Let’s look at a couple of things before we head Down The Rabbit Hole to continue with “The Supremes”. With all the talk about the negotiations in Mexico between the Maduro regime and the opposition none of the articles gave us the details of what both sides agreed upon to continue the talks on September 3rd. I finally found one and here it is. Human Rights Watch gives us the parameters for the agreement and here they are:

 1/Political rights for everyone

 2/Electoral guarantees for everyone

 3/An electoral calendar to carry out observable elections

 4/Lifting sanctions

 5/Respecting the constitutional rule of law

 6/Political and social coexistence

 7/Renouncing violence

 8/Reparations for victims of violence

 9/Protection of the national economy and measures for social protection for the Venezuelan People

 10/Guarantees to implement follow up and verify agreements

 Human Rights Watch went on to give a “Laundry List” of what we would need to see going forward, police reform,judicial reform, humanitarian aid reform, legal reform, basically Chavismo reform. They also mention the need for the ICC to move beyond it’s preliminary investigation and actually open an investigation into human rights violations and crimes against humanity by the Chavistas and specifically Nicolas Maduro. They also mention that the “preliminary investigation” began in February, 2018. So maybe after two and a half years of being slow walked by former Chief Prosecutor (and Maduro apologist) Bensouda the new Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, will actually pursue justice.

 Just Security gave us some supplemental information in an article about new ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan. He is changing things already after years of the status quo (meaning doing nothing) under Bensouda. Khan is streamlining, strengthening, and unifying the prosecution process.He will utilize a coordinated team approach versus the Bensouda model of multiple overlapping reporting which led to accomplishing absolutely nothing. In a sign things may be changing already Sudan has announced it will hand over former president Omar Al-Bashir to the court. After years of stagnation we finally have some action. It’s not like everybody didn’t know what happened in Sudan under this guy just as the whole world knows what has happened in Venezuela under Maduro. If the ICC opens a formal investigation into Maduro and the Chavistas it would be a very positive sign for Venezuela.

 And Volcano Discovery reports another major earthquake in Venezuela. I’m waiting for the photo of the guy on the street corner holding up a sign “The End Is Nigh”.

 Now Down The Rabbit Hole we go for more on “The Supremes”….

 ….When the TSJ was given it’s new name and new members it’s function was defined as “to control according to the constitution and related laws the constitutionality and legality of public acts.” Under Chavismo the lines between a legal entity and a political entity became blurred or non-existent even though they were the ones that defined the TSJ’s responsibilities. The TSJ regularly makes recommendations to the CNE board (electoral council). In 2012 it ruled that the top opposition leader couldn’t run against Chavez.It categorized it’s decision as an administrative decision and not a political one, whatever that means.By the way, as much as the Chavistas loved maligning Leopoldo Lopez, the opposition leader, and constantly professing their love for Simon Bolivar,The Great Liberator, it is Lopez, and not Chavez, who is Bolivar’s descendant.

 Although the TSJ made numerous questionable rulings during the Chavez years not much was said due to the overwhelming Chavista majority in the National Assembly. When Maduro took over the reins of Chavismo following the death of Hugo Chavez things would begin to change.There would be no more pretense or subterfuge. The gloves would come off. To understand the TSJ under Maduro it’s necessary to take a good look at his President of the court (similar to the Chief Justice in the US), Maikel Moreno.

 Moreno was convicted of murder in Bolivar state in 1987 while a member of DISIP, the Venezuelan Political Police.It’s not clear if he ever actually served jail time. In 1989 he was involved in the murder of Ruben Gil Martinez in Caracas and has also been linked to the death of attorney Danilo Anderson.

 In 2004, in a recorded conversation, he pressured Caracas judge, Luis Melendez, to release Saul Cordero being held on arms and drug trafficking charges. Cordero was never officially charged, was released, and was later named police chief in the municipality of Caroni by the pro-Chavista mayor.He also worked in the early Chavez years as both attorney and judge on the same case with two different suspects. I guess when you are ethically bankrupt you can’t have a conflict of interest.

 In 2007 Moreno improperly released two murder suspects. He was also implicated in extortion rings and drug trafficking in an investigation ordered by Chavez. When he was defrocked he reportedly said he wasn’t worried, his good friends, Cilia (Maduro’s wife) and Nico (Nicolas Maduro)would take care of him….and so they did.

 To be continued….