Following a meeting with a delegation from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres has offered to facilitate discussion to help resolve the ongoing political crisis in Venezuela.
With an average score of 44 for three consecutive years, the Americas region continues to fail in making any serious inroads against corruption, according to the latest report from Transparency International. Compared to other regions, the Americas is similar to Asia Pacific (average score: 44), but behind Western Europe and the European Union (average score: 66).
Consulted on possible military option in Venezuela, the declared interim President of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó, told the CNN channel that all the options are on the table “to achieve the cessation of the usurpation”.
Venezuelan authorities on Monday approved a new, privately run foreign exchange system that will operate in parallel to the official currency control system, as an emboldened opposition challenges President de facto Nicolás Maduro.
The US has imposed sanctions on Venezuela's state-owned oil firm PDVSA and urged the country's military to accept a peaceful transfer of power. National Security Adviser John Bolton said President Nicolás Maduro and his allies could no longer loot the assets of the Venezuelan people. Efforts by the opposition to unseat Mr Maduro have increased in recent days.
The US has warned Venezuela that any threats against American diplomats or opposition leader Juan Guaidó will be met with “a significant response”. National Security Adviser John Bolton said any such “intimidation” would be “a grave assault on the rule of law”.
The Security Council convened by the United States this Saturday to discuss the institutional and political crisis that Venezuela is experiencing has been lifted this afternoon. With a strongly polarized participation, the bloc that supports the transitional government of Juan Guaidó with the US at the head, faced the block that recognizes as legitimate the regime of Nicolás Maduro, headed by Russia and China. Latin American countries also expressed their positions, describing the case as a crisis that directly affects the region.
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó has rejected an offer of talks from President Nicolás Maduro amid an ongoing power struggle between the two. Guaidó declared himself “acting president” on Wednesday, a position that has been recognized by several countries, including the US, Canada, the Lima Group and some EU members, but not the EU as a block..
Russia joined on Friday to countries that offered to safeguard peaceful mediation between the government of President Nicolás Maduro and the President of the National Assembly, proclaimed interim president of Venezuela, Juan Guaidó. The government of Vladimir Putin said that they are prepared to cooperate with all global forces acting responsibly, RIA news agency reported.
Russia on Thursday accused the United States of trying to usurp power in Venezuela and warned against a military intervention by confronting Washington and the European Union, which backed protests against one of Moscow's closest allies, Venezuelan partial recognized President Nicolás Maduro.