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Machado, 56, had led her rivals by some 40 points in polls. Though five people were released, the Maduro government said last week that those with disqualifications cannot run in the 2024 contest. The opposition, which says the disqualifications are unlawful, has been reticent about what it would do if Machado wins the primary but is unable to compete in 2024. Machado has said she could pressure the electoral authorities to let her register, while others have argued a substitute will be necessary. Reporting by Vivian Sequera and Mayela Armas; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Nicolas Maduro, Machado, Carlos Prosperi, Maduro, Vivian Sequera, Mayela Armas, Julia Symmes Cobb, Tom Hogue Organizations: Venezuelan, Thomson Locations: Caracas, CARACAS, United States, Machado's

Maria Corina Machado, 56, an industrial engineer and former lawmaker, has led her rivals by some 40 points in polls. The opposition and government this week signed a deal on some election guarantees, including the presence of international observers. Some in the opposition have said they are skeptical Maduro will follow through on the deal. The opposition, which says the disqualifications are unlawful, has been reticent to confirm what it would do if Machado wins the primary but is unable to compete in 2024. Others have argued selecting a substitute candidate would be necessary, though whether the often-fractious opposition would accept Machado choosing a replacement remains to be seen.

Persons: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Nicolas Maduro, Maria Corina Machado, Machado, Maduro, Jorge Rodriguez, Carlos Prosperi, Delsa, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Julia Symmes Cobb, Rod Nickel Organizations: El, REUTERS, Rights, Trump, Thomson Locations: El Valle, Venezuela, Caracas, Rights CARACAS, United States

[1/4] Maria Corina Machado, candidate of the Vente Venezuela party for the opposition primaries and Freddy Superlano, leader of the Voluntad Popular party, raise their arms as they pose for pictures after a press conference, in Caracas, Venezuela October 13, 2023. The primary is the first held by Venezuela's opposition in over a decade. Favorite Maria Corina Machado is barred from holding public office, in a move criticized by the opposition and the U.S alike, and it is not clear what will happen if she wins the primary. Two other candidates - former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles and ex-lawmaker Freddy Superlano - have already withdrawn their candidacies because of similar disqualifications. The U.S. government has conveyed to Maduro bans must be lifted for all opposition presidential candidates by the end of November in exchange for sanction relief, a senior U.S. official said on Wednesday.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Freddy Superlano, Leonardo Fernandez, Nicolas Maduro, Henrique Capriles, MARIA CORINA MACHADO, Machado, CARLOS PROSPERI Prosperi, Prosperi, Solorzano, Deisy Buitrago, Vivian Sequera, Mayela Armas, Oliver Griffin, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Voters, U.S, World Bank, Inter, American Development Bank, International Monetary Fund, Accion Democratica, Criminal Court, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Caracas, CARACAS, U.S, Guarico

☆ Five Prisoners Released in Venezuela After Opposition Deal, US Demands
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

CARACAS (Reuters) - Five people jailed in Venezuela, including well-known opposition figures, have been released, the opposition said around midnight on Thursday following an electoral deal with the government of President Nicolas Maduro and Washington's demand certain prisoners be freed. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday eased Trump-era sanctions on the Venezuelan oil and gas industry, in response to an election deal reached between the Venezuelan government and the opposition. A senior State Department official, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, has threatened to reverse sanctions relief measures unless Maduro lifts the bans and frees prisoners. A U.S. State Department official said on Wednesday he expects movement in the near term on releases of wrongfully detained Americans. There are believed to be more than half a dozen American prisoners, several belonging to that category.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Joe Biden's, Washington, Antony Blinken, Gerardo Blyde, Roland Carreno, Will, Juan Requesens, Blyde, Carreno, Maria Corina Machado, Requesens, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Matt Spetalnick, Natalia Siniawski, Julia Symmes Cobb, Inti Landauro, Deborah Kyvrikosaios, Barbara Lewis, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Trump, Venezuelan, U.S, U.S . State Department, First, State Department, Reuters, Popular, Maduro, Foro Penal, Organization of American Locations: CARACAS, Venezuela, Caracas, Maduro's, Foro, U.S

REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW YORK/CARACAS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Venezuela's sovereign bonds rallied on Thursday, a day after the United States lifted its ban on secondary market trading of some of the country's eurobonds, with investors eyeing a debt restructuring on some $60 billion of defaulted debt. "Prices have almost doubled in the past 24 hours but are still well below the pre-sanctioned levels," said Edward Cowen, CEO of Winterbrook Capital, who has co-invested in a fund to buy Venezuelan debt. Cowen added that a return to Venezuela's regular weighting on global indexes like JPMorgan's would give the prices further support. "I think the market was caught by surprise as the ban on secondary trading of bonds was not expected to be removed this early in the negotiation," said Armando Armenta, senior economist for global economic research at AllianceBernstein. Small funds and investors outside the United States had looked to increase their exposure to Venezuelan bonds on the expectation of debt renegotiations.

Persons: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, PDVSA, Edward Cowen, Cowen, Armando Armenta, Maria Corina Machado, Rodrigo Campos, Mayela, Marc Jones, Corina Rodriguez, Christina Fincher, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, South, Winterbrook, U.S . Treasury Department, Petroleum, Venezuelan, U.S . State Department, Mayela Armas, Thomson Locations: Bolivar, Caracas, Venezuela, CARACAS, United States, South American, U.S, Venezuela's, Venezuelan, New York, London, Madrid

[1/2] Venezuelan journalist Roland Carreno of the opposition party Popular Will is being greeted by family members and colleagues after he was released from prison, in Caracas, Venezuela October 19, 2023. REUTERS/Luis Gonzalo Perez Acquire Licensing RightsCARACAS, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Five people jailed in Venezuela, including well-known opposition figures, have been released, the opposition said around midnight on Thursday, following a deal with the government of President Nicolas Maduro and Washington's demand that certain prisoners be freed. Three U.S. citizens are still wrongfully detained in Venezuela, United States Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A. Nichols said on Thursday. A U.S. State Department official said on Wednesday he expects movement in the near term on releases of wrongfully detained Americans. For years the opposition has urged the government to free over 200 people that human rights organization Foro Penal considers political prisoners.

Persons: Roland Carreno, Luis Gonzalo Perez, Nicolas Maduro, Joe Biden's, Washington, Antony Blinken, Venezuela's, Gerardo Blyde, Juan Gonzalez, Jorge Rodriguez, Will, Juan Requesens, Blyde, Carreno, Maria Corina Machado, Western Hemisphere Affairs Brian A, Nichols, Eyvin Hernandez, Jerrel Kenemore, Joseph Ryan Cristella, Hernandez, Cristella, Requesens, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Matt Spetalnick, Marianna Parraga, Natalia Siniawski, Julia Symmes Cobb, Inti Landauro, Deborah Kyvrikosaios, Barbara Lewis, Jonathan Oatis, Richard Chang, Rod Nickel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Trump, Venezuelan, U.S, First, State Department, Reuters, United States, State, Western Hemisphere Affairs, U.S . State Department, Foro Penal, Maduro, Thomson Locations: Venezuelan, Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, Bolivarian Republic, Maduro's, Three U.S, Los Angeles, Texas, Colombia, U.S

☆ Exclusive: US easing Venezuela oil sanctions after election deal -official
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Matt Spetalnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela June 12, 2023. The U.S. imposed tough sanctions on Venezuela to punish President Nicolas Maduro's government following his 2018 re-election, which the U.S. and other Western governments rejected as a sham. Since 2019, U.S. sanctions have banned state-run oil company PDVSA from exporting to its chosen markets. The official warned, however, that U.S. decisions on relaxed sanctions would depend on Maduro complying with the latest agreement and working toward free and fair elections. Some opposition figures told Reuters on Monday they doubt Maduro's administration will follow through on the election pledges.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Ebrahim Raisi, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Joe Biden's, Nicolas Maduro's, Biden, Donald Trump's, We're, Maria Corina Machado, Maduro, Matt Spetalnick, Marianna Parraga, Mayela Armas, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Venezuelan, U.S . State Department, Reuters, U.S, EIA, Biden, Thomson Locations: Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela, U.S, Maduro, Caribbean, OPEC, The U.S, Barbados, BARBADOS

