Andes Bureau Chief covering Venezuela and Colombia for
@Bloomberg
| 2022 Harvard
@NiemanFdn
fellow | Previously in Mexico/Madrid/DC playa2
@bloomberg
.net
For the first time in more than a decade, Venezuelans are hopeful about getting a chance at democracy today.
Follow our team of local journalists covering the election on Sunday:
@inaitriago
@zerpius
@NicolleYapur
Exclusive: The Bank of England has denied Maduro's request to bring back $1.2 billion from its vaults, following requests from U.S. officials Pompeo and Bolton
Maduro dances on national TV as national guards fire tear gas and plastic pellets at crowds trying to move humanitarian aid into the country along the Colombian border
Muy emocionada y honrada de haber sido seleccionada para recibir la beca de investigación periodística de Nieman en la Universidad de Harvard, donde me dedicaré a estudiar la crisis Venezolana (1/3)
We’re pleased to introduce the 2022 Nieman Fellows, accomplished journalists from around the world who'll join us at
@Harvard
this fall. The group includes investigative reporters, editors, podcasters, data specialists and visual storytellers. Welcome all!
Hoy por primera vez en Caracas vi como daban vuelto en quarters (monedas de $0.25). En paqueticos de cuatro, la cajera se los daba a quienes las preferían en lugar de billetes de $1 dañados.
Investigamos los lazos entre la desesperada venta de oro en Venezuela, el programa de comida Clap que sostiene al régimen de Maduro, y el hombre que lo hace posible, Alex Saab:
Exclusiva: A Venezuela le queda solo $800 millones en efectivo, el resto de sus reservas de $6,600 millones están compuestas casi totalmente por oro que es cada vez mas difícil de vender o que está fuera del alcance de Maduro
@AlexVasquezS
Passengers on today's flight from Panama to Caracas took the opportunity to write dozens of letters to
@mbachelet
, who was on the same plane and begins her visit in Venezuela tonight:
I'm very excited and humbled to have been selected as a Nieman fellow at Harvard University, where I will spend the next year studying the Venezuelan crisis (1/3)
We’re pleased to introduce the 2022 Nieman Fellows, accomplished journalists from around the world who'll join us at
@Harvard
this fall. The group includes investigative reporters, editors, podcasters, data specialists and visual storytellers. Welcome all!
Opposition leader Capriles, who's been lambasted by fellow lawmakers for considering participating in December's congressional elections, is the first to announce Requesens' release. This isn't an accident in a country where political prisoners are traded, not released.
Protests have intensified across Caracas on Monday, with crowds chanting “Fraud!” and burning tires across the main highway connecting a Caracas to La Guaira, blocking all traffic to the city’s international airport:
Some Venezuelan troops have begun disobeying orders from Maduro's officers, U.S. Senator
@marcorubio
tells us. “I have reason to believe that rank-and-file military are not going to violently suppress aid workers" this weekend:
Exclusive: Venezuela's central bank is discussing plans to create a clearing and settlement system in U.S. dollars starting next year with at least five private banks. The system would also allow banks to offer loans in dollars by
@NicolleYapur
@zerpius
In a stunning announcement, Russia's Rosneft says it's terminating its operations in Venezuela, selling all interest and participations in the country, including all joint ventures with PDVSA. More on
@TheTerminal
Exclusive: Turkey's largest bank has closed its doors on Venezuela's Central Bank, refusing to move money on its behalf as U.S. sanctions raise the stakes for those doing business with Maduro
Pasajeros en vuelo de Panamá a Caracas de la tarde de hoy aprovecharon para recoger decenas de peticiones para
@mbachelet
, quien viajaba en el mismo avión y hoy comienza su agenda en Venezuela:
Nuestro mini documental, El negocio secreto del oro que mantiene el régimen de Venezuela a flote, ahora con subtítulos en español. Gracias a todos los que nos hicieron la sugerencia!
Exclusive: The U.S. is considering sanctions against Wall Street billionaire David Martinez, who gave Maduro's government a $300 million loan in 2017 and recently pitched Finance Minister Zerpa in Caracas. Huge scoop by
@BenBartenstein
Hace más de una década, trabajar en el Banco Central era uno de los oficios más prestigioso del país, donde sus empleados eran becados para estudiar en las mejores universidades del mundo. Hoy ganan entre $20-$100 al mes y deben llevar su propio papel toilet al trabajo.
El Banco Central de Venezuela cumple 80 años al servicio de la Patria. Felicito a sus trabajadores y trabajadoras, que hoy más que nunca, se esfuerzan para proteger nuestra economía de los embates y agresiones del imperio de los EE.UU. ¡Gracias por su Compromiso y Dedicación!
