The Associated Press (AP) reported today that Foreign Affairs minister Jorge Arreaza is ready to “crash” a United Nations (UN) meeting focused on the Venezuelan migrant crisis, and that he hopes to “take advantage of the context” in order to present the Maduro regime’s viewpoint.
The meeting, which is taking place at the behest of Colombia and is scheduled for tomorrow,
… is designed to set up a fund for countries overwhelmed by the masses of Venezuelan escaping poverty and hunger
According to Reuters, Arreaza plans to speak at the meeting, during which he will ask the UN to give Maduro $500 million to pay repatriate Venezuelans who have left the country.
Since 2013, more than 2.3 million Venezuelans have fled the country as an increasingly authoritarian Maduro continues to preside over the most catastrophic economic, social, and political collapse that the country has experienced since the civil wars of the 19th century.
Arreaza also argued that if its regional neighbours are hoping to receive financial assistance to help with the unprecedented scale of the Venezuelan migrant crisis, then Venezuela, too, should receive money. Arreaza explained:
And also, why not, then, if that’s the case [that regional countries are going to request money], request resources to compensate Venezuela for the investment it has made to take in at least six million Latin Americans, most of whom are Colombians living in our country
The Maduro regime regularly downplays or outright ignores the severity of the migrant crisis as nothing more than attempts by a shadowy cabal of domestic and foreign enemies bent on smearing the regime’s name.
Journalist Detained in Connection to Oscar Perez Case
Isnardo Bravo, a prominent Venezuelan journalist, was detained by security forces in the Maiquetia International Airport this morning while he attempted to board a flight out of the country with his 11 year old daughter.
According to media reports, Bravo was informed at the airport that there was a judicial order banning him from leaving the country, the existence of which was completely unknown to Bravo. The journalist was subsequently detained and questions by members of the Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar [General Directorate for Military Counterintelligence] (DGCIM).
The country’s largest journalist union, the SNTP, tweeted about Vravo’s ordeal early this morning, saying that he was being held incommunicado in a government office inside the airport.
Bravo was released after eight hours of questioning.
Upon his release, Bravo told journalists that he had been detained in connection to the case of Oscar Perez, the renegade police officer who was killed alongside members of his organization in El Junquito on January 15 of this year. Bravo said:
I was detained in Maiquetia [International Airport by] three officers from the DGCIM. I cannot talk about their investigation. I can only say that it’s about the Oscar Perez case.
Bravo also said that he was made to sign a document agreeing to remain silent about the investigation, which he had “no problem” signing. Bravo also clarified that he was questioned as a witness, rather than as a suspect to a crime.
On his treatment while in detention, Bravo said that the officers were “cordial” towards him, and that he was calm throughout the ordeal. Bravo explained:
I’m totally calm. I have nothing to hide. They asked me if they could ask me to make another statement [at some other time], [and I said] go ahead, I have no problem with that.
Bravo made a splash on the national news aerlier this month after he broke the story of two firefighters in Merida state who made a satirical video of Maduro comparing him to a donkey. The two were later charged with instigating hatred for making the video,
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