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The United States received $13 billion from Venezuelan oil sales during the year while only $3 billion was transparently remitted to Caracas.
Unverified development · updated through
The United States received $13 billion from Venezuelan oil sales during the year while only $3 billion was transparently remitted to Caracas.
Open source reportGeography
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Venezuela dossier
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Venezuela
Petro wants to preserve favorable relations with Maduro to pursue an agreement under which Colombia’s Ecopetrol would produce Venezuelan oil and gas.
Approximate map position: country centroid. The extracted place did not have provider-resolved coordinates.
Chronology
The Financial Times estimated that the U.S. has received $13 billion in revenue from its sales of Venezuelan oil this year, but called out that only $3 billion of the proceeds has been remitted to Caracas in a transparent way.
The United States received $13 billion from Venezuelan oil sales during the year while only $3 billion was transparently remitted to Caracas.
Open source reportA CIA analysis of almost 20 years of intelligence on Venezuelan elections concluded that Venezuelan officials had "some capability in manipulating electronic voting systems" to alter up to 1.5 million votes in the country's elections since 2012.
A CIA review found that Venezuelan officials had some ability to alter as many as 1.5 million votes through electronic systems in elections since 2012.
Open source reportThe government is floundering for legitimacy after botching its response to devastating twin earthquakes, and it probably hopes the opposition will have some better governance ideas.
The interim government is struggling for legitimacy following its response to two earthquakes and may hope the opposition can contribute governance ideas.
Open source reportVenezuela's interim government announced that it will begin talks with the opposition, with the goal of "strengthening democracy."... Maria Corina Machado, will not lead talks with the government. She remains in exile - though the U.S. is now encouraging the interim government to welcome her back
Venezuela’s interim government announced talks with the opposition aimed at strengthening democracy. Opposition leader María Corina Machado remains in exile and will not lead the talks, while the United States is encouraging her return.
Open source reportVenezuela has now tallied 3,342 deaths from twin earthquakes on June 24. Thousands are still missing, and residents are seething at the government over its slow and flaccid response to the disaster.
Twin earthquakes on June 24 killed 3,342 people and left thousands missing. Public anger over the government’s response and allegations that authorities ignored or suppressed warnings about vulnerable public housing.
Open source reportThe botched response is likely to fuel public resentment of Rodriguez and her feckless government... Many - including The Economist - are calling for the U.S. government, which installed Rodriguez after capturing her predecessor, to step in and help.
Failures in the earthquake response will likely deepen public resentment toward interim President Delcy Rodriguez’s government. Some observers are calling for U.S. assistance.
Open source reportTwo strong "doublet" earthquakes struck Venezuela yesterday, killing at least 32 and injuring more than 700.
Two earthquakes killed at least 32 people, injured more than 700 and extensively damaged Caracas’s main airport. Delcy Rodriguez declared an emergency and attributes a possible death toll exceeding 10,000 to USGS modeling.
Open source reportRather, "since there is no ideological foundation, it is simply a struggle for power, money, positions, and survival."
Former Venezuelan minister Andrés Izarra is quoted assessing that the division is driven by competition for power, money, positions and survival rather than Chavismo ideology.
Open source reportThe AP reported on emerging rifts in interim President Delcy Rodriguez's government, with longtime Maduro loyalists criticizing Rodriguez's reforms. They particularly object to her deportation of close Maduro ally Alex Saab to face trial in the U.S., and her authorization for U.S. forces to conduct training in Caracas.
Maduro loyalists oppose interim President Delcy Rodriguez’s reforms, including the deportation of Alex Saab to face trial in the United States and authorization of U.S. military training in Caracas.
Open source reportIt's not clear how her government will pay the higher rates. It has struggled to pay the previous, much-lower rates in recent months...
It is unclear how the government will finance the announced increases, citing difficulty meeting previous, lower obligations.
Open source reportVenezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, announced a public sector minimum wage hike of 26% to $240 per month and a pension raise to $70 per month...
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced a 26% increase in the public-sector minimum wage to $240 per month and raised pensions to $70 following protests over payment shortfalls.
Open source reportRodriguez especially won't want to facilitate Machado's return to Venezuela, where Machado remains popular and a threat to Rodriguez's unelected regime.
