April
▪ Maduro announces a new ‘mission’ to tackle corruption and bureaucracy. ▪ Maduro wins the 14 April presidential elections with a 1.5-point lead over Henrique Capriles. A recount requested by Capriles is rejected by the electoral authority. Maduro takes office for a six-year term on 19 April. ▪ Rafael Ramírez is confirmed as oil & mining minister (retaining the presidency of Pdvsa), Elías Jaua as foreign affairs minister and Admiral Diego Molero as defence minister. Nelson Merentes moves from the central bank to replace Jorge Giordani as finance minister and becomes Vice-President for the economy. Giordani retains the planning portfolio and his seat on the council of revolutionary ministers as Vice-President for Planning.May
▪ Maduro announces an emergency anti-crime drive, codenamed Plan Patria Segura (‘Safe Fatherland Plan’), deploying 3,000 soldiers in support of the police.August
▪ Maduro proclaims a national emergency in Venezuela to combat corruption, for which he is seeking special powers to rule by executive decree.September
▪ Maduro completes his first six months in the presidency. Finance Minister Nelson Merentes states that the government ‘has had success on the social side, but has yet to have success on the economic side.’ ▪ Maduro announces the creation of a new ‘superior organ of the economy’ to “guarantee the economic security” of Venezuela, which will examine the practices of private companies involved in the food and basic consumer goods sectors. This body is to be ruled by a council of state formed by the ministers of trade, food, agriculture, communes, women’s affairs, youth, terrestrial transport and fluvial transport. ▪ Maduro announces the creation of a ‘strategic centre for the security and protection of the homeland’ (Centro Estratégico de Seguridad y Protección de la Patria) reporting to the presidency and headed by General Gustavo Enrique González López, former director of the state intelligence agency (Sebin) and, later, chief of the intelligence and security system of the electricity system. ▪ Maduro announces the ‘immediate application’ of the shootdown law promulgated in 2012, which allows the use of force to interdict suspicious aircraft. ▪ Venezuela’s withdrawal from the Inter-American Human Rights System — which comprises the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH) and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (CorteIDH) — becomes effective.October
▪ Maduro issues a decree creating a new deputy ministry for the ‘supreme social happiness of the people’, charged with coordinating the social ‘missions’ established by Chávez. He also announces that the strength of the Bolivarian militia (MNB), currently about 500,000, will be increased to 1m by 2019. ▪ Maduro creates the Centro Estratégico de Seguridad y Protección de la Patria (Cesppa; ‘strategic centre for the security and protection of the Fatherland’) to centralise all intelligence activities. To lead it he appoints General Gustavo González López, former commander of the Bolivarian militias. ▪ US chargé d’affaires is expelled for purportedly lending support to the opposition’s ‘economic war’. ▪ Rafael Ramírez replaces Nelson Merentes as Vice-President of the economy. He retains his positions as energy & oil minister and president of Pdvsa. ▪ Maduro threatens to imprison opposition leaders he says are preparing acts of sabotage to coincide with the municipal elections on 8 December. ▪ Ramírez says the government is not preparing another devaluation of the bolívar.November
▪ Maduro brings forward the Christmas season to 1 November and orders major home appliance chains to cut prices. ▪ The national assembly approves a law granting Maduro powers to rule by decree during 12 months on a range of matters related to the economy. ▪ Maduro announces a package of initiatives to fight hoarding of basic goods and speculation with prices and foreign currency, to be coordinated by the council for the defence of the economy, headed by the minister for food, General Hébert García Plaza, with the support of General Vladimir Padrino López, head of the armed forces’ strategic operational command.December
▪ In the 8 December local elections the ruling PSUV wins 255 of the country’s 355 municipalities; the opposition MUD wins 75, including nine state capitals, among them the country’s second- and third-largest citieEnd of preview - This article contains approximately 780 words.
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