Venezuela

• Tuesday, February 7th 2017 - 08:24 UTC

  Maduro wants to involve the Pope in restarting talks with Venezuelan opposition

  

  The president of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro is working to set up a meeting with Pope Francis in hopes of restarting talks with the Venezuelan opposition. Maduro is reportedly hoping to meet with the Pope at the Vatican, along with representatives from his opposition.

• Thursday, January 5th 2017 - 08:04 UTC

  Maduro reshuffles economic team and names new combative vice-president

  

  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.

• Wednesday, January 4th 2017 - 11:38 UTC

  Venezuelan military fully involved in food staples illegal marketing and hoarding

  

  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.

• Saturday, December 31st 2016 - 15:20 UTC

  End of controversy? Venezuela says it has “transferred” the Mercosur chair to Argentina

  

  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.

• Friday, December 30th 2016 - 17:36 UTC

  The 100 Bolivar notes refuse to die: Maduro extends their use until January 20

  

  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.

• Friday, December 30th 2016 - 04:16 UTC

  Venezuela second on world murder ranking with 28,479 yearly killings, says NGO

  

  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.

• Wednesday, December 28th 2016 - 04:25 UTC

  New banknotes received in Venezuela, but they are not available yet

  

  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.

• Wednesday, December 21st 2016 - 20:09 UTC

  Maduro reopens Colombian border after eight days

  

  The government of Nicolás Maduro Tuesday reopened its border with Colombia, eight days after closing it to combat smuggling, it was announced.

• 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.”