Rodríguez is unlikely to resolve excluded political-prisoner cases or facilitate María Corina Machado’s return because Machado remains a popular political threat. Machado faces treason charges and that the government wants to count her among excluded cases.
Open source reportVenezuela's Acting President, Delcy Rodriguez, announced an end to the amnesty law her government enacted in February under pressure from the U.S.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez ended an amnesty enacted in February under U.S. pressure. Rodríguez claimed 8,616 releases, while rights groups put the number near 700; 473 political prisoners remain detained or have been reincarcerated.
Open source reportRodriguez didn't give a figure for the new minimum wage, but she said oil and mining revenues would pay for it.
Interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced an unspecified public-sector minimum-wage increase beginning the following month; oil and mining revenue would finance it. The wage has remained at 130 bolivares per month since March 2022.
Open source reportThe U.S. lifted sanctions on Venezuela's new president, Delcy Rodriguez. Rodriguez had been blacklisted since 2018 for her role as vice president in her predecessor's repressive regime.
Washington removed sanctions from Venezuela’s new president, Delcy Rodriguez; she was cooperating with U.S. priorities involving Venezuelan oil and mining investment.
Open source reportVenezuela's opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, announced in a social media post that she plans to return to her home country in the coming weeks.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado announced plans to return to Venezuela within weeks despite previously announced charges and a warning attributed to interim president Delcy Rodríguez that Machado must answer for advocating U.S. military intervention.
Open source reportTo that end, she called on Pres. Trump to end sanctions and a naval blockade of sanctioned tankers in a speech on state television yesterday.
Rodríguez used a February 26 state-television speech to urge President Trump to end sanctions and a naval blockade of sanctioned tankers.
Open source reportAs a result, most of the deals went to shady and little-known companies with less operating experience. Caracas likely hopes to reassign them to more capable operators.
Venezuela may reassign contracts to more experienced operators and must first rebuild major oil companies’ confidence.
Open source reportInterim president Delcy Rodriguez's government suspended 19 oil and gas production sharing agreements signed under Rodriguez's predecessor, Nicolas Maduro, while Venezuela and the U.S. jointly review the contracts and counterparties.
The government led by Delcy Rodríguez suspended 19 production-sharing agreements signed under Nicolás Maduro while Venezuela and the United States review the contracts and counterparties.
Open source reportPres. Trump acknowledged that a CIA drone strike about a week ago destroyed a Venezuelan dock used by Tren de Aragua drug traffickers to export their wares, marking what seems to be the first known land strike on Venezuela.
Trump acknowledged that a CIA drone strike roughly a week earlier destroyed a Venezuelan dock used by Tren de Aragua to export drugs. The incident is potentially the first known land strike in Venezuela; the Maduro government addressed it only obliquely.
Open source reportthe blockade is likely to exacerbate already-high inflation and lead to a fresh surge in outbound migration.
Tighter restrictions on oil exports would aggravate Venezuela’s inflation and trigger additional outbound migration, while having little lasting effect on global oil prices because of ample supply and limited expected Chinese sanctions enforcement.
Open source reportIATA, a global aviation association, warned Venezuela that revoking clearances would backfire and further reduce "connectivity to the country, which is already one of the least connected in the region."
IATA assessed that revoking airline clearances would further reduce Venezuela’s already limited international connectivity.
Open source reportVenezuela's aviation authority, INAC, ordered the airlines to resume flights within 48 hours or risk losing their flight clearance altogether.
Several international airlines paused Venezuelan service following a U.S. FAA warning, prompting aviation authority INAC to demand resumption within 48 hours or risk revocation of flight clearances.
Open source reportBut she may not be able to return while Maduro remains in power. •It's unclear whether she intends to return quickly or will try to lead the opposition from abroad.
Machado may be unable to return while Nicolás Maduro remains in power; it is unclear whether she would attempt a quick return or lead the Venezuelan opposition from abroad.
Open source reportPres. Trump told reporters on Saturday that Maduro "would like to talk." Trump also teased that he has "sort of made up my mind" about whether or not to order a land strike on Venezuela, but he declined to elaborate.
Trump said Maduro “would like to talk” and indicated he had “sort of made up my mind” about whether to order a land strike, without disclosing his decision or elaborating on possible talks.
Open source reportThe U.S. will designate Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) starting next Monday, Nov. 24.
