🫓 The Zombie Arepa

Dear reader,

Here we are, once again, bringing back one of our favorite pieces of CC branding (it just keeps coming back!). For those of you who are new, we wrote The Weekly Arepa consistently for 6 years, every Friday. A bit in the style of the newsletters of old, we used it to bring a weekly editorial comment along with our favorite CC pieces and recommendations. The return of the Arepa is part of a broader strategy to beef up the Caracas Chronicles substack. We’ve been saying for a while—actually repeating ourselves like a grandpa at a barbecue—that we’re experimenting with this platform, and how we’re seeing some real value, and how we’re about to unroll some cool perks for our subscribers. Well, we’re finally there… We have a plan, a new editorial strategy to help us grow in this space thanks to friend of the blog Roberto Ascanio. Roberto actually worked at Substack and now he’s taken on the challenge to advise folks such as ourselves on how to thrive in here.

These are some of the changes you’ll see right away:

1. Editorial discipline:

   1. We’ll share an article on Mondays, most likely analytical—open to everyone.

   2. The Weekly Arepa will be in your inbox early every Wednesday (except this one, so much for discipline)—open to everyone.

   3. Fridays are for the PRR—for paid subscribers and PRR subscribers.

2. Clear perks for our paying subscribers (yay):

   1. We’ve activated the chat for quick comments on hot topics. While we’re more focused on rested analysis, we want to keep you guys in the loop with breaking news that we consider interesting to comment on the spot.

   2. The PRR: As you know, the paying subscriber level gives you access to The View From Above section of our PRR, the PRR subscription gives access to the Full Report with all the intel. We’re making a clear distinction here, so regular paid subscribers are able to see the cheese on the toast—free subscribers will be able to see just the first paragraph of “the view” section. This means that full PRR subscribers may receive two emails, just make sure to open the one that says Full PRR.

3. Live streaming: We’re going to start using Substack’s live stream tool for important events, mainly open to everyone.

Our plan goes deeper, but those changes you’ll be able to see in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, we’re expecting a crazy year ahead, so make sure to…

Where Are the Lost Kids of the Earthquakes?
Institutional silence and social media misinformation made it harder for child protection organizations and families to reunite with children who survived
Gabriela Rojas

What We Know About Material Damage After the Venezuela Earthquakes
A full assessment is only starting. Experts insist separating fact from rumor is essential if we hope to reduce the impact of a similar disaster
Pedro Graterol & Rafael Osío Cabrices

How the Military Replaced Scientists at Venezuela’s Seismological Institute
Men in uniform oversaw the dismantling of Funvisis and fueled a critical brain drain
María Victoria Fermín K.

A Japanese Study Warned Chávez About the Earthquake Risks
From 2002 to 2005, Japanese officials assessed Caracas and concluded that only buildings constructed after 2001 were seismic-resistant
Kaoru Yonekura

Rafa had a ball explaining his Zombi State theory at Time:

“For we live with a haunting question: How many Venezuelans would have survived if they were rescued in time? If only Venezuela had a government capable of responding and was not saddled with a zombie state that lurches forward only to shield a corrupt regime led by an illegitimate president.”

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Venezuela’s dueling realities: On the same day, we learned that top venny startup Cashea raised $100M and that Colombian group Nutresa acquired all the assets of traditional local ice cream brand Tío Rico.

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Caracas Chronicles has been able to hang on for 23 years in one of the craziest media landscapes in the world. We know that your money is probably more useful elsewhere, considering what’s going on in Venezuela, but if you’d like to help us cover this new and completely unexpected crisis, a paid subscription to our Substack goes a long way—if you’re in a position to give a bit more you can do it here. And to check out other options to subscribe to our Political Risk Report go here.