☆ US easing Venezuela oil sanctions after election deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-18 | by ( Matt Spetalnick | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela June 12, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - The Biden administration on Wednesday broadly eased sanctions on Venezuela's oil and gas sector in response to a 2024 election deal reached between the Venezuelan government and the country's opposition. Treasury is prepared to amend or revoke the authorizations at any time if representatives of President Nicolas Maduro fail to follow through on their commitments in the deal with the opposition, it added. The changes include the issuance of a six-month general license for the oil and gas sector in Venezuela and another general license authorizing dealings with Minerven – the Venezuelan state-owned gold mining company. The frontrunner in an opposition primary scheduled for Sunday, Maria Corina Machado, is barred from office for 15 years as of June.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Ebrahim Raisi, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Biden, Minerven, Maria Corina Machado, Donald Trump, Maduro, Matt Spetalnick, Marianna Parraga, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Josie Kao, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Venezuelan, U.S . Department of, Treasury, Treasury Department, U.S . State Department, Reuters, Washington, Biden, Thomson Locations: Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela, Venezuelan, U.S

The opposition considers the bans unlawful, and Washington has rejected any roadblocks to opposition candidates' race to the presidency. The agreement to be signed on Tuesday would lift all public office bans, one opposition source told Reuters, but its wording is too vague to inspire confidence that Maduro will honor the deal. Four other opposition sources agreed, with one saying the deal was largely negotiated by the United States. "We all have our doubts, but we're exhausting our options," said another opposition source. The U.S., which is expected to loosen some sanctions in recognition of the government-opposition deal, will act only once the deal has been signed, sources told Reuters on Monday.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela Milton Rengifo, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Maria Corina Machado, There's, Maduro, What's, Benigno Alarcon, Andres, Alarcon, it's, Marianna Parraga, Mayela, Deisy Buitrago, Julia Symmes Cobb, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Maduro's, United, Andres Bello Catholic University, Mayela Armas, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Miraflores, Caracas, Rights CARACAS, HOUSTON, Barbados, Washington, United States, U.S, Doha, Houston

Any U.S. action would come only after Venezuela's opposition and Maduro's representatives sign an agreement under which he commits to a presidential election date and to the lifting of bans on some opposition candidates, these two sources said. It would also allow participation of opposition figures who are currently barred from holding office, the source added. Reuters reported last week, citing five sources, that Venezuela and the United States had progressed in talks that could allow at least one additional foreign oil firm to take Venezuelan crude oil for debt repayment if Maduro resumed negotiations with the opposition. Two of those sources had named France's Maurel & Prom (MAUP.PA), a joint venture partner with Venezuela state-run oil company PDVSA, as a possible recipient of a comfort letter. The return to talks was announced in a statement published by Norway, an observer of the talks, which are meant to provide a way out of Venezuela's long-running political and economic crisis.

Persons: Elvis Hidrobo Amoroso, Jesus Maria Casal, Venezuela's, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Nicolas Maduro, Maduro, Maduro's, Maurel, Maria Corina Machado, Mayela Armas, Matt Spetalnick, Marianna Parraga, Julia Symmes Cobb Organizations: Electoral Council, Primary Commission, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, WASHINGTON, United States, Washington, Barbados, U.S, mull, Israel, Norway, Houston

The negotiations, meant to provide a way out of Venezuela's long-running political and economic crisis, will take place in Barbados. The U.S. State Department celebrated the announcement of the return to talks but did not mention sanctions relief. Some members of the opposition said on Monday that they doubted Maduro would follow through on his promises. But with no substantial investment in Venezuela's oil sector for over a decade, any real oil output increase will take time, according to analysts. The return to talks between Maduro's government and the opposition was announced in a statement published by Norway, an observer.