The designation will take effect on Nov. 24 and the Trump administration accuses Maduro of leading the organization. The measure could expand action against members and associates and potentially strengthen arguments for direct strikes.
Open source reportPres. Trump told reporters on Saturday that Maduro "would like to talk." Trump also teased that he has "sort of made up my mind" about whether or not to order a land strike on Venezuela
Trump told reporters that Maduro wanted to talk and that he had “sort of made up my mind” about a possible land strike, without disclosing his decision or clarifying the prospects for talks.
Open source reportIt could potentially also bolster the case for targeting Maduro and his associates with direct strikes
The designation could support enforcement against cartel members and business partners and potentially strengthen the case for direct strikes against Maduro and his associates.
Open source reportThe U.S. will designate Venezuela's Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) starting next Monday, Nov. 24.
The United States will designate Cartel de los Soles as a Foreign Terrorist Organization effective November 24. The Trump administration accuses Nicolás Maduro of leading the organization.
Open source reportMaduro is trying to inspire a guerrilla-style resistance in case of a U.S. land attack. It's unclear how much of his military would stand by him if his rule was threatened
Nicolás Maduro is seeking to encourage guerrilla-style resistance in the event of a U.S. ground attack. The loyalty of Venezuela’s military would be uncertain if Maduro’s rule were threatened.
Open source reportWhether or not any of the targeted officers were actually plotting against Maduro, his crackdown on suspected traitors is bound to make other officers hesitate to challenge his authority.
Targeting suspected traitors will make other military officers less willing to challenge Maduro, whether or not the targeted personnel were involved in a plot.
Open source reportNumerous reports suggest that Venezuela's strongman, Nicolas Maduro, has been leveraging Cuban intelligence to intensify a crackdown on suspected traitors within his government by jailing and - - torturing military officers suspected of disloyalty.
Unspecified reports alleging that Nicolás Maduro has used Cuban intelligence to identify, imprison and possibly torture Venezuelan military officers suspected of disloyalty.
Open source reportThe Washington Post reported that Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro has been begging for help from Russia, China, and Iran to upgrade its arsenal, defenses, and air fleet in light of the ongoing buildup of U.S. forces in the region
Nicolás Maduro requested weapons, defensive systems and aircraft support amid a regional U.S. force buildup. Russia sent at least two cargo aircraft and Iran supplied drones, while China’s response was unclear.
Open source reportgiven recent escalatory rhetoric from both sides - this looks like more of a preview than a false alarm
The bomber flight as a potential preview of further U.S. action rather than a false alarm.
Open source reportThe true number of Igla-S missiles in Venezuela is far fewer than 5,000
Venezuela possesses far fewer than 5,000 Igla-S missiles, citing an asserted lack of visible satellite evidence and Maduro’s history of exaggerated numerical claims.
Open source reportannounced that he has deployed an arsenal of over 5,000 Russian-made Igla-S anti-aircraft missiles
Nicolás Maduro announced the deployment of more than 5,000 Russian-made Igla-S air-defense missiles amid perceived U.S. threats. Increased militia recruitment and televised military exercises.
Open source reportTwo more U.S. strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats in the past week might complicate plans for talks. So might the Dominican Republic's confirmation that its coast guard recovered 377 packages of cocaine from the wreckage of the latest strike.
The United States conducted two more strikes on suspected Venezuelan drug boats and that the Dominican Republic’s coast guard recovered 377 packages of cocaine from wreckage associated with the latest strike.
Open source reportMaduro insists that the U.S. is trying to goad Venezuela into a "major war" with the goal of "regime change for oil."
Some legal experts consider the strikes extrajudicial and excessive. Maduro calling the first strike a crime and alleging that Washington seeks to provoke a major war and pursue regime change for oil.
Open source reportmany read Trump's latest statement as the strongest suggestion yet that his anti-cartel campaign could - as Maduro fears - be used to target the Venezuelan regime
Some analysts interpret Trump’s statements as a signal that the expanded U.S. anti-cartel campaign could eventually be directed against Venezuela’s government.
Open source reportReuters reported that the U.S. is preparing a new authorization allowing Chevron to resume operations in Venezuela under stricter limitations
A Reuters report that Washington is preparing stricter authorization for Chevron to resume Venezuelan operations, potentially followed by permissions for Eni and Repsol. The proposed terms would favor supply-for-oil swaps over cash payments.
