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"I call for a dialogue with you, Obama," Maduro said. "You can designate (U.S. Secretary of State John) Kerry or whoever you want to come to this dialogue and I will send my foreign minister ... for this high-level meeting." At the same time, Maduro accused Obama of failing to live up to a commitment not to "interfere with Venezuelan affairs." "What you have said has not been carried out," he said. The United States and Venezuela have not had resident ambassadors since 2010, although they have maintained diplomatic missions and active embassies. Maduro's call to exchange ambassadors comes after...

On the other hand CNN and CNNE have both been asked to leave and Penfold at CNN was even robbed at gun point. And then CNN was asked back for a Maduro press conference this evening while their official correspondent in Caracas, Osmary Hernandez, had her press credentials revoked.

When Venezuelan Dictator Hugo Chavez passed away in 2013, the White House issued the following statement. At this challenging time of President Hugo Chavez’s passing, the United States reaffirms its support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government. As Venezuela begins a new chapter in its history, the United States remains committed to policies that promote democratic principles, the rule of law, and respect for human rights. Now that Chavez' protege Nicolás Maduro is ordering a violent crackdown on thousands of people who dare to speak out against the failures of...

There is a scandal in the United States, and this one is not about anything the government has done. This one is squarely on the media, which is virtually ignoring what’s going on in Venezuela. There, the population is rising up en masse against the socialist government of Nicolas Maduro - the successor to the late anti-American strongman Hugo Chavez.

BOGOTA, Colombia -- In Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro controls the TV remote. A week after he turned off Colombian television station NTN24, he threatened to pull the plug on CNN. “They want to show the world that there’s a civil war in Venezuela,” Maduro told a cheering audience Thursday night. “CNN, get out of Venezuela, enough of your propaganda.” Hours later, four of the broadcaster’s journalists had their press passes revoked. Adding to the confusion of the past two weeks of violent protests in Venezuela is that they’ve taken place amid a broadcast brownout. As local television stations have either...

Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro has invited US President Barack Obama to join him in talks aimed at resolving the problems between the two countries. Mr Maduro said the meeting would help "put the truth out on the table". He has accused US conservatives and media organisations of plotting to overthrow his government.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has asked Congress to give him special decree-making powers that he says he needs to fight corruption and economic sabotage. The opposition says Maduro is simply following the playbook of his late mentor, Hugo Chávez. …

Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro admitted to knowing ‘with IDs and all’ who are the 900.000 Chavistas who crossed lines and did not vote for him in the 14 April election which anointed him as the successor of deceased Hugo Chavez. “When there is a man fallen in combat as was our commander (Chavez) strength must prevail. Instead of feeling defeated by sadness, we must defeat that sadness and overcome the lethargic feeling. We have identified the 900.000 compatriots with IDs and all…which meant that the gap was smaller, when the gap could have been good”, said Maduro during one of...

Showdown in Caracas Posted By Matthew Vadum On February 18, 2014 @ 12:28 am In Daily Mailer,FrontPage | 32 Comments http://www.frontpagemag.com/2014/matthew-vadum/showdown-in-caracas/print/ In a move that almost guarantees violent clashes, Venezuela’s increasingly nervous Marxist caudillo is calling for his supporters to take to the streets Tuesday to combat a large planned march by that oil-rich nation’s opposition. Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is asking his allies, including state employees, to demonstrate in force against Leopoldo Lopez, leader of the opposition party, Popular Will (Voluntad Popular). Lopez, who has been accused by Maduro of inciting violence, asked Venezuelans to dress in white and...

Venezuelans ‘Taking it to the Streets’ Posted By Humberto Fontova On February 17, 2014 @ 12:05 am In Daily Mailer,FrontPage | 19 Comments “Venezuela and its revolution will endure under the proven leadership of Vice President Maduro.” (Sean Penn, March 5, 2013.) Protests rocked Venezuela this week. Hundreds of Venezuelans were arrested by Cuban-trained police and at least three were shot dead by Cuban-trained paramilitary storm-troopers. As we go to press, Caracas is under a military clampdown with government troops guarding most public buildings and patrolling the streets. In brief, Venezuelans have had it with the corruption, shortages, censorship, 56%...

