Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Wednesday shuffled his cabinet by naming a new economy czar to oversee the OPEC country's decaying populist system and a new oil minister to confront the economic difficulties caused by low oil prices. He also appointed a new vice-president, state governor Tarek El Aissami, a hard liner that could replace Maduro if he is forced to step down.
The Venezuelan military is selling food staples at up to 100 times the government-mandated costs in illegal marketplaces, according to an independent media investigation. The black markets are carried out at all levels of the military from foot soldiers on up to generals.
Venezuela announced on Friday that it had transferred the Mercosur pro tempore chair to Argentina, having ended its legitimate tenure of the post, although the rest of the block's members had already complied with the formalities two weeks ago when they also decided to suspend the regime of president Nicolas Maduro.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says his government will extend the use of 100-bolivar notes to January 20, after a plan to withdraw those bills from the economy sparked protests across the country and widespread looting.
The new figures leave President Nicolas Maduro's country behind only El Salvador. Honduras comes in third but way behind the front runners. The Venezuelan Observatory on Violence (OVV) NGO announced that 28,479 killings over the course of the year is tantamount to 91.8 such deaths per 100,000 inhabitants.
Venezuela's Central Bank took delivery of yet a new batch of bigger denomination banknotes on Tuesday, but the bills where nowhere public to be seen (and spent) as popular unrest mounts, it was reported on Tuesday.
The government of Nicolás Maduro Tuesday reopened its border with Colombia, eight days after closing it to combat smuggling, it was announced.
Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro reversed his decision to ban from circulation the 100-bolivar bill and gave the notes, which are worth between US$ 0.02 and 0.04 according to varying quotations, a two-week grace. The bills can now be used until January 2, Maduro said.
Argentine President Mauricio Macri said Friday that we have come from years of isolation and bad relations with almost all countries except Venezuela and Iran. He added that this year we have experienced a Copernican change in that sense.
Diosdado Cabello, considered one of the three most powerful persons in Venezuela called Argentine president Mauricio Macri a coward, described the Argentine ambassador in Caracas as an enemy and suggested that if he had any dignity left he should pack his suitcase and leave Venezuela.