Venezuela

• Monday, August 7th 2017 - 07:47 UTC

  Maduro controls attempt to trigger a military uprising

  

  President Nicolas Maduro vowed that a band of anti-government fighters who attacked a Venezuelan army base will get the “maximum penalty” as his administration roots out his enemies. Troops killed two of the 20 intruders who slipped into the Paramacay base in the central city of Valencia early Sunday, apparently intent on fomenting a military uprising, Maduro said in his weekly broadcast on state television.

• Sunday, August 6th 2017 - 00:23 UTC

  Venezuela suspended indefinitely: “Without democracy, you can't be part of Mercosur”

  

  Mercosur foreign ministers meeting on Saturday in Brazil suspended Venezuela indefinitely for failing to uphold democratic norms amid an intensifying crackdown on dissent in the country. The bloc previously suspended Venezuela in December for failing to uphold commitments it made when it joined the group in 2012.

• Sunday, August 6th 2017 - 00:10 UTC

  Maduro's assembly sacks dissident attorney general; next target elected members of the Legislative

  

  The newly installed constitutional assembly ousted Venezuela's defiant chief prosecutor on Saturday, a sign that President Nicolas Maduro's embattled government intends to move swiftly against critics and consolidate power amid a fast-moving political crisis.

• Saturday, August 5th 2017 - 07:55 UTC

  Mercosur foreign ministers will discuss the Venezuela situation in Brazil

  

  Mercosur foreign ministers are scheduled to meet this Saturday in Sao Paulo to decide on to how to address latest events in Venezuela, the fifth member of the group which remains suspended, and so far has not replied to calls to cancel the constituent assembly procedure and attempt some form of dialogue with the political opposition.

• Friday, August 4th 2017 - 07:45 UTC

  British Labour party divided on support for Venezuela's Maduro regime

  

  Labour MP close to Jeremy Corbyn has criticized the US's decision to impose sanctions on the Venezuelan president. Chris Williamson said it would be “better to facilitate talks” between the government and opposition amid ongoing political unrest and violence.

• Friday, August 4th 2017 - 07:08 UTC

  Venezuela diverting oil to Russia's Rosneft, ignoring contracts in the US

  

  Venezuela's state-run PDVSA has reduced crude sales to its U.S. refining unit Citgo Petroleum while increasing supply to Russia's Rosneft, following a plan signed in May to catch up on overdue deliveries, according to PDVSA documents, sources from the company and its joint ventures.

• Thursday, August 3rd 2017 - 07:53 UTC

  Beijing support for Maduro: “the election was generally held smoothly”

  

  Venezuela's close ally China said it believed voting in the country's Constituent Assembly election was “generally held smoothly”, brushing off widespread condemnation from the United States, Europe and others and evidence of voting irregularities.

• Thursday, August 3rd 2017 - 07:45 UTC

  Venezuela military publicly express continued loyalty for president Maduro

  

  Venezuela's military and cabinet expressed their continued support for President Nicolas Maduro, a day after the United States announced sanctions against the president. The sanctions were in retaliation for defying the White House by refusing to cancel elections for a National Constituent Assembly (ANC) to rewrite the Constitution.

• Thursday, August 3rd 2017 - 07:18 UTC

  Venezuela denies electoral manipulation; constituent assembly inauguration delayed

  

  Venezuela's election chief has denied a report that voter turnout numbers were “manipulated” and inflated by at least 1 million for this week's controversial election to choose an assembly to rewrite the national constitution.

• Tuesday, August 1st 2017 - 08:22 UTC

  UK calls on Maduro to stop the division in the Venezuelan society

  

  British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called on Monday on Venezuela’s government to take urgent action to stop the division in society following Sunday's the Constituent Assembly vote. “Venezuela stands on the brink of disaster and Nicholas Maduro’s government must stop before it is too late. The country is turning on itself – more than 100 have died already – and democracy and basic rights are in jeopardy”, said Boris Johnson.