Venezuela Roundup: Esequibo defence, robotic centres, EU sanctions
Esequibo defence
Venezuela's Executive Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, has visited the Netherlands to defend the holding of a consultative referendum on the territory of Essequibo. In a post on social media Rodríguez wrote, “On behalf of the President. @NicolasMaduro we are in The Hague to defend Venezuela and its historical rights over Guayana Esequiba. Nothing and no one is going to stop the expression of our people in the Consultative Referendum of this #3D.”
Robotic Centres
President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela announced that the young boys and girls in Venezuela have joined three thousand robotics centres across the Latin American country. While congratulating the winners of the 2023 World Robotics Olympiad, held in Panama, the President is quoted in a press release saying, "The new world will be determined by great advanced technology, robotics, and Venezuela has to be independent, not just independent of the territory, in politics, in the economy, it has to be independent in technology, in knowledge, in brain. We have to achieve independence. Have your own knowledge.”
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Letter to the UN
Venezuela has sent a letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres demanding the rectification of errors affecting Venezuela's sovereignty. President Maduro said that the letter sent on November 11, includes evidence of the errors and requests the General Secretariat to deactivate the escalation that Guyana has against Venezuela, local media El Universal reported. This comes after a spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stéphane Dujarric in a statement released on November 9 said, “The Secretary-General is following with concern the recent escalation of tension between Guyana and Venezuela over the border controversy between the two countries. He trusts that both parties will demonstrate good faith and avoid any action that would aggravate or extend the controversy.”
EU sanctions
The European Union has extended the validity of sanctions on Venezuela for six months until 14 May 2024. In the official statement released by the EU on November 13, the council stated, “In view of the situation in Venezuela, the Council today decided exceptionally to extend its restrictive measures for six months only instead of one year, until 14 May 2024. These restrictive measures include an embargo on arms and on equipment for internal repression as well as a travel ban and an asset freeze on 54 listed individuals. In connection to the latest review of the measures, one deceased person was removed from the list.”
E-commerce
At least 65% of Internet transactions from Venezuela are done via cell phones. The president of the Venezuelan Chamber of Electronic Commerce (Cavecom-e), Richard Ujueta, is quoted by local media La Patilla saying, “The global trend, we are very high in that percentage versus worldwide, which is already around 65% and in some countries 60%.” According to La Patilla, Ujueta stated that fibre optics will become more widely used in the nation, which will boost economic activity overall as well as electronic commerce.
