PDVSA RESUMED THE EXCHANGE OF CRUDE FOR HEAVY VIRGIN NAPHTHA WITH RELIANCE OF INDIA AND REPSOL OF SPAIN. Petróleos de Venezuela (Pdvsa) resumed the exchange of crude oil for Heavy Virgin Naphtha (HVN) with Reliance from India and Repsol from Spain in May, as reported by Energy News Today. Reliance will deliver at least 1 million barrels of HVN, while Repsol will contribute another 500,000 barrels.
Other refined products will be supplied by Rosneft from Russia under barter agreements to obtain gasoline, diesel, and more HVN. Imports of HVN in May are estimated at 70,000 barrels per day for mixing, yielding diluted crude oil (DCO) of 16 degrees API, approximately 20,000 b/d more than the average of recent months. Demand increased since the national blackout on April 9 when the PetroMonagas upgrader, operating at 100,000 b/d, suffered damage and will remain closed for repairs in May. Repsol supplied HVN and unleaded gasoline in February through barter agreements but is closely checking with the U.S. government to avoid violating trade sanctions. It will continue loading Venezuelan crude as payment for the debt associated with its joint venture PetroQuiriquire with Pdvsa, receiving a monthly load since last September. Repsol is complying with all international and local laws and regulations, said its CEO Josu Imaz San Miguel during a conference call last week discussing first-quarter results. Reliance is also offering refined products in barter deals for 300,000 b/d of the Merey 16° API segregation. Loading of crude had been reduced, and deliveries were suspended since late February, meeting almost all of Pdvsa’s needs. Rosneft will also continue barter agreements to supply an estimated 50,000 b/d of gasoline and 40,000 b/d of ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) for domestic blending in May. Rosneft has been receiving the Merey 16° API segregation since 2016 under a 100,000 b/d contract that runs until 2020 to pay off loans. – Information from La Patilla – Descifrado
MISCELLANEOUS. Below, we highlight controversial articles spread by various publications and media outlets. We leave the respective opinions to our readers…
THE PLAN THAT THE “INTERIM” FAILED TO ACHIEVE | LEOPOLDO’S LEADERSHIP AND THE ALLEGED CONSPIRACY BEHIND EDGAR ZAMBRANO’S ARREST | THE AMERICA PRESS RING @AMERICAPRENSA
DISPLEASURE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER THESE TWO HOSTS ACCEPTED TO BE THE IMAGE OF DAKA STORES
AFTER ADVISING “CONNECTED” VENEZUELANS, NOW THE FORMER SPANISH JUDGE BALTASAR GARZÓN DEFENDS JULIAN ASSANGE
THINGS OPPOSITION DOESN’T LIKE ABOUT THEIR LEADERS
PEDRO TORRES PICÓN, SON OF BANKER BOLIGARCA PEDRO TORRES CILIBERTO, IN GUAIDÓ’S ADVISORY CIRCLE
CURACAO AND ARUBA LEADERS WILL TRAVEL TO WASHINGTON TO TALK ABOUT VENEZUELA. The Prime Minister of Curacao, Eugene Rhuggenaath, and the Prime Minister of Aruba, Evelyn Wever-Croes, will make a two-day visit to Washington, where they will meet with representatives from the State Department, the Treasury Department, the World Bank, and USAid regarding Venezuela. Among other topics, discussions will cover trade and economic sanctions and their impact on the islands. According to Rhuggenaath, there is now more room for cooperation and business after the U.S. established a humanitarian aid center in Curacao. – Information from Dick Drayer – noticiascurazao.com
THE CHIKUNGUNYADAS OF CHIKUNSOBERANO2018 MAY 15, 2019
INTERNATIONALS
(PANAMA) REJECTION OF CORTIZO IS FELT AMONG PANAMANIANS
(PANAMA) DECENCY PREVAILS IN PANAMANIAN SOCCER WITH MANUEL ARIAS’ VICTORY
(PANAMA) IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IF CORTIZO WILL CONTINUE THE POLICY OF APPROACHES TO CHINA INITIATED BY VARELA
(PANAMA) ÁLVARO ALVARADO FACES CRITICISM FOR NOT GIVING A REPLY
(PANAMA) INDEPENDENTS ELECTED AMID CONTROVERSY OVER DEPUTY PAYROLL ISSUES
(COLOMBIA) THE DAY LEOPOLDO LÓPEZ DEFENDED GUSTAVO PETRO (+VENEZUELA)
(COLOMBIA) THE PULL: THE SECRET THAT THE VATICAN CONTINUES TO HIDE. For centuries, countless pastors have committed abuses against children while the Catholic Church helps them cover up their crimes. How long will this continue? – Source: Youtube Channel “La Pulla” // El Espectador
