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☆ Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia: Meet the quiet, bird-loving grandfather taking on strongman Maduro in Venezuela’s election
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-08 | by ( Stefano Pozzebon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

But most analysts agree Gonzalez represents the best chance that Venezuela’s political opposition has had to dislodge Maduro from power since 2013. But amnesty for outgoing officials could be on the table, Gonzalez told CNN en Español. “Edmundo is a public servant, he knows there cannot be any revenge [against the government],” Eickhoff told CNN. Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, Venezuela's new opposition candidate, feeds birds at his home in Caracas on Wednesday, April 24. “It’s time for the big Venezuelan family to come together once more,” he told CNN en Español.

Persons: Hugo Chavez, Nicolas Maduro, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, Gonzalez, – Maria Corina Machado, Corina Yoris –, “, ”, Maduro, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Reuters Gonzalez, he’s, CNN En, Juan Guaido, ” Gonzalez, ” Gonzalez’s, Mariana, –, Jesus Vargas, won’t, Sadio Garavini, Tullio, Chavez, “ Edmundo, he’ll, ” Garavini, George Eickhoff, Konrad Adenauer, ” Eickhoff, Machado, Edmundo, Gaby Oraa, Venezuela's, Gonzalez’s Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Maduro, European Union, Reuters, “, Wednesday, Bloomberg, Getty, Real Madrid football Locations: Venezuela, Venezuela’s, Venezuelan, Algeria, Argentina, United States, Barbados, Washington, Caracas, Hague, German, Spain

☆ Venezuela battles record wildfires worsened by Amazon drought
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-02 | by ( Billy Stockwell | Story Reuters | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Reuters —Venezuela is battling a record number of wildfires, according to data released on Monday, as a climate change-driven drought plagues the Amazon rainforest region. An aerial view shows a burned forest after a forest fire in Henri Pittier National Park on March 30. Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/ReutersA Bolivarian National Police helicopter flies over during a wildfire in the Henri Pittier National Park on March 29. The fires are blanketing with smoke Guayana City, Venezuela’s largest urban center in the Amazon, according to a Reuters witness. In Venezuela, Lozada, firefighters and other experts said the government response was lacking.

Persons: Manoela Machado, ” Machado, “, ”, Carlos Carruido Perez, Henri Pittier, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Henri, Jose Rafael Lozada, Michael Coe, Lozada, Juan Carlos Hernandez, ” Lozada, Oxford’s Machado, William Lopez Organizations: Reuters —, Satellites, University of Oxford, Henri, Reuters, Bolivarian National Police, NASA, Universidad de Los, Research, AFP, Getty, “ Firefighters Locations: Reuters — Venezuela, Venezuela, South America, Pacific, Brazil’s, Brazil, Henri, Uverito, Manhattan, Universidad de Los Andes, Merida, Brazil’s Roraima, Roraima, Naguanagua, Carabobo State

☆ Venezuelans to vote in referendum on disputed territory with Guyana
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro shows his ballot during a referendum over Venezuela's rights to the potentially oil-rich region of Esequiba in Guyana, in Caracas, Venezuela, December 3, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria Acquire Licensing RightsCARACAS/GEORGETOWN, Dec 3 (Reuters) - Venezuelans will vote on Sunday in a referendum backed by President Nicolas Maduro's government over a potentially oil-rich territory that is the subject of a long-running border dispute with Guyana. The five-question referendum includes a question rejecting International Court of Justice (ICJ) jurisdiction to decide to which country the territory around the Esequibo river belongs. On Friday, the court responded to a request from Guyana to halt the referendum, ordering Venezuela to refrain from taking any action that would alter the status quo, without expressly forbidding the vote. The Sunday vote has caused anxiety in Guyana, with the government urging citizens to keep calm.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Nicolas Maduro's, Maduro, Ricardo Sucre, Benigno Alarcon, Andres, Rocio San, Kim Rampersaud, Vivian Sequera, Julia Symmes Cobb, Will Dunham Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, of Justice, Central University of Venezuela, Center for Political Studies, Andres Bello Catholic University, Kiana, Thomson Locations: Esequiba, Guyana, Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, GEORGETOWN, Sucre, Rocio San Miguel, Georgetown, Brazil

☆ Venezuelan Voters Reject ICJ Jurisdiction Over Dispute With Guyana
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-03 | by ( Dec. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: 1 min

