Just a short while ago, the National Assembly voted in favour of impeaching (antejuicio al merito) Maria Corina Machado, an opposition deputy of the National Assembly who has been one of the loudest anti-government voices in recent months. The Fiscalia General (the officer of the Attorney General) is now involved in the proceedings.
The motion was proposed by PSUV deputy Tania Diaz, and it was seconded and moved to vote by Diosdado Cabello. The proposition was put forward under the special status of “urgent motion”.
Deputy Diaz said:
At this opportunity, these deaths will be avenged. At this opportunity, these deaths will be repaid, they will be repaid and they will be repaid according to the Constitution.
(…)
[Maria Corina Machado’s actions] could amount to treason, amongst other crimes.
(…)
It is for this reason that I request… that all of these documents (…) are taken to the Fiscalia General de la Republica so that it may be determined if there is enough [evidence] to request the Supreme Tribunal of Justice [the Supreme Court] for an impeachment of Maria Corina Machado.
Later on during the proceedings, Diosdado Cabello said, “This [deputy] must pay before Venezuelan justice for the crimes, the destruction, disasters and the instigation to commit crimes amongst the cries for destabilization”. He also said that no more deaths can be allowed “because of a call to violence [from people] who want to exchange the future of the country for money”.
Maria Corina is giving a speech right as I type this, and this is some of what she has said:
If they thought that this would force is to bow down, now we are invincible… this government has never been so weak [as it is now] in all of these 15 years… My message today to all Venezuelans is one of hope and of strength… I will remain in this fight until victory. I will not abandon you.
Panama has ceded its seat in the Organization of American States to give Maria Corina to floor during the organization’s meeting this Friday. On the development, Diosdado Cabello said:
I don’t know to which part of the OAE she will go… the OAE is an organization without merit [and her going there] is embarrassing…. she can go to the OAE [or] a heavenly court, but here in Venezuela she will be judged as a murderer, a terrorist, she will be judged for crimes against humanity [lesa humanidad], for conspiracy and for destabilizing [the country].
That’s the two strongest opponents to the establishment gone in one month. Leopoldo Lopez is still in jail, and now Maria Corina Machado is facing impeachment, and possibly charges of murder, terrorism, crimes against humanity, conspiracy, etc. Without Maria Corina Machado, the only other big opposition figure left is Capriles, and maybe Antonio Ledezma.
Starting today, different student groups from around the country will begin meeting to “define the next steps” of the protests.
In the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas, a general assembly took place today at 10:00 AM for the students to discuss the situation. The president of the Federation of University Centres, Juan Requesens, said:
We are dedicated to going wherever we have to go to continue this fight. But what about your [fellow students who are] imprisoned? What about our murdered peers? And our tortured peers? That’s what the government should focus on, because we will continue to take to the streets to demand justice
Along with these assemblies, students were out protesting today. Here are some pictures of that:
In the Defensoria del Pueblo, students are placing banners on the building:
This sign reads “What are you doing for your country? The dead can’t graduate”:
Yesterday, Air Canada suspended all flights to Caracas “due to the civil disturbances that continue to trouble Venezuela”, and that as a result, “Air Canada can no longer guarantee the safety of its operations.” Maduro said earlier this week that “… I will take severe measures against airlines that reduce service, [and] airlines that leave the country will not be allowed to return while we are [in power].”
Sure enough, this morning Venezuela began proceedings to break all commercial ties with Air Canada, preventing the airline from returning to the country in the future. On the issue, the Minister of Air and Sea Transport, Herbert Garcia Plaza, just said this:
This is what I told Air Canada. This is not a suspension of flights, it is practically a termination of the agreement for flights into Venezuela, and [b]we are going to start processing the papers [with the government] to end this relationship with Air Canada for as long as the President wants.
On Sunday night, National Guard Captain Jose Guillen Araque was killed in a confrontation with demonstrators in Maracay, Aragua state. Today, an arrest was made for the murder of the captain. Tarek el Aissami, the governor of Aragua, said that “The captain was attacked, they [the National Guard] were not armed because they were attempting to restore public order.”
Here are more pictures of the demonstrations that took place today:
A mass of students in the Universidad Central de Venezuela:
A fire that broke out during demonstrations at the Universidad Nacional Experimental Politecnica de la Fuerza Armada Bolivariana in San Cristobal, Tachira:
From Caracas (I believe):
And this one is from Altamira, from around 7:20 PM Caracas time:
In Venezuela 