Juan Alonso Molina

Historiador, cocinero, melómano, amigo de lecturas, bailes, conciertos, tertulias y caminos poco transitados.

[Efecto Cocuyo @EfectoCocuyo]

Las imágenes de lo que ocurre en la morgue a cielo abierto instalada en el puerto de La Guaira o en el cementerio habilitado en Carayaca para el enterramiento masivo de personas comienzan a modelar la percepción colectiva de la respuesta estatal a la emergencia causada por los terremotos del 24 de junio de 2026. https://t.co/6WWyxz8xHT

[El Toque @eltoquecom]

¿El PCC y el Gobierno no se apagan? Un video viral muestra los aires acondicionados en funcionamiento en la sede provincial del Partido Comunista y del gobierno de Matanzas, mientras vecinos de los alrededores denuncian llevar varios días sin electricidad.

[Alejandro Grisanti @agrisanti]

🇻🇪 Hace apenas unas semanas escribíamos: "No vienen cupos. Lo que está por llegar es efectivo."

Mientras algunos anticipaban nuevas restricciones para las personas naturales, en @ecoanalitica sostuvimos que el camino sería exactamente el contrario: más oferta de divisas, mayor disponibilidad de efectivo y continuidad en la normalización del mercado cambiario.

La información conocida esta semana parece confirmar esa visión.

El BCV anunció que comenzará a combinar las intervenciones tradicionales con ventas de divisas en efectivo, retomó el uso del tipo de cambio promedio de las mesas cambiarias como referencia para sus intervenciones (de allí la depreciación que ha venido mostrando el tipo de cambio oficial) y prevé inyectar más de USD 1.869 millones durante julio, uno de los mayores montos de los últimos años.

Todo ello ha permitido que la brecha cambiaria se reduzca a niveles por debajo de 20%, su nivel más bajo desde 2024, cuando Venezuela operó, en la práctica, muy cerca de una unificación cambiaria.

Pero quizá la señal más importante ha pasado desapercibida. En los últimos días, las mesas de cambio del sistema financiero han venido operando con mucha mayor libertad y, más importante aún, el BCV ha respetado los precios que de ellas resultan, sin anular operaciones como ocurría anteriormente. Ese es, probablemente, el indicio más claro de que las autoridades están avanzando hacia una mayor normalización del mercado cambiario. Nuestros mejores deseos para que esa postura se mantenga y se profundice.

Ahora bien, el siguiente paso para completar esa normalización no es aumentar las intervenciones, sino permitir que el sistema financiero venda libremente las divisas que recibe en todos los segmentos del mercado. Un mercado más profundo, con mayor oferta y menor segmentación, contribuiría de forma mucho más eficiente a estabilizar el tipo de cambio y reducir la inflación.

Como complemento a esa estrategia, seguimos proponiendo la eliminación —o al menos la suspensión temporal— del IGTF sobre las transacciones en dólares, para incentivar que el efectivo permanezca dentro del sistema financiero y no vuelva a salir de la banca.

La dirección de la política cambiaria ha mejorado de manera importante. Ahora el desafío es completar la transición hacia un mercado único, profundo, transparente y plenamente convertible.

[Jürgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 @jurgen_nauditt]

FIFA and UEFA are not readmitting Russia to international football.

Despite the International Olympic Committee's decision to temporarily reinstate Russia's membership and lift sanctions against Russian athletes, FIFA and UEFA do not plan to allow Russian clubs and national teams to participate in their tournaments in the near future.

According to *The Telegraph*, the headquarters of the football governing bodies in Zurich and Nyon emphasize that the question of Russia's readmission depends on FIFA and UEFA's internal statutes as well as security considerations.

Consequently, Russian clubs and national teams remain excluded from international football competitions for the time being.
Ukraine Now

[NEXTA @nexta_tv]

🔥 Ukraine says it struck 14 Russian tankers in a single night

According to Ukraine's Unmanned Systems Forces, a total of 35 Russian vessels have been hit over the past four days.

