Former Zulia governor Manuel Rosales, who once challenged the late Hugo Chávez Frías for Venezuela's presidency, said he was willing to withdraw from this year's July 28 elections if another opposition candidate made it through the restrictions imposed by Nicolás Maduro's regime. “I am not Maduro's candidate,” he insisted after becoming the most prominent contender on behalf of a fragmented opposition.
Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira held a telephone conversation Tuesday with his Russian colleague Sergei Lavrov during which they reviewed the recent terrorist attack in Moscow and the UN Security Council resolution ordering an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, among other topics. The South American diplomat offered his country's help to cool down the spiraling global tensions.
A former Venezuelan defence minister who has become a staunch critic of President Hugo Chávez was sentenced to almost eight years in prison for alleged misappropriation of funds in connection with the purchase of military equipment.