Exclusiva: Venezuela está sacando toneladas de oro de sus bóvedas y cargándolas en jets con destino a Teherán como forma de pago a Irán por auxiliar sus refinerías c
@BenBartenstein
Some professional news: I'm stepping into the bureau chief role for Bloomberg's new Andes Bureau, overseeing coverage and reporting from Colombia and Venezuela. Couldn't be happier to join our incredible team of reporters and stay close to stories that mean so much to me.
U.S. Treasury sanctions SAIME head Gustavo Vizcaino, who is accused of charging Venezuelan applicants thousands for passports and transferring the money into his own accounts. Former director Juan Carlos Dugarte is also sanctioned. More on
@TheTerminal
El negocio secreto del oro que mantienen el regimen de Venezuela a flote: orgullosa de presentarles este mini-documental de Bloomberg en el que participamos
@SmithMarkets
y yo. Espero les guste!
Latest: Maduro has solidified his power by fostering a Darwinian dollarization that's morphed into a luxe dollar marketplace for those who can afford it. Poke bowls and detox juices are now home-delivered as vast portions of the population remain hungry:
The amount of U.S. dollars in circulation in Venezuela has increased to $2.7 billion, that's 3x the value of all cash circulating in bolivars+ bolivar checking & savings accounts:
@AlexVasquezS
“The socialists have done in Venezuela that socialists, communists, and totalitarians have done everywhere,”
Trump blasts Venezuelan socialism during an event at
@FIU
#tictocnews
Exclusive: A new generation of the billionaire Cisneros family is searching Venezuela for assets to buy on the cheap, decades after having moved most of the family and its assets to the U.S. Our investigation: (1/4)
American Airlines' pilots union is telling its members to refuse flying to Venezuela, potentially ending the last route to the country by a major U.S. carrier:
Un total de $315 millones en efectivo (en dólares y euros) fuero enviados desde Rusia, por parte de Gazprombank y Evrofinance, hacia el Banco Venezolano de Desarrollo (Bandes) desde Mayo del 2018. Nuestra exclusiva:
China’s biggest energy company, CNPC, has canceled plans to load about 5 million barrels worth of Venezuelan oil onto ships this month in the aftermath of the latest U.S. executive order:
Maduro is being encouraged by the U.S. to go to "a nice beach" far from Venezuela." His aides are now drafting emergency exit plans: where would -- or could -- he go?
Chevron queda esencialmente prohibida de producir petróleo en Venezuela luego que el departamento del tesoro de los Estados Unidos modificara hoy su permiso, no permitiéndole taladrar pozos, comprar o transportar crudo:
“Cuando Chávez llegó al poder, había cuatro pasos que cumplir para exportar un contenedor de chocolate”, dice Jorge Redmond, director ejecutivo de Chocolates El Rey en su oficina de ventas en La Urbina. “Hoy hay 90 pasos y 19 ministerios involucrados”
Exclusive: Juan Guaido sat with Bloomberg to discuss the uphill path to renegotiating Venezuela's massive foreign debt and seek fresh financing under new leadership. More on
@TheTerminal
Exclusiva: Este hombre inglés puede ser un desconocido en el mundo de las finanzas, pero logró convencer a oficiales de Maduro que puede liberar US$1.500 millones en oro venezolano congelado en Londres. Nuestra investigación: (1/7)
Exclusiva: El financiero colombiano Alex Saab está ayudando a Venezuela a establecer un intercambio de oro por gasolina con Irán. Viajó a Teherán con ejecutivos de PDVSA en Abril, antes de que Venezuela enviara 9 toneladas de oro por avión
@BenBartenstein
Exclusiva: Mientras que bancos alrededor del mundo se niegan a mover dinero en nombre de Maduro, Venezuela ha encontrado un aliado en el banco central de España, cada vez más buscado por el gobierno para pagar a sus contrastistas (1/3)
Exclusive: Venezuela's efforts to copy China's forced isolation tactics on Covid-19 patients have began to backfire, cramming thousands into filthy warehouses with little to eat, spotty water supply and an increased risk of infection (1/5)
Banco Central de Venezuela logra evitar sanciones para vender 9 toneladas de oro, valoradas en aproximadamente $400 millones de dólares. Nuestra exclusiva:
Humiliated and furious, Maduro locks down 2,000 Venezuelans in the fiercest crackdown of his 11-year rule as he fights to remain in power after a highly contested election:
Exclusive: Citigroup settled a gold swap it signed with Venezuela in 2015 and will deposit $260 million into a U.S. account no longer controlled by Maduro's government w/
@jennysurane
Maduro parece "humildemente" olvidar que una subscripción mensual de Netflix está muy por encima del poder adquisitivo de la gran mayoría de venezolanos, costando más de dos veces el sueldo mínimo actual, a $7.99 al mes, o aprox. 90,000 bolívares
