Venezuela

• Friday, January 23rd 2026 - 19:29 UTC

  Chavismo pushes oil-law reform to open Venezuela’s upstream to private firms

  

  Venezuela’s National Assembly has approved, in a first reading, a reform to the country’s Hydrocarbons Law that would expand private participation in crude production and marketing—an important shift from the long-running “mixed-company” model in which the state held majority stakes. The bill still requires a second reading before it can become law, EFE reported.

• Friday, January 23rd 2026 - 03:50 UTC

  Venezuela frees opposition leader’s son-in-law as Caracas signals thaw with Washington

  

  Venezuelan authorities on Thursday released Rafael Tudares, the son-in-law of opposition figure Edmundo González Urrutia, in one of the most politically charged prisoner releases since Nicolás Maduro’s ouster and the installation of an interim administration led by Delcy Rodríguez, according to agency reporting.

• Thursday, January 22nd 2026 - 21:51 UTC

  US appoints career diplomat Laura Dogu as new mission chief for Venezuela amid thaw signals

  

  The United States has named veteran Foreign Service officer Laura Dogu as its new mission chief for Venezuela, a step that aligns with broader signs of a tentative diplomatic reset — including discussions about reopening embassies and plans for Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodríguez to travel to Washington, though no dates or agenda have been disclosed.

• Wednesday, January 21st 2026 - 19:22 UTC

  White House confirms upcoming Washington visit by Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez

  

  Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez is expected to travel to Washington “soon,” a White House official told EFE on Wednesday, without providing dates or an agenda. The planned trip comes as the administration of US President Donald Trump seeks to entrench a transition framework in Caracas following the US operation that captured and removed Nicolás Maduro in early January.

• Wednesday, January 21st 2026 - 03:52 UTC

  Trump signals possible role for Machado as U.S. tightens Venezuela oil crackdown

  

  United States President Donald Trump said Venezuela opposition leader María Corina Machado could “maybe” be brought into the transition process “in some way,” marking a notable shift in tone as Washington balances political messaging with day-to-day coordination in Caracas following Nicolás Maduro’s capture on January 3, according to a Reuters report.

• Tuesday, January 20th 2026 - 15:29 UTC

  Delcy Rodríguez vows 30% increase in gold output to boost hard-currency inflows

  

  Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez said her administration aims to raise gold production by 30% in 2026 to generate additional foreign-currency revenues, as the government seeks to shore up public finances and draw fresh investment into the mining sector, according to reports attributed to EFE.

• Saturday, January 17th 2026 - 08:02 UTC

  Delcy Rodríguez meets CIA director in Caracas

  

  Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez met on Thursday in Caracas with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, holding talks focused on security and cooperation, US intelligence sources confirmed to EFE.

• Friday, January 16th 2026 - 19:17 UTC

  Venezuela announces Armed Forces “review and adjustment” after US attack

  

  Venezuela’s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López announced Friday a “review and adjustment” of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) following the January 3 US attacks, in which 47 Venezuelan soldiers were killed and President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured, EFE reported.

• Thursday, January 15th 2026 - 22:00 UTC

  Machado handed her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump

  

  Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado handed her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump on Thursday, in a symbolic gesture that capped a high-stakes visit to Washington amid mixed signals from the White House over Venezuela’s political future.

• Thursday, January 15th 2026 - 21:26 UTC

  Machado says she counts on Trump, but White House backs Delcy Rodríguez

  

  Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado told supporters gathered outside the White House on Thursday that “we count on the president for Venezuela’s freedom” after holding a closed-door meeting lasting more than two hours with US President Donald Trump.