(COLOMBIA) THE POWERFUL COASTAL POLITICIAN WHO SOUNDS LIKE PETRO’S COMPETITION FOR THE PRESIDENCY IN 2022. As hinted a few months ago, Barranquilla’s mayor Alejandro Char seems to be a potential candidate for the 2022 presidential elections. Recently, his name gained relevance due to the support mentioned by former president César Gaviria, leader of the Liberal Party. According to El Heraldo, during a meeting involving Liberals at Senator Mauricio Gómez Amín’s apartment, Char’s situation was discussed, focusing on how to defeat Gustavo Petro in the upcoming presidential elections. “Petro won’t be defeated by the suited bogotanos. We need someone fresh and different, who wears a cap, like Álex,” is allegedly what the former president stated, according to El Heraldo. Alejandro’s strongest push comes from his high favorability ratings in national surveys, consistently ranking as Colombia’s best mayor. Additionally, public opinion often indicates that his administration has been positive, despite some criticism towards him. Furthermore, being part of the Char family provides a political and economic advantage, as they control an electoral structure in coastal departments, dominating democratic battles. For all these reasons, Gaviria’s suggestion was applauded by those present, as Alejandro Char’s name has become a noteworthy mention for the next presidential elections. Analysts at Blu Radio point out that Colombia has not had a coastal president in many years, which means an eventual duel between Gustavo Petro and Alejandro Char could possibly change that. – Information from El Heraldo – colombianoindignado.com
(COLOMBIA) S&P CUT AVIANCA’S RATING: DOWN FROM “STABLE” TO “NEGATIVE”. Avianca Holdings’ rating dropped from “B” to “CCC+” due to delays in the refinancing process of its $550 million unsecured senior bonds. The downgrade was communicated by the Colombian airline to the Superintendencia Financiera. “The refinancing is part of the company’s long-term strategic plan,” said Avianca Holdings’ senior vice president of finance, Roberto Held, to journalists. “The refinancing of international bonds of $550 million, a measure approved by the Board of Directors on May 2, is one more action within the stringent and ambitious plan to strengthen profitability, decrease debt levels, and increase liquidity in the short and medium term,” he explained. However, Standard & Poor’s believes Avianca’s refinancing plans for its 2020 Bonds “have taken longer than expected”. Avianca Holdings reminded that it has made semiannual coupon payments for the bonds issued in May 2013 in international markets, with the most recent payment made this past Friday (May 10). “The coupon payments have been orderly,” said Held, adding that the company continues to “work with banks and international agencies” for this refinancing, with a twelve-month period starting from Monday (May 13), which may improve its debt maturity profile. Held recalled that Avianca Holdings is undergoing a “transformation plan” aimed at changing the growth strategy of the past 15 years to focus on operational profitability. As part of this plan, the company canceled a purchase order to Airbus for 17 A320Neo aircraft on March 15 and postponed the incorporation of another 35 of the same model to improve its cash flow for the next three years. Through this renegotiation with Airbus, the airline will reduce its financial commitments by more than $2.6 billion and preserve cash resources of $350 million for the 2020-2022 period. A week after that announcement, Avianca eliminated several international routes, including those from Bogotá to Boston and Chicago (USA), the latter opened less than a year ago, as well as other routes from Central America. “We want to continue to grow but with profitability,” added Held, attributing these changes to the fact that “markets change” due to various factors such as Brazil’s slowdown, the crisis in Argentina, and the volatility of oil prices and the dollar, which have a significant impact on commercial aviation. – Information from pulzo.com