Maduro versión crítico de series, habla sobre Bolívar, de Netflix: "Es una versión novelada de la vida de Bolívar, pero muy hermosa (...). Humildemente recomiendo que cada quien la vea y cada quien saque sus conclusiones. Espero que no la vayan a eliminar ahora"
Exclusive: Venezuela is raiding its nearly-empty gold vaults and piling tons of bars on Tehran-bound jets as payment for Iran's assistance in reviving the nation's ailing refineries w
@BenBartenstein
“The moment Maduro leaves, everybody’s going to raise their hands and say, ‘Take me, I’m the next president of Venezuela.’ It would be 40+ people who believe they’re the rightful heir to Maduro,”
@SecPompeo
on Venezuela's opposition:
Maduro blacks out Internet, social media in hopes of burying Guaido's message. Behind the scenes, telecom regulator is warning journalists not to mention Guaido or discuss those killed during protests:
"If Maduro falls, they fall." A powerful bond of money laundering, drug running and illegal mining between the armed forces and Maduro is keeping the military from breaking ranks: w
@andrewrosati
Exclusiva: Una nueva generación de los Cisneros está cazando activos Venezolanos en descuento, décadas despues de mudar la mayoría de sus negocios a EEUU. Nuestra investigación: (1/4)
Exclusive: Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido will attend tonight's State of the Union address as a guest of the White House, suggesting that Trump still sees him as the best chance to replace Maduro
@JenniferJJacobs
@justinsink
La presencia de Leopoldo López pudo haber tenido el efecto contrario y haber ayudado a deshacer un trato negociado por dos meses. Fue una sorpresa para algunos en el régimen que ya habían acordado participar en una entrega del poder (1/5)
In a rare deal, Siemens was granted licenses by the US to work with PDVSA and Corpoelec to rebuild Venezuela's crumbling power grid. The repairs could boost power generation by about 1,000 MWs for Caracas, helping it overcome regular blackouts By
@zerpius
Venezuela's oil is already sold at a deep discount. This collapse in prices on top of U.S. sanctions could prove catastrophic for an already frail economy:
Brent drops as much as 31%. WTI drops as much as 27%. --> Oil markets fell the most since the U.S. war in Iraq in 1991 after the disintegration of the OPEC+ alliance triggered an all-out price-war among the world’s biggest producers via
@markets
Exclusiva: Citigroup liquidó un swap de oro venezolano y planea depositar cerca de US$260 millones en una cuenta en USA fuera del control del gobierno de Maduro
Exclusive: Citigroup settled a gold swap it signed with Venezuela in 2015 and will deposit $260 million into a U.S. account no longer controlled by Maduro's government w/
@jennysurane
President Maduro shown eating steaks and smoking personalized cigars. Unable to afford food, an estimated 64% of Venezuelans lost an average of 11.4 kilograms last year.
Exclusive: As a growing number of banks around the world refuse to move money on Maduro’s behalf, Venezuela has found an ally in Spain's central bank, which is increasingly being used by the government to pay contractors (1/3)
Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman charged by U.S. authorities as a dealmaker for Maduro, was detained in Cabo Verde on Friday. He was also helping the regime orchestrate a gold for gasoline swap with Iran:
The secretive gold deal keeping Venezuela afloat: really proud to share a Bloomberg mini-documentary featuring
@SmithMarkets
and myself on the gold deals keeping Maduro's regime afloat despite U.S. sanctions. Hope you like it!
Whenever I visit the Venezuelan coast on the weekend I’m astounded by the grand beach houses left behind by their owners, where basically everything but what’s glued to the grown has been stolen through the years:
Exclusive: As the U.S. sanctions Rosneft for its ties to Maduro, Russia's state-owned money printer is preparing to ship 300 million new bolivar bills to Caracas starting this year, according to a contract obtained by Bloomberg: (1/4)
Tough news for Maduro when the power comes back on: the World Bank's court orders Venezuela to pay ConocoPhillips a total of $8.75 billion for the nationalization of its operations in 2007. More on
@TheTerminal
Exclusive: Maduro has proposed giving majority shares and control of Venezuela's oil industry to international companies, a move that would forsake decades of state monopoly: by
@zerpius
@lkassai
@BenBartenstein
(1/3)
Life in Venezuela is constantly stressful and discussing mental health has stopped being taboo. Nothing’s off limits. How many milligrams are you on? Can you afford to see a shrink? Does yoga help?
