We’ll go Down The Rabbit Hole shortly but first…in a continuation of yesterday’s theme we have Jurist reporting that the EU (European Union) has condemned the Venezuela Comptroller General’s decision to disqualify Maria Corina Machado from elected office.

 The EU said Elvis Amoroso’s move contravened the recommendations of the 2021 EU Electoral Observation Mission to Venezuela, which asked the Comptroller General to stop disqualifying candidates from elections citing their inability to defend themselves.

 The move against Ms Machado was also condemned by the Ibero-American Group for Freedom and Democracy and rejected by the Venezuela opposition’s National Primary Commission on the grounds of unconstitutionality.

 Now the EU faces the same decision as the Biden administration and it’s sanctions easing agreement with Chevron allowing the export of Venezuela oil to the US.

 Before the Biden/Chevron easing deal the EU made the same deal with Eni (Italy) and Repsol (Spain) for export of Venezuela oil to Europe specifying that PDVSA (Venezuela government-owned oil company) couldn’t receive cash for the oil shipments, only debt reduction.

 The EU deal is further complicated by the question, although I seem to be the only one asking it, Did PDVSA get any cash from the shipments to Europe that resumed after a four-month pause when the Chavistas demanded cash?

 That question aside, the EU and the US need to decide whether or not they truly support the return to democracy, the rule of law, and free and fair elections in Venezuela or will they allow the Maduro dictatorship to continue it’s oppression of the Venezuelan people (paying only lip service to the problem).

 If they support freedom and democracy (as they say they do) in Venezuela they will immediately reimpose sanctions against the Maduro regime (and don’t worry about the impact of sanctions on the Venezuelan people. The Maduro regime makes $10 billion a year from it’s illicit trafficking operations that it can use for food and medicine for the people, it they choose to) and ratchet up all available pressure through the international community (you know, all those countries that support freedom and democracy in Ukraine).

 If not they can simply allow this travesty to take place….FYI, the US oil and gas industry is more than capable of supplying all the needs of both the US and the EU should the Biden administration make it a priority.

 My guess…the climate change narrative of the Biden administration and the EU leaders will prove more important to them than freedom and democracy in Venezuela.

 And, before the news broke on the fiasco by the Maduro regime against Maria Corina Machado, we had WOLA reporting that international interest and momentum toward change in Venezuela that occurred in 2019 with the rise of (and the ultimate failure of) Juan Guaido, has been replaced with a “sense of fatigue” at the international level characterized by a lack of commitment of resources and interest toward promoting a democratic transition.

 In addition, the US position toward the Venezuela government has moved from a strategy of maximum pressure to one that prioritizes negotiations and is open to relaxing sanctions in return for meeting certain  conditions (which haven’t been met).

 The humanitarian emergency, recognized as such by the international community since 2016, has deepened and without a democratic transition it is unlikely that the country will move in the right direction to overcome the emergency and address the needs of the Venezuelan people.

 The political scenario has changed in Venezuela since 2019 but the situation has not as Human Rights violations, corruption, persecution of dissent, limited access to information and censorship, absence of the rule of law, and the humanitarian emergency (starvation, lack of medicine, lack of reliable access to electricity and water, etc,) continue.

 Overcoming both national and international fatigue must be a priority regarding negotiations with the regime and electoral pathways as well as addressing the humanitarian emergency.

 With the opposition primaries in October followed by the presidential election in 2024 and then legislative, regional,and local elections in 2025 this represents the biggest opportunity yet for the democratic transition of the country…BUT WE MUST ACT NOW!!

 Let’s head Down The Rabbit Hole…

 Chapter 18/ Bullets…

 In my former life as a sales and marketing professional I used Bullet Points to simplify complex issues. Let’s apply the practice to the complex situation in Venezuela as the Chavistas have had 24 years of destroying life and society in Venezuela.

 BULLETS :

1/ Chavismo promised, and continues to promise, exactly what today’s socialists (and yesterday’s) are promising.

2/ You can’t have an honest discussion about universal healthcare if you can’t have an honest (detailed and factual) discussion about how to pay for it. See chapter 1.

3/ US sanctions are not responsible for the humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. See chapter 2.

 4/ PDVSA (Venezuela government-owned oil company) was once the envy of the entire oil-producing world. Today it is in ruins, not because of the fluctuation in oil prices or US sanctions. 21st Century Bolivarian Socialism destroyed it and if they can destroy that they can destroy anything. See chapter 3.

 5/ After promising a more reliable electric power grid, Chavismo completely ignored it and now, due to neglect and corruption, electric service in Venezuela has been set back 60 years. See chapter 4.

6/ Don’t take access to fresh water for granted. Chavismo has made the situation exponentially worse. See chapter 4.

7/ Price and currency controls don’t work…PERIOD!!! See chapter 5.

8/ Cryptocurrency may be the way of the future but Venezuela’s (Maduro’s) El Petro is, as the Washington Post said, “…the most obviously horrible investment ever!” See chapter 6.

 More tomorrow….