(SPAIN) THE TAX TRAIL OF GAO PING… THE PROSECUTION DEMANDS A KEY UNFINISHED EVIDENCE. The Emperador case burst onto the scene nearly seven years ago. The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and the National Police, organized by the National Court, uncovered an alleged Chinese mafia that, according to investigators, defrauded the Treasury, laundered money, and mistreated its workers under the direct leadership of businessman Gao Ping, based in the Cobo Calleja industrial area of Fuenlabrada (Madrid). Initially, agents arrested about a hundred individuals and traced a network with links to the aristocracy, corporate world, entertainment, and even the police. However, since those first raids in 2012, the investigation has progressed slowly and in fits and starts, particularly regarding the case’s main structure. However, the offshoot that accused the network of police allegedly bought by Gao Ping has concluded, albeit with little success from the investigators’ point of view. All were acquitted first by the National Court and later by the Supreme Court, which concluded that there was no crime for which to convict this group of officials who had been in contact with the leaders of the scheme. The central part of the procedure is still underway in the courts. Specifically, last December, the Criminal Chamber of the National Court concluded the instruction that Central Court 4 had maintained since 2011. The tribunal’s decision, presided over by Judge Alfonso Guevara, went against the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office’s aim to prolong the investigation to establish conclusive evidence against the principal leaders of the scheme. Now, even though the chamber has closed the instruction, the public ministry still insists on implementing procedures that were already planned and not yet executed. Among these is one that Anti-Corruption considers key to presenting enough evidence to convict those responsible for the alleged criminal organization. This is an expert test aimed at accurately determining the tax liability that Gao Ping, the alleged leader of the scheme, may have incurred through his regular activities. ->> See more… – Information from El Confidencial
(SPAIN) TAX AGENCY CONCLUDES FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AFTER GAO PING DEFRAUDED 17 MILLION IN VAT AND DUTIES. Four and a half years after the first arrests in Operation Emperador, a report from the Tax Agency definitively estimates that the tax fraud carried out by 16 of Gao Ping’s companies amounted to €16,922,735. Gao Ping is identified as the presumed head of the money laundering mafia dismantled by the police in October 2012. In a document recently sent to the head of Central Instruction Court No. 4, Fernando Andreu, the experts from the Tax Agency detail, company by company, the tax liability regarding tariffs, anti-dumping duties, and import VAT that Gao Ping’s companies failed to remit to the treasury. The report indicates that, between 2010 and 2012, they imported goods from the Asian country for sale in stores run by compatriots worth €114.4 million but declared only €43 million. Most of the 16 investigated companies list either Gao Ping or his wife, Yang Lizhen, as sole administrators or proxies, with others implicated in the Emperador case, such as Xia Haijun, aka ‘Jaime’, considered a trusted person of the alleged leader, and the Spaniard Rafael Pallardó, who recently reported prosecutors for coercion, causing a schism within the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. The document, which confirms the data from a previous report in 2015, details that the company that defrauded the most in these concepts was Inversiones y Nuevas Tecnologías SL, whose proxy was ‘Jaime’. Specifically, €3.4 million in VAT, €771,252 in duties, and €4,739 in anti-dumping rights, thanks to declaring importation of goods worth €11.8 million when in reality the value was closer to €30 million. Other companies in Gao Ping’s network also committed significant fraud. For instance, with Gold City SL (where the Chinese businessman is the sole administrator and the Spaniard Pallardó held a managerial position), the fraud amounted to about €3.5 million. A similar figure applies to the unpaid tax liability of Euro Madrid Import Export SL, whose proxy is Gao Ping’s wife. Additionally, fraud exceeding one million euros was reported by EM Home Trading SL, EM Ferr Europa SL, and Guo Mao City SL, all of which also had Yang Lizhen as the leading authority. On the opposite side, there are three companies for which the Tax Agency found no fraud in their accounts and one where it was reduced to just €20. Three of those are related to the buying and selling of art – Espacio Tao SL, Magee Art Galley SL, and the IAC Foundation for Culture and Art – an activity Gao Ping was involved in when arrested in October 2012. ->> See more… – Information from El País
