Venezuela

CARACAS, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Venezuela must reinforce its separation of powers, especially the independence of its judicial branch, to give more autonomy to its electoral commission and improve the voting process, the European Union's electoral observation mission said on Tuesday.

The recommendation is among 23 included in the mission's final report on regional and local elections that took place last November, the first time in 15 years that EU observers were present at a Venezuela vote. 

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The Venezuelan opposition was re-energized recently by an unexpected gubernatorial victory in the home state of the late President Hugo Chavez. Now it is trying to use that momentum to bring its divided factions together and launch yet another attempt to topple his political heirs.

BARINAS, Venezuela (AP) — Voters in the home state of Venezuela’s late President Hugo Chávez on Sunday picked an opposition candidate for governor in a closely watched special election called after the contender representing that faction in November’s regular contest was retroactively disqualified as he was ahead in the vote count.

27 Dec 2021; MEMO: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Sunday he will soon visit Iran to finalize new agreements on cooperation with the Middle Eastern country, which has become Venezuela's top ally in boosting oil output amid US sanctions, reports Reuters.

Venezuela and Iran have strengthened their ties since last year.

CARACAS, Dec. 25 (Xinhua) -- State-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) exceeded one million barrels of crude produced per day at the end of 2021, double what it recorded a year ago, Venezuelan Oil Minister Tareck El Aissami reported on Saturday.

This figure was reached despite the dozens of sanctions the U.S. government has imposed on the South American country, El Aissami said in a Christmas message.

CARACAS, Dec 5 (Reuters) - Julio Borges, the politician who serves as foreign minister for Venezuela's U.S.-backed interim government, said on Sunday he would leave his post, further weakening the opposition just weeks after it was routed in regional elections.

The United States and dozens of other countries recognize the interim government, led by Juan Guaido and formed at the beginning of 2019, and consider the 2018 re-election of President Nicolas Maduro to be fraudulent.

BARINAS, Venezuela (AP) — About 500 supporters of a Venezuelan gubernatorial opposition candidate who was retroactively disqualified as the vote count showed him ahead in the home state of the late President Hugo Chávez protested Saturday against a decision that has become emblematic of what opponents say are unfair election conditions.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Under the scrutiny of international observers, Venezuelans cast ballots for thousands of local races in elections that for the first time in four years included major opposition participation, a move that divided the already fractured bloc confronting President Nicolás Maduro.

CARACAS, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Felix Plasencia on Thursday condemned the decision by the Council of the European Union (EU) to renew sanctions against officials of the South American country for another year.

"We strongly condemn this new attack on our people and we consider this insolent renewal an act of hostility," Plasencia said on Twitter.

According to Plasencia, the move is aimed at undermining the ruling socialist party in the lead-up to regional and local elections on Nov. 21.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The International Criminal Court is opening a formal investigation into allegations of torture and extrajudicial killings committed by Venezuelan security forces under President Nicolás Maduro’s rule, the first time a country in Latin America is facing scrutiny for possible crimes against humanity from the court.

The opening of the probe was announced Wednesday by ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan at the end of a three-day trip to Caracas.