All articles tagged with #venezuela
Trump’s Cuba strategy is described as echoing his Venezuela playbook—seeking to pressure Havana through sanctions and diplomacy—yet the article notes important differences that could limit Venezuela-like outcomes, shaped by Cuba’s unique political economy, leadership, and regional dynamics.
A Bubblemaps analysis finds nine anonymous Polymarket accounts earned over $2.4 million across more than 80 bets tied to U.S. military actions and Trump-era decisions (including Maduro’s capture and Iran timing), with a 98% win rate—sparking concerns about insider trading on prediction markets and prompting a White House warning that using nonpublic information for financial gain is illegal; Polymarket says it flags suspicious activity and cooperates with investigations, while Trump Jr. is an investor through 1789 Capital, underscoring the politics-tech crossover.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez warned that any U.S. military action against Cuba would trigger a ‘bloodbath’ and destabilize the region, as Cuba navigates energy strains tied to Venezuela amid Washington’s hawkish policy; the report notes U.S. rhetoric about Cuba, intelligence claims of potential Cuban drone actions, and a high-level Havana visit by the CIA, while Cuban officials dispute some unverified assertions.
Venezuela says it deported close Maduro ally Alex Saab to the United States to face several U.S. criminal investigations, a reversal less than three years after Biden pardoned Saab as part of a prisoner swap. Saab, long described by U.S. officials as Maduro’s “bag man,” could be called to testify against Maduro in a Manhattan drug case, and U.S. prosecutors are also probing bribery tied to the CLAP food program.
Venezuela says it deported a close ally of President Nicolás Maduro, Alex Saab, in a move described by authorities as a strategic shift amid sanctions pressure and ongoing domestic politics.
The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, returned to Naval Station Norfolk on May 16, 2026 after an 11-month deployment described as supporting operations tied to Iran and Maduro’s capture.
Venezuela has begun a comprehensive restructuring of about $150 billion in sovereign and PDVSA debt to relieve the burden and spur investment, arguing sanctions blocked financing. The plan aims to fund social needs (health, electricity, water, education) and infrastructure, and follows a thaw in U.S. relations with renewed IMF/World Bank engagement, with bond markets rising on the news.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio went viral after wearing the Nike Tech 'Venezuela' tracksuit—famously worn by Nicolas Maduro during his January 2026 capture—aboard Air Force One, a moment celebrated and memed on social media and described by White House aides as a “full circle” gag.
U.S. energy officials have stepped up engagement with Venezuela’s interim government to push oil and mining deals, signaling a shift from regime change to economic stabilization as a prerequisite for any democratic transition. Three independent U.S. producers ink non-binding agreements and sanctions-relief moves have opened space for investment, but investors remain cautious about political risk and unclear timelines for elections, as PDVSA negotiations and governance under interim leader Delcy Rodríguez continue.
Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez will present the country’s claim to the mineral-rich Essequibo region before the International Court of Justice in The Hague, as part of a long-running border dispute with Guyana, with a week of hearings underway in May 2026.
Venezuela says an oil spill originating in Trinidad and Tobago is causing environmental damage to its coastlines, with authorities monitoring impacts and coordinating cleanup efforts.
Venezuela told the International Court of Justice in The Hague that the mineral-rich Essequibo region in Guyana was fraudulently taken during the colonial era and urged a verdict to settle a border dispute dating to the late 19th century.
Guyana and Venezuela have revived their case at the International Court of Justice to pursue a binding, peaceful resolution to the long-running Essequibo border dispute, signaling renewed efforts to demarcate the frontier and ease tensions between the two nations.
A Miami federal jury found former U.S. Representative David Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer guilty of secretly lobbying for Venezuela without registering under FARA and of money-laundering tied to a $50 million contract with PDVSA. They allegedly used coded messages, moved contract proceeds to fund Rivera’s campaign and Nuhfer’s residence, and conspired to obscure the foreign influence. Rivera faces up to 60 years; Nuhfer up to 30, with sentencing to follow.
Former Florida Rep. David Rivera was found guilty in Miami on all counts for secretly lobbying U.S. officials on behalf of Venezuela’s PDVSA to ease sanctions during Nicolás Maduro’s tenure; the trial featured testimony from Rubio and others, and Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer were convicted, with Rivera facing a potentially long prison sentence and related charges in D.C.