Venezuelan

Aug. 30 (UPI) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said the crude oil from Venezuela will be used to “fill up” the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

“One of the things I am going to do with the Venezuelan Oil is fill up the Strategic National Reserves which, because of Sleepy Joe Biden, has been virtually emptied,” Trump wrote. The “topping out” process will begin very shortly, and is a Gift from Venezuela to the People of the United States.”

Trump’s remarks came after he announced late Friday on social media that the South American country’s oil reserves will fall under “majority U.S. control” under a deal negotiated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez.

“The United States of America has just entered into an Agreement with the Country of Venezuela on, THE BIGGEST OIL DEAL IN WORLD HISTORY!” Trump wrote.

In a televised address Saturday, Rodriguez said the “historic” deal with the U.S. to deliver 65 billion barrels of oil over 25 years will allow Venezuela to develop its oil industry. She added that the country’s “ownership and sovereignty” of its resources will be preserved.

The SPR held 289.7 million barrels as of Aug. 21, nearly a 44-year law, according to government data. The Biden and Trump administrations each drew down from the reserves after supply disruptions, such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the US-Israel war with Iran. The SPR level stood at nearly 395 million barrels at the end of the Biden administration in January 2025.

Aug. 28 (UPI) — President Donald Trump on Friday said his administration had reached a deal with Venezuela to secure a stake in more than 65 billion barrels of the country’s oil reserves.

In an evening social media post, Trump called the move “the biggest oil deal in world history,” and said it would come at no cost to American taxpayers.

“This Historic Transaction MORE THAN DOUBLES American Oil Reserves, greatly increases our Oil Supply, and will substantially lower Gas Prices for all Americans, long into the future, while helping to continue to set Venezuela on a course toward Tremendous Success and Great Prosperity,” the president wrote on Truth Social.

Trump has been eyeing oil reserves in Venezuela since he ordered the military in January to seize former President Nicolas Maduro.

The president said his administration and Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, reached the deal in a partnership with private businesses.

Inventory of the United States’ strategic oil reserve hit a four-decade low this month, following supply disruption caused by the war with Iran, CNBC reported.

Venezuela has the world’s largest proven crude oil reserves.

The United States could take over as many as 17 oil fields in the South American country, though many lack any infrastructure and could cost billions to develop, the Washington Post reported.

“I think oil companies in the end will be pretty hesitant,” Francisco Monaldi, director of the Latin American Energy Program at Rice University, told the newspaper.

State Secretary Marco Rubio, who was involved in the negotiations, said the deal would bring $100 billion in private investment to Venezuela.

“This deal is a huge win for both the American and Venezuelan people,” Rubio said in a statement on X. “It demonstrates how President Trump’s bold foreign policy is driving America First wins: securing stable reserves and low-cost oil in our Hemisphere and lowering gas prices here at home.”

On August 21, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued a couple of new general licences related to Venezuela’s telecommunications sector. Both General Licenses 61 and 62 will now allow the Venezuelan Government (including but not limited to the telecom authority CONATEL and the State-owned telecom company CANTV) to acquire goods and services from and/or related to the United States and authorize them to negotiate new contracts. 

To better understand the implications of this on Venezuelan telecommunications, there’s what specialized local journalist William Peña wrote on Telecommunicaciones360 and his conclusion is that “this opens an opportunity to the country in the issue of technologic updating, now it’s up to companies to have resources in order to accelerate their innovation process”.

The reaction from CONATEL to this announcement was so enthusiastic to the point of bragging that these licences “represent the recognition of the institutional legitimacy of the Venezuelan State” and that “these mechanisms reaffirm the intention of strengthening the infrastructure.”

Its press statement also mentioned the many areas that these couple of licenses will help to improve: from telephone and high-speed Internet to subscription TV services and everything in relation to fiber optic cable networks, satellite transmission systems and submarine cable links.

The purchase of any non-US tech not explicitly banned is still subject to OFAC approval.

“Despite being the regulation authority, CONATEL is the one who disposes and provides the equipment for technical analysis of infrastructure and monitoring of the radioelectric spectrum,” Peña told Caracas Chronicles, later adding that “Many of CONATEL’s current equipment is Chinese (in origin) and the Americans do not want that.”

Which leads to the main catch that the OFAC’s licences leave clear by explicitly forbidding: “Any transaction involving a person located in the Russian Federation, the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Cuba, the People’s Republic of China, or any entity that is owned or controlled by or in a joint venture with such persons.”

The purchase of any non-US tech not explicitly banned is still subject to OFAC approval.

The same day the licenses were published, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs, Juan Pablo Segura, said on his X account that Chinese tech companies like Huawei, ZTE and several others “cooperate with Beijing’s intelligence services, creating risks of spying, hacking, and network shutdowns” and asked “US partners in the Americas to quickly switch to trusted suppliers to protect their people and their sovereignty”. 

A deep relationship

This also comes with challenges for CANTV, which despite being the largest company in the sector, found itself behind in comparison to private companies because of several factors, including the US-set sanctions that forced it to go with what other allies were offering.

Most of those countries mentioned were the only viable options that CANTV and other State entities were left with as a consequence of the US sanctions, and Peña notices their negative impact: “This process, with exceptions like some Chinese Huawei technologies, ended up harming the country’s advance in diverse areas, as beside the issue of language, many of the implemented solutions were not compatible with the technologies passed down and most were of very low quality regarding assets and software solutions with plenty of complications.”

This instruction from Washington to avoid China as a telecom provider was not missed by either the PRC’s embassy in DC or by Hong Kong’s major newspaper, the South China Morning Post, indicating that “the China carve-out could prove particularly consequential. Huawei and ZTE became important suppliers to Venezuela as US sanctions and compliance concerns curtailed other international companies’ ability or willingness to work with government-linked entities”.

