WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump announced the audacious capture of Nicolás Maduro to face drug-trafficking charges in the U.S., he cast the vice president and longtime adviser to the strongman as America’s preferred partner in stabilizing Venezuela amid a scourge of drugs, corruption and economic chaos. Unsaid is the cloud of suspicion that … Read more
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than a year before a U.S. military operation ousted Nicolás Maduro, a top adviser to President Donald Trump has alleged that the Venezuelan leader sent gang members to the United States. “If you are the dictator of a poor country with a high crime rate, wouldn’t you send your criminals to … Read more
For years, whenever Washington talked about a “military option” against Venezuela, the talk was usually limited to the language of foreign policy, deterrence or “regime change.” What was almost never said was that, should such a confrontation begin, its main consequences would be felt not in Caracas, but inside the United States – and more … Read more
By Michael Martina, Trevor Hunnicutt and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON, Jan 11 (Reuters) – Among the many goals of the U.S. military operation last week that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was to send a message to China: stay away from America. For at least two decades, Beijing has sought to expand its influence in Latin … Read more
By Mark Trevelyan and Andrew Osborn LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) – President Vladimir Putin’s launch of a hypersonic Oreshnik missile appears aimed at intimidating Ukraine and sending a signal of Russian military power to Europe and the United States at a crucial moment in talks to end the war. Putin has repeatedly boasted of the … Read more
GUATIRE, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuela on Thursday released a number of jailed high-profile opposition figures, activists and journalists, both citizens and foreigners, in what the government described as a “peace-seeking” gesture less than a week after former President Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces on drug-trafficking charges. US President Donald Trump, who has pressured … Read more
WASHINGTON (AP) — When it comes to claiming that Venezuelan oil is now under his control, President Donald Trump doesn’t mince words. But no small part of that oil belongs to China under contracts it struck with Caracas years ago, setting the stage for a delicate diplomatic dance over the next few weeks. Some experts … Read more
My Marina Wide HOUSTON/BEIJING, Jan 7 (Reuters) – Global oil prices fell on Wednesday as China denounced the U.S. as an aggressor after President Donald Trump’s administration said it had persuaded Venezuela to divert supplies from Beijing and import up to $2 billion worth of crude. The deal was in line with Trump’s stated goal … Read more
A highway in Caracas is full of cars. But far from typical rush-hour traffic, Avenida Boyacá, a highway that runs past El Avila National Park in the Venezuelan capital, has come to a standstill as masked men wielding Kalashnikovs stop drivers and demand to search their phones and cars. Gangs of armed men, part of … Read more
It’s only been days since a daring US raid plucked Nicolás Maduro from a Venezuelan military base and rushed him to a Brooklyn prison, but Detroit-area Trump supporter Aaron Tobin can already see it all on the big screen. It will be the subject of movies for years to come, he predicts. “I am excited.” … Read more