Venezuela

US prosecutors unveiled sweeping new criminal charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Thursday, accusing him and his wife of heading a state-sponsored system of repression responsible for beating, asphyxiating, and delivering electric shocks to scores of victims, including several Americans. The torture charges add to pressure on the ousted authoritarian leader and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were seized from their Caracas home by the US military in January to face drug trafficking charges in New York. The updated indictment "alleges conduct that is truly unthinkable," US Attorney Jamie McDonald said outside the Manhattan courthouse where the case is being handled. "This is the epitome of corruption." Maduro denies the charges and "looks forward to his day in court," lawyer Barry Pollack said. Flores' attorney said he hadn't yet had time to review the new allegations. The indictment claims Maduro suggested torture methods, sought and received updates on specif

Venezuelan crude deliveries to India are expected to more than double to about 465,000 barrels a day this month, from 196,000 in September, according to Kpler estimate

President Donald Trump has hailed the US-Venezuela oil accord as a major opportunity, but American oil executives fear the arrangement could sideline them from lucrative projects

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife asked a judge on Wednesday to dismiss the drug trafficking indictment against them on the grounds that they have immunity as the leader and first lady of a foreign country. In papers filed in Manhattan federal court, lawyers for Maduro said a judge was required by law to reject the indictment because it cannot be brought against a foreign leader. "No American court has ever presided over the criminal trial of a foreign leader who was recognised by their own country as the sitting head of state at the time the charges were brought," the lawyers wrote. "That is not an accident of history. It reflects a rule older than the common law: heads of state are exempt from the criminal process of any national court but their own." Maduro and his wife are scheduled to go on trial on drug trafficking charges next June 1. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein has set oral arguments for November 17 on motions to dismiss the indictment. Maduro, 63, and

US President Donald Trump said Venezuela needs more time before holding elections after the capture of Nicolas Maduro, while praising acting President Delcy Rodríguez for doing a "very good job"

Oil giant Chevron is confirming that it will expand its operations in Venezuela, just days after President Donald Trump announced an ambitious deal to develop the nation's oil reserves and give the Pentagon a stake in the profits. Chevron said Wednesday that it has been assigned additional acreage in the Orinoco Belt, where the company has an established position. Joint venture plans include investing more than USD 7 billion over the next five years, more than doubling production to approximately 6,00,000 barrels a day compared to 2026. "Chevron's history in Venezuela spans more than a century, and our expanded position reflects our confidence in the country's deep resource potential and its ability to compete for investment within our portfolio for decades," CEO Mike Wirth said in a prepared statement. "With improved terms and additional acreage, we are strengthening a portfolio that we believe can deliver attractive low-cost oil growth, support energy supply and create ...

Venezuelan oil production peaked ​above 3 million barrels per day in the late ​1990s but plummeted after that on a lack of investment, mismanagement and US sanctions

The White House said the US will have first rights to buy 80% of the oil produced by a private operator in Venezuela and veto power over board appointments

State-run explorer plans to drill 87 deep and ultra-deepwater wells over five years as it seeks to arrest declining domestic crude oil and natural gas production

The US also plans to secure preferential rights to purchase 20% ‌of the company's production ​at cost

The landmark agreement with Venezuela will give the US majority control over more than 65 billion barrels of proven crude oil reserves

The plan represents an unparalleled modern-day intervention into another country's economy, harkening back to British government control of Iran's oilfields

Venezuela was one of the five oil producers that founded Opec in 1960 and is widely considered the most influential country in the group's creation

The Venezuela talks follow the January seizure of strongman Nicolás Maduro by US forces and the installation of more amenable leadership in Caracas

Sargeant served as a vital back channel between Washington and Caracas during years of deep hostility, accumulating outsized influence on both sides

Venezuelans are watching the start of a round of US-backed talks between the ruling party and the opposition on Saturday with cautious optimism after several previous negotiations failed to bring reconciliation. The latest talks follow the January capture of then-President Nicolas Maduro by US forces, and will focus on strengthening democracy and restoring rights after nearly three decades of socialist rule. The talks will be led by members of Venezuela's overwhelmingly pro-government National Assembly and a group of former opposition lawmakers who previously attempted to oust Maduro. US officials say they will have a facilitating role. "I hope these people (the government) finally understand that we won't move forward with the usual arbitrary actions; they must respect agreements," said Soraida Martinez, a 58-year-old homemaker. "Both sides need to make concessions for the good of the country." Saturday's meeting comes nearly seven weeks after a gathering in Caracas between Nation

More than three weeks after twin earthquakes devastated parts of Venezuela, the death toll has climbed to 5,069 as rescue efforts give way to humanitarian relief and reconstruction

Authorities said more than 6,400 people have been rescued alive since the twin earthquakes struck on June 24, with recovery efforts continuing across the worst-hit states

Nearly 17,000 people have been injured, 6,500 rescued and 18,000 displaced, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said on Telegram