The relationship between CANTV and Huawei was very close in matters of system infrastructure, to the point that Peña says the State telecom company has a hefty debt of 600 million dollars with Huawei. “If CANTV already paid for that technology, and has it at its disposal either in inventory or storage, then it’ll be deployed, but from now on any new acquisitions must come from the US.” Many of those issues aren’t directly addressed by OFAC’s licenses.

So important is the role of the Chinese company in CANTV operation that in 2019 there was an unfounded rumor on social media that the Maduro government was about to sell it to Huawei.

A decade later, the political ID card was rolled out, and ZTE’s personnel were working within CANTV in handling the related databases: “We don’t support the government… We are just developing our market.”

ZTE, the other company mentioned by the South China Morning Post, has its own long history not only with Cantv but with the Venezuelan government: the company had a central role in the development of what is one of chavismo’s biggest instruments of political control: the “carnet de la patria”.

A 2018 special report by Reuters mentions how it all started with a visit from a delegation from the Venezuelan Justice Ministry to the headquarters of ZTE in Shenzhen back in 2008. Then, the delegation saw a glimpse of what later became known as the “social credit system”, which started its first trials in some regions of mainland China the following year.

A decade later, the political ID card was rolled out, and ZTE’s personnel were working within CANTV in handling the related databases. This was confirmed by ZTE’s head in Venezuela at the time, Su Qingfeng: “We don’t support the government… We are just developing our market.” The deep rapport between Nicolás Maduro and Xi Jinping continued until very recently. In July 2025, the Gran Expo China-Venezuela exposition was held in Caracas, and new agreements between both governments on a diverse range of issues were signed. Six months later, things would change with Operation Absolute Resolve. The person who signed those deals on behalf of Maduro was then VP Delcy Rodríguez.

Now, the Trump administration is taking a growing interest in Latin America (thanks in part to having new allies in the region like Jose Antonio Kast in Chile or Abelardo de la Espriella in Colombia), and it’s using it to push out the influence of Beijing. Still a work in progress.

The impact on Venezuelan clients 

Going back to what these licences could mean for Venezuela’s telecommunications sector, they could bring an expansion of the improvement seen in recent years, like with our Internet service. 

Peña mentions the immediate benefit for private companies, domestic and/or foreign: “This will allow them not only to be part of these large purchases, but also for the payments to be made in an easier and more opportune manner. Back in the time of the sanctions, they couldn’t open a bank account in the US, and buying abroad was complicated, causing the costs to go up. Now they can buy again from American companies with no hassle”.

Besides, this can also help with fixing the faults and limitations found because of the June 24 quakes, like the damaged submarine cable which affected overall access for weeks. And even before OFAC’s announcement, CANTC and Liberty Networks launched a joint investment in a new Fenix underwater cable that will connect Venezuela and Curaçao, reinforcing our connectivity.

Caracas, August 22, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan National Assembly unanimously approved on Friday the Law on the Promotion and Protection of Housing Construction, a reform establishing updated rules for the construction and commercialization of residential properties.

The legislation, which replaces the Law Against Real Estate Fraud from April 2012, consists of four chapters and 40 articles establishing rules for purchase and sale contracts, construction company responsibilities, and oversight mechanisms under the Ministry of Housing and Habitat.

“This is a law that protects real estate developers and companies dedicated to housing construction while also protecting homebuyers so they can gain access to housing quickly and preventing any situation that undermines their right to acquire a home,” National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez said on social media.

The initiative was backed by opposition parties alongside the ruling United Socialist Party (PSUV). COPEI deputy Miguel Salazar stated that the legislation creates “great expectations” and “strengthens the legislative ecosystem that protects the real estate sector.”

The law has been sent to Acting President Delcy Rodríguez for final approval before being published in the National Gazette.

The newly endorsed legislation establishes a series of conditions for real estate developers to meet before beginning to pre-sell housing units, including proof of land ownership, municipal approval of the preliminary project, and mechanisms to protect funds contributed by buyers.

The law also establishes a unified registry for real estate projects and provides a financial protection mechanism. Funds deposited through an escrow arrangement may only be released once the development has obtained the corresponding permits. Companies must also detail the characteristics of the homes and the construction schedule in each contract.

The law also establishes fines for delays in submitting documents, permit failures, non-compliance with regulations, and violations of preventive measures, among other offenses.

At the same time, the legislative project establishes incentives for private sector constructors such as greater flexibility to set prices, an end to a prior existing 24-month deadline for completing certain projects, and modified conditions benefiting sellers should buyers fail to make payments.

The bill also eliminated the lending banks’ liability in case the real estate project is not completed. For buyers, the change removes one of the parties they could potentially hold accountable in case the purchased home is not delivered.

Venezuelan authorities have moved to improve conditions for private real estate companies and landlords in the wake of the 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, leaving some 17,900 people homeless, particularly in La Guaira state. On July 14, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez estimated that 25,000 homes would be needed to accommodate those who lost their houses.

The government has assigned 335 apartments to displaced families since the earthquake. Acting President Rodríguez has pledged to deliver 4,000 homes before December and reach 10,000 by the end of 2027. Venezuelan authorities have likewise created a credit program for housing purchases and provided loans to condominium boards for repair works.

The legislative initiative favoring real estate developers came on the heels of the Residential Property Lease Law approved on July 31. Authorities presented the project’s goal as improving conditions for landlords to put their properties on the market.

The law allows landlords and tenants to freely and independently establish contractual terms and rental rates and sidelines the state’s housing superintendency SUNAVI. The bill allows rents to be paid in national or foreign currency and establishes a three-month rent limit for deposits.

In addition, landlords and tenants have access to multiple mediation mechanisms, including conciliation centers, arbitration, the intervention of local peace justices, or municipal court proceedings. Tenant organizations had recently denounced recurrent landlord practices of bringing trespassing criminal charges as a way to force evictions.

At the same time, the new law acceded to a long-time demand from real estate lobbies in fast-tracking evictions. Landlords can rescind the rental agreement if tenants are two months behind on rent, have illegally sublet the property, or have given it a different use than the one agreed to, among other conditions.

