Venezuela

• Wednesday, January 28th 2026 - 22:38 UTC

  Marco Rubio: “Our relationship with Delcy Rodríguez's government is productive and respectful”

  

  U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday that Washington is not considering “any military action” in Venezuela, as he testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to outline the Trump administration’s strategy following the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.

• Wednesday, January 28th 2026 - 14:33 UTC

  Venezuela’s draft hydrocarbons reform faces extensive legislative scrutiny

  

  Venezuela’s proposed hydrocarbons law overhaul is under intense legislative scrutiny, with more than 80 amendments submitted by lawmakers, legal experts and energy sector associations ahead of a planned final vote, Reuters reported Tuesday.

• Wednesday, January 28th 2026 - 14:30 UTC

  U.S. prepares general licence to ease Venezuelan energy sanctions after Maduro capture

  

  The United States is preparing a general licence to ease sanctions on Venezuela’s energy sector, aiming to facilitate an estimated $2 billion oil supply deal between Caracas and Washington, U.S. government sources told Reuters on Tuesday. The move is part of a strategic shift in U.S. policy after the Jan. 3 capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces.

• Wednesday, January 28th 2026 - 08:56 UTC

  Marco Rubio says U.S. may use force again in Venezuela if Delcy Rodríguez “does not cooperate”

  

  U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will tell the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that Washington is prepared to “use force” again in Venezuela if it determines that acting president Delcy Rodríguez is not cooperating “to the level” expected by President Donald Trump’s administration, according to a draft of his prepared remarks cited by media.

• Tuesday, January 27th 2026 - 09:55 UTC

  Delcy Rodriguez meets Repsol, Chevron and Shell as Venezuela pushes oil law overhaul to draw investment

  

  Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez met on Monday in Caracas with representatives of oil companies including Repsol, Chevron and Shell to discuss a hydrocarbons law reform now moving through the National Assembly, as her government seeks to attract private and foreign investment. The meeting took place at PDVSA facilities and forms part of a mandatory public consultation phase after the bill cleared its first legislative debate.

• Monday, January 26th 2026 - 23:18 UTC

  Lula urges Trump to limit “Peace Board” to Gaza in call covering governance, Venezuela and bilateral agenda

  

  Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva held a phone call on Monday with U.S. President Donald Trump, in a nearly hour-long conversation that blended global governance issues with the bilateral agenda. Brazilian media, citing Planalto Palace sources, reported that Lula argued Trump’s proposed “Peace Board” should be restricted exclusively to the future governance of the Gaza Strip and should also contemplate the creation of a Palestinian state—an approach those sources said Trump does not share.

• Monday, January 26th 2026 - 01:11 UTC

  Venezuela releases “at least 80” political prisoners as families wait outside jails

  

  Venezuela freed “at least 80” political prisoners on Sunday across multiple detention facilities, according to a preliminary count by rights group Foro Penal, in a slow-moving release process that has left relatives camping outside prisons while awaiting official confirmation.

• Friday, January 23rd 2026 - 19:29 UTC

  Chavismo pushes oil-law reform to open Venezuela’s upstream to private firms

  

  Venezuela’s National Assembly has approved, in a first reading, a reform to the country’s Hydrocarbons Law that would expand private participation in crude production and marketing—an important shift from the long-running “mixed-company” model in which the state held majority stakes. The bill still requires a second reading before it can become law, EFE reported.

• Friday, January 23rd 2026 - 03:50 UTC

  Venezuela frees opposition leader’s son-in-law as Caracas signals thaw with Washington

  

  Venezuelan authorities on Thursday released Rafael Tudares, the son-in-law of opposition figure Edmundo González Urrutia, in one of the most politically charged prisoner releases since Nicolás Maduro’s ouster and the installation of an interim administration led by Delcy Rodríguez, according to agency reporting.

• Thursday, January 22nd 2026 - 21:51 UTC

  US appoints career diplomat Laura Dogu as new mission chief for Venezuela amid thaw signals

  

  The United States has named veteran Foreign Service officer Laura Dogu as its new mission chief for Venezuela, a step that aligns with broader signs of a tentative diplomatic reset — including discussions about reopening embassies and plans for Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodríguez to travel to Washington, though no dates or agenda have been disclosed.