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Turns out Nicolás Maduro's still the guy the world has to talk to in Venezuela. But recognizing Juan Guaidó as the country's legitimate president is still a useful tool. This week Colombia’s leftist President-elect Gustavo Petro said he recently discussed bilateral issues with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro — despite the fact that Colombia does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate head of state. But even top aides to President Biden are visiting Caracas lately to talk with top Maduro aides, even though the U.S. doesn't recognize Maduro, either. (On Thursday, the Biden Administration said it would make it easier for...

Venezuela is staggering in the face of a years-long power struggle, food shortages, hyper-inflation and an exodus of its citizens. The country’s foreign minister says, Blame Canada. Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza is part of Nicolas Maduro’s government, which most Western countries no longer recognize, but it does still control most of the country’s institutions. He was speaking through Zoom to a Canadian audience on Thursday, in an event organized by the left-leaning Canadian Foreign Policy Institute. Canada and most other Western nations have backed Juan Guaidó, a former member of the country’s national assembly who declared himself the interim president...

CARACAS, Venezuela — (AP) — Venezuela's Supreme Court, loyal to President Nicolás Maduro, on Tuesday ordered the takeover of two influential political parties opposed to the socialist government ahead of parliamentary elections expected this year. The court suspended and replaced the board of directors for the Justice First party a day after the same move against the Democratic Action, one of the nation's oldest and largest parties. It was part of a “necessary restructuring process,” the court said in rulings posted on Facebook. No legal action was taken, however, against Popular Will, the party of opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who...

The United States stopping a United Nations Security Council vote on the coronavirus situation citing the inclusion of "false narratives" from China.... The United States tightening visa guidelines for Chinese journalists.... The unemployment rate in the United States was 14.7 percent for April...... Tesla trying to resume work at its factory in Fremont, California.... Ohio State University is paying out some 41 million dollars to settle lawsuits with 162 survivors of sexual abuse by a former school doctor.... (Warning: Disturbing Content) The woman who's accused Joe Biden of sexually assaulting her in 1993 is ready to take a lie detector...

A former Green Beret has taken responsibility for what he claimed was a failed attack Sunday aimed at overthrowing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and that the socialist government said ended with eight dead. Jordan Goudreau’s comments in an interview with an exiled Venezuelan journalist capped a bizarre day that started with reports of a pre-dawn amphibious raid near the South American country’s heavily guarded capital. An AP investigation published Friday found that Goudreau had been working with a retired Venezuelan army general now facing U.S. narcotics charges to train dozens of deserting Venezuelan soldiers at secret camps inside neighboring Colombia....

Oval Office2:42 P.M. ESTPRESIDENT TRUMP:  Well, thank you very much.  It’s great to be with the President of Ecuador — and it’s one of the most beautiful countries in the world — and perhaps equally as important, and maybe even more importantly, your great First Lady.  Thank you very much for being here.  This is a tremendous honor.  Some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world and one of the most beautiful places on Earth, they say.  I’ve heard that for a long time.And we are working on trade deals, we’re working on military options, including the purchase of...

President Trump earned a standing ovation during his State of the Union Address this year when he recognized Venezuelan President Juan Guaidó in the audience. For many, it was an electrifying moment – Guaidó is a symbol of courage and of freedom pitted against a bad and destructive anti-American dictatorship. President Trump said, "We are supporting the hopes of Cubans, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans to restore democracy. The United States is leading a 59-nation diplomatic coalition against the socialist dictator of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro. Maduro is an illegitimate ruler, a tyrant who brutalizes his people. But Maduro’s grip on tyranny will...

Its been made official that there was a terrorist attack on the United States December 6th at the Pensacola Naval Air Station in Florida. The attack that killed three and wounded eight was perpetrated by Saudi Air Force Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamrami who was undergoing military training. The confirmation today came not from the President of the United States, nor the Secretary of State nor the Secretary of Defense, but from Attorney General William Barr..... Special Commentary Back before 9/11 terrorism was seen as strictly a law enforcement matter in the days of President Bill Clinton. Now it looks like...

Juan Guaidó, Venezuela’s opposition leader, defied the regime and managed to break in to the country’s parliament building to preside over a session of the assembly for the first time since it was hijacked by President Maduro’s allies.

Three Americans killed, two wounded in an Al Qaeda linked Al Shabaab attack on a military base in Kenya today but first..... Iran announcing the removal of all limits on uranium enrichment tonight..... Massive crowds in the hundreds of thousands in the Iranian city of Ahvaz today mourning the assassination of General Qasem Soleimani..... Legislation moving forward in Iraq's parliament that pushes for the withdrawal of US and other foreign forces.... President Trump tonight threatening Iraq with sanctions if it expels US troops from the country. Prime Minister Adil Abdul-Mahdi told lawmakers before the vote that General Soleimani had arrived...

