Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced on Sunday that the COVAX system will be given an ultimatum this week to provide the country's portion of coronavirus vaccines, even though all outstanding payments to the global vaccine-sharing plan have been made. 
 
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Venezuelan officials had been directed to "give the COVAX system an ultimatum: they give us the vaccines or they give us the money back, period," Maduro said in a live interview on state television.

"The COVAX system has failed Venezuela," the president said. "They don't answer us."

COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines directed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the World Health Organization (WHO). 
 
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In June, COVAX informed Venezuela that UBS had blocked the previous four payments. He stated that the payments for the $120 million fees had already been made.

In February, Venezuela launched its first vaccination campaign, focusing on the health, law enforcement, and education sectors.

In late May, it broadened the effort to include anybody aged 60 and up.

At least 380,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccination have arrived in Venezuela since February 13, accounting for 3.8 per cent of the 10 million doses committed upon in December.

In March, the Chinese state-owned Sinopharm provided a batch of 500,000 doses of the Vero Cell vaccine to Venezuela.

Maduro announced the arrival of 1.3 million vaccines from China two months later without providing details.

According to official data, there have been more than 277,635 cases of the new coronavirus in Venezuela, with 3,190 deaths.

Due to a lack of testing and transparency, some experts believe the genuine numbers are greater.

(With inputs from agencies)

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced on Sunday that the COVAX system will be given an ultimatum this week to provide the country's portion of coronavirus vaccines, even though all outstanding payments to the global vaccine-sharing plan have been made.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro announced on Sunday that the COVAX system will be given an ultimatum this week to provide the country's portion of coronavirus vaccines, even though all outstanding payments to the global vaccine-sharing plan have been made. Also read | Facebook freezes Venezuela president's page over Covid misinformation Venezuelan officials had been directed to "give the COVAX system an ultimatum: they give us the vaccines or they give us the money back, period," Maduro said in a live interview on state television. "The COVAX system has failed Venezuela," the president said. "They don't answer us." COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access (COVAX) is a worldwide initiative aimed at equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines directed by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (formerly the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization), the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and the World Health Organization (WHO). Also read | Almost 2,000 Venezuelan refugees murdered in Colombia in five years, NGO says In June, COVAX informed Venezuela that UBS had blocked the previous four payments. He stated that the payments for the $120 million fees had already been made. In February, Venezuela launched its first vaccination campaign, focusing on the health, law enforcement, and education sectors. In late May, it broadened the effort to include anybody aged 60 and up. At least 380,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccination have arrived in Venezuela since February 13, accounting for 3.8 per cent of the 10 million doses committed upon in December. In March, the Chinese state-owned Sinopharm provided a batch of 500,000 doses of the Vero Cell vaccine to Venezuela. Maduro announced the arrival of 1.3 million vaccines from China two months later without providing details. According to official data, there have been more than 277,635 cases of the new coronavirus in Venezuela, with 3,190 deaths. Due to a lack of testing and transparency, some experts believe the genuine numbers are greater. (With inputs from agencies)

'Either send us the vaccines or give us our money back': Venezuela to COVAX

Three activists with Venezuelan rights group Fundaredes, which has lifted the lid on fighting near the border with Colombia, are facing criminal charges including "terrorism," their lawyer said Saturday.

Director Javier Tarazona and his colleagues Rafael Tarazona and Omar Garcia are accused of "treason, terrorism and incitement to hatred," lawyer Stefania Migliorini said in a video posted on social networks.

According to Fundaredes, the three were arrested Friday when they went to the public prosecutor's office in the northwestern city of Coro to file a complaint against "harassment and persecution" at the hands of police and intelligence agents.

They are now in preventive detention in Caracas, the group said.

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Fundaredes had alerted to the presence of Colombian dissident guerrillas on Venezuelan territory and criticized the response of the government, which it accused of harboring the fighters.

It reported on the fighting that broke out on March 21 before the government did. Clashes have since displaced thousands of civilians.

Venezuela does not name the armed groups it blames for the unrest, apart from calling them "terrorists" or linking them to drug trafficking or to Colombian President Ivan Duque.

However, security sources in Colombia say they are likely dissidents of the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group, an analysis Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro has conceded was possible.

Bogota has long accused Venezuela of shielding members of the FARC and armed rebel group ELN on its soil -- a charge Maduro denies.

Some FARC fighters who refused to join Colombia's peace process have continued their struggle, while also mixing with and battling drug traffickers.

Venezuela and Colombia, which share a 2,200-kilometer (1,370 miles) border, severed diplomatic ties in January 2019, after Bogota recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the leader of Venezuela over Maduro following a disputed election.

Three activists with Venezuelan rights group Fundaredes, which has lifted the lid on fighting near the border with Colombia, are facing criminal charges including "terrorism," their lawyer said Saturday.

Three activists with Venezuelan rights group Fundaredes, which has lifted the lid on fighting near the border with Colombia, are facing criminal charges including "terrorism," their lawyer said Saturday. Director Javier Tarazona and his colleagues Rafael Tarazona and Omar Garcia are accused of "treason, terrorism and incitement to hatred," lawyer Stefania Migliorini said in a video posted on social networks. According to Fundaredes, the three were arrested Friday when they went to the public prosecutor's office in the northwestern city of Coro to file a complaint against "harassment and persecution" at the hands of police and intelligence agents. They are now in preventive detention in Caracas, the group said. Also Read | Joe Biden orders investigation into ransomware attack that targetted 1,000 businesses Fundaredes had alerted to the presence of Colombian dissident guerrillas on Venezuelan territory and criticized the response of the government, which it accused of harboring the fighters. It reported on the fighting that broke out on March 21 before the government did. Clashes have since displaced thousands of civilians. Venezuela does not name the armed groups it blames for the unrest, apart from calling them "terrorists" or linking them to drug trafficking or to Colombian President Ivan Duque. However, security sources in Colombia say they are likely dissidents of the now-disbanded Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group, an analysis Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro has conceded was possible. Bogota has long accused Venezuela of shielding members of the FARC and armed rebel group ELN on its soil -- a charge Maduro denies. Some FARC fighters who refused to join Colombia's peace process have continued their struggle, while also mixing with and battling drug traffickers. Venezuela and Colombia, which share a 2,200-kilometer (1,370 miles) border, severed diplomatic ties in January 2019, after Bogota recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the leader of Venezuela over Maduro following a disputed election.

Venezuela activists charged with terrorism: Rights group

Ahymara Espinoza, a 36-year-old athlete made it to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, and to repeat the achievement this year, she needs to stay under 32nd place in the shot put ranking.

Venezuelan athlete seeks the Olympic dream

At least 1,933 Venezuelan migrants were killed&nbsp;in&nbsp;Colombia&nbsp;between 2015 and 2020, and another 836 are "considered missing," a Colombian NGO said Wednesday.&nbsp;

"While the national murder rate has been decreasing steadily... the murder rate of the Venezuelan population has grown and is 2.8 times higher," said Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES) in a report.

In a report on the situation based on official figures and complaints collected by the organization, the NGO said that "the irregular situation of a significant part of the population...has led them to face discrimination, xenophobia or stigmatization."&nbsp;

Nearly six million people have fled Venezuela, which has been in recession for eight years, and the country plunged into political crisis in January 2019 when opposition leader Juan Guaido, who was a parliamentary speaker at the time, declared himself acting president after Nicolas Maduro claimed a re-election victory widely condemned internationally as fraudulent.

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Some 1.8 million of those Venezuelan refugees are in&nbsp;Colombia, which began granting official residency to almost a million of them in March.&nbsp;

The government hopes to deliver a document by the end of the year that gives undocumented migrants a period of 10 years to acquire a resident visa.&nbsp;

Colombia&nbsp;and Venezuela have no diplomatic relations and share a porous border of about 1,400 miles (2,200 kilometres).&nbsp;

The NGO also warned about the sexual violence being perpetrated against the migrant population: 2,319 Venezuelans, mostly underage girls, suffered sexual attacks between 2015 and 2020.

At least 1,933 Venezuelan migrants were killed in Colombia between 2015 and 2020, and another 836 are "considered missing," a Colombian NGO said Wednesday. "While the national murder rate has been decreasing steadily.