Open source reportAmnesty International published a new report... accusing Venezuela's leadership of crimes against humanity for using "enforced disappearances as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population, particularly those they consider dissidents."
Amnesty International published a report accusing Venezuela’s leadership of crimes against humanity through enforced disappearances targeting perceived dissidents.
Open source reportVenezuela inaugurated the first Kalashnikov ammunition plant in the Americas last week... it was built by the Kremlin's weapons export agency, Rosoboronexport, and will be operated by Russia's state-owned Rostec.
Venezuela opened the first Kalashnikov ammunition plant in the Americas, built by Russian arms exporter Rosoboronexport and intended for operation by state-owned Rostec.
Open source reportVenezuela freed a jailed U.S. Air Force veteran, Joseph St. Clair, in an olive branch that Caracas hopes will inspire Pres. Trump to extend Chevron's license to operate in Venezuela.
Venezuela released Joseph St. Clair, whom the United States had designated as wrongfully detained after his October arrest near the Colombian border. Caracas hopes the move will encourage Trump to extend Chevron’s operating license.
Open source reportVenezuela's sanctioned Interior Minister, Diosdado Cabello, said - without offering any evidence - that authorities arrested 37 mercenaries planning to disrupt this weekend's legislative elections
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello claimed authorities arrested 37 mercenaries accused of planning explosives attacks and collaborating with the opposition ahead of legislative elections. He offered no evidence.
Open source reportVenezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado called on supporters to boycott the May 25 gubernatorial elections.
María Corina Machado urged supporters to boycott the gubernatorial elections, characterizing the vote as illegitimate. It adds that smaller opposition factions, including one led by Henrique Capriles, intended to participate.
Open source reportInside the report, HRW cited credible reports that at least 25 protesters were killed in the immediate aftermath of the election, and over 2,000 people were detained
A Human Rights Watch report alleging at least 25 protesters were killed and more than 2,000 people detained after Venezuela’s July 2024 election. The totals are likely underestimates. No allowed URL for the report was provided.
Open source reportMaduro's attorney general, Tarek Saab (who is under U.S., UK, and EU sanctions for helping Maduro repress democracy in Venezuela), called Bukele's swap proposal "cynical" and accused Bukele of being a (fellow) "serial human rights violator" for his crackdown on gang violence.
Attorney General Tarek Saab called Bukele’s proposal “cynical,” while some Venezuelan opposition figures welcomed it and María Corina Machado had not commented.
Open source reportAnother opposition activist, Reinaldo Araujo, died in Venezuelan jail from chronic health problems that deteriorated since his arrest on Jan. 9. Opposition-linked NGOs estimate 20 political prisoners have now died in detention.
Reinaldo Araujo died in jail after chronic health problems worsened following his January 9 arrest. Opposition-linked NGOs estimating that 20 political prisoners have died in detention; María Corina Machado blamed Nicolás Maduro's government.
Open source reportPres. Maduro announced the arrest of seven foreign "mercenaries" who he says were planning "terrorist acts" to disrupt his (illegitimate) inauguration on Friday.
According to Nicolás Maduro, the claim that authorities arrested two Colombians, three Ukrainians, and two U.S. citizens for planning terrorist acts to disrupt his inauguration.
Open source reportTarek Saab, announced that 233 more political prisoners were be released... Saab claims the government has now released 956 prisoners... but rights groups haven't been able to independently corroborate that count.
Attorney General Tarek Saab announced the release of 233 additional political prisoners; 956 detainees had been released in total. Rights groups had not independently corroborated that count.
Open source reportNew sanctions target the head of the supreme court, two judges, a prosecutor, and a member of the electoral body.
Canada imposed sanctions on senior Venezuelan officials, including the head of the supreme court, two judges, a prosecutor and a member of the electoral body, over their role in the disputed election.
Open source reportThe UN's High Commissioner for Human Rights said his agency has been "able to resume partly our activities" in Venezuela after a hiatus of nearly ten months.
The UN human-rights office partially resumed operations after an approximately ten-month hiatus and had ordered the government not to destroy election records. This is a possible investigation into the disputed July election and alleges.
