Maduro vs. Musk
The Venezuelan government continues blocking access to the social network X, in the midst of a harsh political struggle in which it accuses certain tech companies of intentionally operating against the sovereignty of the oil-producing nation. Maduro has been including Elon Musk in his rhetoric for a while, alleging that the tycoon made a pact with the opposition to amplify the message of rejection of Chavismo (there is no doubt that Musk uses his powerful horn to highlight certain political agendas). So, following a logic similar to that of the Brazilian judiciary, which also has its particular pulse with X, Caracas now demands to know if the company has any official representative in the country, which would imply that he/she is obliged to abide by Venezuelan laws. Incidentally, with the blockade, which already exceeds the initial time announced by Nicolás Maduro, the authorities hope that people will “learn to live without X” and that “new social networks” will enter the Venezuelan cyberspace, pointing to China as a probable source of alternatives.
SourceThe electoral drama
In the meantime, expectations are still high regarding the outcome that the electoral chamber of the highest Venezuelan court will give to the controversial contentious appeal presented by Maduro, which ended up judicializing an electoral process characterized by opacity. Yesterday, Monday, the opposition denounced that none of the political organizations that supported the candidacy of Edmundo Gonzalez were informed by the judiciary of the verification process of the printed electoral records—custodied by the electoral authority—that took place last Sunday. The Electoral Chamber will surely argue that Gonzalez has ignored its competence to “certify” the results of the elections, therefore he would have lost access to the “judicial benefits” of the ongoing process. Another former opposition candidate filed an appeal on Tuesday requesting the recusal of the judge overseeing the electoral case, alleging that there is a clear political link between her and the ruling party.
Haiti: sadly, business as usual
In recent days we have been forced to delve once again into the tense reality that the Caribbean nation continues to face. Despite the presence of Kenyan troops, violence is still rampant in certain parts of the country, with the capital Port-au-Prince as a permanent red hotspot in this regard. Yesterday, Monday, dozens of Haitians took to the streets to protest—not very peacefully—against recent incursions by the powerful criminal gang syndicate led by ex-cop Jimmy Cherisier, alias Barbecue. Last Sunday several houses in the strategic Solino neighborhood of the capital were set on fire and people were forced to flee the area amid heavy gunfire. “We have decided to take to the streets to say enough is enough. We want to live in peace. Solino is not in conflict with anyone. We are asking 'Barbecue' to leave us alone,” said a local resident.
People flee amid police crackdown yesterday (source).And this is all for our report today. I have referenced the sources dynamically in the text, and remember you can learn how and where to follow the LATAM trail news by reading my work here. Have a nice day.
