A child has been rescued from the rubble in Venezuela, six days since the country was hit by devastating twin earthquakes.

The boy, identified by the Reuters news agency as Klieber Moran, was rescued early on Tuesday, the only reported survivor on the sixth day of rescue efforts, according to Venezuelan authorities.

Moran was pulled from the Los Corales Garden ⁠1 building in La Guaira state by rescuers from Jordan, ⁠Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, said in a message via ​Telegram.

Venezuela was hit by ‌two earthquakes of ‌ magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5 less than a minute apart last ‌Wednesday, toppling buildings and trapping thousands of people beneath the rubble, according to authorities and rescue teams.

Moran, described as three years old by Rodríguez, but as two years old by National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez, was taken for medical treatment, ‌the message said.

“We must hold on to the hope of continuing to find people alive beneath the ​rubble,” Jorge said in a televised address. “Early this morning, a two-year-old boy was rescued and is currently receiving care at a health centre in Caracas.”

A shipment from the UN children’s agency, Unicef, carrying 47 ⁠metric tons of humanitarian supplies arrived in Venezuela on ​Tuesday, UN spokesperson ​Stéphane Dujarric said, adding ​the equipment would help support children and families in ​need.

The shipment ‌includes emergency ​health kits ​for urgent medical care, including supplies for safe births, newborn care, disease prevention, and treatment, Dujarric added.

The government puts the death toll at more than 1,900, with more than 10,000 people injured. Experts say that is a significant undercount as more bodies are hauled from the rubble every day and morgues struggle to handle the influx.

Among the living, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding. UN agencies expressed concern about the health effects of thousands of displaced people sleeping for days in the open, or in crowded, unsanitary shelters.

Nasa estimates that nearly 59,000 buildings have been damaged or destroyed by the earthquakes, which would put the number of people affected by the quakes in the hundreds of thousands. Unicef said on Tuesday that 680,000 children are in need of humanitarian assistance nationwide. (The Guardian)

The post Toddler rescued and taken to hospital six days after Venezuela quake appeared first on Newswire.

India has intensified its humanitarian outreach in earthquake-hit Venezuela under Operation Amistad, expanding relief efforts with a focus on providing medical assistance and emergency support to those affected by the disaster.

The Embassy of India in Caracas, Venezuela, on Tuesday shared an update on X, saying: “OperationAmistad: India has intensified its efforts for disaster relief in Venezuela with a healing touch to those affected by the earthquake.”

Earlier, the Indian Army contingent deployed in Venezuela under Operation Amistad established a field hospital to provide urgent medical assistance to people impacted by the devastating earthquake.

In a post on X, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Operation Amistad underway in Venezuela. Army Field Hospital giving a caring hand to those impacted by the earthquake.” 

On June 28, India dispatched urgent humanitarian assistance to earthquake-hit Venezuela as part of its disaster relief response following a series of powerful earthquakes that caused widespread devastation in the South American nation.

Announcing the mission, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar then posted on X, “Indian assistance reaches Venezuela. Confident that the Field Hospital Unit, relief supplies, medicines & medical equipment, will bolster ongoing post-earthquake relief efforts in the country. #OperationAmistad”.

The Indian Embassy in Cote d’Ivoire also highlighted the scale of the relief operation in a post on X, stating that two Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft transited through Abidjan en route to Venezuela carrying humanitarian supplies and medical support.

The embassy said, “Operation Amistad – Responding to the devastating earthquake that struck northern Venezuela, the two Indian Airforce C17s transited through Abidjan enroute to Venezuela carrying 35 T of relief equipment, an Indian Army Field Hospital contingent and two BHISHM cubes.”

It further added, “The contingent comprises 41 personnel, including nine medical officers, and is equipped to provide emergency medical care, trauma management, life-saving surgical support and other essential healthcare services to those affected by the earthquake.”

The deployment underscores India’s commitment to extending humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to countries in need. (IANS)

The post India intensifies earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela under Operation Amistad appeared first on Newswire.

The wife and children of Argentine soccer player Lucas Trejo have been found dead amid the devastating double earthquakes in Venezuela.

The country was hit by 7.2 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes on Wednesday, with a reported death toll of at least 1,430 people.

And according to family friend Edson Tortolero, Trejo’s wife, Yanina Maranella, and children, Aarón and Ainhoa, are among those who tragically died in the disaster.