Open source reportMaduro has repeatedly tried to blame Venezuela's economic woes - and now migrant flight resulting from those woes - on sanctions, but the truth is that Venezuelan GDP declined in every year from 2013, when Maduro took office, through 2019, when sanctions went into effect.
Venezuela’s economic decline predated the 2019 sanctions cited by Maduro and rejects sanctions as the primary explanation for migrant flight.
Open source reportPres. Maduro's government announced yet another investigation into "crimes of treason against the country" by opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
Nicolás Maduro’s government announced another investigation into treason by opposition leader María Corina Machado. Maduro linked Machado to U.S. sanctions and that opposition vote tallies showed he lost the election.
Open source reportThe U.S. formally recognized Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the "president-elect" of Venezuela.
The United States formally recognized Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as Venezuela’s president-elect. Opposition tallies showing him defeating Maduro by nearly two to one; Gonzalez fled to Spain in September amid fears for his life.
Open source reportHowever, Maduro's optimism seems misplaced. During his first term, Trump tightened sanctions on Venezuela so much that Maduro's government cut off diplomatic relations with the U.S.
Maduro’s outreach unlikely to succeed, citing sanctions imposed during Trump’s first term and the subsequent severing of diplomatic relations.
Open source reportPres. Maduro congratulated Pres.-elect Trump on his election victory and expressed hope for a "new beginning that we trust will be a win-win" for both countries.
President Nicolás Maduro congratulated President-elect Trump and expressed hope for a mutually beneficial new beginning, while acknowledging that Trump’s first administration had not gone well for Venezuela.
Open source reportthe U.S. Dept. of Justice charged Raul Gorrin Belisario - a Maduro crony who owns the pro-government Globovision news network - with laundering $1.2 billion in "corruptly obtained" oil revenues. Belisario's whereabouts are unknown.
The U.S. Department of Justice charged Globovision owner Raul Gorrin Belisario with laundering $1.2 billion in corrupt oil proceeds and that his whereabouts were unknown.
Open source reportVenezuelan police arrested former oil minister Pedro Tellechea and accused him of sharing key internal documents from state oil company PDVSA with "a company controlled by the US Intelligence Services."
Police arrested former oil minister Pedro Tellechea and accused him of sharing internal PDVSA documents with a company controlled by U.S. intelligence. He had recently resigned as industry minister for health reasons and was the fourth of five oil ministers serving since 2017 to face arrest on similar allegations.
Open source reportVenezuelans know that I am here in Venezuela, the people know it and Nicolas Maduro also knows it.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado denied President Nicolás Maduro’s claim that she had fled to Spain. She said she remained in Venezuela while concealing her location from authorities seeking her arrest; The allegations against her as politically motivated.
Open source reportAppeals like Machado's may help turn the tide.
Personnel across Venezuela’s armed forces quietly support the opposition; Machado’s appeal may help shift military allegiance.
Open source reportOpposition leader Maria Corina Machado made a moving audio appeal to Venezuelan soldiers to stop supporting a "regime that's on its way out" and join the opposition in forming a "new republic."
Opposition leader María Corina Machado issued an audio appeal urging members of Venezuela’s armed forces to stop supporting the government and help form a new republic.
Open source reportVenezuela's sanctioned Attorney General, Tarek Saab, bizarrely accused Brazil's Pres. Lula and Chile's Pres. Boric of being CIA agents
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab accused Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Chilean President Gabriel Boric of being CIA agents amid international challenges to Nicolás Maduro’s claimed reelection.
Open source report“Jorge Rodriguez then tried to blackmail Gonzalez into recanting his claim... by threatening to release an audio recording that Rodriguez says will disprove Gonzalez.”
Jorge Rodríguez presented González’s signed letter at a televised press conference and threatened to release an audio recording he claimed would disprove González’s coercion allegation.
Open source reportThose that didn't flee are being rounded up in Pres. Maduro's Operation Knock Knock - a nationwide manhunt for people who attended opposition protests or posted pro-opposition content online. Thousands have been arrested so far.
“Operation Knock Knock” is a government campaign targeting people who attended opposition demonstrations or posted opposition content online; thousands have been arrested.
Open source reportOpposition leader Maria Corina Machado vowed to stay in Venezuela and "take part in the struggle from here" while the candidate she supported in July's election, Edmundo Gonzalez, supports the cause from exile in Spain.
