Current Situation in Venezuela: After the recent presidential election in Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro’s camp, which the opposition claims was decisively defeated with substantial evidence to back it up, has failed to release the promised results to validate their claimed “victory.”
“At CNN’s request, experts have analyzed the results presented by both the government-aligned National Electoral Council of Venezuela (CNE) and the opposition platform Comando Con Venezuela,” reports the outlet. “These experts have determined that the numbers suggesting Maduro’s win are statistically improbable. Data released by the team of opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González Urrutia matches ‘mathematically and statistically,’ as stated by the experts.” This observation was also shared by guests Daniel Di Martino and César Báez on an upcoming episode of my show, Just Asking Questions.
In response to his defeat, Maduro not only continues to withhold the promised results but has issued orders to block access to X by internet providers for the next 10 days. Venezuelan activists, aiming to expose Maduro’s corruption, are urging defiance: “Use X. Download VPN. Share posts on X. Communicate on Whatsapp. Don’t leave chats,” writes journalist Orlando Avendaño on X. “Let us overcome the totalitarian siege. Today more than ever, to succeed, it is essential to be informed.”
Maduro has also initiated a crackdown on journalists, activists, and politicians who oppose him, detaining individuals like María Oropeza, an organizer for the opposition campaign. The Dirección General de Contrainteligencia Militar of Venezuela has shared a disturbing video on its official Instagram showing Oropeza’s arrest and imprisonment. Her mother is desperately seeking information about her daughter’s whereabouts.
Oropeza is not the only one facing such oppression. Opponents of the regime continue to disappear. There have been over 22 fatalities in protests since the election results were announced, with an estimated 2,000 individuals imprisoned.
Despite this, some leftists in the West continue to defend Maduro, even as his regime’s actions reveal their true nature and the lengths they will go to retain power, regardless of the people’s will. A significant 81% voter turnout demonstrated hope that the opposition could successfully overthrow the tyrant Maduro.
Insights from New York: Feeling frustrated about rent control.
Imagine paying $87.25 per month for rent while apartments above/below you go for $3,800, $4,800, and $5,200. This extreme example highlights how New York’s rent control laws contribute to the city’s high cost of living. https://t.co/QkJgwxHviE
— Liz Wolfe (@LizWolfeReason) August 9, 2024
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- “Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City President Jeffrey Schmid has indicated reluctance to support interest rate reduction due to inflation exceeding targets and a stable labor market,” as reported by Bloomberg.
- Interesting political headlines from The New York Times: “Harris Used to Worry About Laughing. Now Joy Is Fueling Her Campaign.”
- “Retailers are increasing imports to the US this summer to prepare for potential port strikes and shipping disruptions from attacks in the Red Sea ahead of the upcoming holiday shopping season,” as per Reuters.
- A middle school in El Paso, Texas, has decided to prohibit wearing all-black clothing due to its association with mental health issues and depression.
- Agree:
Do people who tweet like this prefer to live in a monarchy? These tweets may be normal in Syria or Saudi Arabia, but seem out of place in a country founded on dissent and debate. https://t.co/xrbn630UVR
— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) August 9, 2024
Please rewrite this sentence.
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