Tortolero, a soccer player himself, wrote on Instagram (originally in Spanish): “We inform all the people of Venezuela and Argentina that the bodies of Lucas Trejo’s family members have been found lifeless.

“We thank everyone for the support and ask for the most sincere respect for his family at this time. WE PRAY FOR ETERNAL LIFE FOR THEM.”

Trejo’s club, Venezuelan side Club Sport Marítimo de La Guaira, also confirmed the deaths in a statement and said that there had been a 74-hour search for his wife and children.

“Club Sport Maritimo La Guaira deeply mourns the loss suffered by Lucas Trejo’s family. We ask for respect for his relatives and teammates,” a statement read. “After a 74-hour search, they were found deceased.”

Trejo, 38, joined Maritimo earlier this year and has spent much of his playing career in Venezuela.

His father and brother, according to reports in Argentina, had travelled to Venezuela to help him in the agonizing search for Yanina, Aarón and Ainhoa. The defender posted a sweet picture of his family to his Instagram story on Saturday, and wished her a happy birthday with a post in April.

“Happy birthday my love!!!,” he wrote. “May God richly bless your life and continue to fulfill the desires of your heart.

“It is a blessing for us as a family to have you and to move forward in the purpose we have together! With you everything is easier and more beautiful always.”

Tragically, Maritimo has been rocked by other losses as well.

The club mourned the passing of 14-year-old player Victor Palacios, who was a homegrown player for them.

Maritimo also announced the passing of club staffer Adriana Aranguren.

At least 68,900 people have been reported missing as a result of the earthquakes as search operations continue. (New York Post)

The post Argentine footballer’s wife, children found dead in Venezuela quake appeared first on Newswire.

Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, has announced a state of emergency after the country was struck by powerful back-to-back earthquakes, levelling buildings in the capital, Caracas, and prompting fears of mass casualties.

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck near San Felipe, about 284km (176 miles) west of Caracas, at 22:04 GMT on Wednesday, followed almost immediately by a magnitude 7.5 quake near Yumare, about 293km (182 miles) west of the capital, according to the US Geological Survey.

In an address to the nation late on Wednesday, Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez declared a state of emergency as authorities continued to assess the extent of the damage.

“We ask the population to remain calm and united,” she said on state TV.

Rodríguez said the country’s main airport had been closed after suffering “severe damage” and announced that the metro and train systems had been halted. “We send our immediate condolences to those who have lost relatives,” Rodríguez added, although she did not say how many casualties or fatalities there had been.

Rodríguez urged citizens to evacuate damaged buildings.Rodriguez did not provide any information on injuries or fatalities.

The US Geological Survey estimated that casualties could range from 10,000 to 100,000 people.

Many Venezuelans were at home when the earthquakes struck because Wednesday was a public holiday marking a decisive 1821 battle in Venezuela’s war of independence from Spain. (Al Jazeera)

The post State of emergency declared as Venezuela struck by back-to-back earthquakes appeared first on Newswire.

A US special forces soldier involved in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was arrested and charged for allegedly betting on that operation, netting him $400,000 in profits.

According to an indictment unsealed Thursday, Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke opened an account in late December on Polymarket, one of the best-known prediction markets. He wagered about $32,000 that Maduro would be “out” by January. The bet was a long-shot.

But Van Dyke was involved in the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve, prosecutors allege, and had access to classified information before he placed the bet. His winnings, though anonymous, caught the attention of law enforcement almost immediately.

Van Dyke, an active duty solider stationed at Fort Bragg, faces five criminal charges for stealing and misusing confidential government information, theft and fraud. He will make his first court appearance in North Carolina. No attorney has been listed for him on the court docket.

He allegedly made 13 bets from December 27 to January 2, the last being hours before the overnight capture. Prosecutors said Van Dyke sent his more than $400,000 in profits to a foreign cryptocurrency vault before he deposited them in an online brokerage account.

A master sergeant in the Army is a senior noncommissioned officer, considered a key tactical leader and technical expert and serving as the principal NCO typically at the Army battalion level. Senior NCOs are often looked to for setting and upholding the standard for more junior soldiers in the unit.

“Those entrusted to safeguard our nation’s secrets have a duty to protect them and our armed service members, and not to use that information for personal financial gain,” said Jay Clayton, US attorney for the Southern District of New York.

Van Dyke was photographed just after the operation – and from when he placed his final bet – on “what appears to be the deck of a ship at sea, at sunrise wearing U.S. military fatigues, and carrying a rifle, standing alongside three other individuals wearing U.S. military fatigues,” court documents say.

