The Center for Human Rights of the Universidad Católica Ándres Bello released a report on how the government discriminates and violates the human rights of migrants that return home. They demanded that the government to stop criminalizing them and abstain from using discriminatory terms. This was echoed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Human Rights Watch also reported on the plights that Venezuelan migrants face returning on the country, emphasizing the hostile government policies against the migrants and the discriminatory language that has used the government against the Venezuelan returnees.

The opposition-led National Assembly (AN) rejected the label “bioterrorists” the government has used and asked countries in the region to avoid putting in place policies that increase migration restrictions and to avoid xenophobic practices.

Guaidó appointed exiled deputy José Manuel Olivares as the commissioner for health and healthcare of the Venezuelan migrants. Olivares’ role will include the search for donations to attend the Covid-19 and the health crisis in Venezuela and the coordination with the governments of the region about the care of the Venezuelan infected by the virus abroad.

Maduro apologized for his remarks about return-migrants. However, his government continues blaming Colombian authorities for weak border control and easy access of the Venezuelan migrants to the informal routes.

More Covid-19

COVID-19 infected more senior politicians last week. Governor of Sucre state Edwin Rojas and the 70-year-old head of the government of Caracas and historic member of the PSUV party, Dario Vivas, tested positive for the virus.

  • Deputy Luis Parra whom the government of Maduro recognizes as the president of the National Assembly was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia.
  • At least 45 workers of the Venezuelan state television channel (VTV) were diagnosed with COVID. The National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) denounced that the workers remain quarantined inside the television station adn are not getting adequate treatment.
  • This is in addition to President of the National Constituent Assembly Diosdado Cabello, and the vice-president of the economy Tareck El Aissami, who are still recovering.
  • The government has reported so far 12.774 cases of Covid-19 in the country and 120 deaths.

International

  • Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told the Russian news agency Sputnik that Venezuelan relations with the European Union have deteriorated and accused the E.U. of following the U.S. hard stance towards the government of Maduro. Nonetheless, Arreaza expressed hope that the E.U. could play a positive role in Venezuela in the future.
  • The new Foreign Minister of Uruguay, Francisco Bustillo, said that Venezuela is a dictatorship and stated that his country would not promote any dialogue in Venezuela until Maduro demonstrates he has the political will.

Protests

  • A young man was shot dead by the National Guard during a protest against fuel shortages in a small fishing village on the western state of Zulia.
  • The Venezuelan Observatory of Social Conflict (OVCS) counted 4,414 protests during the first semester in the whole country, with more than half of protests related to access to basic services such electricity, water and other.

Elections

  • The Maduro government continues preparations for legislative elections that will take place on December 6th. Despite the severe lockdown measures on the most important cities of the country, the country’s electoral authority has opened the electoral register for voters to update their data and new voters to subscribe for the first time, and continues with audits of the electoral process.

Opposition

  • Abraham Lowenthal and David wrote a Spanish-languge piece regarding opposition strategy, suggesting they needed to realistically assess the situation and develop a realistic analysis, unify, develop a national strategy and work towards negotiations.

Humanitarian Aid

  • International allies of the government of Maduro continue sending COVID-19 aid to Venezuela. Turkey sent a military plane carrying medical supplies. Maduro said that the aid included ventilators, PCR kits, biosafety suits and others.
  • The National Assembly announced that under the friendship program between the Venezuelan Assembly and the Taiwanese Parliament, Taiwan donated to Venezuela medical supplies and food aid.
  • The new plan of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for Venezuela released an appeal for US$762.5 million. The organization estimates that by the end of the year 240,000 Venezuelans will have returned.
  • Maduro described as a lie the agreement that his government signed with the Venezuelan opposition with the Pan American Health Organization to coordinate actions against the COVID-19 pandemic. Maduro said that the necessary funds have not arrived in the country.

Economy

  • Russia decided to restructure Venezuela‘s debt with the country for the third time in four years. The new plan delays the repayment of the debt principal ($3.4 billion) for three years, where Venezuela will repay only interest on the loan, and for the period 2023-2026, Venezuela has to pay the full amount.