The reported targets include the tankers Venera-3, Sanar-1, Sanar-17, Klimena, Aleksey Savrasov, and Penelopa, as well as the cargo ships Viktor Borisov, Don Star 1, Vladimir Yarygin, Evgeniya Z, Yevdokiya V., and others.

Reports also mention damage to a ferry, a barge, and the vessels Yasa Polaris and Blue.

Meanwhile, the tanker Sanar-17 has reportedly been burning at an anchorage for a second consecutive day.

[Army Media 🇺🇦 @armyinformcomua]

Russia abandoned a fully operational T-72 tank on the battlefield.

Not destroyed. Not disabled.

Out of fuel.

Paratroopers of Ukraine's 81st Separate Airmobile "Slobozhan" Brigade walked up to it without firing a single shot. The crew had already fled on foot when the tank stalled mid-retreat.

Ukraine's response: fill the tank up. Fix it up. Add anti-drone protection. Send it back to the front.

It is now fighting on the Sloviansk direction — against its former owners.

This is what kinetic sanctions look like at ground level.

Ukraine spends weeks hunting shadow fleet tankers, striking oil terminals, destroying fuel depots from Rostov to Ufa. Russia runs out of fuel to move its tanks.
Its crews abandon functioning equipment in the middle of a retreat and walk away.

A T-72 that cost Russia roughly $2 million is now a Ukrainian asset — acquired at zero cost, zero ammunition, zero casualties.

The 22 tankers burning in the Azov Sea this week did not just hurt Russia's war budget.

One of them might have been carrying the fuel for this tank.

Source: 7th Rapid Reaction Corps, July 9, 2026

`#Ukraine #UAF #DroneWarfare #RussiaUkraineWar #ModernWarfare`

[Leonardo Vera @LeonardoVera60]

A nuestro entender (dada la ausencia de un vocero), el programa contra la inflación en Venezuela es el mismo: anclar infructuosamente la tasa de cambio congelando el salario y aplicando un encaje legal implacable a los bancos.

Esperaremos por la 2da ola de dólares en efectivo.

[Catherine Ellis @Cat_lucy1]

I am considering setting up a GoFundMe page so friends and family can donate back home towards the earthquake relief effort, then I can channel it to specific charities. I know people I know are more likely to donate this way, if I write about the earthquake, post pics, name charities it will go to etc rather than just posting a general link to a big org. I have a few people already who want to donate.

I am interested in charities that are smaller but do amazing work - perhaps working with the elderly affected by the tragedy, or psychological care, kids activities, education. Open to ideas but quite keen on small/medium charities not large ones.

Ideas very welcome.

[Andrés I. Henríquez @andrescatholic]

El edificio Rita en San Bernardino tenía un enorme tanque de agua en la azotea que añadió un gran peso a la estructura y además luego complicó las labores de rescate.

Un gigantesco tanque no planificado porque en Venezuela no llega el agua corriente.

Yo sí politizo el desastre.

[Daron Acemoglu @DAcemogluMIT]

The World Cup was shaping up to be a spectacular success for the United States. The hospitality the country provided to the teams and fans was exemplary. The interest from American fans dwarfed the interest seen when the USA last hosted the World Cup in 1994. The matches throughout the US, Canada and Mexico were energizing, showing why this is the beautiful game. And the US team played exciting, dynamic soccer (football), demonstrating that they are up to the task of taking on even the best in the game.

Then, it all got ruined.

Not by the fact that the USA lost Belgium 4-1. That can happen to the best teams in the world. No, it was ruined, perhaps predictably, by President Trump, interfering and trying to reverse the one-match automatic suspension for the American player Folarin Balogun after he received a red card in the round of 32 game against Bosnia and Herzegovina.

We will never know for sure whether it was pressure from Trump that reversed the decision, but this is what Trump has claimed. In any case, the decision to postpone Balogun’s one-match automatic ban by one year is completely unprecedented. Something looks fishy. The track record of FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino does not give anybody much confidence that this was a decision made on objective grounds, without interference.