At least 1,933 Venezuelan migrants were killed in Colombia between 2015 and 2020, and another 836 are "considered missing," a Colombian NGO said Wednesday. "While the national murder rate has been decreasing steadily... the murder rate of the Venezuelan population has grown and is 2.8 times higher," said Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES) in a report. In a report on the situation based on official figures and complaints collected by the organization, the NGO said that "the irregular situation of a significant part of the population...has led them to face discrimination, xenophobia or stigmatization." Nearly six million people have fled Venezuela, which has been in recession for eight years, and the country plunged into political crisis in January 2019 when opposition leader Juan Guaido, who was a parliamentary speaker at the time, declared himself acting president after Nicolas Maduro claimed a re-election victory widely condemned internationally as fraudulent. Also Read | John McAfee, antivirus software creator turned fugitive, dies by hanging in Spanish jail Some 1.8 million of those Venezuelan refugees are in Colombia, which began granting official residency to almost a million of them in March. The government hopes to deliver a document by the end of the year that gives undocumented migrants a period of 10 years to acquire a resident visa. Colombia and Venezuela have no diplomatic relations and share a porous border of about 1,400 miles (2,200 kilometres). The NGO also warned about the sexual violence being perpetrated against the migrant population: 2,319 Venezuelans, mostly underage girls, suffered sexual attacks between 2015 and 2020.

Almost 2,000 Venezuelan refugees murdered in Colombia in five years, NGO says

A Venezuelan state governor, who once served as defence minister for former President Hugo Chavez has died, officials said on Saturday.&nbsp;

Gen Jorge Luis García Carneiro was 69.&nbsp;

The death was confirmed in a string of tweets from senior officials, including President Nicolás Maduro, who called him 'a friend, a brother for life’.&nbsp;

No cause was listed and García Carneiro himself had been active on social media sites in recent days, giving no sign of problems. He appeared with Maduro at an event on Thursday.&nbsp;

The general served as defence minister from January 2004 to July 2005 and also held other cabinet posts, as well as serving as governor of La Guaira state since 2008 for the governing socialist party.&nbsp;

He was among four Venezuelan governors sanctioned by the US.&nbsp;

Treasury Department in February 2019 for alleged 'endemic corruption' and blocking aid shipments backed by the US and domestic opposition.&nbsp;

He is survived by his wife and five children. &nbsp;

A Venezuelan state governor, who once served as defence minister for former President Hugo Chavez has died, officials said on Saturday. Gen Jorge Luis García Carneiro was 69.

A Venezuelan state governor, who once served as defence minister for former President Hugo Chavez has died, officials said on Saturday. Gen Jorge Luis García Carneiro was 69. The death was confirmed in a string of tweets from senior officials, including President Nicolás Maduro, who called him 'a friend, a brother for life’. No cause was listed and García Carneiro himself had been active on social media sites in recent days, giving no sign of problems. He appeared with Maduro at an event on Thursday. The general served as defence minister from January 2004 to July 2005 and also held other cabinet posts, as well as serving as governor of La Guaira state since 2008 for the governing socialist party. He was among four Venezuelan governors sanctioned by the US. Treasury Department in February 2019 for alleged 'endemic corruption' and blocking aid shipments backed by the US and domestic opposition. He is survived by his wife and five children.

Venezuelan governor, former defence minister, dies 

Venezuela this month will begin clinical trials of the Cuban coronavirus vaccine candidate&nbsp;Abdala, and plans to produce enough doses locally to vaccinate 4 million people, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said on Monday.

Cuba in March approved late-stage trials of&nbsp;Abdala, named after a poem by the 19th-century Cuban independence hero Jose Marti.

The trials of the protein subunit-based vaccine, which is designed to be administered in three shots at 14-day intervals, are to be completed in July and the first results published in August, according Cuban to state media.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="WHO gives emergency use authorisation to Moderna's COVID-19 jab">WHO gives emergency use authorisation to Moderna's COVID-19 jab</a>

"We will be starting a clinical study with this vaccine, but simultaneously, adapting our national vaccine laboratory to produce, if all goes well as we hope, more than four million doses of&nbsp;Abdala&nbsp;vaccines for four million people," Alvarado told Venezuelan state television.

Alvarado spoke at Venezuela's main airport, where he announced that the country had received another 50,000 Russian Sputnik V vaccines.

Venezuela has now received a total of 1.48 million doses coronavirus vaccine doses, he said.

The government of President Nicolas Maduro expects to begin receiving vaccines from the global COVAX vaccine programme by July, he added, without saying which vaccines would be arriving.

Venezuela in March said it would not allow the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports of blood clotting.

COVAX said in February that it had set aside up to 2.4 million AstraZeneca doses for Venezuela.

Venezuela this month will begin clinical trials of the Cuban coronavirus vaccine candidate Abdala, and plans to produce enough doses locally to vaccinate 4 million people, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said on Monday.

Venezuela this month will begin clinical trials of the Cuban coronavirus vaccine candidate Abdala, and plans to produce enough doses locally to vaccinate 4 million people, Health Minister Carlos Alvarado said on Monday. Cuba in March approved late-stage trials of Abdala, named after a poem by the 19th-century Cuban independence hero Jose Marti. The trials of the protein subunit-based vaccine, which is designed to be administered in three shots at 14-day intervals, are to be completed in July and the first results published in August, according Cuban to state media. Also read: WHO gives emergency use authorisation to Moderna's COVID-19 jab "We will be starting a clinical study with this vaccine, but simultaneously, adapting our national vaccine laboratory to produce, if all goes well as we hope, more than four million doses of Abdala vaccines for four million people," Alvarado told Venezuelan state television. Alvarado spoke at Venezuela's main airport, where he announced that the country had received another 50,000 Russian Sputnik V vaccines. Venezuela has now received a total of 1.48 million doses coronavirus vaccine doses, he said. The government of President Nicolas Maduro expects to begin receiving vaccines from the global COVAX vaccine programme by July, he added, without saying which vaccines would be arriving. Venezuela in March said it would not allow the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine following reports of blood clotting. COVAX said in February that it had set aside up to 2.4 million AstraZeneca doses for Venezuela.

Venezuela to begin clinical trials of Cuba's Abdala vaccine candidate

Venezuela has released from jail six former executives of US-based refining company Citgo and put them on house arrest, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday, more than three years after they were arrested on corruption charges.&nbsp;

The officials were detained in November 2017 after being called into a meeting at the Caracas office of state oil company PDVSA, which owns Citgo. &nbsp;

The detention of the former executives, which includes five naturalised US citizens and one permanent resident, has been a major sticking point in tense relations between Caracas and Washington, which has repeatedly called for the men's release and called their detention unlawful.&nbsp;

The United States labels Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a dictator, and the former Trump administration imposed crippling sanctions on the OPEC nation's oil sector to try to force his ouster. The release of the six men comes as Maduro seeks to improve ties with US President Joe Biden's new administration.&nbsp;

A Venezuelan court in November sentenced the six former executives, who were accused of crimes including embezzlement, money laundering and conspiracy, to prison terms ranging from eight to 13 years.&nbsp;

The executives - Jose Pereira, Jose Luis Zambrano, Alirio Jose Zambrano, Jorge Toledo, Tomeu Vadell and Gustavo Cardenas - all denied the charges. &nbsp;

Neither Venezuela's Information Ministry nor its chief prosecutor's office immediately replied to a request for comment.&nbsp;

"I'm happy my brothers will sleep in a better place tonight, but the job is not finished until they are back home in the USA," Alirio Rafael Zambrano, the brother of Jose Luis Zambrano and Alirio Jose Zambrano, wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

The men had been granted house arrest in December 2019, but were moved back to prison at the Helicoide - as the headquarters of the Venezuelan intelligence agency Sebin is known - just months later, in February 2020, hours after President Donald Trump met with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido.&nbsp;

The United States recognises Guaido as Venezuela's rightful leader, accusing Maduro of rigging his 2018 re-election and using the justice system to stifle dissent. Maduro says Washington wants to control Venezuela's oil reserves and aims to oust him in a coup. &nbsp;

"This is a positive and important step that should help secure their wellbeing during the COVID-19 outbreak in Venezuela," said veteran US diplomat Bill Richardson, who has traveled to Caracas to help negotiate the men's release.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

Venezuela has released from jail six former executives of US-based refining company Citgo and put them on house arrest, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday, more than three years after they were arrested on corruption charges.

