*files paperwork for Venezuela*

[Quarterback]

@Jisselle you're up

Unless you're **** like many are saying

And where did these revolts get these other countries? And where is the US? I'm all for activism, but I think in this case, I have to say "scoreboard".

Oppressing its black community and POC, that's where it's at you dumb cac. The scoreboard is tied.

 

[ellessij]

@Jisselle you're up

Unless you're **** like many are saying

I didn't know 2meo was "many" but assuming he's a fat guy makes sense now.

Looks like there's two people on my ignore list now. Bye.

I'd love to comment on the topic at hand, but I'll do so in another comment.

 

[jerome]

chavez my nikka i hate it had to be him

 

[88m3]

AMERICAS

Obama to Sign Bill Imposing Sanctions on Venezuelan Officials Over Anti-Government Crackdown

By Andrea Noel

December 11, 2014 | 9:00 pm
The US Congress unanimously passed a bill on Wednesday that would sanction Venezuelan government officials for human rights violations committed against anti-government protesters this year. White House spokesperson Josh Earnest confirmed on Thursday that President Barack Obama plans to sign the bill into law, but did not specify when that would happen.

Venezuela saw a wave of violent protests between February and May against the government of Nicolas Maduro, who succeeded the late Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez as president in March 2013. Thousands were jailed, hundreds were left injured, and at least 43 people died during the unrest.

Watch the full length VICE News documentary Venezuela Rising.

The pending US sanctions include freezing Venezuelan officials' US assets, and denying and restricting visas for an unspecified list of Venezuelan officials. President Obama would reserve the right to waive travel restrictions if he considers it to be in the best interest of the country.

President Maduro was quick to criticize the congressional move.

"Who is the US senate to sanction the nation of Bolivar?" Maduro shouted rhetorically on Wednesday during a televised speech. "You are playing with history President Obama."

In late July, the US State Department imposed travel bans on Venezuelan officials "who have been responsible for or complicit in human rights abuses," such as "repeated efforts to repress legitimate expression of dissent through judicial intimidation, to limit freedom of the press, and to silence members of the political opposition."

The US also expressed concern over the lack of due process and access to fair trials for those detained as a result of the Venezuelan protests, blaming Venezuelan authorities for their role in "arbitrary detentions and excessive use of force."

"Those who commit such abuses will not be welcome in the United States," said spokeswoman Marie Harf.

Venezuela is pumping ozone into its Caracas airport and taxing people for breathing it. Read more here.

In a September statement, Harf said at least 70 protesters remain incarcerated more than half a year after the demonstrations spread. Many of them have not yet been formally charged, including opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.

Lopez has spent stints in solitary confinement in a military prison since his February arrest, which Human Rights Watch severely criticized. Two opposition mayors have spent months behind bars, but their seats were quickly filled after their arrest, as both men's wives were overwhelmingly elected to replace their husbands.

Citing local NGOs, Harf said that more than 1,700 Venezuelans are facing charges stemming from the uprising but have not received a court date.

"Nicolas Maduro's intransigent, brutal regime continues to desperately and violently silence dissident voices who believe in freedom, and democracy, and in respect for human rights," said Florida Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen on Wednesday at the House of Representatives.

She cited as example the "illegal" removal of Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado this March from her congressional post, after she spoke out against the Venezuelan government before a meeting of the Organization of American States. Machado has beenunable to leave the country since June, accused of conspiracy to murder Maduro.

Machado maintains her innocence, and denies any knowledge of the alleged plot.

A contraband crackdown is rattling the border between Colombia and Venezuela. Read more here.


https://news.vice.com/article/obama...ti-government-crackdown?utm_source=vicenewsfb



putting the nails in the coffin and fumbling with the hammer

 

[88m3]

30 December 2014 Last updated at 06:40 ET
Venezuelan government weighs in on ice-cream shop row

Scarcity of some staple foods has led to long queues at markets and shops in Venezuela
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories

• Venezuela economy: The businessmanWatch
• Venezuela economy: The housewifeWatch
• What's behind Venezuela's economic woes?