The 2011 law regulating housing leases, which was approved by former President Hugo Chávez and is highly protective of tenant rights, remains valid for existing contracts, while all rentals signed in the future will be governed by the new law. However, local media have reported on a spate of evictions after the new law was enacted.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

Since early August 2026, several Venezuelan media outlets that have reported on businessman Alejandro Betancourt and his role at the helm of oil company North American Blue Energy Partners (NABEP) have faced attacks on X from a group of accounts defending his activities, praising Delcy Rodríguez’s administration, and disparaging María Corina Machado.

Hundreds of these responses came from inauthentic accounts that do not appear to be operated by regular users.

Cazadores de Fake News identified at least 75 such accounts on X, resembling trolls, whose activity led to 13 newly created websites posing as Venezuelan regional news outlets. On Instagram, another previously documented network of fake news accounts known as La Fábrica de Desinformación (“The Disinformation Factory”) has also published favorable content about Betancourt and his activities, acting as another front in the same communications strategy.

The analysis found that an influence operation in Betancourt’s favor began to be deployed in August, seeking to improve his reputation while discrediting journalistic coverage of the businessman amid his contacts with Rodríguez’s administration.

The operation remains active, and the number of accounts and fake outlets could grow.

Trolls attack Venezuelan media covering Betancourt

Beginning August 11, journalists and Venezuelan media outlets reported to Cazadores de Fake News that posts about Betancourt were receiving large numbers of hostile responses, sometimes insults, almost simultaneously. The accounts questioned the posts and defended the businessman.

Among those targeted were journalists and social media personalities like Germania Rodríguez Poleo, Norbey Marín, and Emmanuel Rincón, as well as Armando.info, El Pitazo, EVTV, VPI TV, and Spain’s El País. The same accounts also respond to other users discussing Betancourt and, in some cases, to unrelated news.

Under different headlines, the fake outlets reproduced only the favorable portions of the article that portrayed him as an intermediary for Washington.

Based on their behavior and attack patterns, Cazadores de Fake News considers them part of a troll network: a group of fake accounts covertly and selectively spreading propaganda in Betancourt’s favor without appearing automated.

The accounts mix attacks with memes, sports comments, and everyday posts, making them appear more like ordinary users. This allows them to intervene in and discredit legitimate conversations without immediately being recognized as propaganda.

The network’s messages revolve around three main narratives. The first promotes and defends Betancourt and NABEP, the private oil company he leads and which operates Venezuelan fields under new concessions granted by the Rodríguez administration. The accounts portray the company’s activities as an opportunity for Venezuela’s economic development.

The second expresses optimism about Venezuela’s economy and, while celebrating Nicolás Maduro’s capture, simultaneously supports Rodríguez’s performance as acting president. The third, promoted less frequently, rejects Machado’s leadership of the Venezuelan opposition.

The 75 accounts fall into two groups: 62 that appear to be real people, with names, profile pictures, and short biographies, and 13 posing as news outlets.

The apparent personal accounts share a striking pattern: 61 were created between 2011 and 2015, with more than half created in 2013 or 2014.

Most follow between 90 and 200 accounts, have 80 to 120 followers, and have fewer than 300 posts. Some have no posts predating August 2026, despite having been created more than a decade ago. Cazadores de Fake News considers it likely that the accounts were purchased in bulk, a common practice for giving inauthentic networks an appearance of age and avoiding newly created profiles that are more vulnerable to suspension under X’s platform-manipulation policies.

The other X accounts do not present themselves as individual users. Instead, they pose as Venezuelan news outlets with generic names. As of August 19, 13 such accounts had been identified.

Several accounts posing as individuals have posted favorable comments beneath the fake outlets’ posts, creating the appearance of organic approval. Legitimate X users could interpret these exchanges as genuine conversations, even though both sides belong to the same network.

Twelve of the fake news profiles were created between January 2024 and July 2026 and have already accumulated between 5,681 and 18,900 followers. Yet none has published more than 157 posts. Their coverage repeatedly advances the same narratives as the accounts posing as individuals: favorable coverage of Betancourt and NABEP, support for Rodríguez, and attacks on Machado.

The operation extends beyond X. Almost all of the fake outlets link to websites using the same name as their X profiles. The sites are designed to resemble legitimate Venezuelan digital media, with sections for politics, crime, business, sports, and regional news.

Under Maduro, Cazadores documented similar campaigns favoring other Venezuelan oligarchs and their businesses, such as Alex Saab (2020) and José Simón Elarba (2026), the owner of waste-management company Fospuca.

The 13 domains were registered between July 26 and 27 using the same hosting provider, about a week before the coordinated X activity began. All operate on WordPress, and none has a contact page, editorial team, legal notice, advertising, or audience-measurement tools. In several cases, the same image appears on four or five different sites.

One of the clearest examples was the coordinated amplification of a Bloomberg article about Betancourt published August 17. The fake outlets reproduced, under different headlines, only the favorable portions of the article that portrayed him as an intermediary for Washington. They omitted other details mentioned by Bloomberg, including financial sanctions imposed in the United States on one of his partners and allegations involving the supply of power-generation equipment in Venezuela.

Content supporting the same narratives was also published by five fake news accounts and one influential account belonging to La Fábrica de Desinformación, a network of anonymous Instagram news accounts aimed at opposition audiences that Cazadores de Fake News has documented since 2020 as a recurring source of disinformation and pro-government propaganda.

Digital reputation operations benefiting businessmen linked to political power were a recurring feature under Nicolás Maduro. Cazadores de Fake News documented one deployed in favor of Alex Saab beginning in 2020, and in May 2026 identified a network of inauthentic accounts that attacked media outlets investigating José Simón Elarba while praising Fospuca, his company.

The evidence documented here indicates that such operations continue under Rodríguez’s administration.

