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[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. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsBEIJING, Sept 8 (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro will visit China over Sept. 8-14, China's foreign ministry said on Friday, marking renewed engagement between the two countries amid deepening tensions between Beijing and Western capitals. The visit coincides with the G20 summit in New Delhi this weekend, which China's president Xi Jinping will not attend. China is the world's largest importers of crude oil, while Venezuela has the largest proven reserves. The company stopped carrying Venezuelan oil in August 2019 after the Trump administration tightened sanctions against the South American exporter.

Persons: Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela Jaime Gazmuri, Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Wang Yi, Delcy Rodriguez, Xi Jinping, Maduro, Xi, Trump, Hugo Chavez, Andrew Hayley, Liz Lee, Christopher Cushing Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Venezuelan, UN, Energy, South, Thomson Locations: Venezuela, Miraflores, Caracas, Rights BEIJING, China, Beijing, Shanghai, New Delhi, Kpler, Malaysia, South American

[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

☆ Better policy could unlock growth in Latam - G30 think tank
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The report's recommendations include getting the region's macroeconomic framework in shape, investing better in infrastructure, and strengthening political parties. The Group of 30's think tank working group on Latin America said the region suffers a "governance deficit" that will require "deep and ambitious" political reforms, including at the center of government and legislative power. Mexico and Brazil are treated individually, with the former locked in a "growth paradox" where decades of macroeconomic stability and a sophisticated manufacturing sector have not yielded economic growth. Reuters GraphicsThe working group agreed there is no one action that could unlock output across the region, as even the countries that have a strong macro setup are suffering stagnant growth. Andres Velasco, project director of the G30 Working Group on Latin America, said "the opportunities are obvious" for the region as Latam can provide the world with water, food and clean energy.

Persons: Leonardo Fernandez Viloria, Andres Velasco, we're, Rodrigo Campos, Chizu Organizations: REUTERS, America, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Caracas, Venezuela, Argentina, Ecuador, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, Mexico, Brazil, America, West

☆ The street processions and ceremonies of Holy Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( Jeremy Schultz | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

A member of the Palmeros de Chacao brotherhood meets with his wife before going down the mountain for leaves to be blessed at a Catholic church to mark the beginning of the Holy Week, in Caracas, Venezuela, April 1. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaA member of the Palmeros de Chacao brotherhood meets with his wife before going down the mountain for leaves to be blessed at a Catholic church to mark the beginning of the Holy Week, in Caracas, Venezuela, April 1. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaClose

☆ Venezuela's Maduro will not attend Ibero-American summit, official says
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS, March 25 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will not attend an Ibero-American summit this weekend hosted by the Dominican Republic, a Venezuelan official said on Saturday, a day after a summit organizer said he was en route. Foreign Minister Yvan Gil will attend the Saturday and Sunday conference instead, Venezuela's Information Minister Freddy Nanez told Reuters. The confirmation Maduro will not attend came a day after a summit official said Maduro was on his way to the event, which provides a forum for leaders from across Latin America as well as Spain and Portugal. Maduro is shunned by many governments due in part to his 2018 re-election derided as a sham by international observers. Reporting by Leonardo Fernandez Viloria in Caracas; Writing by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Venezuela's Maduro skips Ibero-American summit after positive COVID test
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CARACAS, March 25 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro canceled his attendance at the Ibero-American summit after receiving a positive COVID-19 test result, though he has since tested negative twice, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Saturday. Rodriguez said Maduro was informed by his doctors on Friday of a positive PCR test, leading him to cancel his appearance at the event, which provides a forum for leaders from across Latin America as well as Spain and Portugal. Everything indicates that it was a false positive," Rodriguez said on Twitter. Venezuela's information minister, Freddy Nanez, told Reuters earlier on Saturday that Maduro will not attend the event a day after a summit official said Maduro was on his way to the Dominican Republic. Maduro is shunned by many governments due in part to his 2018 re-election derided as a sham by international observers.

☆ Venezuela president names PDVSA head Tellechea as new oil minister
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Deisy Buitrago | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File PhotoCARACAS, March 21 (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Tuesday named the head of state oil company PDVSA, Pedro Rafael Tellechea, as the new oil minister, a day after his predecessor resigned amid an extensive corruption investigation focused on the company. Former minister Tareck El Aissami resigned on Monday after the arrest of several government officials and judges in connection with graft investigations. Sources with knowledge of the issue said more than 20 lower-level PDVSA officials have also been detained over recent days. Tellechea has been head of PDVSA since January and ordered an audit into heavy losses suffered last year as tankers left the country without proper payments being made for cargo. It is not the first time the government has promised a crackdown on alleged PDVSA corruption.