Yesterday we talked about an Associated Press report claiming that the United States has been in secret discussions with some of the most senior members of the Venezuelan socialist party. The suggestion was that we were offering some of these thugs assurances that they wouldn’t be prosecuted for anything if they turned their backs on dictator Nicolas Maduro and hastened his exit from office. Well, now that the cat is out of the bag, both Maduro and President Trump are confirming that the story is true. (AP) President Donald Trump said Tuesday his government is talking to “various representatives” of...

While some may be taking the latest news out of Venezuela as a hopeful note, it may actually spell the beginning of the end of any hope that dictator Nicolas Maduro will be removed from power. We’re hearing from representatives of self-declared interim President Juan Guaido that he is now willing to enter into “negotiations” with Maduro, an option he had rejected as recently as last week. They already have representatives meeting in Norway where they’re trying to find a way out of the current quagmire. And with public support for Guaido’s calls to replace Maduro appearing to decline, it...

Saudi Arabia blaming Iran for the drone attacks on two oil pumping stations by Houth rebels from Yemen..... Airstrikes from the Saudi led coalition early Thursday on the Houthi controlled Yemeni capital of Sanaa killed six and wounded 72 including two Russian civilians..... British Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt is now agreeing with the notion of an Iranian threat..... Making noise about the US-Iran situation is Democratic Presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard.... Earlier in the week Gabbard posted a video naming those who want war with Iran.... President Trump rolled out a new immigration plan on the White House lawn Thursday afternoon........

After self-declared interim President of Venezuela Juan Guaido failed in calling on his nation’s military to oust dictator Nicolas Maduro, the attempted revolt appeared to have been strangled in the cradle. Only a handful of military leaders came over to his side and the civilian protests in the major cities fizzled for the most part. Guaido himself still hasn’t been arrested, but his deputy and several other opposition party leaders in the National Assembly have been locked up. This week, Guaido seemed to be getting a bit more nervous and he sent out an even more emphatic “invitation” to the...

<p>WASHINGTON - The sun had just dipped below the horizon Wednesday evening when the lights flicked off inside the Venezuelan embassy in Washington.</p> <p>Waves of cheers rolled up and down the ordinarily quiet street in the elite Georgetown neighborhood at the center of an intensifying standoff between backers of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó and left-wing activists who oppose U.S. intervention and support President Nicolás Maduro.</p>

Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro is sending out the goon squad this week to quietly begin rounding up the people who participated in the attempted coup last week. While he’s not yet going after the person who actually sent out the call to revolt, his secret police force started with someone very close to the top. National Assembly Vice President Edgar Zambrano was picked up last night after leaving his office. (Associated Press) Security forces arrested the No. 2 leader of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled congress Wednesday as President Nicolás Maduro’s government began going after foes tied to a failed attempt to stir...

US President Donald Trump said in a statement issued by the White House on Wednesday that the decision to recognize Brazil as a major non-NATO ally comes due to "Brazil's recent commitments to increase defense cooperation with the United States". "I am making this designation in recognition of the Government of Brazil's recent commitments to increase defense cooperation with the United States, and in recognition of our own national interest in deepening our defense coordination with Brazil", Trump said in his message to Congress. During a meeting with his Brazilian counterpart, Jair Bolsonaro, at the White House in March, Trump...

Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez said president Nicolas Maduro's generals are willing to defect from his regime imminently, as Spain vowed to protect the politician. Speaking from the gates of the Spanish ambassador's residence in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital, on Friday Mr Lopez said: "It's a crack that will become a bigger crack... that will end up breaking the dam". Mr Lopez said he had spoken with senior members of the military who supported the end of Mr Maduro's socialist government amid a failing economy and nationwide blackouts. Spain has refused to hand Mr Lopez, a leading figure in the...

A Facebook crack down Thursday permanently banning a large number of people deemed "dangerous individuals" including activists-personalities like..... "I do not wish to surrender myself for extradition for journalism that has won many awards and protected many people" Those words spoken by Wikileaks founder Julian Assange via video link during his first extradition hearing.... In Venezuela, two more protesters reported dead Thursday... Was there an attempt by 30 some protesters to attack a Paris hospital on May Day?..... One civilian death and four injuries reported in the government controlled part of northern Syria Thursday following a rocket barrage from the...

"If Cuban troops and Militia do not immediately CEASE military and other operations for the purpose of causing death and destruction to the Constitution of Venezuela, a full and complete embargo, together with highest level sanctions, will be place on the island of Cuba. Hopefully, all Cuban soldiers will promptly and peacefully return to their island!" President Donald J. Trump Tweets Shortly After 5 PM Eastern April 30th, 2019 While there are hopes for change and a massive mobilization called for today in Venezuela, the regime of Nicolas Maduro hopes with its Cuban backed and supported security structure to win...