Who commissioned the operation and how it was financed remain unanswered questions. What is documented is that, in four weeks, someone purchased dozens of old accounts, registered 13 domains, and activated six profiles from a previously exposed network—all serving the same purpose.

Mérida, August 19, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government led by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced the creation of the National Training Program for Construction Workers.

According to official sources, the initiative seeks to professionalize workers in key trades, including plumbers, masons, electricians, blacksmiths, and carpenters, to integrate them into housing and infrastructure projects amid the country’s post-earthquake recovery efforts.

The project is being coordinated by several institutions, including the Education and Labor Ministries, the INCES vocational training institute, and the “Venezuela Rises” program created by the government in the wake of the June 24 double earthquake. The training initiative will begin in Caracas and nearby areas.

Rodríguez, in a meeting with the government team, said that the people interested in this program “can register through the Homeland system. Registration will begin on August 24.” She also said that the persons “can be nominated by municipal administrations or at INCES offices throughout the country.”

She added that the program is “open to individuals with prior experience, training, or knowledge in this area, as well as those who wish to learn the trade.”

In parallel, the Venezuelan executive delivered 48 new apartments on Monday in the Ciudad Tiuna housing complex in Caracas to families who lost their homes in the recent earthquake. 

According to official figures, the government has assigned 335 homes to affected families so far, with authorities estimating that around 25,000 new homes will be needed for those displaced by the natural disaster. 

“By December we will have completed some 4,000 homes to hand over to those who are in the temporary camps,” the acting president pledged during Monday’s event in Ciudad Tiuna, one of the largest housing complexes of Venezuela’s Great Housing Mission (GMVV). 

Furthermore, in Ciudad Caribia, another major GMVV development, authorities are advancing in the construction of 1,000 new transitional homes where displaced families will relocate to while permanent housing projects are finalized.

Alongside the housing initiatives, the Rodríguez administration is also boosting credit programs for reconstruction projects. On Saturday, the acting president announced loans to 157 condominium boards in several parts of Caracas.

The subsidized credit line, part of the “Venezuela Rises” Plan, is intended for structural repairs, common area maintenance, and public utility fixes. The Venezuelan government has likewise launched loan programs for housing purchases.

According to the latest official figures released, the total death toll from the June 24 earthquake currently stands at 6,438 people. Authorities are presently focused on rubble removal operations, as well as controlled demolitions of buildings with heavily compromised structures in La Guaira State, the hardest-hit area.

Venezuela’s seismology institute FUNVISIS has registered over 1,400 aftershocks since the June tremors. The latest one, on Tuesday, had a magnitude of 4.0 with an epicenter located 10 kilometers northwest of La Guaira. There were no reports of damage.

New popular consultation scheduled

Alongside the post-earthquake recovery initiatives, Acting President Rodríguez also announced a new National Popular Consultation scheduled for October 18, 2026. It had originally been slated for October 11.

A prior consultation set for July was postponed following the double earthquake. 

The National Popular Consultation sees communities organized in communal circuits vote directly on local infrastructure and social projects to be funded by the national government. In prior editions, each winning project received US $10,000 of funding. According to Venezuelan officials, the upcoming vote will also extend to condominium boards and neighborhood associations.

In a conference call with government officials and grassroots spokespeople, Rodríguez emphasized that the consultations reinforce “the path of participatory and protagonistic democracy.”

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

Caracas, August 14, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government has granted an offshore natural gas concession to a consortium of British multinational BP, the United Arab Emirates’ XRG, and Qatar’s UCC.

Acting President Delcy Rodríguez held an agreement-signing ceremony and press conference on Thursday alongside executives of the three corporations on Wednesday.

“I salute this historical moment and thank you for setting up this consortium to achieve such an important agreement for Venezuela and the global energy community,” she said. 

Rodríguez emphasized Caracas’ decision to prioritize natural gas ventures to supply the domestic market and boost exports. However, state energy company PDVSA is not a stakeholder in the project.

The multinational consortium was granted rights to drill in the so-called second phase of the Loran field, in the Deltana Platform off Venezuela’s Atlantic coast, with reserves estimated at 4 trillion cubic feet (Tcf). Loran shares its deposits with the Manatee field in the territorial waters of Trinidad and Tobago. They hold 7.3 and 2.7 Tcf of natural gas, respectively.

The first phase of Loran’s exploration was granted to Shell, which is also operating on the Manatee side and expects to produce 4.4 Tcf from the two fields. Both phases are to be developed concurrently. Shell has additionally secured a concession to run the 4 Tcf Dragon field.

“The award of the Loran Phase 2 license […] builds on the strong collaboration we have established with the government of Venezuela and our partners and reflects the progress we have made together,” BP CEO Meg O’Neill stated during the televised event.

The London-headquartered multinational has aggressively pursued Venezuela natural gas opportunities. BP is also set to operate the 1 Tcf Cocuina-Manakin field alongside Trinidad and Tobago’s National Gas Company (NGC). BP recently sold 20 percent of its stake in the Cocuina-Manakin project to the NGC.

BP, Shell, and NGC hold respective 45, 45, and 10 percent shares in Atlantic LNG, a major liquefied natural gas project in Trinidad that is expected to process most of the output from the ventures in Venezuelan waters.

On Thursday, BP also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Venezuelan authorities to explore opportunities in the Carúpano East block, which belongs to the Mariscal Sucre offshore natural gas project.

XRG, the international arm of the UAE’s state-owned Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), has been expanding overseas investments and recently secured a stake in Argentina’s Vaca Muerta development. 

For its part, the UCC is a privately owned Qatari conglomerate with close ties to the royal family. Originally focused on construction and infrastructure, it has gradually expanded its portfolio to energy and mining ventures. The arrival of Qatari and Emirati firms in the South American country reflects Venezuela’s geopolitical realignment since the January 3 US military strikes and kidnapping of President Maduro. During the previous two decades, the Chávez and Maduro governments pursued an eastward-looking policy, deepening ties with Iran, Russia, and China in energy and other strategic sectors while maintaining a predominant state role.

