
Venezuela Foreign minister Elias Jaua is expected Wednesday in Asuncion, a guest of the Paraguayan government to talk about bilateral relations, Mercosur and to advance in negotiations of common interest, according to sources from the administration of President Horacio Cartes.

Lukoil, Russia's second-biggest oil producer wants to sell its stake in a Russian consortium developing a large oil project in Venezuela because it is not a high priority, Lukoil's head said on Wednesday.

The United States has expelled Venezuela's top diplomat and two others, after Venezuela kicked out three U.S. diplomats it accused of plotting sabotage. The Caracas government criticized the US response, saying the Venezuelan diplomats had not been meeting with groups opposed to US President Barack Obama.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said Wednesday he had scrapped his plan to take part in the UN General Assembly in New York to protect my life after purported threats on it. Just back from a visit to China Maduro said that on a layover in Vancouver he received intelligence on what he said were two highly serious provocations, which prompted him to scrap his UN trip.

With more arrests and airline workers suspected, Venezuela's top police official said that the smuggling of 1.5 tons of cocaine in 31 suitcases on an Air France flight from Caracas to Paris has led to nine arrests on two continents.

Representatives from Paraguay and Venezuela are scheduled to re-take bilateral and Mercosur related discussions on the sides of the UN General Assembly this week in New York, according to Deputy foreign minister Manuel María Cáceres

The Venezuela government has temporarily taken over a toilet paper factory in order to avoid a nationwide shortage. The decision was implemented by the National Guard which took control of the ‘Manufacturas de Papel’ plant and authorities will now oversee and monitor its production.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, said they were committed to consolidating the strategic alliance between their two countries during a meeting in Beijing at which they signed a dozen cooperation and investment agreements worth 20 billion dollars.

United States corn exporters are concerned with the fact that Venezuela, one of their prime markets, is now a full member of Mercosur, which includes Brazil and Argentina two major exporting countries.

President Nicolas Maduro blamed Spiderman and other ‘idolized super heroes’ of US television cartoons for the growing youth crime in Venezuela, which has become one of the most violent countries in Latinamerica.