Officers help a man on the day of an electoral referendum over Venezuela's rights to the potentially oil-rich region of Esequiba, which has long been the subject of a border dispute between Venezuela and Guyana, in Caracas, Venezuela December 3, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria Reuters

Persons: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria Organizations: REUTERS Locations: Esequiba, Venezuela, Guyana, Caracas

[1/2] A couple who bought a television on sale had their motorcycle towed while shopping in a store during Black Friday sales, in Caracas, Venezuela November 25, 2022. The government allows banks to lend only 27% of their total cashflow, rendering credit cards largely useless as prices balloon on annual inflation of more than 300%. "Consumer credit has died in Venezuela," said Luis Vicente Leon, director of consulting firm Datanalisis, calling credit limits "ridiculous." "The economy needs consumption to be more dynamic," said Gustavo Valecillos, president of the Consecomercio retailers guild, adding layaway helps move inventory. I paid half and the rest in two installments," said construction worker Juan Vegas as he left a shoe store in Caracas.

Persons: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Nicolas Maduro, Ernesto Urdaneta, Urdaneta, Betsy Perez, Luis Vicente Leon, Pedro Vallenilla, Ecoanalitica, Gustavo Valecillos, Juan Vegas, Mayela Armas, Mariela Nava, Tibisay Romero, Julia Symmes Cobb, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Black, REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, CARACAS, Latin America, Maracaibo, Valencia, Banks

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with Colombia's President Gustavo Petro at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela, November 18, 2023. "The Political Administrative Court of the Supreme Justice Tribunal will rule on the admission of the suit and the protection requested," the statement said. Those taking their cases to the tribunal must abstain from disrespect toward the state and respect the country's constitution, the statement added. Reuters reported this week that the government could allow appeals to advance as a way to partially comply with U.S. demands. The State Department did not immediately reply to a request for comment after the statement was published.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Gustavo Petro, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Jorge Rodriguez, Gerardo Blyde, Maria Corina Machado, Maduro, Biden, Matt Spetalnick, Vivian Sequera, Mayela, Lincoln, Stephen Coates Organizations: REUTERS, United, Reuters, State Department, The State Department, Mayela Armas, Thomson Locations: Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela, WASHINGTON, CARACAS, United States, Norway, U.S, Venezuelan

☆ Brazil increases northern border military presence amid Venezuela-Guyana spat -ministry
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBRASILIA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Brazil "has intensified defensive actions" along its northern border as it monitors a territorial dispute between its neighbors, Guyana and Venezuela, the country's defense ministry said on Wednesday. Defensive actions have been intensified in the northern border region of the country, promoting a greater military presence," it said in a statement. Venezuela's claims on the Esequiba, which have been the source of a long-running territorial dispute, were reignited in recent years after Guyana's discovery of oil and gas near the maritime border. On Dec. 3, Venezuelans will vote in a referendum on "the rights" to the Esequiba. The Venezuelan communications ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Brazil's actions.

Persons: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Ricardo Brito, Peter Frontini, Vivian Sequera, Gabriel Stargardter, Diane Craft, Sandra Maler Organizations: National Bolivarian Armed Forces, REUTERS, Rights, Ministry of Defense, Court of Justice, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Esequiba, Guyana, Caracas, Rights BRASILIA, Brazil, Venezuelan

WILL SHOPPERS FIND BLACK FRIDAY DEALS THIS YEAR? HOW MUCH ARE SHOPPERS EXPECTED TO SPEND? Spending online during Black Friday is expected to rise 5.7% to roughly $9.6 billion, according to Adobe. WHAT ARE RETAILERS DOING TO ATTRACT HOLIDAY SHOPPERS? Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette on Thursday said the competitive landscape has shifted to Black Friday deals prior to Black Friday.