Persons: Elvis Hidrobo Amoroso, Jesus Maria Casal, Venezuela's, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Nicolas Maduro, Joe Biden's, Donald Trump's, Maduro, Maria Corina Machado, Maurel, PDVSA, Maduro's, Washington, Biden, John Barrasso, Mayela Armas, Matt Spetalnick, Marianna Parraga, Julia Symmes Cobb, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Electoral Council, Primary Commission, REUTERS, Rights, U.S . State Department, Reuters, U.S, Republican U.S, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, WASHINGTON, HOUSTON, Washington, U.S, Maduro, Barbados, United States, Venezuelan, The U.S, Qatar, China, Russia, Cuba, Ukraine, OPEC, America, Norway, Houston

☆ Venezuela Readying Return to Mexico-Based Talks With Opposition -Sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

The talks between President Nicolas Maduro's government and the opposition are meant to find solutions to Venezuela's long-running political and economic crisis. The opposition will repeat its long-standing petition for release of political prisoners and guarantees for an election slated for 2024, two sources close to preparations for the talks said. Envoys from Caracas and Washington have met several times in Doha since last year in separate conversations, according to other sources with knowledge of those talks, but Venezuela's opposition did not directly participate. One source said the Venezuelan government had broadly discussed electoral issues at the Qatar talks, but had not entered into detail about guarantees. The United States announced on Thursday it will restart deportations of Venezuelans who cross the U.S.-Mexico border unlawfully, an agreement two of the sources said was achieved during the Doha talks.

Persons: Marianna Parraga, Diego Oré, Mayela Armas, Nicolas Maduro's, Delcy Rodriguez, Henrique Capriles, Vivian Sequera, Matt Spetalnick, Andrew Mills, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: MEXICO CITY, U.S . State Department, Venezuela's Foreign Affairs, Reuters, White, United States, Doha Locations: Mayela Armas HOUSTON, MEXICO, CARACAS, Mexico, U.S, Caracas, Washington, Doha, Qatar, United States, Venezuela, Venezuelan, Houston, Diego Ore, Mexico City, Washinghton

Cutouts depicting images of oil operations are seen outside a building of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA in Caracas, Venezuela January 28, 2019. Separate talks between Maduro's envoys and the Venezuelan opposition are expected to follow in Mexico in the coming weeks, according to sources. Washington has been trying to encourage negotiations between Maduro and the political opposition over elections in Venezuela and other demands. The proposal included reframing oil sanctions on Venezuela by amending existing U.S. executive orders or issuing new ones so buyers in Europe and other regions could resume imports of Venezuelan oil in a structured, organized way. Chevron (CVX.N) has been allowed to expand operations in Venezuela and export its oil to the U.S. since November.

Persons: Carlos Garcia Rawlins, Nicolas Maduro, Maurel, PDVSA, Vivian Sequera, Mayela, Andrew Mills, Marianna Parraga, Matt Spetalnick, Benjamin Mallet, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, U.S, U.S . State Department, White, Doha, Chevron, Eni, Mayela Armas, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, DOHA, HOUSTON, Mexico, Washington, Doha, Venezuelan, Maduro, U.S, Qatar, Iran, American, Europe, Houston, Diego Ore, Mexico City, Paris

Jesus Maria Casal, president of Venezuela's opposition's National Primary Commission, leaves after a meeting with Elvis Hidrobo Amoroso, head of Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE), in Caracas, Venezuela September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCARACAS, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition election commission said on Monday it will move forward with its late October primary vote to pick its presidential candidate for next year's general election, after the country's national electoral council sought a delay. But most of the 13 opposition candidates rejected this request, preferring to keep the Oct. 22 primary, while criticizing what they called a slow CNE response. Venezuela's opposition counts some 3,000 voting centers, according to commission president Jesus Maria Casal. Venezuelan authorities have in recent months disqualified some opposition candidates, including former lawmaker Maria Corina Machado, the opposition's leading hopeful in polls.

