Venezuela

CARACAS, Aug 12 (NNN-MERCOPRESS) — A Venezuelan court sentenced two former US soldiers to 20 years in prison for their role in a failed incursion aimed at ousting President Nicolas Maduro in early May, chief prosecutor Tarek Saab said.

Former Green Berets Luke Denman, 34, and Airan Berry, 41, admitted to participating in the May 4 operation, Saab wrote on his Twitter account.

“Said gentlemen ADMITTED to having committed the crimes,” he wrote, adding that the trials were ongoing for dozens of others captured.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A Venezuelan court has sentenced two former U.S. special forces soldiers to 20 years in prison for their part in a blunder-filled beach attack aimed at overthrowing President Nicolás Maduro.

Lawyers for the former Green Berets, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, said they were barred from the secretive jailhouse proceedings Friday night in what they consider a violation of their constitutional rights to a defense.

Maduro’s chief prosecutor announced the surprise decision late Friday night.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The challenge in ousting President Nicolás Maduro has only increased, Juan Guaidó said Tuesday as the Trump administration vowed its continued recognition of the opposition leader as the nation’s interim president, even if his coalition loses control of congress — its last major stronghold.

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — A coalition of political parties in Venezuela led by U.S.-backed Juan Guaidó said Sunday that it won’t participate in upcoming congressional elections called by officials loyal to President Nicolás Maduro.

A group of 27 opposition parties rejected the Dec. 6 election as “fraud.”

The vote would determine control of the National Assembly led by Guaidó and the only branch of Venezuela’s government that Maduro doesn’t control.

TEHRAN, Aug 1 (NNN-TASNIM) – Iran’s defence ministry said, the Etka Company, affiliated with the ministry, opened Iran’s first supermarket in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, yesterday.

The supermarket, called Megasis, offers more than 2,500 Iranian products, including food, clothing, detergents, plastic and disposable products, nuts and even tractors.

It was built on a land of 20,000 square metres, with the purpose of boosting production and export of Iranian commodities.

CARACAS, July 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela’s government blasted a US$5 million US reward offer for information leading to the arrest of the country’s Supreme Court president, likening it to something out of the Wild West.

Washington “disrespects the Supreme Court of Justice, in the person of its president, Maikel Moreno, through false accusations and the offer of rewards in the style of the cowboys and the wild and far west,” the foreign ministry said.

CARACAS, July 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela’s government blasted a US$5 million US reward offer for information leading to the arrest of the country’s Supreme Court president, likening it to something out of the Wild West.

Washington “disrespects the Supreme Court of Justice, in the person of its president, Maikel Moreno, through false accusations and the offer of rewards in the style of the cowboys and the wild and far west,” the foreign ministry said.

CARACAS, July 9 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has shuffled his military high command but Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez, a general, kept his post.

Maduro’s political dominance in Venezuela is widely attributed to support from the military high command, which has allowed the socialist leader to resist sanctions pressure from the United States and a challenge to his authority from opposition leader Juan Guaido, who is backed by Washington.

CARACAS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela and the European Union (EU) have agreed to promote their diplomatic contact "at the highest level," Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Jorge Arreaza said in Caracas on Thursday.

The two parties issued a joint communique after Arreaza spoke by phone with the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.

In an interview with Caracas-based news network Telesur, Arreaza said he held a "very frank, very sincere and at the same time very cordial" conversation with Borrell on Wednesday.

CARACAS, June 30 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro gave the head of the European Union mission in Caracas, Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, 72 hours to leave the country after the bloc announced sanctions against 11 Venezuelan officials.

“Who are they to try to impose themselves with threats?” said Maduro.

“We will sort it out in 72 hours… she will be given a plane to leave, but we will arrange our things with the European Union.”