The repository of information of public interest updated its records of Official Gazettes, State-Owned Companies, Treaties and Sanctions

Vendata, the open data platform developed by the Press and Society Institute of Venezuela (IPYS Venezuela) y Transparency Venezuela in 2015, it continues to make available to journalists and citizens a compendium of data of public interest in a reusable format. 

There are eight databases: the official gazettes, memories and accounts, the record of the State-Owned Enterprises and the agreements signed between the Venezuelan State and countries such as Argentina, China y Russia. You can also consult who are the officials and companies linked to the Chavismo administration that have been sanctioned.

In order for this open data journalism project to continue contributing to institutional transparency and social control by Venezuelan society, updates have been made to the databases and technical improvements that allow, for example, that the content of the platform can also be read in English. 

Among the novelties that can be consulted in Vendata highlight the database Official Gazettes, of which at least 2.624 records have been updated between 2020 and 2022 related to topics such as: Military, Electric Power, Communication and information, Mining and Hydrocarbons. In fact, 2022 stood out as the year with the most updates, adding 1.196 records in decisions of the Venezuelan State on these matters. Other databases updated up to mid-January 2023 correspond to State-Owned Enterprises, Treaties y Sanctions. 

State-owned companies total 965

Around 965 State-Owned Enterprises are registered on the platform Vendata. The distribution of these corporations is as follows: national (631), regional (217), international (114) and municipal (3). 

The three sectors that most group state companies are: Hydrocarbons (18%), Manufacturing (18%) and Agrifood (16%). Regarding the type of origin of these companies, the data specifies that 81% was by creation, 9% by confiscation and 5% by expropriation. 53% of SOEs registered in Vendata They have received public complaints of corruption, bad practices and inefficient management. In addition, 47% of companies do not know the names of their authorities. 

Paper ties with Argentina, China and Russia 

The database collects information on the agreements signed by Venezuela with countries such as Argentina, China and Russia. It is subdivided into three databases: Treaties with Argentina, Treaties with China y Treaties with Russia. There are records of 958 total agreements with these three nations: with Argentina there are 211 in the period 1999-2013, with China there are 492 agreements from 1999 and 2019 and with Russia there are 255 treaties between 2001 and 2022. 

International measures prevail 

About 537 records in people, 168 records in companies, and 142 in goods or assets that have been sanctioned between 2008 and 2021. About the people sanctioned, the records collect aspects such as whether they are Military or civilians, and the number of times the official has received an international measure. Regarding the sanctioned companies, the data details that they are companies located in Venezuela, the United States, Panama, Colombia, among other countries. The most penalized assets have been aircraft, real estate and ships. The countries that have sanctioned the most have been United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland and the European Union as a bloc. 

In terms of memories and accounts, the most recent data found corresponds to the Ministry for Indigenous Peoples (until 2016) and in the database National Assembly they can be consulted Information on the principal and substitute deputies elected in 2015 for the period 2016-2020.