Page 2 - Venezuela

Venezuela's armed forces make largest marijuana bust of 2.8 MT in a decade

The armed forces of Venezuela announced on Monday what they characerised as the largest marijuana bust of the last 10 years in the South American country. Members of the armed forces on Saturday intercepted a vessel carrying more than 3.1 US tons (2.8 metric tons) of marijuana, almost 18 pounds (8 kg) of cocaine and extra outboard boat motors off Venezuela's Caribbean coast, said Gen. Domingo Hernndez, general commander of the Operational Strategic Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces. He added that the vessel had departed Colombia and was en route to the island of Martinique. Twelve men travelling on the boat were arrested. Hernndez said all are Venezuelans and were working for the Colombia-based Cartel of the Guajira. Nearly 6,293 pounds (2,857 kilos) of marijuana were seized from the boat, which lacked identification and had seven extra motors as well as 33 large storage containers with fuel and a satellite phone. The arrests and seizure were part of special operatio

Colombia, Venezuela re-establish full diplomatic ties after 3 years

Colombia's new leftist President Gustavo Petro and his Venezuelan counterpart Nicolas Maduro had announced they would restore diplomatic relations earlier in the month

Russian oil firm shuffles Venezuela assets as sanctions bite: Report

A Russian oil company used to provide a workaround to U.S. oil trading sanctions on Venezuela is scrabbling to avoid another set of sanctions, documents show

India hopes for oil from Iran, Venezuela; higher OPEC output to cool prices

It will also evaluate the Russian offer to sell crude oil at discounted prices after considering aspects such as insurance and freight required to move the fuel from the non-traditional supplier

Pariahs no more? US reaches out to oil states as global fuel prices rise

Three checkered oil regimes that President Joe Biden and past US leaders have spectacularly snubbed Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran are now targets of US outreach

Russia won't rule out military deployment to Cuba, Venezuela

The negotiations in Geneva and Wednesday's NATO-Russia meeting in Vienna failed to narrow the gap on Moscow's security demands amid a buildup of Russian troops near Ukraine

Venezuela surpasses 1 million barrels of crude produced per day

State-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela exceeded one million barrels of crude produced per day at the end of 2021, double what it recorded a year ago, the country's Oil Minister announced

Venezuela President Maduro brands EU electoral observers 'spies'

Local and regional elections enjoyed better conditions than during previous voting, the EU mission said on Tuesday

Thousands of Venezuelan musicians set world's largest orchestra record

Thousands of Venezuelan musicians, most of them children and adolescents, have earned the title of the world's largest orchestra. The record was set by 8,573 musicians. Guinness World Records in a video released Saturday announced that the musicians, all connected to the country's network of youth orchestras, earned the designation with a performance a week earlier of Tchaikovsky's Slavonic March". The musicians, ranging in age from 12 to 77, attempted the record during a patriotic concert at a military academy in the capital of Caracas. To set the record, more than 8,097 had to be tallied playing at the same time during a five-minute period of Tchaikovsky's piece. The network of orchestras known as El Sistema, or The System, assembled some 12,000 musicians for the concert. The repertoire included Venezuela by Pablo Herrero and Jose Luis Armenteros, the South American country's national anthem and Pedro Gutierrez's Alma Llanera, which Venezuelans consider their unofficial anthem.

Swiss banks faulted over violating money laundering with Venezuela clients

Switzerland's financial markets watchdog on Thursday said it has reprimanded and set restrictions on two Swiss banks for violating their obligation to fight money laundering in connection with clients in Venezuela, notably with links to state-run oil giant PDVSA. Banca Zarattini & Co. SA and CBH Compagnie Bancaire Helvetique SA were found to have breached their duties to put in place adequate risk-management policy, which represented a serious infringement of supervisory law, the Swiss Financial Markets Supervisory Agency, FINMA, said in a statement. FINMA said it was in contact with more than 30 Swiss banks over alleged cases of corruption with regard to Venezuela, and in particular PDVSA. It ultimately opened enforcement proceedings the highest level of scrutiny possible at the authority and wrongdoing was found at five banks including Julius Baer and Credit Suisse. The authority said the announcement Thursday ends all enforcement proceedings against banks with regard to ...

Helicopter carrying Colombia's prez, senior officials attacked, all safe

Colombian President Ivn Duque said a helicopter carrying him and several senior officials came under fire in southern Catatumbo region, in a rare instance of a direct attack on a presidential aircraft

Roberto Firmino out and Paquet in for Brazil's Copa America opener

Brazil is starting Lucas Paquet up front instead of the experienced Roberto Firmino against Venezuela in their Copa America opener on Sunday, coach Tite said.

Venezuelan oil, masked as Malaysian, rushes into China before fuel tax

China has over the past 12 months bought an estimated $3.5 billion worth of Venezuelan oil relabelled as Malaysian fuel

Inflation-stricken Venezuela rolls out new, larger-denomination banknotes

Venezuela this week is rolling out larger-denomination banknotes as hyperinflation batters the crisis-stricken South American country's bolivar currency

Venezuela rations diesel supply to truckers as fuel shortages worsen

Venezuelan state oil company Petroleos de Venezuela has begun rationing diesel to truckers, sources said, as low domestic refining output and scarce imports amid US sanctions squeeze fuel supplies

Venezuela ships jet fuel to Iran in exchange for gasoline: Report

CARACAS/MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Venezuela is shipping jet fuel to Iran in return for vital gasoline imports for the South American nation as part of a swap deal agreed by the two state-run oil firms, three people with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

India about to join countries threatened by asset seizures across the world

Cairn Energy Plc will push authorities to impound Indian assets if the South Asian nation declines to honor an arbitration ruling in a $1.2 billion tax dispute, according to a letter the company sent

Venezuela: Maduro's 'miracle' treatment for Covid-19 draws skeptics

His government has released no evidence. He even kept secret the name of the "brilliant Venezuelan mind" behind it, saying he needed to protect them

Venezuela's oil exports sink to 1940's level under tighter US sanctions

Pressured by strict US sanctions, Venezuela's oil exports plunged by 376,500 barrels per day (bpd) in 2020, according to data and internal documents

West refused to unfreeze Venezuelan funds for vaccine purchase: President

EU nations and the United States have refused Venezuela's request to unfreeze its assets, so that the sanctions-hit country could purchase a coronavirus vaccine, President Nicolas Maduro has said