Khan: Assessment shows minimal risk from Nabarima
Energy Minister Franklin Khan says an assessment from the Ministry’s team of experts of the Venezuelan oil tanker, the FSO Nabarima has shown there was minimal to no risk of an oil spill from the vessel.
In an interview with Guardian Media, Khan said he had only just received the report from the three-man team who were sent on Tuesday to assess the condition of the Nabarima after concerns were raised about its stability by environmental watchdog group, Fishermen and Friends of the Sea (FFOS). In an expedition last Friday, the FFOS took photos and videos showing the vessel listing severely to one side and held in place by anchor chains.
“I spoke to the team at length on that, they said they can only report what they have seen, the team of experts includes guys who have great expertise in the stability of vessels and they have confirmed that the vessel is upright, it is stable and there is very little minimal if any risk of tilting or sinking…there is very minimal risk of an oil spill,” Khan said.
Venezuela Starts Clinical Trials of Russia’s COVID-19 Vaccine
Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro informed his nation that 2,000 volunteers are already participating in the clinical trials of Sputnik, the Russian COVID-19 vaccine. “The Russian vaccine is here and the tests have already begun… In addition, thousands of Chinese vaccines will come to the country,” Maduro said during a broadcast program by Venezolana de Television.
In the first half of 2021, once phase 3 of the clinical trials is completed and the protocols established by the World Health Organization (WHO) are met, Venezuela will begin a mass vaccination campaign against the new coronavirus.
Venezuela maintains commitment to output adjustment plan through December 2020
Vice-president for Economy and Minister of People’s Power for Oil, Tarec El Aissami, at the 23rd Meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) of OPEC+, held in Vienna, Austria, via video conference, announced that Venezuela maintains its commitment to output adjustment plan through December 2020.
On his Twitter account @Tareckpsuv, El Aissami said that Venezuela maintains its commitment to the 7.7 million bpd output adjustment plan through December 2020, and expressed its recognition “to the countries whose performance has achieved compliance, even beyond what is expected.”
Venezuela participates in OPEC+ 23rd Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee
Vice-president for Economy and Minister of People’s Power for Oil, Tareck El Aissami, participated in the 23rd Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee of OPEC+, held in Vienna on Monday via video conference.
In this meeting, OPEC and non-OPEC countries assessed actions to continue consolidating the world’s oil market on the basis of unity and cooperation among nations. The 23rd Meeting of the Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) took place under the Chairmanship of Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, and Co-Chair Alexander Novak, Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation.
Foreign Minister Arreaza: ‘The world must do its utmost to stop massacres in Colombia’
This year, at least 267 people have been murdered in 63 massacres perpetrated in the Republic of Colombia against social leaders and former FARC combatants who endorsed the Peace Agreement, according to figures by the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ).
In this regard, Minister of People’s Power for Foreign Affairs, Jorge Arreaza, insisted that the world must do its utmost to stop violence in Colombia and resume the path to peace. “Indeed, as this touching and outrageous video announces, the figures it shows have been surpassed. Colombia saddens us! The world must do its utmost to stop the massacres and resume the path to peace,” he posted on his Twitter account @jaarreaza, where he mentioned a video shared by Colombian journalist Laura Duarte Bateman.
Venezuela has received over 200,000 nationals in recent months
Venezuela has received more than 200,000 citizens in recent months, thousands of them under the Plan Vuelta a la Patria (Return to Homeland Plan), which allows Venezuelans who lack the means to return on their own, official sources reported on Monday.
In a message posted on its Twitter account, the Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza denounced the media campaign against Venezuela, which has been joined by some specialized United Nations (UN) agencies with the comprehensive situation of Venezuelan migrants.
Venezuela Proposes Prioritizing the Right to Food in FAO
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza proposed to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) the implementation of mechanisms that would allow equal access for all countries to the resources needed to guarantee the right to development and food.
Speaking at the 26th FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, which is being held via telematics, Arreaza also presented the idea of providing a “Hand to Hand” plan for nations that are subject to illegal unilateral coercive measures. The chancellor pointed out the need for such assistance for countries that “are subject to sanctions, blockades, … and that for reasons beyond their own control they have to live in difficulties that have to be addressed by the multilateral system”, as these measures “are alien to the Public International Law”, he said.
New Economic and Trade Sectors Revived in Venezuela
During the presentation of the daily report on the situation of the Covid-19, President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela announced on Sunday the reactivation of new economic sectors, trade and public institutions in the framework of the week of easing in the country.
The president pointed out that the new health regulations will be in effect for a week and will be implemented in tourism, gastronomy, recreation and other sectors related to the services and market. At the same time, Maduro reported that outdoor sports activities will be allowed, as well as access to beaches, spas, amusement parks, and movie theaters.
The blockade of Venezuela is “inadmissible”, according to the FAO
The use of the blockade is inadmissible for a nation not to have access to produce food, Rolf Hackbart, the representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Venezuela, said on Friday.
“It is unacceptable that blockade mechanisms, other financial systems, are used to prevent a nation from accessing food and to produce food in its country for its people,” Hackbart said in an interview with a local broadcaster.