@AlexVasquezS
writes in our latest
#LifeinCaracas
Maduro may hold millions in a fund called Nurlan Baidilda, which manages investments for wealthy individuals and is owned by a Russian citizen originally from Kazakhstan
María Corina Machado resurge con un nuevo mensaje: del boicot a la participación, del rechazo a la búsqueda de potenciales aliados de todo espectro político. Aquí nuestra entrevista con la candidata que encabeza las encuestas frente a las primarias:
Exclusive: Venezuela's govt. took over control of more than 300,000 Covid-19 antigen tests in Oct. and has distributed just 1% of them since. In the meantime, daily cases (that we know of) are rising to the highest levels since October:
@NicolleYapur
1/2
Exclusiva: Venezuela planea eliminar seis ceros de su moneda para facilitar transacciones tan pronto como Agosto. Previos intentos de emitir nuevos billetes han fracasado poco después debido a la hiperinflación
$4,500 for a passport, $400 for a Chilean visa, $7,000 to erase a criminal record: With a bribes menu, Venezuelans bring transparency to corruption our latest
#LifeinCaracas
via
@andrewrosati
Near Venezuela's Amuay refinery, crude has soaked the roots of nearby mangroves, leaving shrimp grounds barren. Fishermen and their families have fled their homes, having lost hope that PDVSA will ever compensate them for lost boats and sales:
"Nadie le paraba a estas aguas, pero así es la necesidad"
Hoy en día más de 200 personas se levantan en la madrugada a sacar sal de las Salinas de Pampatar, que venden por $1.5 el saco, más de lo que les ofrece cualquier otro trabajo en Isla Margarita
Noor Capital, the UAE co. that has bought Venezuelan gold in the past releases statement saying they will "refrain from any further transactions" "until the situation in Venezuela stabilizes." More on
@TheTerminal
The IMF expects Maduro to fall before too long as a result of U.S. sanctions and its exclusion from global oil markets. The fund is already working on a massive financial aid package. By
@patrickjdo
Exclusiva: El gobierno logra evadir sanciones de nuevo para vender casi 14 toneladas de oro en las últimas dos semanas por $570 millones. Los ingresos se utilizarán en parte para financiar importaciones:
An unidentified buyer bought several hundred million dollars of PDVSA and Venezuela sovereign bonds at a huge discount in the past week. Exclusive by
@BenBartenstein
on
@TheTerminal
Venezuela's ports haven’t received gasoline in more than 5 weeks and small protests are starting to break out. Essentially free for decades, fuel is now selling for $1.50/liter ($5.67/gallon). By
@zerpius
Two hours after being turned away from the overcrowded women's hospital in Macuto, Yoicy Sifontes gave birth to her son on the steps in front of her house. It was Valentine's day. I take a look at the scary world of being a woman in today's Venezuela:
From 23 de Enero to Petare, voting centers remained largely empty across Caracas on Sunday. Staff stood idly, with participation near 10% at most centers we visited:
@AlexVasquezS
Guaido confirms that political prisoner
@Simonovis
has left Venezuela. The former police commissioner was jailed by Chavez in 2004 and had been under house arrest for the past five years.
En esfuerzos de aclarar la información, el Banco de España confirma la existencia de una cuenta en BCV de saldo "relativamente pequeño." Mientras tanto, bancos desde Inglaterra hasta Turquía, ya cerraron las suyas:
Maduro dijo que recibiría a los migrantes "con brazos abiertos," pero miles de venezolanos entrando de Colombia están ahora hacinados en campos del estado en Táchira, durmiendo en el piso y golpeados al reclamar. Nuestra nota: con
@AlexVasquezS
Exclusive: Venezuela is planning to introduce a new 100,00 bolivar bill (worth just $0.23) and is importing banknote paper from an Italian printer owned by U.S. private equity firm Bain Capital: (thread)
Exclusive: Millions of barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude, sanctioned by the U.S., have been surreptitiously going to China, where its origins are erased and the rebranded cargo is sold to Chinese buyers under a new name by
@lkassai
1/3
Exclusiva: El régimen de Maduro estudia otorgar participaciones mayoritarias y control de la industria petrolera Venezolana a corporaciones internacionales, una medida que terminaría con décadas de monopolio estatal
@zerpius
@lkassai
@BenBartenstein
(1/2)