Speaking at a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Baky, Azerbaijan today, Maduro said that Venezuela was “winning the economic war” that he claims the United States and other actors are waging against the country.
Maduro repeated claims that Venezuela’s ills were the result of “brutal neoliberal economic measures”, though he did not explain exactly what these measures were or why the country’s economy was in freefall long before the first United States sanctions against the country’s financial sector took effect in August 2017.
Explaining that this “economic aggression” was “as lethal as [the U.S.] army”, Maduro said:
Venezuela is resisting. It will continue to resit. But more than that, it’s winning. We’re winning this multi-faceted economic war, and growth, recovery and prosperity are coming.
CLAP Boxes Provide Less Than 10% of Caloric Needs: NGO
The Maduro regime infamous CLAP boxes–a subsidized food program that delivers food to Venezuelans at varying intervals–is being denounced once again as nutritiously deficient, this time by an organization called the Ciudadania en Accion (Citizens in Action, CEA).
According to a report by CEA, the food that the food that comes in CLAP boxes only contain 9.09% of the caloric requirements of an average family, making them woefully inefficient in their role of providing nutrition. The calculation is based on the fact that, on average, a Venezuelan family has to wait 47.26 days to receive a CLAP box.
The CLAP system was launched in 2016 by the Maduro regime as a way to circumvent food shortages at supermarkets around the country. Since their inception, the CLAP program has been mired in controversy, as there are widespread, documented allegations that it is used to extort political submission from needy Venezuelans, and that it is a vehicle for regime corruption.
Colombia Closes Border for Regional Elections
The Colombian government has ordered the border with Venezuela closed while the country holds regional elections, which are scheduled to take place on Sunday. The closure–which took effect yesterday at 4:00 PM local time–will end on Sunday after the vote.
The announcement was made by Colombian Minister of the Interior Nancy Gutierrez, said that the closure would also impact the country’s borders with Brazil, Panama, Peru, and Ecuador, but that those crossings would only be closed Saturday and Sunday.
On Sunday, Colombians will head to the polls to vote for the mayors and governors.
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