Venezuela News

From the subway to the orchestra, the virtuoso sound of Venezuela's exiles

By AFP

Buenos Aires - The lights dim and the musicians start tuning the instruments they cared for along the arduous journey across South America, from Venezuela to Argentina, where they are about to perform their first concert.

Venezuela expels Ecuador diplomat in tit-for-tat move

By AFP

Caracas - Venezuela on Thursday ordered Ecuador's top diplomat in Caracas to leave the country, hours after Quito expelled Venezuela's ambassador over "offensive" comments about its president.

Ecuador expels Venezuelan diplomat over 'offensive" comments

By AFP

Quito - Ecuador expelled Venezuela's ambassador Carol Delgado on Thursday over "offensive" comments against President Lenin Moreno by a Venezuelan government minister, the foreign ministry said.

'Urgent' donations needed to deal with Venezuela's migrant crisis: UN envoy

By AFP

C - The UN special envoy for Venezuelan migrants called Tuesday for international donations to help South American countries deal with an "avalanche" of migrants from the crisis-wracked country."We will be appealing to donors...

'First sunrise in years': freed Venezuela activist arrives in Madrid

By AFP

Madrid - Fresh from his release after four years behind bars, Venezuelan opposition activist Lorent Saleh said Saturday he had seen the sunrise for the first time since he was detained as he arrived in Madrid.

Dead not spared indignities of Venezuela's crisis

By AFP

Maracaibo - Wenceslao Alvarez's body lay rotting in his house in Maracaibo until the stench spread up the street. His shamed family had no money to bury him.

US says Maduro 'enablers' profiting from sale of Venezuelan resources

By AFP

Washington - The "financial enablers" of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro are profiting from the sale of resources belonging to that country's people, US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Friday.

France summons Venezuela ambassador over activist's death

By AFP

Paris - France on Thursday summoned Venezuela's ambassador to Paris over the death in detention of a Venezuelan opposition activist.

More than half Venezuela's doctors emigrated since 2012: NGOs

By AFP

Caracas - More than half Venezuela's doctors have been forced to flee the country's crushing economic and political crisis, according to a report by health NGOs released Thursday.

Venezuela death reminiscent of Franco times: Spanish minister

By AFP

Madrid - Spain's foreign minister on Thursday compared the death of a Venezuelan activist in government custody with cases that took place during his country's fascist dictatorship when prisoners being interrogated suddenly "jumped out of the window".

US condemns Venezuela govt 'involvement' in opposition member's death

By AFP

Washington - The United States on Wednesday condemned what it said was Venezuelan government "involvement" in the fatal fall from a window of an opposition activist who was in custody.

Venezuela faces calls for probe after opposition activist dies in custody

By AFP

Caracas - Venezuela faced international calls Tuesday for a "transparent investigation" into the death in custody of an opposition member who the government said threw himself from a 10th-floor window of the headquarters of the state intelligence services.

UN calls for probe into death of Venezuela opposition member

By AFP

Geneva - The United Nations called Tuesday for a "transparent investigation" into the death of Venezuelan opposition member Fernando Alban after Caracas said he killed himself in custody.

Venezuela faces calls for probe after opposition activist dies in custody

By AFP

Caracas - Venezuela faced calls internationally Tuesday for a "transparent investigation" into the death in custody of an opposition member who the government said threw himself from a 10th floor window of the headquarters of the state intelligence services.

Alleged Maduro 'attack' plotter kills self: Venezuela

By AFP

Caracas - An opposition member alleged to have taken part in a failed exploding drone "attack" on President Nicolas Maduro killed himself in pretrial detention at intelligence headquarters, Venezuela's top prosecutor said on Monday.

Venezuela migrant crisis 'monumental': UN Refugee Agency chief

By AFP

C - Venezuela's migrant exodus has sparked a "monumental" humanitarian crisis, UN Refugee Agency chief Filippo Grandi said during a visit Sunday to a border area of neighboring Colombia.

Venezuela says Colombia's president shielding Maduro's attackers

By AFP

Caracas - Venezuela kept up its war of words on neighbor Colombia on Sunday, saying its president Ivan Duque was shielding the authors of an alleged attempt to assassinate its president Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela forms immigration police to strengthen border controls

By AFP

Caracas - The government of President Nicolas Maduro said Friday it has created a new police force to strengthen border controls, at a time that thousands of people are fleeing Venezuela's spiraling economic and political crisis.

Legless Venezuelan rapper, surfer, overcoming odds in Colombia

By AFP

Barranquilla - Venezuelan migrant Alfonso Mendoza was born without legs. Abandoned by his parents, he flirted with suicide. But everything about him shouts: "Believe in Yourself!" -- ask anyone who attends his motivational classes.

Flood of Venezuela migrants costing Colombia 0.5% of GDP: president

By AFP

Apo - Venezuela's migrant crisis is costing neighboring Colombia about 0.5 percent of GDP -- or around $1.3 billion -- its President Ivan Duque said Friday after talks with a top World Bank official.

US ambassador calls for Maduro ouster with megaphone diplomacy

By AFP

New York - The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, on Thursday joined Venezuelan protesters outside the world body headquarters and called for the ouster of President Nicolas Maduro.

UN asks Venezuela to accept humanitarian aid

By AFP

Geneva - The UN Human Rights Council on Thursday voted through a resolution urging the government of crisis-hit Venezuela to "accept humanitarian assistance" to alleviate the country's "scarcity" of food and medicines.

Portuguese supermarket managers freed in Venezuela

By AFP

Lisbon - Venezuela has released seven Portuguese supermarket managers detained over accusations they overcharged for basic items in the food-strapped country, Portugal's government said Wednesday.

Trump says 'all options' on the table with Venezuela

By AFP

New York - US President Donald Trump hinted Wednesday at a military response to Venezuela, vowing to take action against the leftist-ruled country whose economy has gone into a tailspin.

US ramps up pressure on Venezuela with sanctions, harsh warnings

By AFP

Washington - The United States cranked up the pressure on Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday, imposing sanctions on his wife and more of his inner circle and issuing harsh warnings about his vulnerability to an overthrow.

US imposes sanctions on Venezuelan president's wife

By AFP

Washington - The US Treasury went after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's inner circle Tuesday, imposing sanctions on his wife, vice president and other close associates.

Colombian leader urges diplomatic isolation of Venezuela

By AFP

New York - Colombia's new president, Ivan Duque, called Monday for the diplomatic isolation of neighboring Venezuela, urging pressure to restore democracy in what he labeled a dictatorship.

Venezuela banks on cryptocurrency, but it remains 'non-transferable'

By AFP

Caracas - Venezuela's controversial cryptocurrency was launched six months ago but has been left in limbo ever since. Now, though, President Nicolas Maduro's government insists it will start working.

Trump to meet Chile's president for talks on Venezuela

By AFP

Washington - US President Donald Trump will receive his Chilean counterpart, Sebastian Pinera, late this month for talks on "efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela," the White House said Friday.

Maduro says he'll ask UN for $500m to bring back Venezuelan migrants

By AFP

Caracas - President Nicolas Maduro says he's going to ask the United Nations for $500 million to help repatriate hundreds of thousands of impoverished Venezuelans who have fled their country's economic meltdown.