Persons: Jesus Maria Casal, Venezuela's, Elvis Hidrobo Amoroso, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Nicolas Maduro's, Maria Corina Machado, Vivian Sequera, Mayela Armas, Sarah Morland, David Alire Garcia, Sonali Paul Organizations: Primary Commission, Electoral Council, REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS

[1/2] Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gestures during a meeting with Chile's Ambassador to Venezuela Jaime Gazmuri, at Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela August 16, 2023. Energy trade, debt repayment and new financing likely are the main focus of the Sept. 8-14 visit, officials and sources said. Beijing's decision to host Maduro coincides with a G20 summit in New Delhi this weekend, which Chinese President Xi Jinping will not attend. In 2020, the Maduro administration and Chinese banks again agreed to a grace period on some $19 billion of Chinese debt, according to Reuters reporting. Despite sanctions on Venezuela, China imported around 390,000 barrels per day of crude from the country between January and August this year, totalling roughly 12.9 million metric tons, data from commodities consultancy Vortexa showed.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela Jaime Gazmuri, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Han Zheng, Wang Yi, hegemonism, Han, Pedro Tellechea, Tellechea, Xi Jinping, Maduro, Hugo Chavez's, Joe Biden's, PDVSA, CNPC, Donald Trump, Andrew Hayley, Liz Lee, Joe Cash, Vivian Seuqera, Mayela, Marianna Parraga, Christopher Cushing, Frances Kerry, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, West, Energy, China National Petroleum Corp, Venezuelan, Venezuelan Oil, Shanghai International Energy Exchange, Shanghai Petroleum, Natural Gas Exchange, South, Shanghai, Mayela Armas, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Miraflores, Caracas, Rights BEIJING, CARACAS, China, OPEC, Beijing, Shanghai, Asia, New Delhi, Malaysia, South American, Houston

But by January of this year, faced with rising rent, increased taxes and financing constraints, he closed it down. The government of Nicolas Maduro relaxed currency controls in 2019, allowing more transactions in dollars despite U.S. sanctions. The move led to a slight recovery in 2021 and 2022 after eight years of economic collapse and the migration of some 7.3 million Venezuelans. 'NO BUYING CAPACITY'Other businesses which have survived said they were slashing prices, salaries and profit margins to stay afloat. "Structural economic problems like scarce credit, an absence of recovery in public utilities, among others, were not resolved."

Persons: Enrique Perrella, Nicolas Maduro, Maduro, Yaner Fung, Fung, Ecoanalitica, Jesus Palacios, Migdalia Uviedo, Ivan Puerta, restaurateurs, Giulio Gallucci, Mayela Armas, Keren Torres, Tibisay Romero, Johnny Carvajal, Julia Symmes Cobb, Vivian Sequera, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Venezuelan Finance Observatory, Retailers, Restaurants, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, Caracas, Barquisimeto, Valencia, Ecoanalitica, Mexican

Washington has been trying to encourage negotiations between President Nicolas Maduro and the political opposition over elections in Venezuela and other demands. U.S. President Joe Biden's government is prepared to provide Venezuela sanctions relief if the country moves to restore democracy, the White House said on Wednesday. A new round of talks began last November in Mexico including Maduro's representatives, the opposition and U.S. officials, but have shown little progress. The White House declined to comment on the oil sanctions reframing proposal. MORE OIL FOR MORE PEOPLEThe U.S. is this time considering a specific offer to reframe oil sanctions on the country so crude buyers in Europe and other regions also can resume imports of Venezuelan oil in a structured, organized way, the people said.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Joe Biden's, Jorge Rodriguez, Biden, Donald Trump, Dinorah Figuera, Rodriguez, Marianna Parraga, Vivian Sequera, Mayela, Timothy Gardner, Diane Craft, Berkrot Organizations: Chevron Corp, U.S, White, National Security Council, U.S . State Department, National Assembly, Mayela Armas, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, WASHINGTON, American, Washington, Venezuela, U.S, United States, Mexico, Europe, China, Iran, Russia, Houston, Caracas