Venezuela has released from jail six former executives of US-based refining company Citgo and put them on house arrest, a source familiar with the situation said on Friday, more than three years after they were arrested on corruption charges. The officials were detained in November 2017 after being called into a meeting at the Caracas office of state oil company PDVSA, which owns Citgo. The detention of the former executives, which includes five naturalised US citizens and one permanent resident, has been a major sticking point in tense relations between Caracas and Washington, which has repeatedly called for the men's release and called their detention unlawful. The United States labels Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro a dictator, and the former Trump administration imposed crippling sanctions on the OPEC nation's oil sector to try to force his ouster. The release of the six men comes as Maduro seeks to improve ties with US President Joe Biden's new administration. A Venezuelan court in November sentenced the six former executives, who were accused of crimes including embezzlement, money laundering and conspiracy, to prison terms ranging from eight to 13 years. The executives - Jose Pereira, Jose Luis Zambrano, Alirio Jose Zambrano, Jorge Toledo, Tomeu Vadell and Gustavo Cardenas - all denied the charges. Neither Venezuela's Information Ministry nor its chief prosecutor's office immediately replied to a request for comment. "I'm happy my brothers will sleep in a better place tonight, but the job is not finished until they are back home in the USA," Alirio Rafael Zambrano, the brother of Jose Luis Zambrano and Alirio Jose Zambrano, wrote on Twitter. The men had been granted house arrest in December 2019, but were moved back to prison at the Helicoide - as the headquarters of the Venezuelan intelligence agency Sebin is known - just months later, in February 2020, hours after President Donald Trump met with Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido. The United States recognises Guaido as Venezuela's rightful leader, accusing Maduro of rigging his 2018 re-election and using the justice system to stifle dissent. Maduro says Washington wants to control Venezuela's oil reserves and aims to oust him in a coup. "This is a positive and important step that should help secure their wellbeing during the COVID-19 outbreak in Venezuela," said veteran US diplomat Bill Richardson, who has traveled to Caracas to help negotiate the men's release. (With inputs from agencies)

Venezuela releases former Citgo executives to house arrest: Source 

A rare show of unity brought together a divided Venezuela, as people came together ahead of the beatification of a local doctor known for treating the poor during the Spanish flu pandemic a century ago. Jorge Gregorio Hernandez, born in the Andean state of Trujillo in 1864, was known as the "doctor of the poor" for his care of the needy in Caracas during the Spanish flu pandemic. He died in 1919 after being struck by a car.

Divided Venezuela comes together for beatification of doctor

Venezuela's supreme court has awarded $13 million to top socialist party official Diosdado Cabello in a defamation case against a newspaper, but the paper’s lawyer said on Saturday, the outlet could not afford to pay. &nbsp;

Cabello, the second-highest ranking official in the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) after President Nicolas Maduro, sued the El Nacional newspaper in 2015 after it reprinted a Spanish newspaper article asserting US officials were investigating Cabello for alleged ties to drug trafficking.&nbsp;

Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) on Friday ruled that El Nacional must pay damages to Cabello worth 237,000 petros, a digital currency launched by Maduro in 2018 tied to the price of oil. The petro's current value is $56, according to Venezuela's central bank. &nbsp;

Juan Garanton, an attorney for El Nacional, said in a telephone interview on Saturday that the paper would ask the court to clarify how it arrived at that figure, a first step toward potentially asking the court to lower the amount.&nbsp;

"It is an astronomical amount," Garanton said.&nbsp;

Cabello denies any links to drug trafficking. &nbsp;

Neither the PSUV, the court nor Venezuela's information ministry responded to requests for comment. &nbsp;

El Nacional is part-owned by prominent Madrid-based Venezuelan journalist Miguel Henrique Otero and other relatives of his late father, Miguel Otero Silva, one of Venezuela's most celebrated writers.&nbsp;

Opponents of Maduro's government accuse it of using the justice system to silence its critics, including in the media. The Caracas chapter of Venezuela's National College of Journalists on Saturday called the ruling 'a further step toward the liquidation of freedom of expression in Venezuela’.&nbsp;

Government officials frequently accuse independent media outlets of publishing false information as part of a campaign backed by the opposition and the United States to destabilise the government. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Venezuela's supreme court has awarded $13 million to top socialist party official Diosdado Cabello in a defamation case against a newspaper, but the paper’s lawyer said on Saturday, the outlet could not afford to pay.

Venezuela's supreme court has awarded $13 million to top socialist party official Diosdado Cabello in a defamation case against a newspaper, but the paper’s lawyer said on Saturday, the outlet could not afford to pay. Cabello, the second-highest ranking official in the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) after President Nicolas Maduro, sued the El Nacional newspaper in 2015 after it reprinted a Spanish newspaper article asserting US officials were investigating Cabello for alleged ties to drug trafficking. Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) on Friday ruled that El Nacional must pay damages to Cabello worth 237,000 petros, a digital currency launched by Maduro in 2018 tied to the price of oil. The petro's current value is $56, according to Venezuela's central bank. Juan Garanton, an attorney for El Nacional, said in a telephone interview on Saturday that the paper would ask the court to clarify how it arrived at that figure, a first step toward potentially asking the court to lower the amount. "It is an astronomical amount," Garanton said. Cabello denies any links to drug trafficking. Neither the PSUV, the court nor Venezuela's information ministry responded to requests for comment. El Nacional is part-owned by prominent Madrid-based Venezuelan journalist Miguel Henrique Otero and other relatives of his late father, Miguel Otero Silva, one of Venezuela's most celebrated writers. Opponents of Maduro's government accuse it of using the justice system to silence its critics, including in the media. The Caracas chapter of Venezuela's National College of Journalists on Saturday called the ruling 'a further step toward the liquidation of freedom of expression in Venezuela’. Government officials frequently accuse independent media outlets of publishing false information as part of a campaign backed by the opposition and the United States to destabilise the government. (With inputs from agencies)

Venezuelan paper ordered to pay $13 million to official in defamation case 

Venezuela's government wants funds frozen in the United States to be put toward paying for coronavirus vaccines and will keep working with the opposition to negotiate this payment, the head of the government-controlled legislature said on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Allies of opposition leader Juan Guaido have for months been in talks with state officials to buy vaccines through the COVAX programme using funds frozen by the US Treasury as part of sanctions against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.&nbsp;

Maduro over the weekend said his government had paid some $64 million to the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, spurring doubts as to whether the government would pull the plug on talks to use the frozen funds for the inoculation campaign.&nbsp;

Jorge Rodriguez, head of the National Assembly dominated by the ruling Socialist Party, said talks regarding the 'kidnapped' funds would continue.&nbsp;

"If more of the kidnapped resources are used, it would be to buy the vaccines that are needed via the (Pan American Health Organisation) and the (World Health Organisation)," Rodriguez said in a news conference.&nbsp;

In 2019, Washington froze $342 million held by the Venezuelan central bank in the United States, as part of a sanctions programme that sought to remove Maduro from power. &nbsp;

The funds were put under the control of opposition leader Guaido and the interim government he created, but moving them requires a license from the US Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).&nbsp;

A working group created last year to ensure Venezuela's access to COVAX, which includes health ministry officials as well as advisers to Guaido, will continue seeking to use the OFAC funds for vaccines, Rodriguez said. &nbsp;

His comments were the first time a government official has publicly acknowledged the discussions with the Guaido allies, who he described as 'kidnappers’. &nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Venezuela's government wants funds frozen in the United States to be put toward paying for coronavirus vaccines and will keep working with the opposition to negotiate this payment, the head of the government-controlled legislature said on Tuesday.