What is sad and dangerous is that President Trump’s repeated disregard for rules and institutions is having an effect in every domain. It has further polarized US politics, damaged US democratic institutions, significantly hampered global cooperation, and made security and peace more tenuous around the world.

Now, it is poisoning the beautiful game.

As in democracy, once you damage the institutions of world soccer (football), and the trust that people have in the effectiveness and impartiality of these institutions, the consequences will be long-lasting.

Say what you will about Trump. He is consistent – consistently corrosive to the institutions our future depends on.

[Army Media 🇺🇦 @armyinformcomua]

Attacking your own soldiers is not protest. It is a gift to russia.

On the evening of July 8, a crowd in Lviv overturned a military vehicle and attacked servicemembers from a Territorial Recruitment Centre conducting routine notification duties.

The incident was filmed and spread across social media. It requires honest explanation for international audiences — because it is both genuinely disturbing and genuinely complex.

What happened:
TRC soldiers stopped a 30-year-old man — born 1996, of mobilisation age — who had been violating military registration rules since June 12. After he was taken to the TRC, a second group of soldiers remained at the scene. A crowd surrounded them, became aggressive, damaged their vehicle, and eventually overturned it.

Why it matters:
Ukraine is in the fifth year of a full-scale war. Mobilisation is a contested, painful issue in a society where hundreds of thousands are already serving — many since 2022, without a defined end date until the June reform. Tension between civilians and recruitment structures is real.

But it is also exploited by Russia — actively and deliberately.

"If today you tear off the uniform and beat a soldier of your own army — think about who will defend you tomorrow from an enemy army that will do the same to you." — General Kyrylo Budanov, Head of the Office of the President

"There is no justification for this. The people who are grateful to you for your service — who know what price you and your families pay — are incomparably more. And we are with you." — Military Ombudsman Olha Reshetylova

The Ministry of Defence @DefenceU statement was direct:
"Attacks on servicemembers are unacceptable. Everyone is equal before the law. Responsibility must follow in every case of violence and aggression. The only one who benefits from situations like this is the enemy. The language of hatred toward your own army will lead to irreparable consequences."

The MoD also acknowledged the structural problem:
"Mobilisation is a necessary component of Ukraine's defence. Its methods require improvement and that process is ongoing. We expect law enforcement to properly assess the situation in Lviv. Those responsible must be identified and held accountable."

Olha Reshetylova named the root cause: mobilisation reform must begin with a complete review of deferment principles. Many TRC soldiers are combat veterans transferred to recruitment roles after being wounded at the front. Attacking them is not a protest against a policy — it is violence against people who have already paid a higher price than most.

Head of Lviv state administration Kozytsky ordered immediate identification and prosecution of all involved.

The TRC confirmed the man stopped was 30 years old and had been violating registration rules — not a random civilian.

But one thing is not complex: Attacking your own soldiers while they are at war is not protest. It is a gift to the enemy that started the war — and Russia is already amplifying every frame of this footage across its information networks.

Ukraine's defenders on the front line are watching these videos too.

"The enemy is Russia. Remember who we are actually fighting."

Source: ArmyInform, July 9, 2026

#Ukraine #UAF #DefendingUkraine #StopRussianAggression #RussiaUkraineWar #HybridWarfare

[Transparencia Vzla @NoMasGuiso]

La catástrofe que sufre Venezuela ha activado la solidaridad internacional que debe ser recibida con los brazos abiertos. Pero es necesario dejar claro algunas ideas que permitan que el proceso de recepción y canalización de donaciones en dinero y en especie (ropa, alimentos, agua, medicamentos, insumos médicos, equipos, entre otros) sea lo más transparente posible. Hemos elaborado un Manual de transparencia para la recepción y distribución de la ayuda humanitaria. Puedes descargar el
PDF del manual en este enlace: https://t.co/kjkvAn7gk7

Consulta nuestro reporte aquí: https://t.co/GokrLSZUlQ

[Javier Biardeau R.🕯 @jbiardeau]

Estamos acumulando una policrisis, que incluye crisis de legitimación politica, una agresion militar externa, un tutelaje sobrevenido, una crisis economico-social acumulada y una catástrofe natural. Nada es normal.