Van Dyke profited more than $400,000, prosecutors say. He then allegedly moved those winnings to a foreign cryptocurrency vault before he deposited them in an online brokerage account in what prosecutors called an attempt to conceal their origin.

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a related complaint against Van Dyke on Thursday, seeking restitution, disgorgement and civil monetary penalties.

CNN reported last month that federal prosecutors were investigating the Maduro trade, according to a person familiar with the matter. The chiefs of the securities and commodity fraud unit at the US attorney’s office in Manhattan met with representatives at Polymarket last month.

After the bets were placed, the US military launched a covert operation that extradited Maduro from the presidential palace in Caracas in an overnight capture while coming under heavy fire. Maduro was transported to New York to face federal drug-trafficking related charges. He has pleaded not guilty.

Polymarket in a post on X said, “When we identified a user trading on classified government information, we referred the matter to the DOJ & cooperated with their investigation. Insider trading has no place on Polymarket. Today’s arrest is proof the system works.”

ABC News first reported Thursday’s arrest. (CNN)

The post US special forces soldier arrested after allegedly winning $400,000 on Maduro raid appeared first on Newswire.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado visited the White House on Thursday for a closed-door lunch with US President Donald Trump.

Machado told reporters after the meeting she had  “presented” Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal “as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”

In brief remarks, she added the meeting had gone well and that her supporters could “count on” the US president. 

A White House official confirmed that Trump intends to keep the medal, Reuters news agency and CNN reported.

Trump has openly coveted the Nobel Peace Prize, and reacted to Machado’s being named Nobel laureate in December 2025 with derision. 

Machado had been careful in recent weeks to avoid offending Trump and even previously offered to share her peace prize with him, which the Nobel Institute said is not allowed.

Trump called Machado a “wonderful woman” after their meeting Thursday.

“It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today. She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect,” Trump later wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Thank you María!”

The ouster of President Nicolas Maduro after a US raid in Caracas on January 3 had initially sparked hopes among Venezuela’s embattled pro-democracy opposition, led by Machado, who had called for an “end to tyranny” in Venezuela.

However, Trump quickly sidelined Machado after the US kidnapped Maduro, saying she didn’t “have the support within or the respect within the country” to be in charge.

Venezuela’s opposition says Maduro stole the 2024 election from Machado’s party, claims which have been supported by Washington.

On Thursday, the White House said Trump has not changed his opinion on Machado.

The opposition leader won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for advocating democracy in Venezuela despite threats from Maduro.

Machado’s daughter Ana Corina Sosa received the prize for her mother during a ceremony in Oslo in December 2025.

The meeting with Trump was a rare public appearance for Machado, whose whereabouts have been largely unknown since she left Venezuela last year after being briefly detained in Caracas. 

Rodriguez calls for ‘diplomacy’

Despite calling Machado a “freedom fighter” and a “very nice woman,”  it is clear Trump and his advisers prefer Maduro’s deputy Delcy Rodriguez, along with others in the deposed leader’s inner circle, to be in charge of day-to-day government operations in Venezuela.

On Wednesday, Trump spoke with Rodriguez for the first time on the phone, calling her a “terrific person” and praising the “terrific progress” made since Maduro’s ouster.

“Many topics were discussed,” Trump wrote on social media, “including Oil, Minerals, Trade and, of course, National Security.”

Rodriguez said the call was “productive and courteous,” and characterized by “mutual respect.”

In a national address on Thursday, Rodriguez criticized the Trump administration’s moves while also calling for closer cooperation with Washington, in a sharp reversal in tone from her predecessors. 

“Let us not be afraid of diplomacy” with the US, said Rodriguez. In recent days, the Venezuelan government has begun releasing hundreds of political prisoners detained during Maduro’s rule.

US seizes another oil tanker

Machado’s visit and Rodriguez’s speech come as another vessel was seized by US forces in the Caribbean on Thursday, according to the US ⁠military’s Southern Command.

The pre-dawn raid on the tanker Veronica took place “without incident,” the US military said in a statement, adding the vessel was “operating in defiance” the US president’s “established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

Six Venezuelan-linked oil tankers have been seized by US forces since mid-December, with four of the operations taking place after ​Maduro was snatched from Caracas and brought to New York.

