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ePaper created 2015-11-10, 17:27:36 | version 1.33.00
REDACTED Page 175 of 190 Maduro invited them to meet to “review how to address the joint work and develop a communication mechanism" and to immediately establish a “system of secure supply” which would include fingerprints machines to control how much every person is buying as well as secure supply identification carts. Maduro instructed the intelligence corps to free every municipality from the “professional buyers." 770 Likewise, Ernesto Villegas declared that the UBCH, Popular Fight Circles, communal councils, communes, and others organizations will contribute (…) to identify those who are behind the economic war”771 On April 13, 2015, Maduro called for a national union to defend the Bolivarian Revolution against “the Empire”, which was using the economic war as one of its weapons to destabilize Venezuela. “It’s them or us”, he said.772 Maduro has constantly highlighted the need to “battle the economic war” 773. On May 1, 2015, labour day holiday in Venezuela, Maduro declared “We have not full awareness of the damage that the oligarchy is producing to the people’s economy (…) sometimes we don’t see the face of the monster who seeks to destroy the economy and disrupt the people to put an end to socialism and the Bolivarian Revolution of Venezuela.”774 To fight this “economic war” against the right-wing capitalists, the GoV has arrested, investigated and harassed several businessmen and businesses’ employees. At least 20 of them have been charged with boycott,775 a criminal offence created under the “Fair Prices Law”, a law sanctioned by Maduro himself under the enabling law approved by the National Assembly under the PSUV majority. The next paragraphs 770 DESCIFRADO. (2015) Instalan Estado Mayor para la batalla económica. Descifrado. [Online] 28 January. Available from: http://www.descifrado.com/2015/01/economia/instalan-estado-mayor-para- la-batalla-economica/ [Accessed 27 October, 2015] 771 GDC. (2015) Jefe Civil del Estado Mayor de la Batalla Económica en Caracas invitó a trabajar en conjunto a todas las organizaciones. Gobierno Distrito Capital. [Online] 1 February. Available from: http://www.gdc.gob.ve/content/site/module/news/op/displaystory/story_id/3722/format/html/ [Accessed 27 October, 2015] 772 RODRÍGUEZ, M.L. (2015) “Ellos o nosotros” Misión Verdad. [Online] 18 April. Available from: http://misionverdad.com/columnistas/ellos-o-nosotros [Accessed 27 October, 2015] 773 TELESUR. (2014) Maduro pide al pueblo luchar contra la guerra económica. Telesur. [Online] 26 August. Available from: http://www.telesurtv.net/news/Maduro-pide-al-pueblo-luchar-contra-la- guerra-economica-20140826-0057.html [Accessed 27 October, 2015] 774 VTV. (2015) Maduro pide tomar conciencia de la Guerra Económica oligárquica que busca destruir la Revolución (+Video). Venezolana de Televisión. [Online] 1 May. Available from: http://www.vtv.gob.ve/articulos/2015/05/01/maduro-pide-tomar-conciencia-de-la-guerra- economica-oligarquica-que-busca-destruir-la-revolucion-video-8057.html [Accessed 27 October, 2015] 775 EL MUNDO. (2015) Más de 20 empresarios han sido acusados por boicot; and http://www.2001.com.ve/en-la-agenda/89720/empresarios--desfilan--por-el-sebin-.html