Venezuela's government wants funds frozen in the United States to be put toward paying for coronavirus vaccines and will keep working with the opposition to negotiate this payment, the head of the government-controlled legislature said on Tuesday. Allies of opposition leader Juan Guaido have for months been in talks with state officials to buy vaccines through the COVAX programme using funds frozen by the US Treasury as part of sanctions against the government of President Nicolas Maduro. Maduro over the weekend said his government had paid some $64 million to the GAVI Vaccine Alliance, spurring doubts as to whether the government would pull the plug on talks to use the frozen funds for the inoculation campaign. Jorge Rodriguez, head of the National Assembly dominated by the ruling Socialist Party, said talks regarding the 'kidnapped' funds would continue. "If more of the kidnapped resources are used, it would be to buy the vaccines that are needed via the (Pan American Health Organisation) and the (World Health Organisation)," Rodriguez said in a news conference. In 2019, Washington froze $342 million held by the Venezuelan central bank in the United States, as part of a sanctions programme that sought to remove Maduro from power. The funds were put under the control of opposition leader Guaido and the interim government he created, but moving them requires a license from the US Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). A working group created last year to ensure Venezuela's access to COVAX, which includes health ministry officials as well as advisers to Guaido, will continue seeking to use the OFAC funds for vaccines, Rodriguez said. His comments were the first time a government official has publicly acknowledged the discussions with the Guaido allies, who he described as 'kidnappers’. (With inputs from agencies)

Venezuela government wants to use funds frozen in US to pay for vaccines 

Venezuelan forces detained members of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel during clashes with armed groups near its western border with Colombia, a top Venezuelan military official said on Friday. &nbsp;

Venezuela's military on March 21 launched an offensive against what officials called irregular Colombian armed groups in the western state of Apure. About eight Venezuelan soldiers have died during the operations, which have caused about 5,000 people to flee across the border.&nbsp;

"We even captured some individuals from the Sinaloa cartel," the chief of Venezuela's strategic operational command, Remigio Ceballos, said in a telephone call broadcast on state television. &nbsp;

Ceballos did not specify the names of the people detained, nor how many cartel members were taken into custody. He said some individuals from Brazil were also detained, and said all would be presented to the country's courts.&nbsp;

The fighting has occurred near the border town of La Victoria, about 628 km (390 miles) southwest of the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. &nbsp;

Venezuela's information ministry did not immediately respond to a request for further details about the arrests. &nbsp;

Colombia's government has said that the Sinaloa cartel is active in the South American country and has alliances with local rebel groups, including the National Liberation Army (ELN) and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who have rejected a 2016 peace deal.&nbsp;

Venezuela, which this week created a special military unit for the border region, has not specified which groups it is fighting along the border. Critics of President Nicolas Maduro say the fighters include dissident FARC guerrillas, who his government had previously accommodated.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Venezuelan forces detained members of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel during clashes with armed groups near its western border with Colombia, a top Venezuelan military official said on Friday.

Venezuelan forces detained members of the Mexican Sinaloa drug cartel during clashes with armed groups near its western border with Colombia, a top Venezuelan military official said on Friday. Venezuela's military on March 21 launched an offensive against what officials called irregular Colombian armed groups in the western state of Apure. About eight Venezuelan soldiers have died during the operations, which have caused about 5,000 people to flee across the border. "We even captured some individuals from the Sinaloa cartel," the chief of Venezuela's strategic operational command, Remigio Ceballos, said in a telephone call broadcast on state television. Ceballos did not specify the names of the people detained, nor how many cartel members were taken into custody. He said some individuals from Brazil were also detained, and said all would be presented to the country's courts. The fighting has occurred near the border town of La Victoria, about 628 km (390 miles) southwest of the Venezuelan capital of Caracas. Venezuela's information ministry did not immediately respond to a request for further details about the arrests. Colombia's government has said that the Sinaloa cartel is active in the South American country and has alliances with local rebel groups, including the National Liberation Army (ELN) and former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) who have rejected a 2016 peace deal. Venezuela, which this week created a special military unit for the border region, has not specified which groups it is fighting along the border. Critics of President Nicolas Maduro say the fighters include dissident FARC guerrillas, who his government had previously accommodated. (With inputs from agencies)

Venezuela detains Sinaloa cartel members in clash at Colombian border 

Venezuela has created a special military unit called Integrated Operational Defense Zone, for an area on its border with Colombia that has been the center of clashes between troops and illegal armed groups since last month.

Venezuela creates military unit on Colombia border

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Saturday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and has mild symptoms. 
 
Guaido said on his Twitter account that he is in isolation and expressed concern about the number of infections in the country. 
 
"I want to express my solidarity with the thousands of Venezuelans suffering during the pandemic," Guaido wrote on Twitter. "Today we all have a relative or acquaintance affected by COVID-19." 
 
Dozens of countries have backed Guaido as interim president of Venezuela following Maduro`s re-election in 2018 in a vote Western governments called a sham. 
 
The opposition leader added that he considered the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines to Venezuela urgent. 
 
Venezuela has received 700,000 doses, of which 500,000 were donated by China`s Sinopharm and the rest are Russia`s Sputnik V. Opposition leaders are separately negotiating to buy vaccines via the COVAX program using funds frozen in the United States. 
 
Venezuela`s official figures as of Saturday showed 155,663 cases of coronavirus and 1,555 deaths, though opposition critics say the actual figure is likely higher due to limited testing.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Saturday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and has mild symptoms. Guaido said on his Twitter account that he is in isolation and expressed concern about the number of infections in the country.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said on Saturday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and has mild symptoms. Guaido said on his Twitter account that he is in isolation and expressed concern about the number of infections in the country. "I want to express my solidarity with the thousands of Venezuelans suffering during the pandemic," Guaido wrote on Twitter. "Today we all have a relative or acquaintance affected by COVID-19." Dozens of countries have backed Guaido as interim president of Venezuela following Maduro`s re-election in 2018 in a vote Western governments called a sham. The opposition leader added that he considered the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines to Venezuela urgent. Venezuela has received 700,000 doses, of which 500,000 were donated by China`s Sinopharm and the rest are Russia`s Sputnik V. Opposition leaders are separately negotiating to buy vaccines via the COVAX program using funds frozen in the United States. Venezuela`s official figures as of Saturday showed 155,663 cases of coronavirus and 1,555 deaths, though opposition critics say the actual figure is likely higher due to limited testing.

Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido says he tested positive for COVID-19

The Colombian government on Wednesday said 3,100 people have moved from Venezuela to Colombia since Sunday in search of protection from the conflict in the border state of Apure

Thousands flee to Colombia after clashes on Venezuela border

Illegal mining, a leading cause of environmental destruction in the Amazon rainforest, expanded 30 percent last year on protected Yanomami indigenous lands, devastating the equivalent of 500 football pitches, a report found Thursday.

The increase brought the total amount of land deforested by illegal miners on the Yanomami's reserve in northern Brazil to 2,400 hectares (nearly 6,000 acres), an area more than seven times the size of New York's Central Park, said the report by two indigenous associations.

Illegal gold and diamond mining are big business in the Amazon, and according to the report only accelerated on Yanomami lands in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic led environmental authorities to scale back enforcement operations.

"The water is dirty, the river is yellow, everything is riddled with holes. Illegal miners are like pigs," said Yanomami shaman Davi Kopenawa, the head of one of the groups behind the report, the Hutukara Yanomami Association (HAY).

"They come in like hungry animals, looking for the riches of our land. It's expanding very fast. It's arriving right in the heart of Yanomami territory," he said in a statement.

Kopenawa said his community feared a conflict with the miners, who are often armed.

Last June, illegal miners shot dead two young Yanomami men, leading HAY to warn that tensions could escalate into a "cycle of violence."

Last month, miners attacked the indigenous village of Helepe, leading to clashes that left one indigenous man wounded and one miner dead, the group said.

The Yanomami, who are known for their face paint and intricate piercings, were largely isolated from the outside world until the mid-20th century.

They have a history of conflict with illegal miners dating back to the 1970s.

Together with diseases such as measles and malaria, the conflicts decimated the Yanomami population, which numbers around 27,000 today.

Indigenous authorities have also warned there is a danger of illegal miners with Covid-19 infecting members of the Yanomami.&nbsp;

Illegal mining, a leading cause of environmental destruction in the Amazon rainforest, expanded 30 percent last year on protected Yanomami indigenous lands, devastating the equivalent of 500 football pitches, a report found Thursday.

