Venezuela

• Wednesday, January 8th 2014 - 05:48 UTC

  Venezuela's violent crime unstoppable: former beauty queen and husband shot dead

  

  Gunmen shot dead a former Miss Venezuela and her ex-husband in the South American nation, authorities said today. Monica Spear, 29, a soap opera actress, and Henry Berry, 39, died in an attempted robbery on the highway between Puerto Cabello and Valencia in central Venezuela.

• Friday, December 20th 2013 - 06:09 UTC

  Venezuela considering increase in gasoline prices, world's cheapest: 2 cents a liter

  

  President Nicolas Maduro said he was contemplating a three-year period to raise domestic fuel prices; a sensitive issue for Venezuela where a similar move helped spark deadly 1989 riots.

• Wednesday, December 18th 2013 - 06:29 UTC

  Paraguay set to approve Venezuela Mercosur membership this Wednesday, ending 18-month rift

  

  Paraguay is waiting for the formality of a Wednesday vote in the Lower House floor to acknowledge the controversial incorporation of Venezuela as full member of Mercosur, putting an end to an 18 months political and diplomatic rift in the block. The Deputies' Constitution Affairs and Foreign Affairs committees on Tuesday afternoon approved Venezuela's Mercosur incorporation protocol, which means all is ready for the full house expected positive vote.

• Friday, December 13th 2013 - 18:10 UTC

  Venezuela clashes with World Bank over oil deal with Haiti

  

  Venezuela has dismissed as “disrespectful” comments made by a senior World Bank official that Haiti was not transparent in its handling of funds provided under the Caracas-led PetroCaribe.

• Monday, December 9th 2013 - 16:57 UTC

  Election confirms Venezuelan remains split and with no reconciliation on sight

  

  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro declared victory in municipal elections as his ruling Socialists won a majority of votes nationwide on Sunday, even though they lost to the opposition in five key cities. He also pledged to deepen his “economic offensive” to force businesses to cut prices, which was a turning point in his campaign.

• Saturday, December 7th 2013 - 20:30 UTC

  Municipal elections in Venezuela most probably will confirm deeply divided country

  

  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says that winning Sunday's municipal elections is essential for continuing the country's socialist revolution and honoring the legacy of the late Hugo Chavez. For opposition leader Henrique Capriles Radonski, the vote is seen as a referendum on Maduro's economic policies, which he says are destroying the country.

• Wednesday, December 4th 2013 - 06:00 UTC

  Blackout leaves Maduro speechless; blame falls on the fascist opposition'

  

  A huge power outage that darkened Venezuela's capital and parts of the country was a conspiracy to sabotage the Socialist government, according to Venezuela's President Nicholas Maduro. The blackout came five days ahead of Sunday's municipal elections.

• Friday, November 29th 2013 - 07:23 UTC

  Desperately dollar-short Venezuela planning gold reserves swap operation

  

  Venezuela is evaluating a swap agreement involving gold reserves as a way to fortify dollar supplies in a country which suffers chronic product shortages and inflation close to 55%. Opposition leader Henrique Capriles said last week that the government was negotiating a swap operation with Goldman Sachs involving 1.45 million ounces of gold worth around 1.86 billion dollars.

• Thursday, November 28th 2013 - 10:31 UTC

  Maduro tells Central bank he expects 5% deflation in November because of the mandatory price cuts

  

  President Nicolás Maduro has sent clear messages to the Venezuelan central bank arguing that following the 'economic war' he declared on big business and hoarding with the mandatory cuts in prices, November should register “5% deflation and not inflation”.

• Wednesday, November 27th 2013 - 07:10 UTC

  “Capitalists speculate and steal, as we do” admits in a passionate slip Maduro

  

  No end to Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro oral bloopers. In campaign for the municipal elections of 8 December and in the midst of an economic war on big business of which it accuses of promoting inflation and destabilizing his government, a self confession or “sincericide” (a blend of sincerity and suicide) became the delight of social networks ant twitters.