Venezuelan Crisis

Venezuela's Oppn supporters fight hope, distress after Maduro sworn in

The inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro left his opponents to grapple with with conflicting feelings of hope and disappointment on Saturday, pondering why the self-described socialist leader could not be stopped despite credible evidence that he had lost the election last year. Some described their mood after Friday's ceremony at the legislative palace in Caracas, Venezuela's capital, like an emotional hangover while others said they feel abandoned. Many expressed cautious optimism, finding a measure of comfort in the social media videos released by two opposition leaders popular former lawmaker Mara Corina Machado and Edmundo Gonzalez, the opposition's candidate in the vote who had promised to topple Maduro. In the end, it feels as if the soup got cold, college professor Nelson Perez said. We've been on the subject of not losing hope for a while. ... But then you realize it's more of the same. That realization is hard to process for millions of Venezuelans who, l

Nicols Maduro takes oath as Venezuela's President amid protests, rebuke

Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro was sworn in Friday for a new term, extending his increasingly repressive rule in the face of renewed protests and rebukes from the United States and others who believe he stole last year's vote. Venezuela's legislative palace, where he was sworn in and delivered a fiery speech, was heavily guarded by security forces who have become Maduro's main hold on power since last summer's disputed election. Crowds of people, many sporting pro-Maduro T-shirts, gathered in adjacent streets and a nearby plaza. Maduro, likening himself to a biblical David fighting Goliath, accused his opponents and their supporters in the US of trying to turn his inauguration into a world war. He said his enemies' failure to block his inauguration to a third six-year term was a great victory" for Venezuela's peace and national sovereignty. I have not been made president by the government of the United States, nor by the pro-imperialist governments of Latin America, he said, aft

Venezuela's Oppn leader defies Maduro to lead protests, claims arrest later

Venezuela opposition leader Mara Corina Machado's aides said she was detained Thursday, followed moments later by official denials of her arrest, in a confusing episode that capped a day of protests seeking to block President Nicols Maduro from clinging to power. It remained unclear what exactly happened after Machado bid farewell to hundreds of supporters, hopped on a motorcycle and raced with her security convoy down a main Caracas avenue. At 3:21 pm local time, Machado's press team said in a social media post that security forces violently intercepted her convoy. Her aides later told The Associated Press that she had been detained, and international condemnation poured in from leaders in Latin America and beyond, demanding her release. But about an hour later, a proof-of-life, 20-second video of Machado emerged online in which she says she was followed after leaving the wonderful rally and had dropped her purse. Her aides later claimed in a social media post that the video messag

Trump backs Venezuela's Oppn leader Maria Machado after detention incident

Fear of repression in Venezuela has escalated in recent days as the inauguration of Maduro's third term approaches on Friday, following last year's contested presidential election, CNN reported

Venezuelan Oppn leader Maria Machado arrested after anti-govt protest

Venezuela opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was arrested Thursday when her motorcycle convoy was fired upon by security forces as it departed an anti-government protest in Caracas, according to aides. Machado emerged from months of hiding earlier Thursday to reappear in public as part of a last-ditch attempt to block President Nicols Maduro from clinging to power. Machado's press team said in a social media post that security forces violently intercepted the convoy as it was leaving eastern Caracas. There were no immediate details on her whereabouts and Maduro's government has yet to comment. They wanted us to fight each other, but Venezuela is united, we are not afraid, Machado shouted to a few hundred protesters from atop a truck in the capital moments before her arrest. The protests are taking place a day before the ruling party-controlled National Assembly is scheduled to swear in Maduro to a third six-year term despite credible evidence that he lost the presidential ...

Venezuela top court fines TikTok $10 mn over deadly video challenges

Venezuela's Supreme Court has issued a USD 10 million fine against TikTok for not implementing measures to prevent viral video challenges that have allegedly led to the deaths of three Venezuelan children recently. Judge Tania D'Amelio said TikTok had acted in a negligent manner and gave it eight days to pay the fine, while also ordering the video service company to open an office in Venezuela that would supervise content so that it complies with local laws. The judge did not explain how Venezuela would force TikTok, whose parent company is based in China, to pay the fine. Venezuela has blocked dozens of websites in previous years for not complying with regulations set by its telecommunications commission. TikTok did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press. In November, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro blamed TikTok for the death of a 12-year-old girl who allegedly died after participating in a TikTok challenge that involved taking tranquilizer

