CARACAS, Venezuela (PNN) - July 13, 2016 - Although Nicolás Maduro is still the president of Venezuela, he handed over economic power to the Minister of Defense, Vladimir Padrino López, on Monday, July 11.
The Venezuelan power structure now resembles the Castros’ Cuba to an even greater degree than before. Due to President Maduro’s creation of a new bureaucratic entity, the Great Mission for Sovereign and Safe Supply, every ministry in the country that deals with economic issues will be completely subordinated to General López’s authority. López is now in charge of pharmacies, food, commercial distribution, and the management of the country’s ports. He will also oversee all “missions,” state-run social programs.
According to Maduro, “All ministries and government institutions are subordinated to the National Command of the Great Mission for Safe Sovereign and Safe Supply, which is under the command of the president and of the top general, Vladimir Padrino López.
Maduro added that this measure is part of his Economic Emergency Decree.
With the announcement, López, who was recently appointed Minister of Defense, becomes the second most powerful man in Venezuelan politics.
Maduro also pointed out that Venezuela won’t import any food or foreign products, insisting that all goods will be produced in the country:
“(We will have) sovereign supply with Venezuelan labor. No more imports. Let’s understand (the situation) and face it. We have the means (to produce), we know how, we can do it, Venezuela,” said Maduro.
The strongman, however, failed to explain how economic self-sufficiency would be possible for Venezuela at a moment in which most industries have either shut down or lack the raw materials necessary to operate.
Maduro explained that his economic plan consists of seven pillars:
- sustained and efficient production
- logistics and distribution
- new commercialization processes
- Systems of costs, profits, and prices
- consolidation of production
- security and legal defense
- research, development, and imports substitution
Maduro’s announcement came in the midst of a worsening economic crisis. On Sunday, July 11, thousands of Venezuelans desperately crossed the border into Colombia in order to buy food and medicine.