Venezuela’s high court issued an arrest order for the ousted chief prosecutor’s husband on Thursday after authorities accused him of running a US$6 million extortion ring, a ruling promptly denounced by government critics as a move aimed at silencing opponents of President Nicolas Maduro.
U.S. President Donald Trump's threat of military intervention in Venezuela was “an act of craziness,” the country's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino said on Friday. Venezuela's foreign ministry was expected to issue a statement on Saturday responding to Trump's comment that “a possible military option” was under consideration for the crisis-racked nation.
The extreme volatility of Venezuela's exchange rate has the crisis-hit country's shop owners hurriedly marking up their merchandise and consumers balking at the higher price tags. Just last week, the Bolivar currency fell around 70% on the black market, according to DolarToday, the opaque U.S.-based website that dictates the black market rate.
Washington imposed sanctions on eight Venezuelan officials on Wednesday for their role in creating an all-powerful legislative body loyal to President Nicolas Maduro, while a mayor-turned-fugitive called for more anti-government protests. The new U.S. sanctions targeted politicians (including a brother of ex leader Hugo Chavez) and security figures but stopped short of actions against Venezuela's vital oil industry.
Venezuela's newly established constituent assembly declared itself on Tuesday to be above all other branches of government, including the opposition-led congress. Assembly leaders Delcy Rodriguez and Diosdado Cabello said their laws and decisions trumped all others made by anyone else.
On Tuesday, August 8, thirteen foreign ministers from the Americas met in Lima, Peru, in order to discuss Venezuela’s social and political crisis. The result was a signed declaration in which the representatives declare that Nicolás Maduro’s constituent assembly is illegal and illegitimate, as are all decisions that result from it.
Highly concerned that recent developments in Venezuela could lead to further escalation of tensions and hamper a peaceful solution to the crisis, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres again on Tuesday urged the Government and the opposition to relaunch negotiations for the benefit of the Venezuelan people.
Supporters of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro marched in Caracas on Monday in support of a newly created constitutional assembly as hackers took down dozens of state websites to show their backing for a pre-dawn armed assault on a military base the day before.
Jeremy Corbyn has condemned the “violence done by all sides” in the Venezuela conflict but stopped short of criticising president, Nicolas Maduro.
Latin American foreign ministers are scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting this Tuesday in Lima to address the current state of affairs in Venezuela, Peruvian foreign minister Ricardo Luna announced.