Courtesy of: AFP
This week: While President Chávez’s health remains a mystery, Vice President Maduro reads a letter supposedly signed by the president at a summit in Chile; with Chávez still in Cuba, many Venezuelans are uneasy about his ties with the Castro family; and the Venezuelan government announces that Chávez will begin yet another round of medical treatment in Cuba, after battling complications from cancer surgery. A Venezuelan jail in Uribana closes after at least 58 died in one of the deadliest prison clashes in the nation’s history; the government comes under harsh criticism for its handling of the Uribana prison riot; the United Nations Human Rights Office holds the Venezuelan government accountable for the prison clash, arguing that the violence reflects neglectful Venezuelan policies; and the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory announces that 591 prisoners were killed in Venezuelan prisons in 2012 alone, the deadliest year in Chávez’s 14-year reign. Lastly, Human Rights Watch releases its annual report saying that Chávez holds “total” power in Venezuela; the government will channel more resources from its oil exports to the central bank this year with hopes that it will alleviate a shortage of dollars; and delayed economic measures continue to lead to inflation and massive shortage of necessities in Venezuela.
Venezuela VP Reads Typed Chavez Letter at Summit, ABC News
Venezuela’s vice president read a letter from Hugo Chavez at a summit in Chile Monday, exhorting the region’s leaders to show unity while criticizing the U.S. embargo on Cuba.
As Chavez takes his time, Havana rules Venezuela, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Before undergoing his fourth surgery for an unspecified abdominal cancer, Chávez gave specific instructions on what was to happen if he could not return to power.
Venezuela’s Chavez Undergoes New Medical Treatment in Cuba, Voice of America
A Venezuelan government spokesman says President Hugo Chavez has begun a new round of medical treatment in Cuba, after battling complications from cancer surgery performed more than a month ago.
Venezuela jail closed after more than 60 died in riot, BBC News
Venezuelan prison minister Iris Varela has announced the closure of the jail where more than 60 people died in a riot on Friday. Ms Varela said the female wing of the Uribana prison near the city of Barquisimeto had already been cleared.
Victims, Victims Everywhere, New York Times
Uribana prison was built just this century, supposedly as a model institution that would usher in a rehabilitative approach to the penitentiary system. Instead, it has become a symbol of Venezuela’s history of prison violence.
UN Agency: Venezuela Prison Violence ‘Alarming,’ ABC News
Venezuela’s government is facing mounting criticism from activists and the U.N. human rights office for its handling of the country’s overcrowded and violent prisons following a clash between inmates and troops that left at least 58 dead.
Group: 591 Killed in Venezuela Prisons Last Year, ABC News
Venezuela’s latest bloody prison clash came after a year in which 591 inmates were killed in the country’s troubled prisons, the deadliest toll yet during President Hugo Chavez’s 14-year government, a watchdog group said Thursday.
Chavez-run government holds total power: rights group, The Global Post
Venezuela’s government, headed by ailing and absent President Hugo Chavez, holds “total” power while the country’s Supreme Court lacks all credibility, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.
Venezuela to Pump More Dollars Into Economy With Oil Tax, Bloomberg
Venezuela will channel more resources from its oil exports to the central bank this year as it seeks to alleviate a shortage of dollars that has crimped imports, Oil Minister Rafael Ramirez said yesterday.
Delayed economic steps lead to inflation, shortage in Venezuela, El Universal
After two months of uncertainty concerning the economic actions to be taken by the Venezuelan Government, Vice-President Nicolás Maduro informed that President Hugo Chávez had approved several memorandum accounts in connection with economic decisions that will be fully explained by the relevant ministers.