Maduro’s deputy Rodriguez quickly took over as interim president, and the Trump administration has signaled Rodriguez is ready to play ball with US plans to take control of production, refining and global distribution of Venezuelan oil. (DW)

The post Venezuela: Machado presents Trump her Nobel Peace Prize appeared first on Newswire.

Donald Trump has proclaimed he’s the “Acting President of Venezuela, Incumbent January 2026.” Styled like an edited Wikipedia page, an image, posted to social media, displayed his official portrait and listed his tenure as both the 45th and 47th President of the United States.

The actual Wikipedia page does not list Trump as Venezuela’s acting president, nor has any international body recognised the claim.

The post followed the US’ capture and removal of sitting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, who was flown to New York along with his wife to face federal drug trafficking charges. The operation came after months of US pressure, sanctions, and military activity targeting the oil-rich nation. Maduro has claimed he was “kidnapped.” China, Russia, Colombia, and even Spain have called the US action a blatant violation of international law.

Hours after the operation, Trump declared that the US would “run” Venezuela temporarily, citing security concerns and the need for a controlled transition. He also said the US would oversee and sell Venezuelan oil to global markets during this interim period.

Inside Venezuela, Maduro’s second-in-command, Delcy Rodriguez, took the oath as interim President. Rodriguez rejected US claims of authority, demanded Maduro’s release, and declared him the nation’s rightful leader.

Trump warned that Rodriguez could “pay a very big price” if she did not cooperate with the US. Trump suggested her consequences could be even more severe than Maduro’s, who is being held in New York on narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges.

Trump also claimed credit after Venezuela announced it would release a number of political prisoners as a gesture to “seek peace.” On Truth Social, he said that the releases had occurred “in a big way” following US action and warned the freed prisoners to “never forget it.”

The US President also asked major American oil companies to invest up to $100 billion in Venezuela to rapidly expand the country’s oil production. Speaking at a White House meeting with oil executives last week, Trump said the US would decide which companies are allowed to operate in Venezuela and help rebuild its deteriorated oil sector.

He praised an agreement with Venezuela’s interim leadership to supply 50 million barrels of crude oil to the US and said deliveries could continue indefinitely. He said that increased supply would help lower US energy prices.

Trump also signed an executive order protecting money held in the United States that is derived from sales of Venezuelan oil. (NDTV)

The post Donald Trump declares himself “Acting President Of Venezuela” appeared first on Newswire.

Donald Trump has said Venezuelan authorities will turn over 30mn to 50mn barrels of sanctioned crude to the US, in a sign his administration is escalating its push to control the South American country’s oil sector. 

The US president said on Tuesday that the oil, worth up to $3bn, would be sold at market prices. “That money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States,” he wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. “It will be taken by storage ships, and brought directly to unloading docks in the United States,” Trump said. “I have asked Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan, immediately.”

The comments come as a flotilla of US oil tankers makes its way towards Venezuelan waters to begin loading the country’s oil, which has been stranded at ports as a result of Washington’s naval blockade.

Analysts have warned Venezuela’s production will “collapse” unless Washington halts its naval blockade and enables some of the oil to leave the country due to a shortage of storage. But Trump’s declaration that he would control up to 50mn barrels of Venezuelan oil — which is just under 50 days of the country’s production — will intensify criticism that his administration is bullying the country to extract oil concessions.

“This is confiscatory, imperialistic and there is no justification for it,” said Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, a professor at Yale’s business school who has advised previous US administrations on sanctions policy. “There is also no need for this oil as we have a global oil glut.”

The Venezuelan government did not immediately respond to Trump’s statement. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, settled 1.7 per cent lower on Tuesday, while US oil marker West Texas Intermediate dropped 2 per cent.

In Asian trading on Wednesday morning following Trump’s announcement, Brent dropped a further 1 per cent to $60.10 a barrel, while WTI was down 1.3 per cent at $56.40 a barrel.

Chevron, the most prominent US company operating in Venezuela, had been in talks with the country’s state oil company PDVSA and US authorities about shipping some of the stranded crude to US refineries to relieve pressure on the nation’s creaking oil infrastructure, a person familiar with the matter said. Almost a dozen tankers chartered by the US supermajor are sailing towards Venezuela or are already at its ports. These ships could begin transporting some oil within days, according to commodity data group Kpler.

The US embargo, imposed in mid December, has halted Venezuela’s exports, leaving oil transported from the Orinoco Belt, one of the world’s biggest crude fields, stranded in decrepit storage facilities that are at or near capacity. If the country is forced to halt further production, it will face long delays in restarting it, analysts warned.

