Image is of a colectivo: an armed group, usually operating in impoverished areas, which act to support and defend the socialist government of Venezuela. They are often derided as vigilante terrorist groups which prop up the government, because cops are only bad when they are socialist and not murdering minorities, I suppose.
Maduro’s party, the PSUV, has won the election after a staggering amount of propaganda by the opposition, who said their polls suggested they were going to win and that Maduro’s loss was inevitable. The reaction across Latin America is what one would expect. Left-leaning leaders are generally respecting the results and congratulating Maduro, while those on the right and/or are US puppets (such as in semirecently-couped Peru) are calling for recounts, or even that the election was illegitimate. The US itself is also unhappy about the results. We shall soon see if their unhappiness boils over into yet another coup attempt.
Personally, I think they should have ran Guaido again.
Thank you to @[email protected] for the election coverage here, and everything else they do in the news megathread.
The COTW (Country of the Week) label is designed to spur discussion and debate about a specific country every week in order to help the community gain greater understanding of the domestic situation of often-understudied nations. If you’ve wanted to talk about the country or share your experiences, but have never found a relevant place to do so, now is your chance! However, don’t worry - this is still a general news megathread where you can post about ongoing events from any country.
The Country of the Week is Venezuela! Feel free to chime in with books, essays, longform articles, even stories and anecdotes or rants. More detail here.
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The RSS feed is here.
Last week’s thread is here.
Israel-Palestine Conflict
Sources on the fighting in Palestine against Israel. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:
UNRWA daily-ish reports on Israel’s destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.
English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news (and has automated posting when the person running it goes to sleep).
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.
English-language PalestineResist telegram channel.
More telegram channels here for those interested.
Various sources that are covering the Ukraine conflict are also covering the one in Palestine, like Rybar.
Russia-Ukraine Conflict
Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Sources:
Defense Politics Asia’s youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don’t want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it’s just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists’ side.
Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.
Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:
Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.
https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR’s former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR’s forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster’s telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a ‘propaganda tax’, if you don’t believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.
Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:
Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.
Hungary blocks the EU from releasing a joint pro-coup statement on Venezuela. Only statement will be from the unelected commissioners, judging someone’s elections.
Hungary’s veto underlines a fundamental flaw in EU foreign policy whereby decisions — including potential future sanctions on Venezuela — must be unanimously agreed among the bloc’s 27 member countries. This has led several countries, such as Germany, to advocate taking foreign policy decisions by a qualified majority. The Hungarian government couldn’t be immediately reached for a comment on the motivation for its veto.
Some people are saying this is fake news, but besides one newspaper, no other said it was fake.
The Costa Rican government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, granted political asylum to Maria Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez, after being informed that arrest warrants had been issued.
Costa rica is going to do that how? With their imaginary army?
The president of the National Assembly of Venezuela, Jorge Rodriguez, asked the Public Ministry to issue arrest orders for Maria Corina Machado, and for candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.
Meanwhile, President Nicolas Maduro is giving a speech to his supporters. He blames this coup attempt on the USA and Elon Musk. And say this coup will fail, just like the others.
Seems like protests in Venezuela have died down now. The US probably told Machado and Gonzalez to shut the fuck up.
OPEC recognizes Maduro’s victory.
Joe Biden spoke with Lula da Silva today:
“Today, I spoke with President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, including the emerging political situation in Venezuela following their presidential election. We agree on the need for an immediate release of full, transparent, and detailed voting data at the polling station level by the Venezuelan electoral authorities. And we pledged to remain in close coordination on the issue.”
What the Brazilian Goverment said about this:
Huge Letter
“President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva received a phone call from US President Joe Biden on Tuesday, July 30, to discuss bilateral and multilateral issues and the situation in Venezuela. The conversation lasted around half an hour. Biden thanked them for their joint work on the Partnership for Workers’ Rights and the energy transition.”
"Biden confirmed his presence at the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November and wished the Brazilian presidency success at the head of the group. "
“Regarding Venezuela, Lula noted that he has been constantly monitoring the electoral process through his Special Advisor, Celso Amorim, who was sent to Caracas. He reported that Amorim had met with Nicolás Maduro and Edmundo González Urrutia and reiterated Brazil’s position of continuing to work for the normalization of the political process in the neighbouring country, which will have positive effects for the whole region. Lula reiterated that the publication of the electoral records from last Sunday’s elections is essential. Biden agreed with the importance of publishing the minutes.”
“President Biden mentioned that the economies of both countries are doing well and that the partnership between Brazil and the US should continue to grow.”
“Lula invited Biden to take part in a meeting of democratic countries against extremism, to be held next September in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.”
“At the end of the call, the Brazilian president congratulated Biden on his “magnanimous” decision on the US electoral process and wished the country’s democracy success in the presidential elections in November.”
TLDR; Lula said that he knows what is going in Venezuela and is not alarmed by anything (No fraud). He is doing what AMLO and Petro are also doing, waiting to declare that Maduro was reelected.
Opposition woman acts like they’re begging police for mercy in front the camera. Full video shows Venezuelan police signaling for her to move her child off the road. The media psyop factory is on full blast
Brazil, like Mexico, rejects OAS note against Venezuela.
Brazil has been saying behind the scenes that the ideal is for the OAS not to take a position in any way, as it would be counterproductive for it to do so. Brazilian diplomats believe that the body has lost its ability to deal with issues relating to Venezuela because it is considered by Brazilian sources to be biased and close to the United States, which has a critical view of Venezuela.