Illegal mining, a leading cause of environmental destruction in the Amazon rainforest, expanded 30 percent last year on protected Yanomami indigenous lands, devastating the equivalent of 500 football pitches, a report found Thursday. The increase brought the total amount of land deforested by illegal miners on the Yanomami's reserve in northern Brazil to 2,400 hectares (nearly 6,000 acres), an area more than seven times the size of New York's Central Park, said the report by two indigenous associations. Illegal gold and diamond mining are big business in the Amazon, and according to the report only accelerated on Yanomami lands in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic led environmental authorities to scale back enforcement operations. "The water is dirty, the river is yellow, everything is riddled with holes. Illegal miners are like pigs," said Yanomami shaman Davi Kopenawa, the head of one of the groups behind the report, the Hutukara Yanomami Association (HAY). "They come in like hungry animals, looking for the riches of our land. It's expanding very fast. It's arriving right in the heart of Yanomami territory," he said in a statement. Kopenawa said his community feared a conflict with the miners, who are often armed. Last June, illegal miners shot dead two young Yanomami men, leading HAY to warn that tensions could escalate into a "cycle of violence." Last month, miners attacked the indigenous village of Helepe, leading to clashes that left one indigenous man wounded and one miner dead, the group said. The Yanomami, who are known for their face paint and intricate piercings, were largely isolated from the outside world until the mid-20th century. They have a history of conflict with illegal miners dating back to the 1970s. Together with diseases such as measles and malaria, the conflicts decimated the Yanomami population, which numbers around 27,000 today. Indigenous authorities have also warned there is a danger of illegal miners with Covid-19 infecting members of the Yanomami.

Illegal mining surges on Yanomami indigenous land, report says

The Joe Biden administration is granting temporary protected status to Venezuelan migrants living in the United States and is also working to coordinate international pressure against President Nicolas Maduro to hold free and fair elections.

US grants temporary protection to Venezuelan refugees

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-in-no-rush-to-lift-venezuela-sanctions-seeks-serious-steps-by-maduro-366912">Biden</a> administration is set to allow thousands of Venezuelans to seek refuge in its borders in a significant policy shift from The Trump era.

Watch:

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/santa-gives-food-to-poor-hit-by-pandemic-and-recession-in-venezuela-351425/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to a US official, temporary protected status is being offered to people who fled have political repression and economic chaos in Venezuela.&nbsp;

A senior Biden government official said that over 300,000 individuals are estimated to be eligible. The temporary protected status is being offered to people who fled political repression and economic chaos.

The Venezuelans who being considered are all already in the US will now not be deported till at least 2022, according to the officials.

Former President Donald Trump despite backing a push to topple far-left Venezuelan leader <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-secretary-of-state-talks-with-venezuelas-guaido-to-increase-pressure-on-president-maduro-367548">Nicolas Maduro</a> had denied Venezuelans protected status.&nbsp;

On taking office in January, President Biden immediately set about reversing what he said were Trump's inhumane border policies.

According to the UN, 34 per cent of the 5.4 million Venezuelans who fled the country since 2015 are in Colombia, which has no diplomatic relations with its neighbour.

The Colombian government announced on Monday that it was giving protected status to almost one million undocumented migrants from the neighbouring country.

The Biden administration is set to allow thousands of Venezuelans to seek refuge in its borders in a significant policy shift from The Trump era. Watch: According to a US official, temporary protected status is being offered to people who fled have political repression and economic chaos in Venezuela.

The Biden administration is set to allow thousands of Venezuelans to seek refuge in its borders in a significant policy shift from The Trump era. Watch: According to a US official, temporary protected status is being offered to people who fled have political repression and economic chaos in Venezuela. A senior Biden government official said that over 300,000 individuals are estimated to be eligible. The temporary protected status is being offered to people who fled political repression and economic chaos. The Venezuelans who being considered are all already in the US will now not be deported till at least 2022, according to the officials. Former President Donald Trump despite backing a push to topple far-left Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro had denied Venezuelans protected status. On taking office in January, President Biden immediately set about reversing what he said were Trump's inhumane border policies. According to the UN, 34 per cent of the 5.4 million Venezuelans who fled the country since 2015 are in Colombia, which has no diplomatic relations with its neighbour. The Colombian government announced on Monday that it was giving protected status to almost one million undocumented migrants from the neighbouring country.

Biden administration to allow temporary refuge to thousands of Venezuelans

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday spoke with Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido&nbsp;to increase "multilateral pressure" against President Nicolas Maduro for a "peaceful, democratic transition" of power.&nbsp;

The United States considers Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela and Maduro's reelection win in 2018 was deemed fraudulent.&nbsp;

Watch |

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/santa-gives-food-to-poor-hit-by-pandemic-and-recession-in-venezuela-351425/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaido today. Secretary Blinken stressed the importance of a return to democracy in Venezuela through free and fair elections," state department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

It said that the secretary of state called for "efforts to work with likeminded allies", including the European Union and Lima Group to "increase multilateral pressure" on Maduro for a "peaceful, democratic transition".&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-in-no-rush-to-lift-venezuela-sanctions-seeks-serious-steps-by-maduro-366912">Biden in no rush to lift Venezuela sanctions, seeks 'serious steps' by Maduro</a>

The relations between the countries were stained during the tenure of former president Donald Trump, who imposed severe sanctions on Venezuela and its state oil company in a bid to oust Maduro from power.&nbsp;

The statement by the US secretary of state's office also added that Washington will work with its allies for a political solution to the crisis and to push humanitarian assistance in the South American country.&nbsp;

Guaido declared himself as the country's leader in 2019 and his legitimacy has been accepted by over 50 countries, including the US.&nbsp;

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday spoke with Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido to increase "multilateral pressure" against President Nicolas Maduro for a "peaceful, democratic transition" of power.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday spoke with Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido to increase "multilateral pressure" against President Nicolas Maduro for a "peaceful, democratic transition" of power. The United States considers Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela and Maduro's reelection win in 2018 was deemed fraudulent. Watch | "Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Venezuelan Interim President Juan Guaido today. Secretary Blinken stressed the importance of a return to democracy in Venezuela through free and fair elections," state department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement. It said that the secretary of state called for "efforts to work with likeminded allies", including the European Union and Lima Group to "increase multilateral pressure" on Maduro for a "peaceful, democratic transition". Also read | Biden in no rush to lift Venezuela sanctions, seeks 'serious steps' by Maduro The relations between the countries were stained during the tenure of former president Donald Trump, who imposed severe sanctions on Venezuela and its state oil company in a bid to oust Maduro from power. The statement by the US secretary of state's office also added that Washington will work with its allies for a political solution to the crisis and to push humanitarian assistance in the South American country. Guaido declared himself as the country's leader in 2019 and his legitimacy has been accepted by over 50 countries, including the US.

US Secretary of State talks with Venezuela's Guaido to increase 'pressure' on President Maduro

President Joe Biden’s administration is in “no rush” to lift U.S. sanctions on Venezuela but would consider easing them if President Nicolas Maduro takes confidence-building steps showing he is ready to negotiate seriously with the opposition, a White House official told Reuters.

Signaling that the new U.S. president may be unlikely to loosen the screws on Venezuela anytime soon, the official emphasized that existing sanctions have enough special provisions to allow for humanitarian aid shipments to help Venezuelans cope with economic hardships and the COVID-19 pandemic.

But the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Maduro’s Socialist government has been “actively preventing the delivery of humanitarian assistance.”

This suggests that for now Biden is prepared to stick with the specific sanctions, including crippling oil-sector penalties, imposed by former President Donald Trump on the OPEC nation, despite the failure to force Maduro from power.

But Biden, by contrast, intends to move away from the mostly unilateral approach of Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign and enlist more countries to help seek a diplomatic solution, the official said in an interview.

Biden’s administration has made clear it will continue to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president. Dozens of countries have backed Guaido’s claim following Maduro’s re-election in 2018 in a vote Western governments called a sham, though cracks recently have appeared in Guaido`s international support.

“We’re in no rush to lift sanctions,” the official said. “If the regime undertakes confidence-building measures that show that they`re ready and willing to engage in real conversations with the opposition ... if they`re ready to take serious steps, then we will consider the alleviation of sanctions."

The official did not specify what steps Maduro would need to make but said he could not be allowed to use negotiations as a “delaying tactic” to consolidate power and divide the opposition, as he has been accused of doing in the past.

Maduro, who calls Guaido a U.S. puppet, has shown no signs of giving ground. Having retained support of the military as well as Russia, China, Cuba and Iran, he has rejected or ignored previous demands for such concessions.