(ROMANIA) RSF AND ACTIVE WATCH URGE ROMANIAN AUTHORITIES TO RESPOND QUICKLY TO THREATS RECEIVED BY JOURNALISTS. Reporters Without Borders and the Romanian organization Active Watch celebrate the swift arrest of the individual behind death threats to journalist Emilia Sercan on April 15, but urge Romanian authorities to act with similar urgency in all other threats or abuses against journalists in the country to combat the prevailing climate of impunity and violence against media.
Mrs. Carmen Dan, Minister of the Interior
Mr. Ioan Buda, Chief Inspector of the General Directorate of Police
Mr. Călin Nistor, Chief Prosecutor of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate
Dear authorities,
Reporters Without Borders and Active Watch commend the speed of the police and the prosecutors in Bucharest in responding to the death threats received by journalist Emilia Sercan, especially considering that the main suspect is a police officer.
We are closely following the investigation and urge the prosecutor’s office and the national anti-corruption directorate, now in charge of the case, to prioritize bringing it to court. We also demand transparency in the proceedings and in informing the public about possible accomplices of the main suspect.
Since this case involves a police academy officer, it is crucial to send a clear message to the public and the police: Romanian authorities will not tolerate this behavior. However, we also urge the Ministry of the Interior to investigate the institutional climate that allowed such a threat to emerge from the Police Academy.
Since the Sercan case became known, several journalists working for local media have accused police forces and prosecutors of not responding to threats against the media. Experience shows that when such threats against journalists go uninvestigated, the climate becomes more violent, sometimes leading to fatal violence.
For all these reasons, we take this opportunity to invite the Minister of the Interior to consider how to apply the prompt response in the Sercan case to other threats or abuses against journalists. We also urge authorities to ensure that current or future police officers receive necessary training on the role of journalists, media, and press freedom as pillars of democracy. – Information from rsf-es.org
(ISRAEL) PHOTOJOURNALIST MUSTAFA AL-KHAROUF AVOIDS DEPORTATION TO JORDAN AT THE LAST MOMENT; RSF REITERATES CALL FOR HIS FREEDOM. Reporters Without Borders reiterates its call for Israeli authorities to release and drop all charges against Palestinian photojournalist Mustafa Al-Kharouf, detained since January, who narrowly avoided deportation to Jordan on May 6. His deportation was averted at the last moment by his lawyer’s request to the Israeli Supreme Court. The final decision regarding his deportation or release now hinges on the appellate court’s final verdict. “We demand the freedom of Mustafa Al-Kharouf and the complete withdrawal of all charges against him,” states the Middle East office of Reporters Without Borders. “The Israeli judicial system must recognize his residency status and stop treating his photographs as part of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.” Kharouf grew up in East Jerusalem and has worked as a photojournalist for the Turkish agency Anadolu for years, but Israeli authorities are now attempting to deport him by alleging he lacks residency papers. He was arrested on January 21, the same day he was notified of the rejection of his latest application for residency recognition. During the hearing in February, Israeli police accused him of having preferential contacts with Hamas, which he has always denied. Israel ranks 91st out of 180 countries in the current World Press Freedom Index compiled annually by Reporters Without Borders. – Information from rsf-es.org