Venezuela

• Thursday, May 19th 2016 - 08:32 UTC

  Mujica says Maduro is “mad as a hatter” and everybody in Venezuela “have gone nuts”

  

  Uruguayan ex president Jose Mujica said on Wednesday that in Venezuela “everybody has gone nuts” and president Nicolas Maduro is “mad as a hatter”. The former leader was reacting to the controversy between his former foreign minister and now OAS secretary general, Luis Almagro and Maduro.

• Thursday, May 19th 2016 - 08:14 UTC

  Maduro prepared to escalate state of emergency following massive protests

  

  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Wednesday he was prepared to escalate a state of emergency imposed this week after opposition-led protests in the capital and other cities. Maduro told supporters he would give the order - which implies suspending laws and rights to maintain public order - if “violent” anti-government acts occurred.

• Wednesday, May 18th 2016 - 11:39 UTC

  The Army must decide is they side “with the Constitution or with Maduro”, says Venezuelan opposition

  

  The army in crisis-hit Venezuela has to choose whether it is “with the constitution or with [President Nicolas] Maduro,” opposition leader Henrique Capriles said on Tuesday.He made the statement to journalists after Maduro decreed a state of emergency broadening the powers of soldiers and police - and a day before opposition-led marches demanding a referendum to oust the president.

• Monday, May 16th 2016 - 18:49 UTC

  Venezuelan soldiers steal goats because no food is left in the barracks

  

  The situation in Venezuela has become so bad that even soldiers are struggling to support themselves. Over the weekend, six members of the Venezuelan military were detained by local authorities for stealing goats, the Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional reported on Sunday. It said the soldiers confessed to stealing the goats and said they did it to feed themselves, since they had no food left in their barracks.

• Monday, May 16th 2016 - 05:46 UTC

  Brazil warns neighbors about “propagating falsehoods over the internal political process”

  

  Brazil's interim government dismissed criticism by populist countries in Latin America, including Venezuela, Cuba and Bolivia, over the impeachment process of Dilma Rousseff, who was suspended as president by the senate.

• Saturday, May 7th 2016 - 13:22 UTC

  Venezuela accuses Washington and the opposition of plotting to overthrow Maduro

  

  Venezuela's foreign minister accused the United States of conspiring to topple President Nicolás Maduro's government in conjunction with Venezuela's opposition. Minister Delcy Rodríguez says the plot includes attempting to remove Maduro's government from the Organization of American States in conjunction with the organization's secretary-general, Luis Almagro.

• Tuesday, May 3rd 2016 - 06:00 UTC

  Venezuela's explosive situation makes Pope Francis send a “personal letter” to Maduro

  

  Pope Francis has sent a “personal letter” to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in which he addresses his concern over the “seriousness” of “the county’s situation”, revealed papal spokesman Federico Lombardi confirmed to journalists this weekend.

• Monday, May 2nd 2016 - 05:56 UTC

  Maduro announces 30% increase in the minimum wage

  

  Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro has ordered a 30% increase in the minimum wage, the latest move by the socialist government to grapple with high inflation and economic stagnation.

• Monday, May 2nd 2016 - 05:34 UTC

  Venezuela moves local time 30 minutes up, back to normal

  

  Venezuelan government on Sunday moved local time up 30 minutes, to four hours behind UTC, with an eye toward dealing with the emergency caused by the ongoing severe drought. The time change will enter into effect as of this month and brings Venezuela back to the time schedule that prevailed until 2007, when the government shifted the nation's clocks back by half an hour.

• Thursday, April 28th 2016 - 07:34 UTC

  Maduro blames the “crazy right” for riots sparked by daily several/hours blackouts

  

  Venezuelan cities cleaned up from a night of looting and fiery protests on Wednesday as government offices closed their doors for the rest of the week in the face of a worsening energy crisis that is causing daily blackouts. In Caracas, hundreds of angry voters lined up to sign a petition beginning the process of recalling the deeply unpopular President Nicolas Maduro.