Government Crisis: Focus on Economic Specialists
In recent months, the Venezuelan government has been suppressing independent economists and financial data analysts, leading to a severe disruption in the transparent flow of economic information crucial for addressing the country's ongoing crisis.
The suppression is primarily achieved through harassment, criminalization, and political repression of critics, including independent analysts. This tactic is part of a broader campaign of intimidation and repression targeting dissenters and independent voices following the controversial 2024 presidential election.
The government engages in criminalizing and harassing independent analysts and humanitarian workers, severely limiting their ability to operate freely or share accurate information on Venezuela's economic conditions. Political persecution includes arbitrary arrests, repression, and intimidation campaigns like "Operation Knock Knock," aimed at dissenters and critics.
The systematic refusal to release official economic data and tally sheets from elections, with official statistics often withheld or manipulated, further complicates efforts to understand the country's economic realities. This lack of reliable, transparent economic data impedes both domestic and international understanding, contributing to a climate of misinformation and distrust about the country's economic health.
The government's control and manipulation of information serve to consolidate political power by limiting accountability and preventing opposition forces from utilizing accurate data in political discourse or reform efforts.
Most people in Venezuela ignore the official exchange rate of the bolivar and rely on the rate of the "parallel dollar," published by websites like Monitor Dolar. However, the government's targeting of these financial sites has led to their shutdown, including Monitor Dolar and the cryptocurrency platform El Dorado.
Notable figures in the economic field, such as Rodrigo Cabezas, a 69-year-old former finance minister and economics professor, have been arrested and have since gone missing. Guillermo Goncalvez, one of the founders of El Dorado, has taken responsibility for any negative impact generated by the application.
The repression of economists and independent financial groups is part of the Maduro government's strategy to suppress data and silence dissent. The Venezuelan government has not published any epidemiological statistics since 2016 and keeps secret data on infant mortality caused by hunger.
The Venezuelan economy has collapsed due to state mismanagement and American sanctions. Under President Joe Biden, the United States had eased oil sanctions, but President Donald Trump imposed new sanctions and revoked Chevron's license to do business in Venezuela.
Facing hyperinflation of 300,000% and massive devaluation of the national currency, the bolivar, Venezuelans have turned to the American dollar. The government's suppression of economic data and independent analysts has made it difficult for citizens to make informed decisions about their financial future.
In summary, the Venezuelan government's suppression of independent economists and financial data analysts, combined with a refusal to publish reliable economic data, severely disrupts the transparent flow of economic information crucial for addressing Venezuela’s economic crisis. This suppression contributes to a climate of misinformation and distrust, masking the severe economic decline and hindering evidence-based policy making.
The Venezuelan government's tactic of criminalizing and harassing independent economists and financial analysts, as well as targeting humanitarian workers, limits their ability to share accurate economic data openly, which is part of a broader campaign of repression aimed at suppressing dissent. This suppression, combined with the government's manipulation and refusal to release reliable economic data, contributes to a climate of misinformation and distrust about the country's economic health.
