Venezuela

• Saturday, January 12th 2013 - 17:45 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez meets Chavez family and has lunch with the Castro brothers

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez is flying Saturday to Emirates the first leg of a trade tour that includes the Far East after spending 24 hours in Cuba where she met the Castro brothers, visited the relatives of cancer-stricken President Hugo Chavez and late Friday held a mini summit with Venezuelan Vice president Nicolas Maduro and Peruvian head of state Ollanta Humala.

• Saturday, January 12th 2013 - 11:51 UTC

  OAS respects Venezuela’s decision to postpone Chavez inauguration

  

  Organization of American States Secretary General José Miguel Insulza, said in statements to the press that the hemispheric body “fully respects and how could it be otherwise the decision of the constitutional powers of Venezuela regarding the inauguration of the President of that country”.

• Friday, January 11th 2013 - 09:05 UTC

  On inauguration day Chavez militants promise total loyalty and to defend his presidency

  

  Tens of thousands of Venezuelans packed the centre of Caracas on the day that Hugo Chavez, cancer-stricken and hospitalized in Cuba for over a month, had to take office for another six years and ended the rally with hands up in a massive oath of loyalty to the president.

• Friday, January 11th 2013 - 08:55 UTC

  Declaration of Caracas pledges support for Venezuela in the international stage

  

  Presidents, Foreign ministers and representatives from 22 Latinamerican and Caribbean countries stamped their signatures to a declaration stating their commitment in support of Venezuela and its institutions in the international stage.

• Friday, January 11th 2013 - 08:52 UTC

  President Mujica calls for unity and peace for ‘the day when Chavez is not with us’

  

  The shortest and most sober of a day of emotional speeches and promises was that from Uruguayan president Jose Mujica who asked the massive rally in support of President Hugo Chavez that if the Venezuelan leader “tomorrow is not with us”, then unity, peace and work must prevail.

• Thursday, January 10th 2013 - 12:57 UTC

  Venezuelan opposition leader accepts high court ruling but tells government ‘back to work’

  

  Opposition leader Enrique Capriles accepted Venezuela’s high court sentence endorsing the postponement of President Hugo Chavez inauguration on Thursday and the ruling that the cancer-stricken leader and his administration remained in office, since “as president re-elect there is no interruption of performance of duties”.

• Thursday, January 10th 2013 - 03:54 UTC

  Brazilian corporations fearful of Venezuelan situation despite Brasilia support for Maduro

  

  Brazilian corporations with strong interests in Venezuela have expressed concern about the future of the country and its impact on Mercosur if the political transition, because of President Hugo Chavez health condition, does not follow the constitutional process

• Wednesday, January 9th 2013 - 19:46 UTC

  Venezuela top court endorses inauguration postponement; massive ‘legitimization’ rally on Thursday

  

  Venezuela’s Supreme Tribunal constitutional chamber endorsed the postponement of Hugo Chavez inauguration scheduled for Thursday and ruled that the cancer-stricken leader remained as the constitutional president of the country since he was re-re-elected and was granted a leave of absence for medical reasons by the National Assembly.

• Wednesday, January 9th 2013 - 05:35 UTC

  Venezuelan government postpones inauguration because of Chavez health problems

  

  Venezuela will postpone Thursday's presidential inauguration due to President Hugo Chávez' continuing health problems, the government announced on Tuesday. Chavez who has dominated Venezuelan politics almost undisputedly since 1999 has not been heard from or seen in public since his Dec. 11 cancer surgery in Cuba.

• Wednesday, January 9th 2013 - 05:32 UTC

  US says Chavez succession is an issue for Venezuelans to decide and must include all voices

  

  The United States is concerned for the health of President Hugo Chavez and wishing a speedy recovery, but the succession situation in Venezuela “is an issue for Venezuelans to decide” and it should be done in a manner “that includes all the voices in the discussion”, said State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland on Tuesday.