The Biden administration also appears to have little sense of urgency for major gestures toward Cuba despite hopes for a softer approach after Trump, often citing its support for Maduro, rolled back historic Obama-era détente with Havana.

Some Biden advisers had suggested earlier that he could start by loosening up the flow of remittances from Cuban Americans and ease restrictions on family travel to the Communist-ruled island.

But while acknowledging such changes could have a positive impact, the official said a Cuba policy shift was not currently among Biden’s top priorities, which include the coronavirus pandemic, economic recovery and rebuilding alliances abroad.

“Frankly, first things first,” the official said.

There has also been no sign of any immediate plans to rescind Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, though Biden officials have said Trump’s last-minute decision to return Havana to the U.S. blacklist is under review.

President Joe Biden’s administration is in “no rush” to lift U.S. sanctions on Venezuela but would consider easing them if President Nicolas Maduro takes confidence-building steps showing he is ready to negotiate seriously with the opposition, a White House official told Reuters.

President Joe Biden’s administration is in “no rush” to lift U.S. sanctions on Venezuela but would consider easing them if President Nicolas Maduro takes confidence-building steps showing he is ready to negotiate seriously with the opposition, a White House official told Reuters. Signaling that the new U.S. president may be unlikely to loosen the screws on Venezuela anytime soon, the official emphasized that existing sanctions have enough special provisions to allow for humanitarian aid shipments to help Venezuelans cope with economic hardships and the COVID-19 pandemic. But the official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Maduro’s Socialist government has been “actively preventing the delivery of humanitarian assistance.” This suggests that for now Biden is prepared to stick with the specific sanctions, including crippling oil-sector penalties, imposed by former President Donald Trump on the OPEC nation, despite the failure to force Maduro from power. But Biden, by contrast, intends to move away from the mostly unilateral approach of Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign and enlist more countries to help seek a diplomatic solution, the official said in an interview. Biden’s administration has made clear it will continue to recognize opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president. Dozens of countries have backed Guaido’s claim following Maduro’s re-election in 2018 in a vote Western governments called a sham, though cracks recently have appeared in Guaido`s international support. “We’re in no rush to lift sanctions,” the official said. “If the regime undertakes confidence-building measures that show that they`re ready and willing to engage in real conversations with the opposition ... if they`re ready to take serious steps, then we will consider the alleviation of sanctions." The official did not specify what steps Maduro would need to make but said he could not be allowed to use negotiations as a “delaying tactic” to consolidate power and divide the opposition, as he has been accused of doing in the past. Maduro, who calls Guaido a U.S. puppet, has shown no signs of giving ground. Having retained support of the military as well as Russia, China, Cuba and Iran, he has rejected or ignored previous demands for such concessions. The Biden administration also appears to have little sense of urgency for major gestures toward Cuba despite hopes for a softer approach after Trump, often citing its support for Maduro, rolled back historic Obama-era détente with Havana. Some Biden advisers had suggested earlier that he could start by loosening up the flow of remittances from Cuban Americans and ease restrictions on family travel to the Communist-ruled island. But while acknowledging such changes could have a positive impact, the official said a Cuba policy shift was not currently among Biden’s top priorities, which include the coronavirus pandemic, economic recovery and rebuilding alliances abroad. “Frankly, first things first,” the official said. There has also been no sign of any immediate plans to rescind Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, though Biden officials have said Trump’s last-minute decision to return Havana to the U.S. blacklist is under review.

Biden in no rush to lift Venezuela sanctions, seeks 'serious steps' by Maduro

For our safety: Young women in Venezuela protest against increasing femicide

The Europan Union on Thursday declared Venezuela's envoy to the bloc "persona non grata". The decision came as a tit-for-tat move after Venezuela expelled the EU envoy.

A statement said member states had agreed on the move, proposed by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell after Venezuela ordered the European ambassador to leave.

"This is a response to the decision by the Venezuelan government to declare the head of the EU delegation to Venezuela as persona non grata," it said.&nbsp;

"The EU considers this declaration as wholly unwarranted and contrary to the EU's objective of developing relations and building partnerships in third countries."

Claudia Salerno, Venezuela's representative to the EU, responded by saying on Twitter that "the independence and sovereignty of our homeland are not negotiable."

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Wednesday announced the country's move against EU envoy Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, and gave her 72 hours to leave the country.

This had come two days after EU ministers agreed to sanction 19 Venezuelan officials for what they said was "undermining democracy"

The EU expanded its sanctions list after rejecting a December legislative election that saw Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro win control of parliament after an opposition boycott.

Until the disputed vote, the National Assembly was run by an opposition majority with Juan Guaido at the helm as speaker -- the only branch of government not under Maduro's control.

(With AFP inputs)

The Europan Union on Thursday declared Venezuela's envoy to the bloc "persona non grata". The decision came as a tit-for-tat move after Venezuela expelled the EU envoy.

The Europan Union on Thursday declared Venezuela's envoy to the bloc "persona non grata". The decision came as a tit-for-tat move after Venezuela expelled the EU envoy. A statement said member states had agreed on the move, proposed by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell after Venezuela ordered the European ambassador to leave. "This is a response to the decision by the Venezuelan government to declare the head of the EU delegation to Venezuela as persona non grata," it said. "The EU considers this declaration as wholly unwarranted and contrary to the EU's objective of developing relations and building partnerships in third countries." Claudia Salerno, Venezuela's representative to the EU, responded by saying on Twitter that "the independence and sovereignty of our homeland are not negotiable." Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza on Wednesday announced the country's move against EU envoy Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa, and gave her 72 hours to leave the country. This had come two days after EU ministers agreed to sanction 19 Venezuelan officials for what they said was "undermining democracy" The EU expanded its sanctions list after rejecting a December legislative election that saw Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro win control of parliament after an opposition boycott. Until the disputed vote, the National Assembly was run by an opposition majority with Juan Guaido at the helm as speaker -- the only branch of government not under Maduro's control. (With AFP inputs)

Venezuela envoy declared persona non grata by EU

The moment Johanna Guzmán, 25, discovered she was going to have her sixth child, she began to sob, crushed by the idea of bringing another life into a nation in such decay.

For years, as Venezuela spiraled deeper into an economic crisis, she and her husband had scoured clinics and pharmacies for any kind of birth control, usually in vain. They had a third child. A fourth. A fifth.

Already, Guzmán was cooking meager dinners over a wood fire, washing clothing without soap, teaching lessons without paper. Already, she was stalked by a fear that she could not feed them all.

And now another child?

“I felt like I was drowning,” she said.

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As Venezuela enters its eighth year of economic crisis, a deeply personal drama is playing out inside the home: Millions of women are no longer able to find or afford birth control, pushing many into unplanned pregnancies at a time when they can barely feed the children they already have.

Around Caracas, the capital, a pack of three condoms costs $4.40 — three times Venezuela’s monthly minimum wage of $1.50.

Birth control pills cost more than twice as much, roughly $11 a month, while an IUD, or intrauterine device, can cost more than $40 — more than 25 times the minimum wage. And that does not include a doctor’s fee to have the device put in.

With the cost of contraception so far out of reach, women are increasingly resorting to abortions, which are illegal and, in the worst cases, can cost them their lives.

The situation is a major departure from what Venezuela’s government once promised its women and girls. Hugo Chávez, the father of the country’s socialist-inspired revolution, declared that his government would grant women what others had not: full and equal participation in society.

Also read|&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-set-to-scrap-ban-on-us-funds-for-abortion-counseling-359954" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-set-to-scrap-ban-on-us-funds-for-abortion-counseling-359954&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwifp5Hh4_zuAhUW_XMBHf-wAv8QFjAIegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ZbgHaKImWmYicMU-Opmc7" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-set-to-scrap-ban-on-us-funds-for-abortion-counseling-359954" target="_blank">Biden set to scrap ban on US funds for&nbsp;abortion&nbsp;counselin</a>

Chávez brought women into the halls of power and enshrined in the Constitution the right to “decide freely” how many children a couple wished to have. In a region where abortion is largely banned, he stopped short of legalizing the procedure. But birth control was subsidized and widely available.

Chávez and his successor, President Nicolás Maduro, publicly declared themselves to be feminists.