Venezuela President releases 103 imprisoned since disputed July election

After Presidential election, thousands of protesters flooded the streets in cities like the capital Caracas, and the opposition released data it said showed Gonzalez won handily against Maduro

Maduro opponents rally to revive protests over disputed Venezuelan election

Opponents of Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro took to the streets Wednesday in an attempt to revive protests against him as he tightens his grip on power following last month's disputed election. The demonstration in the capital, Caracas, comes exactly a month after the fraught July 28 vote in which Maduro was declared the winner despite strong evidence that opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzlez won by a nearly 2-to-1 margin, which drew international condemnation that the vote lacked transparency. In weeks of on-again, off-again demonstrations, the opposition's rallying cry has been constant but so far ineffective. Opponents have demanded that officials publish results from each polling station that they say would expose Maduro's attempts to steal the election. Voting records kill sentence, is how the opposition billed the latest protest, referring to the thousands of tally sheets it collected and posted online that contradict a recent sentence written by the loyalist Supreme Court

Nicolas Maduro accuses Venezuela opposition of planning armed attack

The US has said it's clear the opposition won the most votes, a position shared by several countries

Venezuela election dispute traps travellers trying to leave country

The lack of options is stranding Venezuelans who live abroad but returned to vote in the July 28 election

US recognises oppn candidate Gonzlez as winner of Venezuela's prez poll

The US government has recognised Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzlez as the winner of the South American country's presidential election, discrediting the results announced by electoral authorities who declared President Nicols Maduro the victor. Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States and, most importantly, to the Venezuelan people that Edmundo Gonzlez Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela's July 28 presidential election, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement on Thursday. The National Electoral Council declared Maduro the winner of Sunday's highly anticipated election, but the president's main challenger, Gonzlez, and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado have said they obtained more than two-thirds of the tally sheets that each electronic voting machine printed after polls closed. They said the release of the data on those tallies would prove Maduro lost. The announcement from the US government came amid diplomatic effor

Have proof candidate defeated Maduro in disputed election: Venezuela oppn

As thousands of people demonstrated across Venezuela, opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez on Monday announced that his campaign has the proof it needs to show he won the country's disputed election whose victory electoral authorities handed to President Nicolas Maduro. Gonzalez and opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told reporters they have obtained more than 70 per cent of tally sheets from Sunday's election, and they show Gonzalez with more than double Maduro's votes. Both called on people, some of whom protested in the hours after Maduro was declared winner, to remain calm and invited them to gather peacefully at 11 am Tuesday to celebrate the results. I speak to you with the calmness of the truth, Gonzalez said as dozens of supporters cheered outside campaign headquarters in the capital, Caracas. We have in our hands the tally sheets that demonstrate our categorical and mathematically irreversible victory. Their announcement came after the National Electoral Council, whic

Musk calls Maduro a 'dictator' in latest blow-up against foreign leader

Add Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to the growing list of foreign leaders with whom tech billionaire Elon Musk has picked a fight. Following the results of Venezuela's presidential election, in which Maduro and his opponents each claimed victory, the owner of X took to the social media platform to accuse the self-proclaimed socialist leader of major election fraud. Shame on Dictator Maduro, Musk said Monday. Maduro in turn trashed Musk as the archenemy of Venezuela's peace. Officials delayed the release of detailed vote tallies from Sunday's election after proclaiming Maduro the winner with 51 per cent of the vote, compared with 44 per cent for retired diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez. The competing claims set up a high-stakes standoff. After failing to oust Maduro during three rounds of demonstrations since 2014, the opposition put its faith in the ballot box. The elections were among the most peaceful in recent memory, reflecting hopes that Venezuela could avoid bloodshed and end

Why Venezuela's prez elections should matter to the rest of the world

The future of Venezuela is on the line. Voters will decide Sunday whether to reelect President Nicolas Maduro, whose 11 years in office have been beset by crisis, or allow the opposition a chance to deliver on a promise to undo the ruling party's policies that caused economic collapse and forced millions to emigrate. Historically fractured opposition parties have coalesced behind a single candidate, giving the United Socialist Party of Venezuela its most serious electoral challenge in a presidential election in decades. Maduro is being challenged by former diplomat Edmundo Gonzlez Urrutia, who represents the resurgent opposition, and eight other candidates. Supporters of Maduro and Gonzalez marked the end of the official campaign season Thursday with massive demonstrations in the capital, Caracas. Here are some reasons why the election matters to the world: Migration impact. The election will impact migration flows regardless of the winner. The instability in Venezuela for the pas

