Venezuela

• Friday, April 19th 2013 - 06:37 UTC

  Electoral council extends auditing to all Sunday votes; Capriles accepts

  

  Venezuela’s National Electoral Council, CNE said on Thursday it would audit votes cast in weekend presidential elections after an opposition challenge to the victory accorded to President-elect Nicolas Maduro.

• Thursday, April 18th 2013 - 21:39 UTC

  “Democracy in Paraguay is here to stay: Mercosur and Unasur have become irrelevant”

  

  “We’re optimistic about Sunday’s election and the future of Paraguay if we can agree on long term state policies, but something is for certain: democracy in Paraguay is here to stay” said Ricardo Caballero Aquino, Chargé d’affaires of the Paraguayan embassy in Montevideo who was also positive about future relations with Unasur and Mercosur.

• Thursday, April 18th 2013 - 10:19 UTC

  Urgent meeting of Unasur in Lima to express support for Venezuela’s Maduro

  

  Argentine President Cristina Fernández will travel to Lima for a UNASUR meeting on Thursday in which regional countries are expected to express their support for the elections results in Venezuela and President elect Nicolas Maduro.

• Wednesday, April 17th 2013 - 23:59 UTC

  US holding back recognition of Maduro who said “we couldn’t care less”

  

  The United States held back recognition of President-elect Nicolas Maduro and called on the Venezuelan government on Wednesday to respect the right of free assembly after violence at opposition protests over a disputed election.

• Wednesday, April 17th 2013 - 23:55 UTC

  Venezuelan Supreme Court bars any chance of a manual recount of votes

  

  A manual recount of votes isn't possible in Venezuela, the head of the country's Supreme Court said Wednesday, suggesting there is no legal basis for the opposition's push for a ballot-by-ballot audit of the narrow presidential election results.

• Wednesday, April 17th 2013 - 23:49 UTC

  Latam countries in OAS recognized Maduro as Venezuela’s elected president

  

  Representatives from several Latinamerican and Caribbean countries before the Organization of American States recognized on Wednesday Nicolas Maduro as elected president of Venezuela. Nicaragua, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Uruguay among others congratulated the new head of state and praised the Venezuelan people for their massive and peaceful turnout last Sunday for the historic voting day.

• Wednesday, April 17th 2013 - 23:06 UTC

  After the megalomaniac years of Chavez Venezuela is ready for a sober Maduro

  

  By R. Viswanathan (*) - The election of Nicolas Maduro, the chosen heir of Chavez, in last Sunday’s election, is good news for the peaceful and orderly transition of Venezuela after the abnormal, autocratic and quixotic rule of Chavez in the last fourteen years. If Capriles had won, the change would have been abrupt and traumatic for the Chavistas who might not have given up power so easily without some messy fight.

• Wednesday, April 17th 2013 - 08:06 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez and Mujica could overcome incident at Maduro’s ceremony in Caracas

  

  Argentina and Uruguay presidents could hold an unofficial meeting next Friday in Caracas when they attend the taking office ceremony of Venezuelan president next Friday, according to Montevideo diplomatic sources.

• Wednesday, April 17th 2013 - 07:54 UTC

  Cristina Fernandez calls on the US to recognize the Venezuelan government

  

  Argentine president Cristina Fernandez demanded the United States “recognizes the Venezuelan government” following on Sunday’s election in which Nicolas Maduro was confirmed as president despite a very tight margin (just over 1% of ballots) and challenges by the opposition candidate.

• Wednesday, April 17th 2013 - 02:50 UTC

  Capriles calls off protest rally after rioting left seven dead, and threats of more violence

  

  Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles called off a march by his supporters in Caracas planned for Wednesday, saying that his rivals were plotting to “infiltrate” the rally to trigger violence. Violent clashes at opposition protests over Venezuela's disputed presidential election have killed seven people, officials said as both sides mobilized supporters nationwide for new demonstrations.