Persons: Marcus Collins, Collins, Jane Hali, Max, Lancome mascaras, Bobbi Brown concealers, Dana Telsey, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, David Bujnicki, Kimco, Jeff Gennette, Mattel, Steve Totzke, Juveria Tabassum, Savyata Mishra, Richa Naidu, Helen Reid, Herbert Lash, Josie Kao Organizations: Retailers, Department, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Dollar, Walmart, Associates, Nordstrom, Adobe Analytics, Electronics, Mastercard, National Retail Federation, Telsey Advisory, Sensormatic Solutions, U.S, Black, REUTERS, Adobe, Labor, Kimco Realty Corp, Consumers, Deloitte, Reuters, Thomson Locations: U.S, Europe, Philadelphia, China, United States, Caracas, Venezuela, Panama, Israel, Sixth, Washington, Germany, India, Spain, United Kingdom, Bengaluru, London

☆ Colombia's Petro says he proposed U.S. pay bonuses to Venezuelan migrants
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro speaks during a meeting with Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, Venezuela November 18, 2023. Petro did not provide details about the bonuses nor did he say when he made the proposal. "I believe that this exodus ... should reroute toward their country of origin because, for the most part, they are Venezuelans," Petro added, emphasizing that migrants could choose to return to Venezuela or stay in Colombia. The Maduro government claims that around two million people have left Venezuela, and the Venezuelan president made no further reference to Petro's proposal. On other topics, Petro said it was "very likely" Colombia's majority state-owned oil firm Ecopetrol will partner with Venezuelan state-run oil company PDVSA in the exploration of gas and oil.

Persons: Gustavo Petro, Nicolas Maduro, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Petro, Vivian Sequera, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Venezuelan, OPEC, Thomson Locations: Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, United States, Colombia, Venezuelan

[1/4] Consumers struggle to enter a store to buy shoes in a store at a shopping center during Black Friday sales, in Caracas, Venezuela November 25, 2022. WILL SHOPPERS FIND BLACK FRIDAY DEALS THIS YEAR? HOW MUCH ARE SHOPPERS EXPECTED TO SPEND? Spending online during Black Friday is expected to rise 5.7% to roughly $9.6 billion, according to Adobe Analytics. Macy's CEO Jeff Gennette on Thursday said the competitive landscape has shifted to Black Friday deals prior to Black Friday.

Persons: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Marcus Collins, Collins, Dana Telsey, Jane Hali, Max, Lancome mascaras, Bobbi Brown concealers, Jeff Gennette, Mattel, Steve Totzke, Juveria Tabassum, Savyata Mishra, Richa Naidu, Helen Reid, Josie Kao Organizations: Black, REUTERS, Retailers, Department, Ross School of Business, University of Michigan, Labor, National Retail Federation, Telsey Advisory, Sensormatic Solutions, U.S, Adobe Analytics, Dollar, Walmart, Associates, Nordstrom, Adobe, Consumers, Deloitte, Electronics, Mastercard, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, U.S, Europe, Philadelphia, Panama, United States, United Kingdom, China, Bengaluru, London

☆ Machado formally wins Venezuela primary, government warns against foreign interference
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado attends an event to receive the credential as winner of the October 22 opposition's primary election, in Caracas, Venezuela October 26, 2023. The country's attorney general said on Wednesday his office has launched a criminal investigation into the primary and members of its organizing commission. Machado, who won about 93% of votes in the primary, met with about 10 foreign diplomats on Wednesday at her party's headquarters, sparking the government's objections. Rodriguez, the government's top negotiator in talks with the opposition, told the diplomats the primary violated electoral rules because it was organized without the help of electoral authorities and violated the Barbados deal. Machado, however, said the investigation into the primary is a "clear" violation of the Barbados deal.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Nicolas Maduro, Machado, Maduro, Jorge Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Jesus Maria Casal, Vivian Sequera, Mayela Armas, Deisy, Julia Symmes Cobb, Rod Nickel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Venezuelan, The U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, U.S, Barbados, The

☆ Machado holds huge lead in Venezuela presidential primary vote
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Industrial engineer and former lawmaker Maria Corina Machado reacts to the vote count, after Venezuelans voted in a primary to choose a unity opposition candidate to face Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro in his probable re-election bid in 2024, in Caracas, Venezuela October 23, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria Acquire Licensing RightsCARACAS, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado held an overwhelming lead in the vote count on Monday evening for the South American country's opposition presidential primary with 92.56% support, according to opposition officials. Nearly 65% of ballot boxes have been counted, they added. Machado declared victory overnight after an initial count of about a fourth of the ballots cast in the Sunday contest showed she had won by a similar margin. Reporting by Vivian Sequera; Editing by David Alire GarciaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Nicolas Maduro, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Machado, Vivian Sequera, David Alire Garcia Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, South, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, Venezuelan

