In the spotlight: first agreements between the Venezuelan opposition and the government of Nicolas Maduro

Venezuelan Congress President and head of President Nicolas Maduro's negotiating team, Jorge Rodriguez gives a press conference in Mexico City, September 7, 2021. © REUTERS - EDGARD GARRIDO

Text by: Romain Lemaresquier Follow

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The Venezuelan press looks back on the two agreements reached on Monday. If the one concerning the sovereignty of Venezuela over Guyana Esequiba was easy to conclude, the second was not as obvious,

El Universal

details

in one of its opinion pieces. For this newspaper, it is about an "agreement for life", an agreement essential to envisage a better daily life for Venezuelans.

El Universal

now calls on the United States to actively participate in this dialogue because, according to this opinion piece, the financial blockade and the sanctions imposed on Venezuela are the main reasons for such a deterioration in the health and food situation. and social, not to mention the economy.

El Universal

therefore joins the appeal launched by Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador for the relationship between these two countries to evolve. A

sine qua non

so that these discussions between the authorities and the Venezuelan opposition allow a return to democracy and the holding of free and transparent elections.

This dialogue will continue before the municipal and regional elections are held on November 21.

Appointment is made for September 24 for a new round of negotiations of four days still scheduled in Mexico City announces

La Jornada

.

Discussions still under the aegis of Norway, the Netherlands and Russia which, according to the representative of the government of Nicolas Maduro, are doing everything to ensure that this dialogue progresses.

It will notably be a question of elections, a subject which risks straining relations a little.

An Independence Day that is likely to be eventful in Brazil

Day under high tension this Tuesday in Brazil where many gatherings are planned on the occasion of the Independence Day. Rallies convened by President Jair Bolsonaro who called "

 gigantic crowds

 " to take to the streets to support him, while these opponents also plan to meet to denounce a drift that they qualify as autocratic. For some, the institutions are in danger, as explained by the American political scientist Steven Levitsky, co-author of the book

How Democracy Dies

, “How democracies die”, in the pages of the daily

O Estado in Sao Paulo

. " 

Attacks on the judiciary are the autocrats' first step in trying to stay in power

 He says. The political scientist compares the attacks of Jair Boslonaro to the tactics employed by Hugo Chavez, the former Venezuelan leader or to those of Turkish President Recep Erdogan. The authorities say they fear violence, details

O Dia

. Suddenly, the judges of the Supreme Federal Court, in the heart of a standoff with the president and his family, will be subject to draconian security measures. The security of the building that houses the highest Brazilian court of justice will also be reinforced, as will many institutions.

The supporters of Jair Boslonaro did not wait for this Independence Day to start demonstrating as detailed in the

Folha de Sao Paulo

in its edition of the day. These supporters even braved the blockade imposed by the military police in the Federal District of Brasilia and invaded the esplanade of the ministries on Monday. Moments of tension during which a small number of police officers tried to reason with the demonstrators who wanted to go before the Supreme Federal Court. Many vehicles, but also pedestrians were present. A situation that calmed down around midnight explains the daily which says it expects overflows even if the pro-Bolsonaro demonstrators will not be in the same area as those who wish to denounce an autocratic drift.

Bitcoin legal tender in El Salvador

El Salvador will become this Tuesday the first country in the world to allow bitcoin as legal tender, alongside the US dollar, despite the fears and rejection of this measure among the population, details

El Diario de Hoy

. More than 70% of the population does not want it, according to this daily. A change that is taking place in a country whose economy is struggling to recover from the pandemic and which will cost the State more than two hundred million dollars. Shops will be forced to use this very volatile currency as explained in the daily. The latter wonders about the controls that the authorities wish to put in place on a virtual, decentralized currency, but which will have to be regulated by Salvadoran banks and which will be subject to the same control concerning money laundering. The authorities have already warned. Those who do not accept Bitcoins will be sanctioned in advance this Tuesday

La Prensa Grafica

.

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