Venezuela's military enters high-crime slums

Stern-looking soldiers clutching assault rifles wave down the beat-up Chevy Caprice entering this sprawling slum on the outskirts of Caracas.

Venezuelans scrambling to find scarce toilet paper

Venezuelans scrambled to stock up on toilet paper Thursday as fears of a bathroom emergency spread despite the socialist government's promise to import 50 million rolls.

Venezuela food maker denies blame for shortages

Venezuela's biggest food company on Monday hit back at President Nicolas Maduro's claims that it's to blame for the country's persistent food shortages.

Venezuela's 'Carlos the Jackal' seeks repatriation

A lawyer representing the convicted terrorist known as "Carlos the Jackal" is urging Venezuela's government to demand that France return her Venezuelan-born client to his homeland.

ICC asked to investigate alleged Venezuela abuse

A Venezuelan civil rights group has asked the International Criminal Court to investigate alleged physical and psychological abuse of detained young protesters at military bases following last month's disputed presidential election.

Venezuelan politics get personal, divide families

A portrait of Hugo Chavez stared down from a black metal frame as Jose Pastano sipped coffee after dinner with his sons in the slum house he shares with 17 relatives on the western edge of the capital.

Venezuela: US officials get access to American

Venezuela's government has granted U.S. diplomats access to a California man who is being held while he awaits trial on charges of espionage and fomenting unrest.

Venezuela leader, rivals take battle on the road

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his Argentine counterpart and ally, Cristina Fernandez, announced new energy and food agreements Wednesday, then Maduro cheered supporters of Argentina's president with a rousing speech at a soccer-stadium rally.

Family: No US access to man held in 'nightmare'

U.S. diplomats have been given no access to a California man held in Venezuela for nearly two weeks in what his family on Monday called a "nightmare" that unfolded after he was accused of being a spy fomenting postelection unrest.

Venezuela to tap military to fight crime

Venezuela's top security official announced Sunday the government of President Nicolas Maduro will use the military to fight rampant violent crime, raising concerns among activists who warned the initiative could lead to human rights violations.

Honduras and Guatemala join Petrocaribe program

Venezuela's president says Honduras and Guatemala have been included in the Petrocaribe program, under which his country provides oil and natural gas on preferential terms.

Venezuela

Political tensions run high at Venezuela May Day rallies

The rallies were, ostensibly, to celebrate international workers day, and counted on the support of rival unions and labor organizations. But they were also a show of political strength in a nation still at odds over the April 14 presidential vote.

The Oppenheimer Report

Andres Oppenheimer: U.S., Europe take new step to crack down on ‘tax havens’

While many of us were focused on the Boston bombings, Venezuela’s dubious elections and North Korea’s war noises in recent weeks, the world’s biggest nations took a potentially historic step — they launched a system to detect secret offshore bank accounts.

In My Opinion

Andres Oppenheimer: Latin America’s fastest-growing economies of 2013

New economic projections from the World Bank and the United Nations show that Latin America countries will keep growing at moderate rates this year, except for the booming economies of three countries that start with the letter P — Paraguay, Panama and Peru.

The Oppenheimer Report

Andres Oppenheimer: Venezuela’s Maduro off to a bad start

While media coverage of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s inauguration on Friday centered on the contested April 14 election results, a dramatic escalation of government human rights violations since the election has gone virtually unnoticed.

Venezuela

Maduro to take power amid questions and protests

Interim Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will be sworn in to office even as the opposition is calling for a recount of Sunday’s contested vote.

Venezuela

Tough-talking Nicolás Maduro is sworn in as Venezuela’s president

New Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro ended his inaugural address with a call for unity in a nation split by a bitterly contested election.

In My Opinion

Andres Oppenheimer: Venezuela’s Maduro hurts his own case

Venezuela’s proclaimed president-elect Nicolás Maduro’s stunning about face after publicly committing to a recount of the April 14 vote is hurting his own chances of serving his term with an aura of legitimacy, and raises growing questions about the entire election process.

Venezuela

Venezuelan opposition calls off planned protest over vote result

Seven people were reported killed in opposition protests following Venezuela’s contested presidential election.