Nicolás Maduro / 14 posts found
Hunger eats away at Venezuelas soul as its people struggle to survive
The Maduro regime denies its once oil-rich country is in crisis. But on the streets the desperation cannot be hidden Hunger is gnawing at Venezuela, where a government that claims to rule for the poorest has left most of its 31million people short of food, many desperately so. As night falls over Caracas, and most of the citys residents lock their doors against its ever more violent streets, Adriana Velsquez gets ready for work, heading out into an uncertain darkness as she has done since hunger forced her into the only job she could find at 14. She was introduced […]
Socialist Venezuela chipped in $500,000 to Trump’s inauguration
Affiliate of Venezuelas state-owned oil company made donation even as President Nicols Maduro accuses US of plotting to ovethrow him A Venezuelan state-owned oil company, heavily indebted to the Russian oil giant Rosneft, made a $500,000 donation to Donald Trumps inauguration festivities, it has emerged. Foreign donations are banned under US law, but the Venezuelan company, PdVSA, made the donation through a US affiliate, Citgo Petrol, soon after offering prepared executive orders relaxing Russian sanctions but was ultimately persuaded not to by congressional Republicans and European allies. The half million dollar donation to the Trump inaugural committee came to light […]
The west is gripped by Venezuelas problems. Why does it ignore Brazils? | Julia Blunck
The undemocratic abuses of Michel Temer arent flashy enough for the news cycle, writes Julia Blunck, a Brazilian writer and translator Venezuela is the question on everyones lips. Rather, Venezuela is the question on reporters lips Nicols Maduro? What is his position on Venezuela, and how does it affect his plans for Britain? The actual problems of Venezuela a complex country with a long history that does not start with the previous president Hugo Chvez and certainly not with Jeremy Corbyn are largely ignored or pushed aside. This is nothing new: most of the time, Latin Americas debates are seen […]
Hugo Chavz’s brother among eight Venezuelans placed under US sanctions
Fresh sanctions aim to punish individuals for their role in creating President Maduros new constituent assembly, which has been widely condemned The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on eight more Venezuelan officials, including the brother of late socialist leader Nicols Maduros creation of a new legislative superbody, US officials said. The US targeted individual politicians and security figures but stopped short of placing broader financial or sectoral sanctions on its vital oil industry though such actions, the officials told Reuters, are still under consideration. The new measures announced by the Treasury Department will freeze their US assets, ban them from […]
Chvez loyalists hold firm amid chaos in Venezuela: ‘We are doing things right’
In 1992, Ruben vila helped lead the Venezuelan revolutionarys coup attempt. In a rare interview he defends Nicols Maduro and the course Chvez set Ruben vila an idealist raised on Marxist theory and stern military discipline proudly followed the call of army paratrooper many people are going hungry because basic foods are scarce. What food is available is too expensive to buy on an ever dwindling salary. Caracas, the capital, has the highest murder rate in the world. A military truck, used by rebel troops to storm the government palace in a coup attempt, in February 1992. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images […]
Venezuela chief prosecutor denounces ‘siege’ after troops surround her office
Luisa Ortega, a fierce critic of president Nicols Maduro, tweeted photos of security forces outside before a vote replaced her with a government loyalist Political turmoil Show Hide At the heart of the crisis isa cratering economyandacute shortages of medicineand food, coupled with rising anger at a soaring crime rate and an increasingly authoritarian government The president, Nicols Maduro,won a general election in 2013on a platform of continuing his predecessor Hugo Chvez’s socialist policies of using the country’soil riches to reduce inequality and lift people out of poverty, but falling oil prices have forced the government to curtail social programmes […]
Could political tension in Venezuela ignite a civil war?
The governments determination to uproot democratic institutions is sure to increase violence but the prospect of a coup, or worse, remains uncertain The Venezuelan governments determination to uproot the countrys democratic institutions looks almost certain to raise the impoverished failed state and chaos. The abrupt removal of the independently minded chief prosecutor Luisa Ortega, whose office was prominent opposition leaders were taken from their homes by intelligence agents last week. Others could now face the choice of going into exile or into hiding. The opposition has kept up daily and largely peaceful protests since April, but that may be hard […]
Venezuela to vote on constituent assembly after months of protests
Critics warn that a vote to create the 545-member assembly with power to rewrite constitution will damage democracy Venezuelas beleaguered government appeared prepared to go ahead with a vote on Sunday that critics at home and abroad have warned will seal the demise of the oil-rich nations democracy. At least five people were killed last week after the opposition stepped up its protests against the controversial vote that will elect a 545-member constituent assembly with the power to rewrite the constitution and dissolve state institutions. A government legislate was hamstrung by a supreme court decision in April, prompting the protests. […]
Nicols Maduro: will Venezuelas president drag his people to the edge? | Observer profile
Once he dreamed of turning his country into a workers paradise, but as Venezuelans go to the polls today in a vote on constitutional changes, Chvezs heir stands accused of becoming a virtual dictator When told the Guardian in 2014 he was a bit of a hippy with a penchant for John Lennon and Led Zeppelin. Our side is peace, love and tolerance, he said. Three years on, that sounds Orwellian. Venezuela is a basket case and Maduro, 54, is on his way to dictatorship. The government has banned protests and mobilised 370,000 troops in advance of todays vote that […]
Venezuela crisis: US imposes fresh sanctions in effort to stop rewrite of constitution
Sanctions unveiled for alleged human rights abuses and corruption, as opposition activists launch 48-hour strike before vote on constitution rewrite The United States Nicols Maduro as opposition activists launched a 48-hour strike in protest against an upcoming vote they say will mark the end of democracy. The sanctions unveiled on Wednesday targeted current and former government officials, high-ranking military officers, and managers of the state oil company known as PDVSA for alleged human rights abuses, undermining democracy and corruption. But they were also part of an international effort to pressure Maduro to cancel this Sundays election to a day after […]