[1/5] A Venezuelan flag next to some flags of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA is pictured near the company's headquarters, in Caracas, Venezuela March 20, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaCARACAS, March 20 (Reuters) - Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro on Monday accepted the resignation of the country's powerful oil minister following the detention of at least six high level officials amid a corruption probe focused on state-run company PDVSA and the judiciary. Arresting government officials for corruption is rare in Venezuela, a country that rights groups such as Transparency International have described as opaque. The sources also said that at least 20 lower level officials at PDVSA have been arrested in recent days. The arrests are the largest recent crackdown on alleged PDVSA corruption.

Resurgent inflation is devouring the income of Venezuelans - even the relatively privileged ones like Mendoza who have access to U.S. dollars. That is leaving them hungry and struggling to buy food and medicine, they told Reuters. "Neither dollars or bolivars are enough. Many Venezuelans were left to scour through garbage to find food, and millions fled the country to build new lives across South America and beyond. "Whether you pay in bolivars or dollars it is not enough," Lochunga said, sitting in front of his stall.

☆ Maduro negotiator says Venezuela government, opposition making progress on $3.2 billion humanitarian fund
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Vivian Sequera | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro delivers a speech in front of the Venezuelan Supreme Court of Justice magistrates during the opening of the new court term, in Caracas, Venezuela January 31, 2023. The opposition hopes the negotiations will help guarantee that elections tentatively scheduled for 2024 are held in fair conditions. Rodriguez did not offer details on what progress had been made toward creation of the humanitarian fund. The opposition's head negotiator, Gerardo Blyde, has said money from the frozen assets is spread across different jurisdictions, each with their own legal requirements. The opposition has said the money could be moved in small tranches to protect it from creditors.

☆ UN rights chief asks Venezuela to release arbitrary detainees, end torture
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Volker Turk looks on next to Human Rights Reporting Officer Helene Devaux, and Jose M. Aranaz during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela January 28, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaCARACAS, Jan 28 (Reuters) - Venezuela should release arbitrarily detained individuals and end torture, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on Saturday at the end of a trip to the country. Turk arrived in Venezuela on Thursday and met with President Nicolas Maduro on Friday, in addition to Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, senior government officials, opposition figures and victims of human rights violations. Turk extended his call to governments around the world to release, pardon or grant amnesty to "all those arbitrarily detained for exercising their fundamental human rights." During his trip, Turk said he met with people who were arbitrarily detained and tortured.

☆ Venezuela public sector workers march for better salaries
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] A demonstrator holds a placard that reads "Together for a living salary", during a march by teachers, health workers, workers' unions members and members of the opposition to demand better salaries, as the government of President Nicolas Maduro faces renewed challenges in its attempt to fight inflation, in Caracas, Venezuela January 23, 2023. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaCARACAS, Jan 23 (Reuters) - Hundreds of public sector workers including teachers, nurses and retired police officers took to the streets in Venezuela on Monday to demand better salaries and pensions at a time when the government of President Nicolas Maduro faces growing inflation. Workers in Venezuela's education and health sectors have held three peaceful demonstrations in a dozen cities so far this year to demand more money. In Maracaibo, the capital of the once-powerful oil-rich Zulia state in northwestern Venezuela, protesters marched to the governor's office. "With a (monthly) salary of just $10 it's impossible for a family of four or five people to survive," Jimenez, 56, said.

REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaCARACAS, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Colombia and the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebel group said on Saturday they will resume peace talks in Mexico next month, overcoming a recent impasse after the government recently declared and then called off a bilateral ceasefire. There was a first cycle of talks last year in Caracas to end the guerrillas' part in nearly six decades of war. The about-face on the ceasefire came after ELN said it had not agreed to it. "In said cycle, the issue of society's participation in peace building will be addressed. Colombia and the ELN said they would jointly examine progress in implementing agreements reached during the first cycle of talks and agreed to keep communication channels open even when not at the negotiating table.

REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaCARACAS, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Venezuela's opposition national assembly on Thursday appointed three exiled lawmakers to direct it and create a commission to control foreign assets, including oil refiner Citgo (PDVSAC.UL). The assembly voted last week to remove Juan Guaido, the public face of the fractious opposition since 2019, as its interim president. The new leadership triumvirate is assembly president Dinorah Figuera and vice-presidents Marianela Fernandez and Auristela Vasquez - from opposition parties Justice First, A New Era and Democratic Action respectively. The new leadership will designate a five-member commission to manage foreign assets like Citgo, a subsidiary of state-owned oil company PDVSA. Because of its backing abroad, the opposition is able to control foreign assets based in other countries, like $1 billion in gold stored at the Bank of England.

☆ U.S. court rejects bid by Maduro ally to dismiss money laundering charges
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-23 | by ( Sarah Morland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Saab Moran is being held in a Miami jail awaiting trial on charges of money laundering in the case. He was extradited to the United States the following year. The court rejected the validity of a 2018 credential used by Saab Moran to claim diplomatic status, adding it was not convinced it was related to his dealings with Iran. "At the time he was arrested, Saab Moran truly was no diplomat at all," the court ruled. U.S. prosecutors accuse Saab Moran of siphoning off some $350 million from Venezuela via the United States in a scheme that involved bribing Venezuelan government officials.

☆ Colombia ELN leftist guerrilla group declares Christmas ceasefire
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaBOGOTA, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Colombian leftist guerrilla group the National Liberation Army (ELN) on Monday declared a nine-day unilateral ceasefire over the Christmas period, as part of a bid to support peace talks with the Andean country's government, which urged other illegal armed groups to follow suit. Colombia's government and the ELN last week completed the first cycle of peace talks between the two parties in Venezuela's capital Caracas. The unilateral ceasefire will only apply to Colombia's military and police, the ELN said in a recorded statement, adding it reserves the right to defend itself if attacked. Following the announcement, Colombia's government called on other armed groups also to call a ceasefire. Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra and Oliver Griffin Writing by Oliver Griffin Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/2] Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro speaks at the meeting with Colombia's President Gustavo Petro (not pictured) at Miraflores Palace, in Caracas, Venezuela November 1, 2022. "We are working on resuming the dialogue process in November," said one of the people familiar with the arrangements. Maduro and Colombia President Gustavo Petro said in a joint statement on Tuesday they hoped for "a successful return" to the dialogues. This makes resumption of talks crucial for the opposition coalition, which has been diminished by exile, imprisonment of leaders, internal fractures and lack of funds. The talks were abandoned by Maduro's envoys a year ago after disagreements over the extradition of an ally of the Venezuelan president who faces money laundering charges.

☆ Venezuela flooding death toll rises after three perish near Maracay
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Rescue team members help people to evacuate in the aftermath of devastating floods following heavy rain in the neighbourhood of Los Castanos, in Maracay, Aragua state, Venezuela October 18, 2022. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaMARACAY, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Flooding in Venezuela's central Aragua state killed at least three people on Monday, adding to the death toll from weeks of intense rains, authorities said. Authorities said multiple families had to be rescued, and that a total of around 50 families were impacted. Heavy rains have killed dozens and left hundreds homeless in the state of Aragua in recent weeks. At least 54 people died in the town of Las Tejerias on Oct. 8 after heavy rains provoked mudslides that buried houses and businesses.

☆ Hundreds search for signs of relatives following Venezuela floods
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( Mircely Guanipa | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rescue personnel work to recover bodies of people swept away by devastating floods following heavy rain in Las Tejerias, Aragua state, Venezuela, October 11, 2022. REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez ViloriaLAS TEJERIAS, Venezuela, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Venezuelans roamed the streets of Las Tejerias on Tuesday, digging and searching for missing relatives after devastating floods swept through the town over the weekend, leaving many wondering where they would now live. I was left with nothing," said Yolismar Marin, 22, while sitting in a school serving as a shelter for victims of floods that swept through Las Tejerias on Saturday night. Government officials who visited Las Tejerias, about 67 kilometers (41.6 miles) southwest from capital Caracas, promised to recover all the houses and businesses affected. On Tuesday housewife Jennifer Galindez, 46, buried her one-year-old granddaughter Estefania, who drowned after flood water swept into Galindez's home.

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