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

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

Rolling back Trump-era sanctions, U.S. officials issued general licenses for Venezuela's oil, gas and mining sectors in response to a deal between Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the county's opposition on the 2024 presidential election. SLOW RECOVERYThe sanctions relief authorizes the production, sale and export of Venezuela's crude and gas, while keeping a ban on business with Russia. Since the U.S. imposed secondary oil sanctions on Venezuela in 2020, PDVSA had been unable to fulfill its supply contracts to clients in regions from Europe to Asia. An individual authorization to Chevron Corp (CVX.N) allowed the return of Venezuela's crude to the United States this year. Area chart shows data from U.S. EIA showing Venezuela crude oil production.

Persons: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Francisco Monaldi, Rice University's, Nicolas Maduro, Joe Biden, Monaldi, PDVSA, Baker Hughes, Maduro, Marianna Parraga, Julia Symmes Cobb, David Gregorio, William Mallard Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, South, Rice University's Baker Institute ., Trump, Venezuelan, OPEC, U.S, Chevron Corp, U.S Chevron, Eni, EIA, Thomson Locations: Jusepin, Venezuela, South American, U.S, American, Russia, Iran, Europe, Asia, United States, Trinidad and Tobago, China, Caribbean

Maria Corina Machado, candidate of the Vente Venezuela party for the opposition primaries, meets with her supporters after a press conference, in Caracas, Venezuela September 6, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsCARACAS, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition will hold a primary on Sunday to pick its candidate for 2024 presidential elections, despite the front-runner being barred from holding office. The primary is the first the opposition has held in 11 years. It has not backed a presidential candidate in a general election since 2013. Officials who are found guilty of corruption are banned from holding public office for up to 15 years.

Persons: Maria Corina Machado, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Nicolas Maduro, Juan Guaido, Machado, Vivian Sequera, Oliver Griffin, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Electoral, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Caracas, Rights CARACAS, U.S, Washington

☆ 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

[1/2] Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi at the Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela June 12, 2023. It was not immediately known how soon the U.S. might act or how far it could go with sanctions relief. U.S. sources have also said any relaxation of sanctions would be reversible if Maduro fails to meet his election commitments. Maduro, president since 2013, is expected to run for re-election but has not yet formalized his candidacy. The U.S. imposed sanctions on Venezuela to punish Maduro's government following a 2018 election that Washington considered a sham.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Ebrahim Raisi, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Joe Biden's, Maduro, Maria Corina Machado, Jorge Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Gerardo Blyde, Machado, Maduro's, Washington, Deisy Buitrago, Vivian Sequera, Matt Spetalnick, Julia Symmes Cobb, Will Dunham, Josie Kao Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Union and United Nations, Reuters, U.S, Petroleum, Thomson Locations: Miraflores, Caracas, Venezuela, Rights CARACAS, WASHINGTON, U.S, Washington, Maduro, Barbados, Qatar, Houston

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

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

☆ Exclusive: At least 40% of Colombia's ELN rebels seen rejecting peace deal, security sources say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Luis Jaime Acosta | Thomson Reuters | Luis Jaime Has Worked At Reuters For More Than Years. While He Chiefly Covers Colombia'S Armed Conflict | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Pablo Beltran, head of leftist guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN), speaks with members of the media in Caracas, Venezuela January 21, 2023. It would also appear to undermine repeated reassurances by ELN leaders that the group is united behind talks. The three security sources said some 2,300 of the ELN's total 5,850 members were seen as likely to reject the deal. The ELN talks, which restarted in November 2022, are the most advanced of Petro's peace efforts, which also include conversations with crime gangs like the Clan del Golfo. "We don't deny the risks that could come from a dialogue that doesn't acknowledge that reality," Rueda said, but added that orders from national ELN leaders are respected by fighters.

Persons: Pablo Beltran, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Gustavo Petro, holdouts, they're, Antonio Garcia, Danilo Rueda, Rueda, Ariel Avila, Avila, Luis Jaime Acosta, Julia Symmes Cobb, Daniel Wallis Organizations: National Liberation Army, REUTERS, Rights, Colombia's National Liberation Army, Revolutionary Armed Forces, Northeastern Fronts, Reuters, Green Alliance, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Rights BOGOTA, Colombia, Eastern

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