In recent months, energy majors have flocked to Venezuela to strike new deals or renew existing ones following a pro-business overhaul to hydrocarbons legislation. A reformed Hydrocarbon Law slashed royalties and taxes, granted foreign partners control over operations and sales, and subordinated contracts to international arbitration bodies.

Despite the opening to transnational corporations, Venezuela’s oil output has stagnated since May. The latest OPEC monthly report placed the Caribbean nation’s July production at 1.117 million bpd, roughly one percent above the June figure, according to secondary sources.

PDVSA reported an output of 1.200 million bpd, up from 1.187 million bpd the prior month. Direct and secondary measurements have historically differed over disagreements on the inclusion of condensates and natural gas liquids.

Edited by Lucas Koerner in Philadelphia, USA.

Caracas, August 13, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government and representatives of the defunct 2015 National Assembly announced a series of agreements after concluding a first round of talks on Wednesday. 

The two parties will conduct a process aimed at transforming the judicial system as well as promoting the recovery of Venezuela’s gold reserves frozen at the Bank of England to support the country’s reconstruction following the June 24 earthquakes.

The agreement on the judicial overhaul, presented in a joint press conference at the 5-star Melá Hotel in Caracas, effectively replaces the process the Venezuelan National Assembly had launched in May following a reform that increased the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) from 20 to 32 members and a preliminary evaluation of magistrate candidates. 

Instead, the delegations agreed to “renew and expand the judicial nominations committee,” launch a “new nomination process” for the appointment of all Supreme Court justices, and establish a council to review the credentials and requirements of nominees to ensure compliance with the Constitution.

The joint document signed by National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, on behalf of the acting Delcy Rodríguez administration, and Dinorah Figuera, representing the opposition faction, makes no reference to the National Electoral Council (CNE), an issue considered key by anti-government forces. 

Figuera had previously vowed that the dialogue process would produce a new CNE by the end of 2026. Lawmaker Tomás Guanipa said that the opposition considers it “very important” for the issue to be addressed as soon as possible in order to “radically” change the electoral authority.

The negotiators instead prioritized “the recovery of the country’s international reserve assets” held at the Bank of England, while “establishing mechanisms for transparency, traceability, and auditing in their efficient use, to guarantee the well-being of all those affected” by the June 24 double earthquake.

Since 2019, the Bank of England has refused to release 31 tons of gold reserves belonging to Venezuela, which were deposited in 2008. Successive UK governments aligned with Washington in refusing to recognize the Nicolás Maduro government as legitimate. At current gold prices, the reserves are worth approximately US $4 billion.

Wednesday’s agreement likewise included a pledge to “work on strengthening programs for housing, electricity, healthcare, and debris removal.”

Acting President Rodríguez welcomed the “first step” in the dialogue process and urged all political forces to join the talks, “putting the well-being, peace, stability, and development of the country first.”

“I trust that this process will help build a path toward better democratic coexistence among the country’s different political sectors and that it will translate into concrete benefits for Venezuelans,” Rodríguez wrote on Telegram.

Following an initial session on August 6, the delegations held daily meetings split between plenary sessions and working sessions focused on the post-earthquake emergency and judicial and electoral reforms.

Jorge Rodríguez and Figuera pledged that the talks would yield “concrete actions” with “strict compliance with commitments.” The parties are scheduled to meet again in mid-September through both in-person and virtual sessions.

Before Wednesday’s joint press conference, Figuera held separate meetings with opposition groups and NGOs. Anti-government figures demanded that the release of “political prisoners” be a priority in the dialogue framework. Far-right factions have complained that María Corina Machado was not included in the negotiations, though the Unitary Democratic Platform backing her also met with Figuera last Friday.

The latest government-opposition negotiation initiative follows previous iterations, including in the Dominican Republic (2017-18) and Barbados (2023). 

Venezuelan authorities, including Jorge Rodríguez, had fiercely condemned the defunct 2015 opposition-majority legislature for usurping functions and plundering Venezuelan assets abroad. Rodríguez went as far as proposing that Figuera and associates be stripped of their Venezuelan nationality. Despite its mandate expiring in January 2021, a group of opposition lawmakers unilaterally decided to extend the term as the body retained recognition from Washington as Venezuela’s “legitimate government.”

The Trump administration has endorsed the latest dialogue process, with the State Department calling it a “unique opportunity” for a “political transition” in Venezuela.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

Caracas, August 10, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan Foreign Minister Félix Plasencia held a meeting with Orthodox Rabbi Isaac Cohen on Sunday in which the latter formally requested that Caracas reestablish diplomatic ties with Israel.

According to a Foreign Ministry statement, Cohen delivered a letter addressed to Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, arguing that normalizing relations with Tel Aviv is necessary to “tend to the needs of the Jewish community” in Venezuela.

“Venezuela has historically welcomed with open arms an important Jewish community, which has contributed to the development and well-being of our nation,” Plasencia wrote on social media.

Venezuela’s top diplomat thanked Cohen, on behalf of the Rodríguez administration and the Venezuelan people, for Israeli “assistance” following the June 24 double earthquake.

Cohen, a rabbi from the Venezuelan Jewish Association (AIV), was reportedly one of the intermediaries for the arrival of an Israeli diplomatic and military mission one week after the earthquake. The delegation included IDF officers and weapons contractors, while several Tel Aviv-aligned organizations likewise deployed on-the-ground teams.

Rodríguez held multiple meetings with the Israeli team, praising its members as “highly trained and professional” and thanking them for their work. IDF spokesman Roni Kaplan stated that the Israeli team had created a “dashboard” for Venezuelan authorities to evaluate damaged buildings, while Brigadier General Elad Edri was pictured presenting a “Project for Future Reconstruction” slideshow.

