Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaidó called on Friday for the biggest demonstration in history to put pressure on President Nicolas Maduro to step down. The National Assembly head launched a challenge to Maduro's authority in January, declaring himself acting president.
A second shipment of Red Cross humanitarian aid will arrive in Venezuela in around three weeks, the charity organization said on Wednesday, reiterating its plea for the issue not to be politicized.“There's a shipment coming by sea that we expect to be in the country on May 8,” said Hernan Bongioanni, the Red Cross commissioner for this mission.
Spain’s Repsol has suspended its swaps of refined products for crude with Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA, as U.S. officials weigh penalties for foreign firms doing business with Venezuela.
The Trump administration on Wednesday intensified its crackdown on Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela, rolling back Obama administration policy and announcing new restrictions and sanctions against the three countries whose leaders national security adviser John Bolton dubbed the three stooges of socialism.
The Lima Group made up of mostly Latin American countries called on the United Nations on Monday to “take action” to prevent an escalation of Venezuela's humanitarian crisis.
Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has said he wants a million more people to join his civilian militia by the end of the year. The call to expand the militia - which answers directly to Mr. Maduro - comes as opposition leader Juan Guaidó seeks to persuade the Venezuelan military to abandon the president. So far the military has stayed loyal.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday defended sanctions on Venezuela and said the United States would not “quit the fight” in the socialist-run Latin American nation which is spiraling into deepening economic and political crisis.
Cuban Communist Party leader Raul Castro said on Wednesday Cuba would never abandon its ally Venezuela despite US “blackmail”, even as the Trump administration threatened more sanctions over its support.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Monday he is working with the US government to sow dissent within the Venezuelan army. Bolsonaro, during an interview with Jovem Pan radio, and added if there is a military invasion in Venezuela, he would ask to seek the counsel of Brazil's National Defense Council and Congress on what, if any, action his country should take.
Venezuela will “fulfill its commitments” to Cuba despite United States sanctions targeting oil shipments from Maracaibo to its ideological ally, Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza said on Monday.