Opposition leader María Corina Machado vowed to continue her political struggle from Venezuela while former presidential candidate Edmundo González supports the opposition from exile in Spain. Election observers fled to Colombia after questioning the July election results.
Open source report“Everyone knows that [opposition candidate] Edmundo González is the president-elect.”
Opposition leader María Corina Machado declared Edmundo González president-elect and called on the United States to do more to punish President Nicolás Maduro. A State Department spokesperson said Washington was considering options to impose consequences for Maduro’s governance.
Open source reportVenezuela detained a U.S. Navy sailor who was "on some sort of personal travel" to the country without official approval from the Navy... The circumstances of his detention are unclear
Venezuelan authorities detained a U.S. Navy sailor who had traveled to the country personally and without Navy authorization. The circumstances were unclear; its speculation about possible citizenship or family connections is not specific evidence about this case.
Open source reportPres. Maduro announced that Christmas in Venezuela will take place almost three months early this year, on October 1.
President Nicolás Maduro announced an October 1 start to Christmas; the Venezuelan Episcopal Conference objected to using the holiday for political or propaganda purposes. The move is an attempt to distract from the disputed presidency and reward loyal supporters.
Open source reportA Venezuelan court issued an arrest warrant for Edmundo Gonzalez - the opposition candidate who defeated Pres. Maduro in the July 28 presidential election - on charges of "usurpation," conspiracy, and sabotage.
Gonzalez was charged with usurpation, conspiracy and sabotage amid the disputed 28 July presidential election. The warrant is an escalation against the opposition; Gonzalez and María Corina Machado remained in hiding while continuing their campaign.
Open source reportWith Diosdado Cabello now appointed Minister for the Interior, Justice, and Peace; we can expect the crackdown to worsen.
That repression will worsen following Diosdado Cabello’s reported appointment is interior, justice and peace minister, citing his previous call to imprison María Corina Machado and Edmundo González.
Open source reportPerkins Rocha - opposition leader Marina Corina Machado's lawyer and close confidante - was among those arrested this week.
Venezuelan security forces arrested Perkins Rocha, described as opposition leader María Corina Machado’s lawyer and confidant.
Open source reportDelpino... told the NYT that his council "had not received any evidence" that Maduro won a majority of the vote, and lamented that the CNE had "failed the country."
National Electoral Council member Juan Carlos Delpino told The New York Times that the council had received no evidence showing Nicolás Maduro won a majority; the institution had failed the country.
Open source reportPres. Maduro refuses to give up his claim that he won the vote - and also refuses to provide proof. Meanwhile, the opposition has offered online tallies confirming its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, won more than twice as many votes as Maduro.
President Nicolás Maduro continued to claim victory without publishing proof, while the opposition posted tallies that show Edmundo Gonzalez receiving more than twice Maduro’s vote total.
Open source reportMaduro and the CNE have ignored much more strongly-worded critiques than that, so the EU's diplomatic comments are unlikely to change their thinking.
The EU’s diplomatic response is unlikely to change the thinking of Nicolás Maduro or Venezuela’s National Electoral Council.
Open source reportThe EU issued a gently-worded condemnation of Pres. Maduro's election theft, calling on Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) to release official voting records (or actas), and pointing out that - given currently publicly-available actas - "Edmundo González Urrutia would appear to be the winner of the presidential election by a significant majority."
The EU asked Venezuela’s National Electoral Council to publish official voting records; currently available records appeared to show Edmundo González Urrutia winning the presidential election by a significant majority.
Open source reportDespite global weekend protests against Pres. Maduro's theft of last month's election, Maduro hasn't budged. The Carnegie Endowment wrote that Maduro "has dug in and is waiting for global attention to move elsewhere."
Nicolás Maduro has not changed course following international protests over Venezuela’s disputed election and quotes a Carnegie Endowment characterization that he is waiting for global attention to shift.
Open source reportThe opposition is organizing global protests against Maduro's stolen election on Saturday, Aug. 17.
Edmundo Gonzalez and Maria Corina Machado remained in hiding because of safety and arrest concerns, while the opposition organized international demonstrations for Aug. 17. Gonzalez is the election winner.
Open source reportPres. Maduro ordered his defense council to intensify a crackdown on the opposition with "greater speed, greater efficiency and an iron fist."