“Venezuela has such a Herculean task before it to bring their oil sector back,” said Jason Bordoff, founding director of Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy. “Having to shut production is going to make that much harder.”

Any shutdown would imperil Trump’s efforts to rapidly deliver the windfall to the US oil sector that he touted following the US’s brazen raid over the weekend to depose strongman Nicolás Maduro.

Eimear Bonner, Chevron’s chief financial officer, and other senior US oil executives are expected to meet energy secretary Wright on the sidelines of an energy conference in Miami on Wednesday for talks about the White House’s strategy for Venezuela. Trump on Tuesday said he planned on “meeting with oil companies”. A person familiar with the matter said the talks would include Chevron as well as other US oil majors.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. People familiar with the Venezuela energy sector have warned its oil production could fall by a third in the next four weeks to as low as 600,000 barrels a day if it is not possible to move oil out of storage.

Venezuela’s crude exports — much of which were until recently sent to China — have fallen more than 30 per cent since Trump imposed a “total and complete shutdown” of sanctioned tankers transporting oil from the country’s ports. The industry’s access to naphtha, a so-called diluent that thins out molasses-like heavy oil, allowing it to be transported through pipes, has also been constrained.

Russia is Venezuela’s primary supplier of naphtha, although it has previously sourced it from the US. With export routes closed, Venezuela is rapidly running out of storage facilities for its oil, said a PDVSA engineer. “Most of the heavy crude oilfields will have to reduce their production,” this person said, adding that only the country’s light and medium-grade oilfields and those being run by Chevron would continue to pump at full capacity. Chevron has been able to continue exporting crude, including to US refineries, through special licences from Washington.

Schreiner Parker, head of emerging markets at consultancy Rystad Energy warned there could be “a short-term production collapse”, with offshore floating storage in tankers also at risk of filling up. “There’s only so much floating storage, and a big question about where Venezuela will access diluent.”

According to Kpler data, production that was at about 900,000 b/d has fallen 8 per cent since the blockade started and could drop as low as 600,000 b/d by February. Cuts have been made to production at joint ventures with China National Petroleum Corporation.

Venezuela’s “rusty” oil infrastructure had been hit in recent decades by under-investment, mismanagement and a brain drain of skilled workers, said Marc Bianchi, a senior energy analyst at TD Cowen. “Their oilfield industry has atrophied,” he said. “I would assume everything is lacking.” (Financial Times)

The post Donald Trump says US to take sanctioned Venezuelan oil to American ports appeared first on Newswire.

Activists from the Frontline Socialist Party and several other groups gathered outside the United States Embassy in Colombo this evening to protest U.S. actions in Venezuela.

Protesters held placards reading “Don’t Touch Venezuela,” calling for a Venezuelan‑led solution and denouncing what they describe as US interference.

The protests comes after a major escalation in US – Venezuela tensions, after the United States launched a large‑scale military operation that included strikes on Venezuelan territory and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who are now to face federal charges in the United States.

The US has signaled intentions to oversee Venezuela’s transition and its oil resources, a move that has drawn international criticism and heightened global debate over sovereignty and intervention. (Newswire)

The post “Don’t Touch Venezuela” – Protest outside US Embassy in Colombo appeared first on Newswire.

The United States’ strikes on Caracas and the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro have left the South American nation in a state of deep confusion and uncertainty.

US President Donald Trump pledged in the immediate aftermath that the US would “run” Venezuela, a move that appeared to hinge on how the US would approach the country’s key commodity: oil.

“We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country,” he said. 

How key is oil to Venezuela?

Venezuela’s fragile economy is exceptionally dependent on oil. Maduro’s government has been almost entirely dependent on the hydrocarbon for state income.

Crude oil and related products such as petrochemicals account for around 90% of Venezuela’s export revenues. They helped keep the heavily sanctioned and isolated government in power despite a severe economic crisis.

Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, with over 300 billion barrels available — even more than Saudi Arabia. However, it accounts for less than 1% of the global oil production, a figure that was more than 10% of global production in the 1960s. Crude production has collapsed by more than 70% since the late 1990s, and Venezuela is now 21st in the list of global producers.

The collapse can be traced back to the government of former President Hugo Chavez. His socialist revolution in the 1990s and 2000s led to massive corruption at the state oil company, PDVSA, and saw foreign investment flood out of the country due to government interference in the oil sector.