The Israeli mission has sparked growing protests, with Venezuelan popular movements reaffirming support for Palestine, condemning the genocide in Gaza and Lebanon, and burning Israeli flags.

Former President Hugo Chávez severed ties with Israel in 2009, fiercely denouncing the US ally for genocide and demonstrating unwavering support for the Palestinian cause. His stance was maintained by Maduro, who endorsed South Africa’s activation of the Genocide Convention against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024.

Following the January 3 US military strikes and kidnapping of Maduro, Rodríguez fast-tracked a diplomatic rapprochement with Washington alongside a broader radical shift in Caracas’ geopolitical alignment. 

Apart from re-engagement with Israel, the Venezuelan government is also reestablishing ties with far-right US allies in Latin America, including Chile, Peru, and the Dominican Republic, while distancing itself from historic partners in Havana and Tehran. During the recent US-Israel war against Iran, Caracas offered no backing for Tehran, instead voicing “solidarity” with US Gulf allies such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Edited by Lucas Koerner in Philadelphia, USA.

Caracas, August 10, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan business sector representative Luigi Pisella has urged the privatization of public assets in a string of recent appearances on state-affiliated media.

“Our main goal is to create an efficient state, one that retains only strategic assets while opening them to private capital and technology,” Pisella said in an interview on Friday with La Iguana, a media outlet founded and owned by current Communications Minister Miguel Pérez Pirela.

He added that privatized state-owned companies would “create wealth, create jobs, and pay taxes.”

The former president of major pro-business lobby CONINDUSTRIA, Pisella was chosen by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez to represent the private sector in a commission tasked with evaluating state-owned assets, with companies, landed estates, and other properties deemed “non-strategic” set to be privatized or liquidated.

Other commission members include Economic Sector Vice President Calixto Ortega, Finance Minister Anabel Pereira, and Communes Minister Ángel Prado.

In his interview, Pisella went on to claim that the commission had an opportunity to “fix past mistakes,” in reference to nationalizations under former President Hugo Chávez, who sought to impose state control over sectors such as telecommunications, electricity, and the basic industries.

“We have to create conditions for foreign corporations, the former owners, to return,” he vowed. “And if it is not possible, find investors that will purchase these [state-owned] companies.” The private sector spokesman added that privatizations will help shrink the public sector payroll, which he placed at 3.1 million workers.

Pisella has featured prominently both in public and private news outlets to speak on the Rodríguez administration’s economic policy goals.

In an August 2 appearance on state broadcaster VTV, he pledged that the government’s economic agenda aims to make the country “more competitive” and is “on the right track.”

“The laws that we are adjusting and updating, alongside the commission to evaluate state assets, have the same goal of attracting foreign investment,” Pisella underscored.

Following the January 3 US bombing and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro, the acting Rodríguez government has fast-tracked legislative reforms offering new concession models, tax breaks, and legal assurances to private corporations in key formerly state-run sectors including energy, mining, and electricity. 

In the wake of the June 24 double earthquake, the National Assembly likewise approved a new law aimed at “encouraging” property owners to rent out houses and apartments. The bill establishes conditions for lease agreements and mediation mechanisms for landlord-tenant disputes while also facilitating evictions.

Since January, the Trump administration has seized control over Venezuelan export revenues, especially from crude sales, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisting that Venezuelan authorities must submit a “budget request” to access the funds. 

Neither Washington nor Caracas have disclosed any figures, with the Financial Times estimating that more than US $13 billion from Venezuelan oil exports has been deposited at a specially designated US Treasury account.

In a radio interview, Pisella stated that the Trump White House has deducted the cost of its “military mobilization,” which he placed at $4.7 billion. According to the business lobbyist, there are also imports from US manufacturers and debt payments to Chevron to be deducted, leaving around $7 billion to be transferred directly to private sector importers via foreign exchange tables run by public and private banks.

Pisella’s claims have yet to be confirmed or denied by the acting Rodríguez government. In recent months, an official “rapid response” social media account has been quick to dismiss news Caracas deems to be “fake.”

For his part, Trump has recurrently boasted that his administration has recouped the cost of the January 3 military operation “many times over.”

Edited by Lucas Koerner in Philadelphia, USA.

Caracas, July 27, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Hundreds of Venezuelan activists took to the streets on Friday, July 24, to denounce the US and Israeli presence in the Caribbean nation.

The rally “against imperialism and Zionism” took place in Caracas’ Plaza Bolívar and was organized by the Anti-Imperialist Front, a newly-formed coalition of grassroots movements that reject Washington’s growing influence over Venezuelan affairs.

The demonstrators chose July 24, commemorating the 1783 birth of independence hero Simón Bolívar, to emphasize the importance of national independence and sovereignty.

“Popular movements from Caracas and Miranda State, armed with class conscience and anti-imperialism, are going to resist imperialism,” activist Miguel Mora told reporters. “No matter how powerful the US empire is in its technology, we will resist by any means necessary.”

Mora lamented that Venezuelans were “not allowed to fight” during the January 3 US military strikes and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro.

“Venezuelans are not cowards. We are going to fight and expel the invading gringo from our homeland!” he vowed.

Since the January incursion, the Acting Delcy Rodríguez government has fast-tracked  diplomatic rapprochement with Washington. Rodríguez has pushed through multiple pro-business reforms that favor Western energy and mining corporations, while the Trump administration presently manages Caracas’ export revenues, particularly from oil sales, deposited in US-based Treasury Department accounts.

Following the June 24 double earthquake, the US military deployed hundreds of troops on the ground to run operations at the Simón Bolívar International Airport and La Guaira port. The Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) announced on Saturday that its team had departed Venezuela.

Organizer Orlando Vega urged Venezuelan authorities to “put their ear to the ground, because there is a lot of discontent among the Chavista bases.”

“We have to be very vigilant about the US and Zionist presence here,” he continued. “Trump and Netanyahu are war criminals. They cannot pretend to care about the Venezuelan people.”

