Venezuela

CARACAS, February 5. /TASS/. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has urged Western states to remove sanctions on the South American country instead of sending humanitarian aid there if they want to help Venezuelans.

"At first they [Western states] block our billions of dollars and then they say that they want to send humanitarian assistance. If you want to help Venezuela, then stop the blockade and lift the sanctions," Maduro said, according to the Foreign Ministry’s Twitter.

CARACAS, February 6. /TASS/. The deep political crisis in Venezuela won’t spill into an armed conflict in the country and claims about that have been exaggerated, political analyst and consultant in Venezuela Dimitris Pantulas told TASS.

"Civil war between the opposition and Chavists [supporters of left-wing ideology of former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez - TASS] is highly unlikely," the expert said. The reason is very simple: the authorities are using only electoral support, let’s say, they don’t have a political movement that Chavez had."

CARACAS, 05 Feb 2019; AA: U.S. sanctions on Venezuelan oil company PDVSA will affect the global market negatively, the oil minister said Monday.

In an interview aired by private broadcaster Televen, Manuel Quevedo, also president of the oil company, commented on U.S. sanctions imposed last week on PDVSA and its U.S. subsidiary Citgo.

Quevedo said US sanctions and trade wars will affect oil prices in 2019.

CARACAS, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's foreign ministry rejected on Monday several European countries' decision to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president.

Those countries "are officially adopting the strategy of the U.S. administration to overthrow the legitimate government of President Nicolas Maduro," the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

Such a decision "is in open violation of the principles and practices that govern diplomatic ties, setting a dangerous precedent for peaceful coexistence between nations," said the ministry.

04 Feb 2019; AFP: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro says in an Italian TV interview that he has written to Pope Francis asking for help in fostering dialogue.

Maduro said in the interview with Sky TG24 that he hopes the letter is in route or has reached the Vatican.

GENEVA; 03 Feb 2019; AA: Venezuela’s envoy to the UN told Anadolu Agency that the people of his country were prepared to resist a possible U.S. military intervention.

“We are totally prepared for any military aggression by a foreign country,” said Ambassador Jorge Valero, the permanent representative of Venezuela to the UN.

“We have millions of people prepared for a long resistance […] with any kind of arms,” he added.

CARACAS, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Saturday proposed holding early elections for the National Assembly as a possible solution to the country's political crisis.

Maduro said before thousands of supporters who had gathered on Bolivar Avenue in Caracas that the government-controlled Constituent National Assembly would decide whether or not to call early elections for the opposition-held National Assembly.

Caracas, January 30; GANASHAKTI: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro assured Wednesday that the main reason for the growing pressure exerted by the United States against his government is the desire to seize its oil and mineral resources.

In an exclusive interview with the Russian outlet Sputnik, the president made reference to the mineral and natural wealth of his country as the reason behind Washington supporting coup efforts against his country.

31 Jan 2019; AA: Seven reporters have been arrested in Venezuela following demonstrations in the capital Caracas, local media reports said on Thursday.

According to Spanish national news agency EFE, a Colombian photojournalist of the agency, who went to cover the events across the country, disappeared on Wednesday morning in Caracas.

The agency said he had been arrested by Venezuelan authorities along with his two colleagues -- one Spanish and one Colombian.

MOSCOW, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said he is ready to hold talks with the country's opposition with the help of international mediators, RIA Novosti reported on Wednesday.

"I am ready to sit down at the negotiating table with the opposition so that we can speak for the good of Venezuela, for the sake of peace and the country's future," the Russian news agency quoted Maduro as saying in an interview.