The Venezuelan tourism ministry has denied reports that a shortage of milk is behind the closure of a famous ice-cream shop in the city of Merida.

The shop, called Coromoto, is famous for offering more than 850 flavours of ice cream ranging from beer to beans.

It announced on Facebook on 26 December that it would be closing "for the high season due to a lack of milk".

But the ministry says there is no shortage of ingredients and that other local ice-cream shops remain open.

Scarcity
Venezuela, which depends on imports for many products, is experiencing shortages of some staples, such as corn oil and powdered milk.

According to the latest official figures released by Venezuela's central bank, the scarcity index stood at 29,4% in March.

This suggests that out of 100 goods, 29 were not always available everywhere at the time.

While this does not mean that Venezuelans cannot get access to food, it does mean that they may have to go to different supermarkets and search over several days to get everything on their shopping list.

The Venezuelan government has seized warehouses it says were used to hoard goods for contraband
Critics of socialist President Nicolas Maduro say government mismanagement is behind the scarcity.

The government blames unscrupulous businesspeople, who it says hoard goods to drive up prices.

Officials also point to the fact that up to 40% of goods Venezuela subsidises for its domestic market are being smuggled into neighbouring Colombia, further exacerbating the shortages.

In a statement published on its website (in Spanish), the tourism ministry said on Monday that "despite the manipulation spread by a number of national and international media and the sign posted by the Coromoto ice-cream shop, in which they blame their closure on a 'lack of ingredients', paradoxically the rest of these businesses is serving more and more tourists and residents as they have all that's needed to prepare ice cream".

The statement goes on to quote the managers of two ice-cream shops in Merida who say they are open for business.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30631853

 

[88m3]

Venezuela recession confirmed as Maduro attacks US 'oil war'

Mr Maduro accused opposition forces of sabotaging the Venezuelan economy
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories

• Are low oil prices here to stay?
• Venezuela economy: The businessmanWatch
• Venezuela economy: The housewifeWatch

The Venezuelan economy is now officially in recession after the central bank released figures showing that it has been shrinking all year.

The bank said the economy had declined by 2.3% in the third quarter of 2014.

It also revealed for the first time that GDP contracted by 4.8% and 4.9% respectively in the first and the second quarters of 2014.

President Nicolas Maduro said the economy had been hit by political instability and falling oil prices.

He accused the United States of flooding the markets with oil as part of an economic war against Russia.

The central bank also said inflation had reached 63.6% in the 12 months to November, one of the highest rates in the world.

Mr Maduro announced a number of measures to boost economic growth and control inflation, including reforms to Venezuela's currency control system.

"The details will be extensively explained after the New Year's greeting," Mr Maduro told reporters.

'Anti-Opec plan'
Mr Maduro said speculation had affected inflation but he also praised government efforts to rein in the increases.

State-owned company PDVSA was founded in 1976, when the Venezuelan oil industry was nationalised

Venezuela was shaken by months of anti-government protests in the first half of 2014

Shortages of basic staples such as bread have angered shoppers
He said his country was suffering the consequences of an economic war launched by US President Barack Obama "to destroy" the oil producers' cartel, Opec.

"It is a two-year plan, which is affecting the prices of commodities and many developing economies," Mr Maduro said.

"The US wants to impose a unipolar world controlled from Washington. That is madness."

The crisis offered a "great opportunity for Venezuela to change its economic model," the president added.

Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves, with its economy highly dependent on oil exports.

The Venezuelan opposition blames the socialist policies of Mr Maduro and his late predecessor, Hugo Chavez, for a shortage of many staples, such as corn oil and milk, amid a serious economic crisis.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30638770

 

[blackzeus]

Venezuela recession confirmed as Maduro attacks US 'oil war'

Mr Maduro accused opposition forces of sabotaging the Venezuelan economy
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories

• Are low oil prices here to stay?
• Venezuela economy: The businessmanWatch
• Venezuela economy: The housewifeWatch

The Venezuelan economy is now officially in recession after the central bank released figures showing that it has been shrinking all year.