But as Maduro’s grip on the country has hardened into authoritarian rule, Venezuela’s economy has collapsed under the weight of corruption, mismanagement and U.S. sanctions.

The nation that was once Latin America’s wealthiest is mired in a crisis economists have called the world’s worst in decades, outside of war, with its population suffering from runaway inflation and widespread hunger.

And Venezuelans now face a health system so broken that it can no longer reliably provide basic contraception. Today, amid the collapse of the country’s public health system, birth control is nearly absent from government clinics and available at private pharmacies only at prohibitive prices.

The result has been life-changing for women, who shoulder the vast majority of child care responsibilities, just as the crisis has greatly expanded the challenge of being a parent.

Many women who grew up believing that Chávez’s political movement, known as Chavismo, would springboard them out of poverty, offering them education and career opportunities, now face the task of raising four, six or 10 children at a time when the basics of family care — food, soap, diapers — arrive intermittently or not at all.

Anitza Freitez, a demographer with the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, said this dynamic could shape the country for decades, creating “a vicious circle of poverty.”

As Venezuela’s maternity wards fell apart, maternal deaths surged 65% between 2015 and 2016, according to the country’s health ministry.

And then the government stopped releasing data.

Fexsibel Bracho was 24 and the mother of three when she sought out a clandestine clinic to end a pregnancy in January. The procedure, performed with a hook, punctured her uterus. She died of a hemorrhage Feb. 2.

“She didn’t have money for birth control,” said her mother, Lucibel Marcano, 51, who cared for Bracho in her final hours, watching her daughter’s face lose color.

Representatives of the country’s health and women’s ministries did not respond to letters or emails requesting interviews.

When Chávez was elected president in 1998, he inherited a system in which birth control was already widely available.

In his push to embrace women’s rights, he offered direct cash transfers to poor mothers and moved the women’s ministry into the executive branch.

“Without true liberation of women, full liberation of the people will be impossible,” Chávez said in 2009, “and I am convinced that a true socialist must also be a true feminist.”

But reproductive health was never a priority, something even his supporters recognize.

Chavismo, said Indhira Libertad Rodríguez, 45, a women’s rights activist and longtime supporter of Chávez, “has not overcome a bias against women as reproducers.”

As Venezuela’s economy — long buoyed by its vast oil reserves — began to tumble in 2014, the result of plummeting crude oil prices and poor financial management, the government’s purchasing power dove.

By 2015, contraceptives, once free at government hospitals and broadly affordable at private pharmacies, began to disappear. And women who could once plan their futures — thanks to contraception — began to lose control.

By 2018, oral contraceptives, implants and patches were nearly impossible to find in several major cities, according to a study by the reproductive rights coalition Equivalencies in Action.

Some couples began to ration or abstain from sex. Others tried to plan around a woman’s menstrual cycle. But it did not always work. And not everyone has a choice.

As the crisis has sharpened, many women say that abuse has, too, making it difficult for them to say no to a partner or to leave a relationship.

Guzmán delivered her sixth child, Yorkeinys, in April, when the country was in the grip of the pandemic and her husband, a mechanic, had been out of work for weeks. When she arrived home from the hospital, there were only lentils in the pantry, she said, and all of her children were hungry. She lapsed into a depression and spent 20 days in bed.

“Like a pit with no exit” is how she described her worst days. “All dark. You turn here, and it’s all dark. You turn there, and it’s all dark.”

The plan she had nurtured since she was a child — to become a chemist — is indefinitely on hold.

As raising children in Venezuela has become increasingly difficult, the number of women seeking abortions has surged, according to interviews with health professionals and community workers across the country.

Before the economic crisis, some doctors would perform abortions illegally in safer facilities. But about half the country’s physicians, some 30,000 people, have left in recent years, according to the Venezuelan Medical Federation, driving women to makeshift clinics.

In the shadows, some women, and a few men, have become part of an expanding group of underground abortion counselors, mostly trying to educate women in how to find and use misoprostol, a drug used legally in other countries to induce abortion.

The idea is to keep women away from shady abortion purveyors who charge high prices for possibly deadly operations.

Faldas-R, an activist group that runs an abortion support hotline, reported a 40% rise in calls between 2018 and 2019.

Women arrested for ending their pregnancies, and the practitioners who help them, can spend years in prison.

At great personal risk, a few counselors meet women to deliver misoprostol.

But even with guidance, the experience can be excruciating, often involving a frantic search for the $150 it costs to buy the pills, followed by a hunt for a safe place to hide away to bleed for a few hours.

One night in late 2019, Jessika, 21, a university student, had an abortion in an auto parts warehouse, accompanied by two friends.

Jessika had never been able to afford birth control. She said she got pregnant after an assault by her boyfriend and knew she could not support a child.

“In the country we live in,” she said, “a woman is not afforded the luxury of one more mouth to feed.”

Through her contacts, she reached one of the counselors, who gave her instructions and wished her luck.

Seven weeks pregnant, she bought misoprostol online from a man who called himself “José Vende Todo,” or “José Who Sells Everything.”

She knew her mother would not approve, and that she could not have the abortion at home. So she went to the warehouse, on loan from a friend, holing herself up in a white-walled office with a couch and a single window, keeping it closed so no one would hear her scream.

She took the first two pills at 7 p.m. and the second dose two hours later. Soon, she doubled over in pain and began to bleed profusely. Her legs shook, she cried out, and then she fainted.

Not all abortions with misoprostol are this painful or risky. Doctors recommend that women take misoprostol with another drug, mifepristone, which prepares the body for the process, making the procedure easier.

But mifepristone is difficult to find in Venezuela, and so most women do it the hard way.

When Jessika came to, her friends urged her to go to the hospital.

“Don’t take me anywhere,” she said.

She was terrified of the police.

Afterward, she spent weeks replaying the events of the night.

“You say to yourself, ‘Well, this happened, but it could have been worse. It could have gone differently. I could have died in the process, but I didn’t, and it’s OK,’” she said.

“But it’s not OK,” she went on.

“It’s not OK that I had to have an abortion in a warehouse. It’s not OK that I passed out, that I became depressed. It’s not OK that I feel the way I do,” she said, words tumbling out in anger. “It’s not OK that the country pushes you into this desperation, that all it does is close its doors to you. I am resilient, yes. But at some point, all of us get tired. And I am tired. I am so tired.”

In the absence of other help, a few nonprofit organizations have become critical resources for women, offering low-cost or free contraception. Most are supported by international funds.

At the five clinics run by one of those organizations, Plafam, the waiting rooms are always packed. Women sometimes sleep outside, desperate to be among those who receive free birth control implants on distribution days.

Bracho, the young woman who died after a botched abortion, never reached Plafam or one of the counselors.

Instead, she went to the makeshift clinic alone, without sharing her plan with her mother or sister.

Afterward, her mother struggled to understand her daughter’s decision.

“If I could turn back time,” she said, “I would talk to her and tell her not to.”

But Bracho’s sister, Fanix Bracho, 34, said she understood the decision perfectly.

“It’s very difficult to be a woman in Venezuela,” she said. “I would have done the same.”

The moment Johanna Guzmán, 25, discovered she was going to have her sixth child, she began to sob, crushed by the idea of bringing another life into a nation in such decay.