Several accidents at its pipelines and oil refineries led to further difficulties, while US sanctions — ratcheted up from 2017 — further limited Venezuela’s oil production capacity.

PDVSA has stabilized oil output at around 1 million barrels per day, in part because of US licenses that allow a limited number of foreign partners to operate in Venezuela and export oil.

How invested are US oil companies in Venezuela?

Throughout the 20th century, the US was a key partner for the Venezuelan oil sector, with its major oil companies investing heavily in the country.

All but one left the country in the aftermath of the Chavez revolution — Chevron.

Although sanctions affected its operations, Chevron was given special licences by the Biden administration in 2022 to resume Venezuelan oil exports under strict conditions. The idea was that softening Venezuelan sanctions would ease wider oil market pressures in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

In October this year, the Trump administration gave Chevron fresh authorization to produce oil in Venezuela, arguing the US company was a vital partner for Caracas.

It stands as the most obvious and immediate beneficiary of any move by Trump to allow further US investment in the country. It employs around 3,000 people there already. In a statement, the company said it would operate in “full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.” It did not comment on any possible expansion plans.

Trump says large US oil companies will return to Venezuela under his plan. That could include the likes of ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips.

ExxonMobil, the largest US oil company, saw its assets expropriated by Chavez in 2007. ConocoPhillips’ projects at Hamaca, Petrozuata and Corocoro were also expropriated. Both companies won multi-billion-dollar compensation awards in international arbitration, but Venezuela has not paid out. This is the basis of Trump’s repeated claim of “stolen oil.”

“We built Venezuela’s oil industry with American talent, drive and skill, and the socialist regime stole it from us during those previous administrations, and they stole it through force,” Trump said. “This constituted one of the largest thefts of American property in the history of our country.” 

ConocoPhillips said it is “monitoring developments in Venezuela and their potential implications for global energy supply and stability.” It would be premature to speculate on any future business activities or investments,” a spokesman added.

Does the US really need Venezuelan oil?

The US is already comfortably the world’s biggest producer of oil, so at first glance, it might not seem clear why Trump is so keen on Venezuela’s oil.

However, the issue is the type of oil the US produces. Its main product is light crude, not the heavier, gloopier grade that many of its refineries, especially on the Gulf coast, are equipped to refine. Refineries turn crude oil into petrol, diesel and other products crucial for the economy.

Although the US is a major crude producer, it still imports heavy crude from countries such as Canada and Mexico to supply refineries optimized for those grades. That means a lot of the crude oil produced in the US actually ends up being exported. 

“Using the right types of crude oil keeps our refineries efficient, keeps costs down and maintains energy security,” according to the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) trade association. “Re-tooling refineries to process solely US crude oil would cost billions — a risky investment that would take decades to permit, construct and eventually pay off.”

Although Venezuela’s production has fallen off a cliff, the massive reserves it sits on include the largest global reserves of heavy crude oil that the US refineries need. In fact, for many decades, heavy Venezuelan crude fed US refineries.

That makes renewed access to Venezuelan oil extremely attractive for US companies.

Can Trump make good on his oil promise?

There are huge legal and logistical questions over whether or not oil will start flowing from Venezuela again.

Precisely what government will take shape in Venezuela in the absence of Maduro is unclear. It is also unknown to what extent the new government will facilitate US attempts to influence the country’s oil sector.

Then there is the question of the state of Venezuela’s oil infrastructure. Dan Brouillette, a former US Secretary of Energy from the first Trump administration, says that while early reports suggest the country’s oil facilities remain intact, there is no guarantee that Venezuela’s massive reserves can be tapped quickly.

“The constraint has never been geology. It has been governance, sanctions, capital access, and execution,” he wrote on LinkedIn. “If political change brings rapid stabilization and credible authority over PDVSA, the upside is incremental supply over time, not a sudden surge.”

Although some foreign oil companies have remained in Venezuela, sanctions have meant that the country’s oil facilities have not received the necessary investment to remain up to date. The extent of the fresh investment required may become clearer over the coming months.

Another key question is the world’s appetite for more oil. Prices have fallen over the past year and are expected to fall further in 2026 amid a production glut. If Trump’s promise on Venezuela comes good, it would lead to even more oil on already saturated global markets.

What about China?

China has been an important political and economic partner for Venezuela over the past two decades.

