Venezuela

• Saturday, February 21st 2015 - 04:56 UTC

  OAS Inzulza calls for an end to the polarization spiral in Venezuela

  

  Jose Miguel Insulza, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), said on Friday that “the detention of the Mayor of Caracas, Antonio Ledezma, has caused alarm due to the way in which it took place and because it deals with an elected leader exercising his duties.”

• Friday, February 20th 2015 - 03:54 UTC

  Maduro's agents arrest metropolitan Caracas mayor on charges of coup attempt

  

  Venezuelan intelligence agents arrested on Thursday opposition leader and Caracas metropolitan mayor Antonio Ledezma, witnesses said, after accusations he was involved in a coup attempt against President Nicolás Maduro.

• Friday, February 20th 2015 - 00:30 UTC

  Protestors take to the streets in Venezuela on anniversary of opposition leader's year in jail

  

  Backers of jailed Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez took to the streets of Caracas on Wednesday on the first anniversary of his arrest and subsequent jailing, but the mood of last year’s mass protests against the government of President Nicolas Maduro was markedly different.

• Wednesday, February 18th 2015 - 04:28 UTC

  Venezuela ready to address fuel prices: “piece of candy cannot cost more than a liter of gasoline”

  

  Venezuelan Finance minister Rodolfo Marco Torre announced that ”soon there will be important announcements on the issue of gasoline”, underlining that “a piece of candy cannot cost more than a liter of gasoline”.

• Monday, February 16th 2015 - 08:51 UTC

  Germany urges Brazil with an EU/Mercosur trade agreement

  

  Germany wants to speed negotiations for a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur, said Foreign minister Walter Steinmeier in Brasilia. The agreement has been pending since 1999 when discussions started but so far have been unable to reach a deal or commit a date because of internal problems from both sides.

• Saturday, February 14th 2015 - 06:59 UTC

  Maduro claims a coup attempt was foiled, and blames the US

  

  Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro Thursday night went on the air and said the intelligence services had foiled a coup and arrested multiple people who were behind the attempt, which was backed by the United States.

• Friday, February 13th 2015 - 04:03 UTC

  Clashes and tear gas in Venezuela on the anniversary of students' revolt

  

  Venezuelan police fired tear gas Thursday to break up students demonstrating against President Nicolas Maduro's government, on the anniversary of protests that eventually left 43 people dead last year.

• 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.