Irrespective of who wins election, Venezuela faces natural gas problem

The South American country's output fell to 4 billion cubic feet per day (bcfd) this year from almost 8 bcfd in 2016, data from consultancy Gas Energy Latin America shows

Maduro seeks Venezuela military's support ahead of consequential vote

At a crossroads not far from a gas station overgrown with weeds, young men and women in faded green fatigues stop vehicles returning from a rally for opponents of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, ask passengers for their identifications, and inspect their cars, trucks and motorcycles. Such checkpoints have proliferated across the country's vast tropical plains, forested highlands and beach fronts in the run-up to Sunday's presidential election, aiming to intimidate and occasionally detain government critics. They often involve a request for a ride, bananas or collaboration Venezuela's euphemism for a small bribe. But the power play frequently falls flat. When their superiors slip away from the scorching sun, the grunts betray their displeasure with Maduro and openness to a new commander in chief. Did the lady arrive? Were there a lot people? one giddy soldier asks about opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. We wanted to watch, but there is no Wi-Fi here, whispers another. S

US reimposes oil sanctions on Venezuela amid no fair presidential polls

The Biden administration on Wednesday reimposed crushing oil sanctions on Venezuela, admonishing President Nicols Maduro's attempts to consolidate his rule just six months after the U.S. eased restrictions in a bid to support now fading hopes for a democratic opening in the OPEC nation. A senior U.S. official, discussing the decision with reporters, said any U.S. company investing in Venezuela would have 45 days to wind down operations to avoid adding uncertainty to global energy markets. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss U.S. policy deliberations. In October, the U.S. granted Maduro's government relief from sanctions on its state-run oil, gas and mining sectors after it agreed to work with members of the opposition to hold a free and competitive presidential election this year. While Maduro went on to schedule an election for July and invite international observers to monitor voting, his inner circle has used the ruling party's total control over Venezuela

Venezuela electoral outcry: Oppn coalition registers provisional candidate

Venezuela's main opposition coalition said Tuesday afternoon that the country's government allowed them to register a provisional candidate for the upcoming presidential election, amid a wave of criticisms after opposition leaders said they were blocked from registering their candidate of choice the night before. The coalition, the Unitary Democratic Platform, said they temporarily enlisted former diplomat Edmundo Gonzlez Urrutia as their candidate as a way to "preserve the exercise of the political rights that correspond to our political organisation" until they are able to register another candidate. In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the coalition said it was not allowed to access the registration system, but was later granted an extension. It is the latest in a chaotic electoral process surrounding Venezuela's July 28 election as the government of President Nicols Maduro has cracked down on the opposition despite promises to pave the way to democratic elections in exchange for ...

Venezuela's main oppn coalition unable to register presidential candidate

The main Venezuelan opposition coalition said early Tuesday that electoral authorities didn't let it register its presidential candidate as the deadline ended, in what it called the latest violation to the citizens' right to vote for change in the South American country. The candidate, Corina Yoris, could not be registered by midnight Monday, which was the time limit for registering for the election set for July 28, said Omar Barboza, representative of the US-backed Unitary Platform coalition. On a video posted on the Unitary Platform X account, Barboza said this was a violation of the right of the majority of Venezuelans who want to vote for change, and he demanded the registry be reopened. Yoris, an 80-year-old unknown newcomer, was named Friday the substitute to opposition leader Mara Corina Machado, who faces a government ban on her running for office. Hours before the opposition coalition couldn't register Yoris, President Nicols Maduro got the support of thousands as he made

Maduro begins re-election run while rival struggles to register candidacy

It's a tale of two dramatically different political campaigns. On Monday, throngs of supporters of President Nicols Maduro rallied at a giant stage draped in the red, yellow and blue colors of Venezuela's flag outside the electoral council headquarters where he is expected to make official his candidacy for a third term. Meanwhile, his would-be rivals tried to register their candidate, an 80-year-old unknown newcomer, before a midnight deadline but found they were unable to do so in what the opposition denounced as the latest attack on Venezuela's democracy. Polls show that Venezuelans would trounce the unpopular Maduro by a landslide if given half a chance. But the self-proclaimed socialist leader has so far managed to block his chief opponents from running while alternately negotiating and then reneging on minimal electoral guarantees promised to the U.S. government in exchange for relief from oil sanctions In a creative attempt to force Maduro's authoritarian hand, two smaller .