The country's elected opposition-led National Assembly in 2019 issued an order naming supervisory boards to look over Venezuela's foreign assets after the U.S. imposed sanctions intended to oust President Nicolas Maduro. The congress is the only one recognized abroad and has received U.S. authority to negotiate any external debt payments. If the proposal is passed, the National Assembly would allow negotiations to extend the bonds' validity for five more years, according to a source involved in the talks. Venezuela's external debt, including PDVSA's, exceeds $60 billion. Reporting by Mayela Armas in Caracas and Marianna Parraga in Houston Editing by Marguerita ChoyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Horacio Medina, Mayela Armas, Marianna Parraga, Marguerita Choy Organizations: National Assembly, Washington, U.S, Administration, Citgo Petroleum, Crystallex International, ConocoPhillips, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, HOUSTON, Venezuelan, Venezuela, Delaware, Caracas, Houston

☆ Venezuela's gold reserves fall nearly 12% in six months
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Venezuela's gold reserves fell by eight metric tons in the year's first half, central bank data showed on Friday, continuing a years-long reduction in the reserves amid a prolonged economic crisis. The drop in the first six months of 2023 brought the central bank's total reserves to 61 tons, down from 69 tons in December 2022. The gold reserves were valued at $3.65 billion at the end of June, down $261 million from their value in December. The central bank did not give details for the fall in reserves and did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A share of the central bank's reserves have been in dispute in London courts.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Mayela Armas, Sandra Maler Organizations: Bank of England, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, London

☆ Venezuela's bolivar weakens against the U.S. dollar as inflation rages
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The Venezuelan bolivar weakened to 30 units per dollar, the central bank said on Thursday, marking the latest descent for the beleaguered local currency as the economy suffers one of the world's highest inflation rates. Over the past seven months, the bolivar has depreciated by a third compared with the U.S. dollar, according to analysts consulted by Reuters. They have also tried to make foreign currency more readily available to local banks, but the strategies have not tamed the country's galloping inflation rate. Since early this year, the central bank has offered local banks about $1 billion, according to local firm Sintesis Financieras. Meanwhile, U.S.-based oil major Chevron (CVX.N), which operates in the country, has posted foreign currency sales of around $400 million from February to July.

Persons: Venezuelan bolivar, bolivar, Nicolas Maduro, Maduro's, Sintesis, Maduro, Mayela Armas, Carolina Pulice, David Alire Garcia, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S ., Reuters, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, Venezuelan, U.S, Chevron

CARACAS, July 21 (Reuters) - Venezuelan expects to sign licenses by year-end for developing the nation's vast natural gas reserves, oil minister Pedro Tellechea said on Friday, even amid U.S. sanctions. Most of the South American country's gas reserves remain undeveloped after decades of insufficient investment, contract changes and - in recent years - U.S. sanctions to oust President Nicolas Maduro. But new officials running the oil ministry and PDVSA want to encourage new investment and unfreeze projects. Oil major Shell Plc (SHEL.L), which produces in Trinidad, could operate the Dragon gas field in Venezuela if Maduro's government extends it a license, Trinidad officials have said. Venezuela is producing 831,000 barrels of crude per day (bpd) this month and expects to increase to 1 million bpd by year-end.

Persons: Pedro Tellechea, Nicolas Maduro, Tellechea, Spain's, Maurel, Deisy Buitrago, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Marianna Parraga, Alison Williams Organizations: Eni, Shell, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, Caracas, United States, Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela, Trinidad, China

CARACAS, July 21 (Reuters) - Venezuela is not willing to halt productive operations during contract audits that have led to the arrest of businessmen and officials, and to disputes with customers and partners of state company PDVSA, the country's oil minister said on Friday. Earlier this year, contracts with some crude oil buyers were also temporarily suspended while PDVSA reviewed billions of dollars of late payments and pending invoices. "Our goal is to explore, produce, refine and export every product we can," Oil Minister Pedro Tellechea told journalists on the sidelines of a conference in Caracas. Investigations related to the review of unpaid bills have been transferred to the office of Venezuela's General Attorney, Tellechea said. Tellechea also said the country does not currently have suspended contracts, but did not elaborate on the status of exports.