Speakers roundly condemned the post-earthquake deployment of an Israeli military and diplomatic mission, while others present burned US and Israeli flags.

“We’re here to fight for the Palestinian people,” affirmed Hindu Anderi, coordinator of the International Platform in Solidarity with the Palestinian Cause. “For us, this [Israeli presence] is a setback.”

The Tel Aviv delegation featured multiple IDF officers, including Yossi Pinto and Roni Kaplan, who have taken part in military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon. Acting President Rodríguez met with the Israeli team on multiple occasions, praising its members as “highly trained and professional” and thanking them for their on-the-ground work.

Former President Hugo Chávez severed ties with Israel in 2009, firmly condemning the US ally for committing genocide and voicing solidarity with the Palestinian cause. His stance was maintained by Maduro, who publicly backed South Africa’s activation of the Genocide Convention against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024.

Anderi emphasized the urgency of defending longstanding ties with the Palestinian cause and stressed that “Venezuela is being occupied.” “In Venezuela there is an occupation project, a blatant plunder of our natural resources,” she said.

The July 24 rally followed on the heels of several public statements from Venezuelan grassroots organizations denouncing the rapprochement with Tel Aviv and broader geopolitical realignment with Washington.

The Coordinadora Simón Bolívar, a historic collective from the working-class barrio 23 de Enero, called the Israeli presence a “silent invasion” and blasted the Trump administration’s “supreme cynicism” in claiming to be a “friend” to Venezuela after imposing a punishing economic blockade and kidnapping Maduro.

For its part, grassroots media outlet Tatuy Tv stated that Tel Aviv is the “enemy of humanity” and rejected “normalization” of Israeli genocide. The organization likewise warned against a growing US military footprint in the South American country that could be used to “project its destructive hegemony in the whole continent.”

Edited by Lucas Koerner in Cali, Colombia.

Caracas, July 15, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) –  The Venezuelan National Assembly (AN) and a group of former opposition lawmakers who served in the 2015–2020 legislature, led by Dinorah Figuera, announced the launch of a joint working agenda on August 1 aimed at “strengthening democracy” in the country.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez, who is also the Venezuelan government’s lead negotiator, made the announcement on Tuesday via an official statement, reporting that both sides had agreed to “jointly confront the consequences of the twin earthquakes that have plunged the country into mourning.”

“Only in unity can we move forward with the reconstruction while keeping the peace,” the text read.

For its part, the opposition group said in a separate statement that the initiative constitutes a “roadmap to promote stability, democracy, and national recovery,” with the goal of beginning “the construction of a new stage that will lead to a Venezuela of progress and freedoms.” According to the document, the agenda will prioritize “strengthening democratic institutions, reinforcing the electoral system, and restoring guarantees for political participation.”

Figuera told media that the talks will involve 10-team delegations from both sides and claimed that the opposition faction will be involved in choosing new electoral authorities and Supreme Court justices, as well as in reforms to existing electoral laws.

She confirmed that the opposition has already selected several participants, including lawyers Juan Miguel Matheus and Sergio Vergara, businessman Jorge Millán, and former National Assembly Vice President Marco Aurelio Quiñones. No members of the Venezuelan government delegation are presently known.

Figuera took over the opposition-majority 2015–2020 National Assembly in 2023, despite its period having ended two years earlier. The legislature repeatedly renewed its own mandate as it maintained “recognition” from Washington as Venezuela’s legitimate authority. The anti-government group likewise retained control over several Venezuelan state assets frozen by the US and allies.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reposted the 2015–2020 National Assembly’s roadmap through his X account. US authorities had endorsed the talks when they were first announced in June. Since the January 3 US military strikes and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro, Rubio has insisted on a “three-phase plan” that ends with a political “transition.”

The announcement of impending talks contrasted with Rodríguez stating on Saturday that the country “was not in the right frame of mind” to discuss issues related to the National Electoral Council (CNE), the Supreme Court (TSJ), or elections.

“We are concerned about people who have suffered the unimaginable. It would be disrespectful and insensitive for politicians to meet now to decide who should be appointed to the CNE or the TSJ. There will be time for that,” Rodríguez said.

Instead, he urged opposition leaders to work together on responding to the earthquake emergency, including reforms to the country’s housing laws and identifying land for the new constructions.

Just six days before the devastating earthquakes of June 24, Figuera traveled to Caracas with Washington’s backing to head negotiations with the Venezuelan government. During that June 18 visit, she met with Jorge Rodríguez and opposition leaders before traveling to the United States for additional discussions.

Her return took many opposition figures by surprise, as only weeks earlier María Corina Machado, speaking at a meeting of opposition politicians in Panama, had announced her intention to personally lead negotiations with the government over a future electoral process. The far-right leader announced a closed-door meeting with political allies on Wednesday to discuss the upcoming negotiations between the acting Delcy Rodríguez government and a separate opposition faction.

Amid these political developments, Acting President Rodríguez also appointed Johann Álvarez on July 14 as Venezuela’s new Chargé d’Affaires to the United States, tasking him with “representing the country’s interests and advancing a new stage of dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect.”

Álvarez most recently served as Venezuela’s Minister of Foreign Trade and Superintendent of the country’s Special Economic Zones (SEZs). He replaces Félix Plasencia, who was chosen by Rodríguez to head the Foreign Ministry after merging it with the Foreign Trade Ministry.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

Mérida, July 14, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan National Assembly preliminarily approved two laws granting expanded benefits to landlords and the private real estate sector as part of authorities’ post-earthquake reconstruction plans.

The Tuesday session was held at Simón Bolívar Park in La Carlota, Caracas, after the legislative palace suffered damage from the June 24 double tremor.

The Venezuelan legislature voted in favor of a Law for the Special Regime of Housing Property Leasing and a partial reform of the Law Against Real Estate Fraud. Both projects will now be subject to consultations and revisions before being put to a second and final vote.