The bank said the economy had declined by 2.3% in the third quarter of 2014.

It also revealed for the first time that GDP contracted by 4.8% and 4.9% respectively in the first and the second quarters of 2014.

President Nicolas Maduro said the economy had been hit by political instability and falling oil prices.

He accused the United States of flooding the markets with oil as part of an economic war against Russia.

The central bank also said inflation had reached 63.6% in the 12 months to November, one of the highest rates in the world.

Mr Maduro announced a number of measures to boost economic growth and control inflation, including reforms to Venezuela's currency control system.

"The details will be extensively explained after the New Year's greeting," Mr Maduro told reporters.

'Anti-Opec plan'
Mr Maduro said speculation had affected inflation but he also praised government efforts to rein in the increases.

State-owned company PDVSA was founded in 1976, when the Venezuelan oil industry was nationalised

Venezuela was shaken by months of anti-government protests in the first half of 2014

Shortages of basic staples such as bread have angered shoppers
He said his country was suffering the consequences of an economic war launched by US President Barack Obama "to destroy" the oil producers' cartel, Opec.

"It is a two-year plan, which is affecting the prices of commodities and many developing economies," Mr Maduro said.

"The US wants to impose a unipolar world controlled from Washington. That is madness."

The crisis offered a "great opportunity for Venezuela to change its economic model," the president added.

Venezuela has the world's largest proven oil reserves, with its economy highly dependent on oil exports.

The Venezuelan opposition blames the socialist policies of Mr Maduro and his late predecessor, Hugo Chavez, for a shortage of many staples, such as corn oil and milk, amid a serious economic crisis.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-30638770

Real talk, Obama might be the most proficient international Pres since Teddy Roosevelt. These are some incredible international plays. South America of the United States

 

[Futuristic Eskimo]

Real talk, Obama might be the most proficient international Pres since Teddy Roosevelt. These are some incredible international plays. South America of the United States

Whats this have to do with Obama though?

 

[theworldismine13]

Real talk, Obama might be the most proficient international Pres since Teddy Roosevelt. These are some incredible international plays. South America of the United States

whats going in venezuela has nothing to do with obama, it has to do with socialism being a backwards economic system

 

[Chris.B]

Socialism never works

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

 

[DEAD7]

whats going in venezuela has nothing to do with obama, it has to do with socialism being a backwards economic system

While I wont say it has "nothing" to do with the U.S., its ultimately comes down to a terrible(and repeatedly failed) economic model, and several ill advised economic decisions.

 

[Poitier]

Could be worse. Could be the EU (except Germany lol).

 

[Domingo Halliburton]

Shoppers thronged grocery stores across Caracas today as deepening shortages led the government to put Venezuela’s food distribution under military protection.
Long lines, some stretching for blocks, formed outside grocery stores in the South American country’s capital as citizens search for scarce basic items such as detergent and chicken.
“I’ve visited six stores already today looking for detergent -- I can’t find it anywhere,” said Lisbeth Elsa, a 27-year-old janitor, waiting in line outside a supermarket in eastern Caracas. “We’re wearing our dirty clothes again because we can’t find it. At this point I’ll buy whatever I can find.”
A dearth of foreign currency exacerbated by collapsing oil prices has led to shortages of imports from toilet paper to car batteries, and helped push annual inflation to 64 percent in November.
...
Interior Minister Carmen Melendez said yesterday that security forces would be sent to food stores and distribution centers to protect shoppers.
“Don’t fall into desperation -- we have the capacity and products for everyone, with calmness and patience. The stores are full,” she said on state television.
...............
“This is the worst its ever been -- I’ve seen lines thousands of people long,” Greisly Jarpe, a 42-year-old data analyst, said as she waited for dish soap in eastern Caracas. “People are so desperate they’re sleeping in the lines.”

implement price controls on goods below their clearing price because you hold onto some long lost communist dream, brehs.

 

[Chris.B]

Could be worse. Could be the EU (except Germany lol).

you are ignorant