Diplomats report that the OAS, for example, accepted Venezuela’s entry into the body after the country’s self-declared president Juan Guaidó, an opponent of Maduro, expressed interest in joining the collegiate body. After the crisis with Guaidó, the country never rejoined the OAS, which limits, according to Itamaraty sources, the possibility of the country taking a position on itself. For this reason, there is a perception that any manifestation by the OAS could be used politically by Maduro himself, given the organization’s history against the regime
Other countries, such as Paraguay and the Dominican Republic, which initially supported the note, considered it a bad move behind the scenes. Since the OAS is considered to be very biased against Venezuela.
All Latin American countries need to exit the OAS asap
Brian Nichols: “We reject calls by Maduro & his inner circle for the arrests of Venezuelan opposition leaders, Gonzalez and Machado. Venezuelans have the constitutional right to express their views freely & without reprisal. Actions to detain or arrest members of the democratic opposition show that lacking any evidence to back Maduro’s electoral claims, he resorts to repression.”
The White House and State Department have spoken: They want Maria Corina Machado to administer Venezuela on their behalf and they’ll accept nothing else.
Reports of clashes in the east Caracas barrio of Petare. Local police reportedly went in to disperse protesters when local armed groups fired against them. There’s an ensuing firefight going on with other police teams on the scene
The new TOTALLY REAL “proof” that Ebil Dictator Maduro commited electoral fraud:
They are claiming that Gonzalez “Miami counted” electoral results show the numbers after 0.00%. Example: It shows that Gonzalez has 68.943943% and Maduro has 32.493943% (This is just an example, I don’t remember the numbers rn). But they claim Maduro’s and the CNE (Venezuela’s Electoral Justice) doesn’t show the numbers after 0.00%, so many websites show as: Maduro 51.000000% and Gonzalez 44.000000%. And this 00000 is their proof that there was fraud.
Ignoring the fact that the full results weren’t released yet, and most newspapers around entire world in every single election mostly just show the four first numbers (usually: 00.00%) of the votes. This is legit the same accusation to when they showed the 4.6% of the votes and were claiming the CNE counted 142% of votes. Ignoring that the 4.6% is the total amount of votes the other candidates besides Maduro and Gonzalez got
Communist Party of Brazil (Under coalition with the Workers’ Party) also recognized Maduro’s victory.
The Vice President of the United States and Democratic Party candidate for president of the country, Kamala Harris, echoed President Joe Biden, in asking Venezuela’s electoral body to release the complete electoral results, minutes by minutes, of Sunday’s presidential elections. She also said that violence and threats against peaceful demonstrations are unacceptable.
New Imaginary Goverment Lore
Peru recognizes Edmundo Gonzalez, opposition candidate, as elected president of Venezuela.
The CIA will probably ask Dina to remove her Foreign Relations Minister after this lol
Update on the case of the Gusano girl who supported the prostest until the protests destroyed her store.
By instructions of the re-elected president Nicolás Maduro through the Digital Worker Bank, the necessary and timely support and attention was provided to the young merchant who was a victim of vandalism in Catia la Mar.
Gustavo Petro speaks about the Venezuelan Elections.
Huge Letter
Colombian President, Gustavo Petro, speaks about the Venezuelan election:
“The serious doubts surrounding the Venezuelan electoral process could lead its people to a deep violent polarization with serious consequences of permanent division of a nation that has been able to unite many times in its history.”
“I invite the Venezuelan government to allow the elections to end in peace by allowing a transparent scrutiny with the counting of votes, minutes and with the oversight of all the political forces of your country and professional international oversight.”
“While this process is being carried out, tranquility can reach the opposing citizen forces and stop the violence leading to death until the counting of votes is completed and the elections are officially over. We respectfully propose to reach an agreement between government and opposition that allows maximum respect for the force that has lost the elections. Such an agreement can be submitted as a Unilateral Declaration of State to the United Nations Security Council.”
“I request the U.S. government to suspend the blockades and decisions against Venezuelan citizens. The blockade is an anti-human measure that only brings more hunger and violence than there is already and promotes the mass exodus of peoples. Emigration to the U.S. from Latin America will decrease substantially if the blockade is lifted. Free peoples know how to make their own decisions.”
“The current situation in the world, where international law is broken, where children are murdered with total impunity and where brotherly peoples confront each other with weapons before the designs of dark powers that gravitate around greed and do not think about the life of humanity, can turn the Caribbean into a bonfire of violence and instability facing foreign powers foreign to our history and our territory.”
“That cannot happen in our sister country and must definitely end in Colombia. Whatever happens in Venezuela will affect Colombia and vice versa. As the Venezuelan government has helped peace in Colombia, now this government I represent wants to help peace in Venezuela.”
“Latin America must be a region of Democracy, Liberty and Peace. That was the final slogan of the Liberator Bolivar. That flag must continue to be raised by our own peoples.”
“President Maduro has a great responsibility today, to remember the spirit of Chávez, and allow the Venezuelan people to return to tranquility while the elections end calmly and the transparent result, whatever it may have been, is accepted.”
“The scrutiny is the end of any electoral process, it must be transparent and ensure peace and democracy. My best wishes for peace and democracy in Venezuela.”
Tldr: Petro will wait for full results to recognize Maduro. He asks Maduro to maintain peace and order. And asks the USA/Biden to remove all sanctions from Venezuela.