In the oil sector, China’s CNPC has a joint venture with PDVSA. Most of the oil produced in Venezuela gets shipped to China. However, China has not hugely expanded its oil operations in Venezuela despite the US absence.

Beijing has sharply criticized the US toppling of Maduro as a violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty. (DW)

The post What’s next for Venezuela oil after US ousts Maduro? appeared first on Newswire.

The United States doubled the reward for the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to $50 million (€43 million).

The Trump administration has accused Maduro of being the world’s biggest drug trafficker and working with cartels to smuggle fentanyl-laced cocaine into the US.

In January, the announced bounty was fixed at $25 million.

The Department of Justice and State Department on Thursday announced a historic $50 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Nicolas Maduro, Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a video on social media.

“He is one of the largest narco-traffickers in the world and a threat to our national security,” she said.

What are the allegations against Nicolas Maduro?

Bondi accused Maduro of working with prominent criminal groups such as Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel, in a video she posted on X.

During Trump’s first term,  Maduro and other high-ranking Venezuelans were indicted on several charges, including participating in a “narco-terrorism” conspiracy.

US authorities “seized 30 tons of cocaine linked to Maduro and his associates, with nearly seven tons linked to Maduro himself,” Bondi said.

Bondi also said the Justice Department seized assets worth more than $700 million linked to Maduro, including two private jets, and said 7 million tons of cocaine had been traced directly to the leftist leader.

“Yet Maduro’s reign of terror continues,” she said.

How did Venezuela respond to the Maduro bounty increase?

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil called the increase in bounty “pathetic” and accused Bondi of orchestrating a “crude political propaganda operation.”

Gil said on Telegram that the announcement was “the most ridiculous smokescreen ever seen.”

The dignity of our homeland is not for sale. We repudiate this crude political propaganda operation,” he added.

Referring to Bondi, Gil said, “While we’re debunking the terrorist plots orchestrated from her country, this woman is coming out with a media circus to please the defeated far-right in Venezuela.” (DW)

The post US doubles bounty on Venezuela’s Maduro to $50 million appeared first on Newswire.

Nicolás Maduro has been declared the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election by the government-controlled electoral authority – a result that appeared to dash opposition hopes of ending 25 years of socialist rule and was immediately contested by his political rivals and several governments in the region.

After a six-hour delay in releasing the results of Sunday’s election sparked an outpouring of concern from South American governments, the national electoral council claimed Maduro had won with 51.21% of votes compared with 44.2% for his rival, the former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia.

The council said that with about 80% of votes counted, Maduro had secured more than 5 million compared with González’s 4.4 million.

“I am Nicolás Maduro Moros – the re-elected president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela … and I will defend our democracy, our law and our people,” the 61-year-old authoritarian proclaimed as he addressed supporters in the capital, Caracas.

Maduro dedicated his win to his mentor, the late president Hugo Chávez, who anointed Maduro as his successor shortly before his premature death in 2013. “Long live Chávez. Chávez is alive!” Maduro shouted.

The result was celebrated by Maduro allies including the Cuban leader Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez who hailed a “historic victory” and called it a triumph of “the dignity and courage of the Venezuelan people”. “The people spoke and the revolution won,” he tweeted.

Bolivia’s leftwing leader, Luis Arce, also celebrated the result of an election that was held on what would have been Chávez’s 70th birthday. “What a great way to remember the Comandante Hugo Chávez,” Arce tweeted.

But there was condemnation and questioning from elsewhere in the region, with many convinced the election had been stolen. (The Guardian)

The post Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro wins third term as President appeared first on Newswire.

Venezuelan Juan Vicente Perez Mora, certified in 2022 by Guinness World Records as the oldest man in the world, died on Tuesday at the age of 114, officials and relatives said.

“Juan Vicente Perez Mora has transcended into eternity at 114 years of age,” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on social media platform X.

Perez was officially confirmed as the oldest man alive on February 4, 2022, when he was 112 years and 253 days old, according to Guinness.

A father of 11, as of 2022 he had 41 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren and 12 great-great-grandchildren.

The farmer known as Tio Vicente was born in the town of El Cobre, in the Andean state of Tachira on May 27, 1909, and was the ninth of 10 children.

“At the age of five years old, he started working with his dad and brothers in agriculture and assisted with sugar cane and coffee harvesting,” a Guinness statement from 2022 said. (AFP)

The post World’s oldest man dies in Venezuela appeared first on Newswire.