Nicolás Maduro directed his defense council to accelerate a crackdown, encouraged citizens to report election-result skeptics through a state application and ordered prison upgrades for additional detainees.
Open source reportBrazil, Colombia, and Mexico are urging Pres. Maduro and the opposition to respect Venezuelan law and lodge their appeals over the election... the three leftist-led countries have declined to recognize Maduro's re-election.
Brazil, Colombia and Mexico urged President Nicolás Maduro and the opposition to pursue election appeals through Venezuelan institutions while declining to recognize Maduro’s claimed reelection. Maduro was surprised by opposition support and blamed “international Zionism” for what he called a media-backed coup.
Open source reportOpposition leader Maria Corina Machado told the WSJ she's currently in hiding and "fearing for my life, my freedom" after Maduro allies called for her arrest and that of González
Opposition leader María Corina Machado is quoted as saying she was in hiding and feared for her life and freedom after allies of Nicolás Maduro called for her arrest and that of Edmundo González.
Open source reportU.S. SecState Blinken formally recognized Edmundo González as the winner of last week's disputed election in Venezuela
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken formally recognized Edmundo González as the winner of Venezuela’s disputed 28 July presidential election.
Open source reportPres. Maduro declared victory in yesterday's election. So did his opposition opponent, Edmundo González... Electoral authorities also prevented the public from fact-checking its count by refusing to release paper tallies printed by voting machines at key polling places.
Nicolás Maduro claimed 51.2% of the vote while opposition candidate Edmundo González also declared victory. Widespread irregularities, exclusion of opposition figure @MariaCorinaYA, and authorities’ refusal to release paper tallies from key polling places.
Open source reportÁvila did come to her defense, and he was promptly arrested for it. This is only the latest example of Maduro's security forces intimidating the opposition ahead of the election.
Authorities arrested María Corina Machado’s security chief, Milciades Ávila, after an provocation. Nicolás Maduro appeared 13 times on the ballot and identifies Edmundo González as the principal opposition candidate.
Open source reportMaduro is already manipulating the vote by bullying the opposition and blocking its strongest candidates from running against him.
Pressure on the opposition and the exclusion of leading candidates have already compromised the election.
Open source reportPres. Maduro uninvited European Union observers from monitoring his farcical July 28 presidential election on hyperbolic grounds that EU compliance with "genocidal sanctions" on Venezuela is "interventionist."
President Nicolás Maduro withdrew an invitation for European Union observers to monitor Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election, citing EU sanctions; interventionism. The EU had not accepted the invitation.
Open source reportVenezuela's oil minister, Pedro Tellechea, told Reuters that his ministry is exploring cryptocurrencies as a way to receive payments for oil sales once U.S. sanctions sink back in.
According to Oil Minister Pedro Tellechea, a statement that Venezuela is considering cryptocurrency to receive oil-sale payments after U.S. sanctions return. The discontinued Petro would not be used following an earlier corruption scandal.
Open source reportall 10 parties in the main opposition coalition aligned behind a relatively unknown former diplomat, Edmundo González, as their candidate.
All 10 parties in the main opposition coalition backed former diplomat Edmundo González for the July presidential election after María Corina Machado remained barred from running.
Open source reportU.S. companies doing business in the Venezuelan oil sector will have 45 days to wind down their sales, and the exceptional license granted to Chevron (which is currently producing about 90,000 barrels per day in Venezuela) may even remain valid after that.
A six-month U.S. authorization for Venezuelan oil sales expired, leaving affected U.S. companies 45 days to wind down transactions. Chevron’s separate authorization may remain valid and attributes current Venezuelan production of about 90,000 barrels per day to the company.
Open source reportThe license had been granted in exchange for a commitment from Pres. Maduro to hold free and fair elections this year, but he broke that commitment by continuing to crack down on the opposition and scuppering their chances against him in July's election.
The license had been conditioned on free and fair elections; President Nicolás Maduro violated that commitment by suppressing the opposition before the July election.
Open source reportPetro is trying to stay in Maduro's good graces because he wants to sign a deal that would see Colombia's Ecopetrol produce Venezuelan oil and gas.
Petro wants to preserve favorable relations with Maduro to pursue an agreement under which Colombia’s Ecopetrol would produce Venezuelan oil and gas.
Open source report