Venezuela

• Tuesday, May 24th 2016 - 08:30 UTC

  US tire maker leaves Venezuela after six decades in the country

  

  United States tire maker Bridgestone is selling its business in Venezuela after six decades in the country, the latest blue chip company to abandon the country as a result of runaway inflation and strict currency controls. Bridgestone Americas said in a statement Monday that it is selling its Venezuela assets to Grupo Corimon, a local industrialist. It says the company will be called Alice Neumaticos de Venezuela.

• Tuesday, May 24th 2016 - 08:18 UTC

  Brazil and Argentina to work together to help find a solution to Venezuela

  

  Brazil and Argentina will work together to help find a solution to Venezuela's political crisis, Brazil's acting foreign minister said on Monday. Venezuela is facing a severe economic crisis, with the world's highest inflation and shortages. Polls indicate most Venezuelans want President Nicolas Maduro out of office.

• Saturday, May 21st 2016 - 08:26 UTC

  Maduro admits to being mad as a hatter, but “crazy love” for Venezuela and the revolution

  

  Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro admitted he “was mad as a hatter”, but “mad with love” for Venezuela, the Bolivarian revolution and for the deceased leader Hugo Chavez, in a clear reference to previous statements, without mentioning him, of Uruguayan ex president Jose Mujica.

• Saturday, May 21st 2016 - 08:07 UTC

  Argentina, Chile and Uruguay appeal for an urgent political dialogue in Venezuela

  

  Argentina, Chile and Uruguay in a joint statement released on Friday, called for political dialogue in Venezuela and offered to help with a “national reunion” of the political and social forces of the country. The appeal, with utmost respect for the principle of non interference in the internal affairs of Venezuela, was made extensive to the government, the National Assembly, under opposition control, and all political and social groups.

• Friday, May 20th 2016 - 10:40 UTC

  India planning to swap medicines for Venezuelan crude oil to recoup losses of drugs sector

  

  Indian drug companies could recoup some of the financial losses incurred as Venezuela struggles to make foreign-currency payments and the value of its currency plummets--by participating in a barter plan that would swap medicines for crude oil.

• 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.