The moment Johanna Guzmán, 25, discovered she was going to have her sixth child, she began to sob, crushed by the idea of bringing another life into a nation in such decay. For years, as Venezuela spiraled deeper into an economic crisis, she and her husband had scoured clinics and pharmacies for any kind of birth control, usually in vain. They had a third child. A fourth. A fifth. Already, Guzmán was cooking meager dinners over a wood fire, washing clothing without soap, teaching lessons without paper. Already, she was stalked by a fear that she could not feed them all. And now another child? “I felt like I was drowning,” she said. Also read| Thousands protest in Poland as abortion law comes into effect As Venezuela enters its eighth year of economic crisis, a deeply personal drama is playing out inside the home: Millions of women are no longer able to find or afford birth control, pushing many into unplanned pregnancies at a time when they can barely feed the children they already have. Around Caracas, the capital, a pack of three condoms costs $4.40 — three times Venezuela’s monthly minimum wage of $1.50. Birth control pills cost more than twice as much, roughly $11 a month, while an IUD, or intrauterine device, can cost more than $40 — more than 25 times the minimum wage. And that does not include a doctor’s fee to have the device put in. With the cost of contraception so far out of reach, women are increasingly resorting to abortions, which are illegal and, in the worst cases, can cost them their lives. The situation is a major departure from what Venezuela’s government once promised its women and girls. Hugo Chávez, the father of the country’s socialist-inspired revolution, declared that his government would grant women what others had not: full and equal participation in society. Also read| Biden set to scrap ban on US funds for abortion counselin Chávez brought women into the halls of power and enshrined in the Constitution the right to “decide freely” how many children a couple wished to have. In a region where abortion is largely banned, he stopped short of legalizing the procedure. But birth control was subsidized and widely available. Chávez and his successor, President Nicolás Maduro, publicly declared themselves to be feminists. But as Maduro’s grip on the country has hardened into authoritarian rule, Venezuela’s economy has collapsed under the weight of corruption, mismanagement and U.S. sanctions. The nation that was once Latin America’s wealthiest is mired in a crisis economists have called the world’s worst in decades, outside of war, with its population suffering from runaway inflation and widespread hunger. And Venezuelans now face a health system so broken that it can no longer reliably provide basic contraception. Today, amid the collapse of the country’s public health system, birth control is nearly absent from government clinics and available at private pharmacies only at prohibitive prices. The result has been life-changing for women, who shoulder the vast majority of child care responsibilities, just as the crisis has greatly expanded the challenge of being a parent. Many women who grew up believing that Chávez’s political movement, known as Chavismo, would springboard them out of poverty, offering them education and career opportunities, now face the task of raising four, six or 10 children at a time when the basics of family care — food, soap, diapers — arrive intermittently or not at all. Anitza Freitez, a demographer with the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Caracas, said this dynamic could shape the country for decades, creating “a vicious circle of poverty.” As Venezuela’s maternity wards fell apart, maternal deaths surged 65% between 2015 and 2016, according to the country’s health ministry. And then the government stopped releasing data. Fexsibel Bracho was 24 and the mother of three when she sought out a clandestine clinic to end a pregnancy in January. The procedure, performed with a hook, punctured her uterus. She died of a hemorrhage Feb. 2. “She didn’t have money for birth control,” said her mother, Lucibel Marcano, 51, who cared for Bracho in her final hours, watching her daughter’s face lose color. Representatives of the country’s health and women’s ministries did not respond to letters or emails requesting interviews. When Chávez was elected president in 1998, he inherited a system in which birth control was already widely available. In his push to embrace women’s rights, he offered direct cash transfers to poor mothers and moved the women’s ministry into the executive branch. “Without true liberation of women, full liberation of the people will be impossible,” Chávez said in 2009, “and I am convinced that a true socialist must also be a true feminist.” But reproductive health was never a priority, something even his supporters recognize. Chavismo, said Indhira Libertad Rodríguez, 45, a women’s rights activist and longtime supporter of Chávez, “has not overcome a bias against women as reproducers.” As Venezuela’s economy — long buoyed by its vast oil reserves — began to tumble in 2014, the result of plummeting crude oil prices and poor financial management, the government’s purchasing power dove. By 2015, contraceptives, once free at government hospitals and broadly affordable at private pharmacies, began to disappear. And women who could once plan their futures — thanks to contraception — began to lose control. By 2018, oral contraceptives, implants and patches were nearly impossible to find in several major cities, according to a study by the reproductive rights coalition Equivalencies in Action. Some couples began to ration or abstain from sex. Others tried to plan around a woman’s menstrual cycle. But it did not always work. And not everyone has a choice. As the crisis has sharpened, many women say that abuse has, too, making it difficult for them to say no to a partner or to leave a relationship. Guzmán delivered her sixth child, Yorkeinys, in April, when the country was in the grip of the pandemic and her husband, a mechanic, had been out of work for weeks. When she arrived home from the hospital, there were only lentils in the pantry, she said, and all of her children were hungry. She lapsed into a depression and spent 20 days in bed. “Like a pit with no exit” is how she described her worst days. “All dark. You turn here, and it’s all dark. You turn there, and it’s all dark.” The plan she had nurtured since she was a child — to become a chemist — is indefinitely on hold. As raising children in Venezuela has become increasingly difficult, the number of women seeking abortions has surged, according to interviews with health professionals and community workers across the country. Before the economic crisis, some doctors would perform abortions illegally in safer facilities. But about half the country’s physicians, some 30,000 people, have left in recent years, according to the Venezuelan Medical Federation, driving women to makeshift clinics. In the shadows, some women, and a few men, have become part of an expanding group of underground abortion counselors, mostly trying to educate women in how to find and use misoprostol, a drug used legally in other countries to induce abortion. The idea is to keep women away from shady abortion purveyors who charge high prices for possibly deadly operations. Faldas-R, an activist group that runs an abortion support hotline, reported a 40% rise in calls between 2018 and 2019. Women arrested for ending their pregnancies, and the practitioners who help them, can spend years in prison. At great personal risk, a few counselors meet women to deliver misoprostol. But even with guidance, the experience can be excruciating, often involving a frantic search for the $150 it costs to buy the pills, followed by a hunt for a safe place to hide away to bleed for a few hours. One night in late 2019, Jessika, 21, a university student, had an abortion in an auto parts warehouse, accompanied by two friends. Jessika had never been able to afford birth control. She said she got pregnant after an assault by her boyfriend and knew she could not support a child. “In the country we live in,” she said, “a woman is not afforded the luxury of one more mouth to feed.” Through her contacts, she reached one of the counselors, who gave her instructions and wished her luck. Seven weeks pregnant, she bought misoprostol online from a man who called himself “José Vende Todo,” or “José Who Sells Everything.” She knew her mother would not approve, and that she could not have the abortion at home. So she went to the warehouse, on loan from a friend, holing herself up in a white-walled office with a couch and a single window, keeping it closed so no one would hear her scream. She took the first two pills at 7 p.m. and the second dose two hours later. Soon, she doubled over in pain and began to bleed profusely. Her legs shook, she cried out, and then she fainted. Not all abortions with misoprostol are this painful or risky. Doctors recommend that women take misoprostol with another drug, mifepristone, which prepares the body for the process, making the procedure easier. But mifepristone is difficult to find in Venezuela, and so most women do it the hard way. When Jessika came to, her friends urged her to go to the hospital. “Don’t take me anywhere,” she said. She was terrified of the police. Afterward, she spent weeks replaying the events of the night. “You say to yourself, ‘Well, this happened, but it could have been worse. It could have gone differently. I could have died in the process, but I didn’t, and it’s OK,’” she said. “But it’s not OK,” she went on. “It’s not OK that I had to have an abortion in a warehouse. It’s not OK that I passed out, that I became depressed. It’s not OK that I feel the way I do,” she said, words tumbling out in anger. “It’s not OK that the country pushes you into this desperation, that all it does is close its doors to you. I am resilient, yes. But at some point, all of us get tired. And I am tired. I am so tired.” In the absence of other help, a few nonprofit organizations have become critical resources for women, offering low-cost or free contraception. Most are supported by international funds. At the five clinics run by one of those organizations, Plafam, the waiting rooms are always packed. Women sometimes sleep outside, desperate to be among those who receive free birth control implants on distribution days. Bracho, the young woman who died after a botched abortion, never reached Plafam or one of the counselors. Instead, she went to the makeshift clinic alone, without sharing her plan with her mother or sister. Afterward, her mother struggled to understand her daughter’s decision. “If I could turn back time,” she said, “I would talk to her and tell her not to.” But Bracho’s sister, Fanix Bracho, 34, said she understood the decision perfectly. “It’s very difficult to be a woman in Venezuela,” she said. “I would have done the same.”

Venezuelan women lose access to contraception, and control of their lives

In Venezuela's sprawling impoverished Petare neighborhood on the east end of Caracas, dozens of children and residents flew kites to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of what was once a small village outside the capital.

Venezuela's largest impoverished district marks 400th anniversary with kite festival

Santa Claus walked the streets of Guarenas on the outskirts of Venezuela's capital Caracas this weekend, giving children gifts ranging from bread to donated clothes and toys at a time when the country is struggling with the coronavirus pandemic and an economic collapse.

Santa gives food to poor hit by pandemic and recession in Venezuela

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