About our Venezuela news
Latest news on Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro's capture, Delcy Rodríguez, María Corina Machado, Edmundo González, US intervention, oil crisis, and elections.
Venezuela, a South American nation of over 28 million people, holds the world's largest proven oil reserves yet faces profound political and humanitarian crises. On 3 January 2026, United States forces launched Operation Absolute Resolve, capturing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a military operation in Caracas. They were transported to New York to face federal narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges, fundamentally altering Venezuela's political landscape.
Following Maduro's capture, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president. The Trump administration has indicated it will work with Rodríguez's interim government while pursuing access to Venezuela's oil sector, though tensions remain over the country's future direction. Political prisoners have been released in recent weeks, with hundreds freed from detention. The situation remains fluid as various political forces compete to shape Venezuela's transition.
The disputed 2024 presidential election remains central to Venezuela's crisis. Opposition candidate Edmundo González, endorsed by popular leader María Corina Machado, is widely believed to have won with approximately 67 per cent of votes according to opposition-collected tallies. Maduro's government declared victory despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Machado, who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her pro-democracy efforts, remains a powerful voice for change while operating under threat.
Venezuela's economic collapse stems from decades of mismanagement under Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. Once Latin America's wealthiest nation during the oil boom years, the country saw its oil production plummet from 3.5 million barrels per day in the late 1990s to approximately one million barrels daily. Hyperinflation, widespread shortages of food and medicine, and economic contraction exceeding 80 per cent since 2013 drove over seven million Venezuelans to flee abroad.
The Bolivarian Revolution, launched by Chávez in 1999, promised to redistribute oil wealth but instead concentrated power while nationalising industries and implementing currency controls. When global oil prices collapsed in 2014, these policies left Venezuela's economy vulnerable. The humanitarian crisis has been marked by malnutrition, lack of medical supplies, and the breakdown of basic services, affecting millions who remain in the country.
Understanding Venezuela's evolving situation requires staying informed about this critical juncture in the nation's history. Our NewsNow feed on Venezuela provides comprehensive, up-to-date coverage from reliable sources, tracking political developments, economic changes, humanitarian concerns, and the ongoing transition. Whether you're following geopolitical implications, regional stability, or the Venezuelan people's struggle for democracy, this feed delivers the essential news you need.