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro announced Sunday that his government has expelled three US consulate officials accused of meeting with students involved in anti-government protests that have raged throughout Venezuela for nearly two weeks.In an address on Venezuela state television, Maduro accused the consulate workers and the United States government of conspiring with opposition forces to incite turmoil across the country. “We are determined to defend our country,” said Maduro. US Secretary of State John Kerry expressed concern over Venezuela’s handling of the protests, resulting in at least three deaths, more than 40 injuries and numerous arrests and detentions. “We are...

Mass protests have been taking place in Venezuela over the past few days to rally against the country’s government, an ignorant regime that has deprived its people of means to survive and allowed escalating criminal acts to go unpunished.Yet even more frightening than the reasons behind these demonstrations is the lack of coverage from a great deal of the Latin American media, which has been making a conscious effort to keep the unrest a secret.This video from YouTube user Andreina Nash explains why thousands of adults, children and students have taken to the streets, as well as what you can...

<p>Stuff really started hitting the fan in Venezuela this week, as public discontent with the ongoing crises of basic goods shortages, runaway inflation, and high crime rates has finally come to a head and protests have started popping up all over the country.</p>

Pop star Madonna weighed in on events in Venezuela and Ukraine Thursday, launching an attack against President Maduro via Instagram. Beside a picture of Maduro, Madonna wrote: Apparantly Maduro is not familiar with the phrase "Human Rights"! Facism is alive and thriving in Venezuela and Russia. The Ukraine isn't far behind! #wakethe[%$@#]up #revolutionoflove

Ukraine And Venezuela: This Ain't No Velvet Revolution Venezuelans in Santiago, Chile, protest President Nicolas Maduro's arrest of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. AFP/Getty Images Venezuelans in Santiago, Chile, protest President Nicolas Maduro's arrest of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez. AFP/Getty Images View Enlarged Image Revolts: Two massive uprisings have rocked Ukraine and Venezuela. Neither toppled the countries' tyrants, but the one more likely to succeed is in Ukraine, where resistance is no longer passive. Venezuela saw some of its biggest protests in years on Tuesday, with hundreds of thousands of citizens marching through Caracas and elsewhere, peaceably demanding an end to...

With the eyes of the world on the brutal crackdown on dissent in Venezuela, the regime of Nicolas Maduro decided to try to take a few of those eyes out of action. CNN reporter Karl Penhaul found himself staring down the barrel of a nickel-plated pistol, as plainclothes police confiscated his crew’s camera and transmission equipment. That forced him and his crew to find someplace else as a reporting center, taking them out of the center of the conflict: (video at link)

Sean Penn is an idiot. But you knew that. There are more idiots in Hollywood. But you knew that too. Here is a who's who of Hollywood idiots who were supporters of Hugo Chavez. Oliver Stone, Danny Glover, Kevin Spacey, Harry Belafonte and Don King. Belafonte has claimed that millions of Americans support Chavez. Of Chavez government King once said "To see what is happening here makes me feel good all over." If only someone would shove a microphone up his in his face and in the faces of all these idiots and see what they have to say about...

Moments before his dramatic arrest, opposition leader Leopoldo López told a sea of white-shirted supporters that he doesn’t fear years behind bars if that’s what it takes to open eyes to the damage done to Venezuela by 15 years of socialist rule. “If my jailing serves to awaken a people, serves to awaken Venezuela … then it will be well worth the infamous imprisonment imposed upon me directly, with cowardice” by President Nicolás Maduro, a defiant López shouted through a megaphone Tuesday from atop a statue of 19th century Cuban independence hero José Martí in a Caracas plaza. …

Troubled morning in Caracas (and Venezuela for that matter). The regime finally got its hands on Leopoldo Lopez about 1 hour before I type this lines. But I guess that soon it will wish it had not done so. Then again, with the psychopath faced folks that run the show like Cabello, it is to be doubted they understand their error, probably sickly celebrating in some quarters while, I am sure, a large chunk of chavismo itself is watching in horror at the monster they have created. Because yes, I have the feel that Cabello is behind that arrest as...

As the day progresses, I expect there to be substantial activity in Venezuela. As I learn of it, updates will be provided here or through new posts. Few seem to know what to do. Perhaps Leopoldo Lopez does.According to Daniel, as far as I knew until recently the only English language blogger still hanging on in Venezuela, the country is adrift. The question here is who is most adrift in Venezuela today, the regime or the opposition?  The crisis that started late January in Tachira has spread as no other crisis has spread in Venezuela since "el caracazo" when looting happened in...