Persons: Wilmer Ruperti, Pedro Tellechea, Tellechea, Maroil, PDVSA, Deisy Buitrago, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Marianna Parraga, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Oil, Investigations, Reuters, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, Venezuela, PDVSA, Geneva, Caracas, France, China

☆ Joyce Carol Oates Figured Out the Secret to Immortality
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-16 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Talk Joyce Carol Oates Figured Out the Secret to Immortality“I have,” Joyce Carol Oates says, “so many ideas.” That’s putting it mildly. “The one I’m doing now, the reader’s going to be surprised.”Joyce Carol Oates in 1970. I don’t think about it too much. I thought, Wow, it’s so funny and weird and wonderful, and I don’t think there’s almost any readership for that. There’s Emily Dickinson over here, there’s Faulkner, there’s Cormac McCarthy, and I feel I’m in that territory.

Persons: Joyce Carol Oates, ” Joyce Carol Oates, “, ”, Oates, you’ll, ” Oates, Bettmann, what’s, Philip Roth, Philip, Bernard Malamud, I’m, John Updike’s, John Updike, Barack Obama, Jim Watson, Stickum, doesn’t, Nabokov, Ana de Armas, Marilyn Monroe, Cormac McCarthy, It’s, you’re, Monet, Van Gogh, there’s Hieronymus Bosch, he’s, Crumb, there’s Picasso, Emily Dickinson, there’s Faulkner, there’s Cormac McCarthy, David Marchese, Emma Chamberlain, Walter Mosley Organizations: Oates, Agence France, Presse, Getty, The New York, Twitter, Netflix, YouTube, Cal Newport Locations: America

☆ Venezuela presidential opposition hopefuls call for unity, private investment
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The debate, the first between opposition hopefuls since 2011, was held as they await a ruling by the country's top court which could suspend the Oct. 22 nominating contest. Venezuela's often divided opposition is seeking to dislodge President Nicolas Maduro, who has ruled the country since 2013. Three of the most high-profile of the 14 opposition hopefuls, Maria Corina Machado, Henrique Capriles and Freddy Superlano, have already been barred from holding public office. "We need leadership who will take the fight to the end." The hopefuls said private investors must feel confident returning to Venezuela, whose economy contracted for eight consecutive years until 2022, when it showed incipient growth which is already waning.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Tamara Adrian, Andres Caleca, Cesar Perez Vivas, Carlos Prosperi, Read, Luis Ratti, Nicolas Maduro, Maduro, Henrique Capriles, Freddy Superlano, Universidad Catolica Andres Bello, Machado, Superlano, Capriles, Delsa Solorzano, Vivian Sequera, Mayela Armas, Deisy, Julia Symmes Cobb, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: la, Movimiento por Venezuela, Centro Democratico, Accion Democratica, Universidad Catolica, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, United States, Venezuela

CARACAS, July 6 (Reuters) - Venezuela is planning to introduce new regulations on courier shipments of food, medicine and other products in an effort to raise more taxes, one government and two private sector sources said on Thursday. The government provides no official figures on the volume of such shipments, which arrive by boat and plane. But in a bid to raise tax revenue amid U.S. sanctions and a faltering oil industry, the government is preparing to regulate them, the sources said. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez and other officials met with business people in late June to discuss regulation, but no specific measures came out of the meeting, the two private sector sources said. This week several courier companies, who are generally local outfits, said on social media they would suspend shipments as they await official action.

Persons: Delcy Rodriguez, Mayela Armas, Vivian Sequera, Julia Symmes Cobb, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Retailers, Thomson Locations: CARACAS, Venezuela, United States

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