[Igor Sushko @igorsushko]

💥 Ukraine struck 12 more Russian fuel tankers in the Azov Sea that were attempting to resupply occupied Crimea.

[Carlos Julio Rojas @CarlosJRojas13]

Al final de #AvBaralt en el edif Urigain #Altagracia #Ccs la destrucción fue bestial a niveles graves con fisuras en tres columnas siendo declarado etiqueta roja (inhabitable) viéndose afectadas 91 familias, comunidad clama a @MPPOP_OFICIAL y @JacquelinePSUV iniciar lo antes posible los trabajos de reestructuración para salvar la edificacion y que no se siga deteriorando. Los vecinos no cuentan con los recursos para ejecutar trabajos de este alcance, muchos se sienten ignorados por el poder a pesar de estar justamente al lado del @TSJ_Venezuela ¡@Frente_NorteCcs trabajando desde temprano de cara a los #caraqueños!

[Politiqueando @Politiqueando33]

Un periodista Australiano y su camarógrafo relatan cómo fueron intimidados con el SEBIN en Caracas y cómo las violaciones de DDHH cometidas por el Narco-Régimen de Delcy Rodríguez están a la orden del día.

Vía @abcnewsaus

Donde estarán lo que dicen: “tutelados”

Check this out

[EL PAÍS @el_pais]

La supervivencia al cáncer depende más del código postal y la situación socioeconómica que de la etapa o la biología del tumor, según la OMS: el 85% de las pacientes con tumores de mama en regiones ricas sobreviven; el 45% en las pobres https://t.co/iRceG914Cg

[Visioner @visionergeo]

‼️‼️🛢️🇰🇿🇷🇺 BIG | Kazakhstan has officially gone into lockdown mode at its border with Russia, slapping a strict "one-entry-per-day" rule on all passenger and cargo vehicles.

🔻The goal? To stop the massive "gray market" exodus of fuel. With Ukrainian drone strikes systematically dismantling Russia’s refineries—including the massive Omsk facility—Russian drivers are flooding into Kazakhstan to hunt for cheaper gas, effectively draining the Kazakh market. In just 48 hours, border agents intercepted over 60 smuggling attempts involving modified tanks and hidden canisters, forcing Astana to prioritize domestic stability over the needs of its desperate northern neighbor.

📍​This isn't just about border security; it’s a quiet but powerful act of economic self-preservation. By choking off this illicit pipeline, Kazakhstan is sending a sharp, pragmatic signal to Moscow: "We won't let your self-inflicted energy crisis burn our economy to the ground." The fact that a regional partner is taking such aggressive, non-diplomatic measures to curb the influence of Russia’s domestic collapse shows just how deep the rot in the Russian infrastructure has actually gone.

[Rafael Uzcátegui @fanzinero]

"Una reunion de los mejores especialistas del país". Justo lo que no ocurre ahora

[Brian Winter @BrazilBrian]

Trump Is Remaking Latin America

At a time when the president’s war on Iran looks like a miscalculation of historic proportions, and when his rhetoric, tariffs, and other actions have alienated traditional U.S. allies in many parts of the world, Latin America stands out as the foreign policy sphere in which Trump has enjoyed the most success in advancing his agenda.

- Unprecedented security cooperation from Mexico
- Setbacks for China in Mexico, Panama, Chile & elsewhere
- U.S. treasury rescue probably changed history in Argentina
- Basically picked a president in Honduras
- Venezuela
- Aligned leaders being elected everywhere

Yet some Latin American policymakers, even as they acknowledge Trump’s victories, warn of an emerging backlash to Washington's heavy hand. In a recent meeting, the foreign minister of a Latin American government aligned with Trump told me with palpable anger: “We will not be anyone’s vassal.”

With major decisions still to come on Cuba, Mexico, and Venezuela, the return of U.S. interventionism in the 21st century may ultimately have the opposite effect that Trump wants: driving the region away from the United States and into the arms of China.