Venezuela

• Monday, December 19th 2016 - 09:55 UTC

  Maduro backtracks on elimination of 100-bolivar bill as looting erupts

  

  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.

• Saturday, December 17th 2016 - 09:13 UTC

  Macri's Argentina back from world isolation except from Venezuela and Iran

  

  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.”

• Friday, December 16th 2016 - 11:34 UTC

  Venezuelan leader calls Macri “coward” and says Argentine ambassador should leave the country

  

  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.

• Thursday, December 15th 2016 - 02:32 UTC

  Venezuela definitively spoils Argentina's Mercosur taking-chair ceremony

  

  If Venezuela's intention was to spoil Argentina's ceremony as the new holder of Mercosur pro tempore chair for the next six months, they certainly managed. A low key event at foreign ministers level, instead of a presidential summit, was briefly interrupted by the uninvited attendance of Venezuelan foreign minister 'Delcy Rodríguez' who turned up in Buenos Aires to protest what Caracas considers a Mercosur confabulation against Venezuela, suspended from the block since last 2 December.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 21:47 UTC

  Maduro seizes 4 million toys and promises Father 'Nicolas' Christmas will visit all Venezuelan children

  

  Venezuela president Nicolas Maduro government has seized four million toys on the grounds that their owners were hoarding castles and kiddie cars ahead of Christmas. Now the “Santa Nicolas” government will be giving the toys supposedly to the poor children of the country.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 18:02 UTC

  Chaotic Mercosur: Venezuelan minister turns up in Buenos Aires but Malcorra asks Rodriguez not to attend

  

  In what is turning into a Caribbean soap opera, Venezuela's foreign minister Delcy Rodriguez, with Bolivia's David Choquehuenca, on Wednesday morning turned up at Argentina's foreign ministry pretending to participate in an extraordinary Mercosur council meeting, to which she had not been invited since Venezuela is officially suspended from the group.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 09:21 UTC

  Yesterday Colombia, now Venezuela closes border with Brazil

  

  The government of President Nicolas Maduro government closed the border with Brazil for 72 hours for the same reason it had taken the same measure with Colombia: money smuggling, Brazilian local authorities and residents of southern Venezuela who routinely cross to Brazil where they can make transactions in bolivars confirmed.

• Wednesday, December 14th 2016 - 08:32 UTC

  Maduro/Vazquez address Mercosur conflict; 'uninvited' Venezuelan minister expected in Buenos Aires

  

  On the eve of Argentina becoming the next chair of Mercosur, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro revealed he held an hour long video conference with his Uruguayan peer Tabare Vazquez and they both agreed in building a path “to channel the current conflict”, which has Venezuela suspended from the group, but is rejected point blank by Caracas.

• Tuesday, December 13th 2016 - 10:32 UTC

  Argentina ready to take Mercosur chair: priority is the trade accord with Europe

  

  Argentina's priority as chair of Mercosur which it will officially take over this week will be to advance negotiations with the European Union for a wide ranging trade agreement which will not include Venezuela, anticipated foreign minister Susana Malcorra .

• Sunday, December 11th 2016 - 21:09 UTC

  Venezuela prints 20.000 Bolivars bills to match hyperinflation

  

  Venezuela's new currency will go into circulation on December 15 in denominations of 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500 Bolivars, with 100-, 50- and 10-bolivar coins, the Venezuelan Central Bank (BCV) announced.