Venezuela Faces a Tsunami of Problems in 2016

 Venezuela is in a crossroad on three different fronts: The first and the most significant is the rampant inflation that by the year 2016 will reach close to the 200%.  On the second front, the Maduro regime faces an internal struggle within the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, PSUV, due to the loss of the Parliamentary elections on December 6. This last event has prompted Maduro’s verbal attacks against the 3 million chavistas that didn’t vote for the regime’s candidates and the thousands that voted for the Opposition. 

Another very significant event that is lurking around Maduro’s head is the arrest of his Narco Nephews who will be facing the US supreme Court on December 17, in New York City, for their involvement in making a deal to smuggle 800 kilos of cocaine into the United States. According with a DEA source, one of these men -Efrain Antonio Campo Flores, was raised by Venezuelan first lady Cilia Flores. The other, Franqui Francisco Flores de Freitas is her nephew.  They were arrested on conspiracy charges in Haiti as they tried to use diplomatic immunity to facilitated their smuggle of drugs into the U.S.

2016 will also present many economic and socio-political challenges for the Opposition in their effort to recuperate from this tsunami of problems that the country is facing. It is going to be very important that Opposition stick together in order `to combat a desperate and fractured regime that has stolen and pilfered trillions of dollars and has bankrupted Venezuela during the past 16-years in power.  The international community must also show their complete support to the restoration of democracy in Venezuela.

                 

Venezuelan Embassies are filters for the Maduro Regime

Venezuelan embassies and consulates around the world are serving as filters for the Maduro regime to keep the opposition from traveling in and out of the country.

According to the agency AFP, (Agence France-Presse), only10% of those Venezuelans that hold diplomatic positions in embassies around the world have a diplomatic education.  It is not unusual for some diplomats to be selected because of their affiliation with the president, but in the case of Venezuela the majority of the diplomatic personnel are relatives of high profile chavistas. As a result, outrageous injustices are occurring in those institutions. 

Venezuelans in foreign lands are having difficulties renewing or even obtaining new passports. Furthermore, the Maduro regime now requires that Venezuelans with foreign passports obtain a visa to return to their country; otherwise they will be deported. Last week the first Venezuelan in the history of Venezuela, was deported because she did not have a visa. 

Since the embassies are controlled by chavistas with family ties to the regime, they decide who does and does not receive a visa. It is preposterous and despicable that Venezuelans living abroad cannot go back to their country without facing the obstacles imposed by their oppressive government. 

The Maduro regime is trying to ensure that Venezuelans who are not aligned with this tyrannical government have no rights under the same constitution and as members of the same nationality.