Venezuela

• Monday, July 20th 2015 - 07:47 UTC

  Guyana to 'stoutly resist' Venezuela plans to issue IDs to disputed Essequibo residents

  

  Guyana on Sunday warned it would “stoutly resist” plans by Venezuela to register residents in Essequibo and issue them identification cards for the neighbouring Spanish-speaking nation. Venezuela claims the region and has launched an aggressive campaign at domestic and international level calling president David Granger a 'provocateur”.

• Wednesday, July 15th 2015 - 05:35 UTC

  Guyana declines UN good offices since they have only 'helped Venezuela'

  

  Guyana is no longer interested in the UN Good Offices Process as a means to settle its century-old border dispute with Venezuela, Foreign Minister Carl Greenidge said on Monday in a news briefing live-streamed online.

• Monday, July 13th 2015 - 09:21 UTC

  Venezuela will stop buying Guyana rice amid escalating border dispute

  

  Venezuela has decided to stop buying much of Guyana's rice crop amid an escalating border dispute between the two neighboring countries, the Guyanese finance minister said. The administration of president Nicolas Maduro has in the past four years purchased about 40% of Guyana's rice production, about 200,000 tons, paying for it with oil that amounts to about half of Guyana's daily supply needs.

• Tuesday, July 7th 2015 - 07:48 UTC

  Caricom supports Guyana in border dispute with Venezuela, but there's also Petro Caribe

  

  The chairman of a 15-member Caribbean trade bloc said over the weekend that he backs Guyana's government amid an escalating border dispute with neighboring Venezuela. Freundel Stuart spoke at a press conference as Caricom leaders ended a three-day summit in Barbados.

• Tuesday, July 7th 2015 - 07:40 UTC

  Maduro recalls ambassador in Guyana: “Venezuela in under new forms of assault and aggression”

  

  President Nicolas Maduro announced Monday that he was recalling Venezuela's ambassador in neighboring Guyana for consultation amid mounting tensions over their disputed border. During an address to parliament, Maduro said that he also is initiating a comprehensive review of relations with much smaller Guyana and reducing the size of Venezuela's embassy there.

• Tuesday, June 30th 2015 - 05:42 UTC

  Commonwealth's 53-member states support Guyana's sovereignty and territorial integrity

  

  The 53 member states of the Commonwealth have pledged to support Guyana in the ongoing maritime border dispute with Venezuela. Commonwealth Secretary General Kamalesh Sharma, sought to assure the government of the groupings commitment on his arrival to Jamaica.

• Thursday, June 25th 2015 - 07:22 UTC

  Guyana gives assurances to Exxon to keep exploring for oil, despite Venezuela's threats

  

  Venezuela’s recent claim on Guyana’s maritime territory is a “legal absurdity” and US oil firm ExxonMobil will continue to work as scheduled, President David Granger has said. Labeling Caracas’ claim as the worst intrusion the country has ever had on its sovereignty, the President said his government has made its position on the claim by Venezuela clear to the oil company.

• Tuesday, June 23rd 2015 - 05:44 UTC

  Venezuela's legislative election announced for 6 December, a Chavista remembrance date

  

  Venezuela's parliamentary election will be held on December 6, authorities announced on Monday, ending lengthy speculation over the date for a vote that surveys showed was likely to punish the ruling socialists.

• Saturday, June 20th 2015 - 08:38 UTC

  Venezuelan lawmakers blast Brazilian senators' trip as 'abusive and meddling'

  

  Venezuela's ruling Socialist Party legislators reacted to a trip by Brazilian senators to visit jailed opponents of President Nicolas Maduro by describing it as “abusive” and “meddling”. The Brazilian delegation's visit on Thursday was cut short after their minibus was stoned by Maduro supporters and roads were blocked, forcing them to return to the airport and fly back the same day.

• Friday, June 19th 2015 - 23:36 UTC

  Venezuelan pickets stone and threaten visiting Brazilian senators

  

  Brazilian senators seeking on Thursday to visit jailed opposition leaders in Venezuela said their minibus was stoned and blocked, forcing them to return to the airport. The group of opposition senators had planned to drive from the coastal airport of Maiquetía to the capital Caracas and then on to a military jail where hard-line opposition leader Leopoldo López has been for more than a year.