Venezuela

• Tuesday, February 10th 2015 - 23:58 UTC

  Venezuela announces yet another concealed devaluation, effective Wednesday

  

  Venezuela's vice president for economic policy announced Tuesday that the government will inaugurate this week a three-tiered exchange-rate regime which includes a “totally free” market open to both individuals and companies.

• Tuesday, February 10th 2015 - 05:45 UTC

  S&P downgrades Venezuela long term credit rating to CCC

  

  Ratings agency Standard and Poor's on Monday downgraded Venezuelan long-term credit ratings to CCC from CCC+, citing falling oil prices and the government's failure to address economic distortions.

• Friday, January 30th 2015 - 08:25 UTC

  Chavez died December 2012 and not March 2013, says former bodyguard

  

  A former bodyguard of Venezuela’s Socialist Party heavyweight Diosdado Cabello Leamsy Salazar, who fled the country earlier this week and was reportedly collaborating with US authorities investigating allegations of Venezuelan officials' involvement in drugs, said late president Hugo Chavez did not die on 5 March 2013 but on 30 December 2012.

• Tuesday, January 27th 2015 - 06:50 UTC

  Oil Prices Changing The Face Of Global Geopolitics

  

  In a documentary that aired recently on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's popular The Fifth Estate program, an allegory of Vladimir Putin was presented. The wily Russian president was described growing up in a shabby St. Petersburg apartment, where he would often corner rats.

• Monday, January 26th 2015 - 07:17 UTC

  Venezuela denies authorization to former presidents to visit political prisoner

  

  The Venezuelan government has turned down a request by former presidents of Chile and Colombia to visit opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez in jail. Chile's Sebastian Piñera and Colombia's Andres Pastrana say they are in Venezuela to support the opposition and have called for the release of Mr Lopez, who was arrested nearly a year ago.

• Friday, January 23rd 2015 - 05:43 UTC

  In “God will provide” speech Maduro admits economic failure and calls for unity

  

  In a three-hour State of the Nation speech to the National Assembly on Wednesday night, president Nicolás Maduro acknowledged some of the economic realities facing Venezuela: the economy contracted by 2.8% in 2014 and inflation stood at 64%.

• Tuesday, January 13th 2015 - 07:30 UTC

  Arrests in Venezuela following protests over swelling lines for basic goods

  

  At least a dozen protesters arrested in Venezuela remained in jail and masked assailants burned a bus overnight amid scattered unrest over swelling lines for basic goods, activists said.

• Thursday, January 8th 2015 - 05:34 UTC

  Maduro announces 20bn dollars in investment credits from China

  

  President Nicolas Maduro said on Wednesday he had secured a total of more than 20 billion dollars in investment from major creditor China for economic, social, and oil-related projects.

• Saturday, January 3rd 2015 - 06:11 UTC

  Maduro and Biden shake hands and meet briefly at Rousseff's inauguration

  

  On the sidelines of the inauguration of Brazil's President Dilma Rousseff at the Planalto Palace seat of Brazil's Executive, U.S. Vice President Joe Biden met briefly with Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro in a hand-shake facilitated by Uruguay President Jose Mujica.

• Friday, January 2nd 2015 - 05:19 UTC

  Venezuela takes its seat at the UN Security Council replacing Argentina

  

  As of January first Venezuela is holding a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for two years (2015-2016). In such position, the government will have to take a stance on global issues, based on its “multi-center, pluri-polar world” approach.