollars to provide humanitarian assistance to children in Venezuela
Funds are supposed to help 900,000 children until end of this year. Among priorities are potable water for 800, 000 people, vaccinate 1.2 million children against measles, and 7000 children who suffer from malnutrition
14:04 Venezuela’s’ Minister of Labor says workers are being mobilized to undertake projects to offset impact of US sanctions.
14:28 Brazil prohibits the entry of Venezuelan government officials
Brazil says this targets officials who have violated Venezuela’s constitution and human rights.
14:54 Top governing party (PSUV) official says Maduro government maintaining military agreements with Russia related to shipping
Looking to ensure that Russian ships have access to Venezuelan waters and (obviously related) warns of grave consequences if Trump follows through with threat to militarily blockade Venezuela.
15:58 Colombia’s foreign minister that UN funds it has obtained to “migration crisis” of Venezuelans in Colombia are insufficient
Reporter says more than one million Venezuelans are in Colombia. Shows clip of Colombian foreign minister saying that in the past 3 months more than 111,000 Venezuelans have arrived, and a total of 1.455 million.
Then shows a clip of a special UN envoy appealing for more funds for Colombia.
17:33 Maduro has contacts with US officials
Shows clip of Maduro reading a news report (probably from AP) about the talks that had reportedly taken place. Maduro then says “That’s true and it isn’t new.” He said the same way he has pursued dialog with the opposition he has authorized efforts with the US.
18:49 Daughter of jailed parliamentarian (Edgar Zambrano) calls for his release.
Report says he was arrested in connection with “events of April 30”. That was Guaido’s failed military uprising. Shows a clip of his daughter saying before the National Assembly that her father is “excessively tolerant”.
19:27: Italy seizes a Spanish aid ship and effectively detains 90 migrants on board
20:35 Another report on the electric problems that shut down Caracas Metro
22:06 Planning Minister Ricardo Menendez says poll shows 86% of Venezuelan reject US sanctions
Clip shows Menendez claiming sample size was 1600. Also Says 96% military blockade Trump threatened. Shows people lined up to sign petition against latest US sanctions.
23:08 Rancher association in state of Táchira say that fuel shortages and power outages milk production has fallen 60% in the past two months
Clip shows the president of the association saying that in 2007 they had 13 million heads of cattle. Now they have about 8.5 million.
24:27 Maduro’s Vice President of sectoral and territorial development, Aristobulo Isturiz, denies that only 400 hours of training has been as part of an employment programs that trains young teachers.
Clip shoes Isturiz saying over 1,6 young people are signed up for this program.
26:04 One year after “monetary reconversion” that removed five zeros from the bolivare, the (opposition controlled) National Assembly debated and concluded that it was unsuccessful.
Clip of parliamentarian saying that “since hyperinflation began in October of 2017 we have a phenomena typical of these processes: the debasement of the currency. That’s a fundamental characteristic of a hyperinflation: the debasement of the bolivare and its replacement with a currency of higher quality: the Colombian peso as in Tachira or Zulia, or the dollar in the central states of Venezuela.
27:12 Governor of Yaracuy state delivered 270 auditory prosthetics to 139 patients
28:22 Caracas residents see public transit fares are increasing as their wages are “pulverized”
Residents complain that fare increases were not authorized and report links increases to “reconversion” government brought in a year ago. Drivers say fares increases are necessary to keep buses in service.
30:40 Report on government petition drive –collecting signature against US sanctions
Says 200,000 signatures have been collected in the state of Bolivar which the governor said exceeded expectations.
32:13 University of Carabobo students say their university has been without regular electricity and water for a year.
Students say their health is at risk and even possible shutdown of university.
33:43 Report from Maracaibo city: businesspeople say sales are down 70% due to constant power outages
Clip shows irate residents struggling to get signals on their phones and also decrying terrible state of roads. Reporters says residents also want a larger police presence, especially at night. They say power outages also contribute to crime.
34:57 Report that a man was assassinated in a rural area as assailants stole his cellphone
Clip explains that victim was 40 years old and had been on his way home from attending a nephew’s baptism.
36:25 Report on independence celebration in the Indonesian embassy.
37:30 Urgent public appeal for specific medicines for patients
38:34 Report about a kidnapper in Brazil who said he wanted to be famous
39:23 Uruguay’s Vice President had a malignant tumor detected in his lung
39:52 Three US states go to court to challenge Trump‘s new immigration laws
40:31 Report about political parties in Italy possibly forming a new governing coalition
40:57 Report about rebel military defeats in Idlib, Syria
41:33 Report about new speculation regarding Mars
42:44 Sports reporting begins
44:37 Reporting on celebrity gossip
47:44 Ends
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