“Our main task with this reform is to stimulate the housing rental market,” National Assembly Vice President Pedro Infante stated. “We have to strengthen the legal certainty for property owners and also protect tenants. It’s a legal balance.”

Infante added that officials estimate that there are around 200,000 homes that could enter the rental market but that parliament has to “untie the knots that are holding this market back.”

The existing legislation governing housing rentals was enacted by former President Hugo Chávez in 2011 and it is highly protective of tenants. Grassroots movements participated directly in several housing laws.

In a recent press conference, National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez called the current law “regressive” and argued that parliament needed to make property owners feel “more secure in renting their properties.” Real estate chambers have long lobbied for reforms to housing laws.

The preliminarily approved bill expands conditions for landlords to evict their tenants, including two months of unpaid rent, deterioration of the property, or unauthorized subletting. It additionally establishes that disputes are to be resolved via mediation or municipal courts. Tenant movements have recently denounced a growing trend of landlords bringing “invasion” charges against tenants as a way to evict them, with the complicity of public prosecutors.

The partial reform of the law against real estate fraud, likewise approved during Tuesday’s session, loosens conditions for the sale of housing properties yet to be built or under construction while also reducing collateral requirements for developers.

“The reform seeks to guarantee better conditions, legal security, and financing capacity so that the private sector initiates an aggressive, accelerated process of housing construction,” Infante explained, adding that it “removes rigid price schemes,” allowing real estate developers to factor “variations in the costs of materials in supplies” into house prices.

Under the updated law, house sale and pre-sale contracts no longer need to be individually approved by government housing authorities. Instead, the governing body will publish a set of general rules. According to the reform text, banks that finance real estate projects will no longer be liable for their non-completion, with legislators arguing that the measure will boost credit options.

Deputy Alejandra Rodríguez, from opposition party Un Nuevo Tiempo, endorsed the preliminary housing reforms for seeking a “balance between the right to housing, the protection of private property, legal security, and the promotion of responsible investment.”

Venezuelan authorities have prioritized finding housing solutions with over 20,000 people forced into temporary shelters after losing their homes in the June 24 double earthquake, most of them in coastal La Guaira State. The latest official figures placed the death toll at 4,734, with nearly 17,000 injured.

Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has launched the “Venezuela Renace” program to conduct inspections and repair works in affected buildings, as well as revitalize the construction sector to generate new housing complexes in a short time frame. She likewise called on public and private banks to expand mortgage programs, vowing that the government would subsidize them up to 80 percent.

On Monday, Rodríguez met with representatives from business chambers, including construction and real estate, and reiterated calls for the private sector to participate in the post-earthquake reconstruction. 

“Every person who lost their home should have hope of being under a new roof in the short term,” she stated.

Rodríguez announced that the government is working on construction plans in La Guaira alongside the Venezuelan Construction Chamber and the Venezuelan Real Estate Chamber. Authorities are conducting soil studies and identifying potential land plots. She recalled that the export of construction materials is presently banned.

The acting president assured those present that Venezuela remains on a path of economic growth and that household consumption had risen by 33 percent in June.

Rodríguez reiterated calls for the removal of economic sanctions against the country and ongoing efforts to secure the release of frozen Venezuelan assets, including gold reserves held by the Bank of England.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

Volunteers in La Guaira have transformed a fast-food restaurant into an emergency clinic since hospitals were damaged or destroyed by Venezuela’s earthquakes.

Caracas, July 9, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) –  Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has called on UK King Charles III to release her country’s gold reserves held at the Bank of England in order to finance relief and reconstruction efforts following the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24.

“I have decided to send a letter, among others, to the King of England asking for the release of the gold being held at the Bank of England. That gold belongs to our people and should be used to address the terrible, tragic consequences of the twin earthquakes,” Rodríguez said in a televised broadcast on Wednesday.

The acting president also revealed that she held a phone conversation with International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva to discuss the release of Venezuelan resources that remain blocked by the institution.

Earlier on Wednesday, during a virtual meeting with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil likewise urged countries holding Venezuelan assets abroad to “begin a process of releasing” those funds so they can be used for the country’s recovery.

Gil specifically referred to the gold reserves held by the Bank of England and Venezuelan funds blocked under US sanctions. Around 31 metric tons of gold, currently valued at approximately US $4.2 billion, remain frozen in London. In addition, nearly $5 billion in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) allocated by the IMF in 2021 also remain inaccessible.

On Wednesday, Rodríguez and Georgieva reportedly discussed the use of Venezuela’s $350 million SDR reserve fund, which is different from the SDR allocation.

On June 25, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License 60, authorizing earthquake relief-related transactions until October. However, OFAC’s waiver does not authorize the unblocking of assets subject to US sanctions regulations or “any other transaction or activity prohibited by another Executive Order.”

Meanwhile, 113 prominent economists, including Isabella Weber, Jeffrey Sachs, and James K. Galbraith, signed an open letter calling for immediate action to “unfetter Venezuela’s humanitarian response and reconstruction from ongoing economic and financial sanctions, asset freezes, and onerous debt burdens.”

“We urge governments, international financial institutions, and creditors to act now, on the principle that lives, public health, and economic recovery take precedence over coercion and collection,” the statement read. The economists suggested mechanisms including emergency liquidity, sanctions relief, and debt cancellation as a “minimum response […] to allow Venezuelans to rebuild with dignity.”

Along similar lines, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher warned that the earthquakes are likely to generate “a very difficult economic situation” that could reduce Venezuela’s GDP by “several percentage points,” arguing that sanctions “must be eased so they do not hinder the arrival of humanitarian assistance or recovery efforts.”

Fletcher added that during emergencies, access to financial resources, banking channels, and international cooperation mechanisms can determine how quickly aid, supplies, and reconstruction funding reach affected communities.

Preliminary assessments by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimate infrastructure and essential services losses at approximately US$6.7 billion. However, the final figure could reach $8.7 billion, depending on housing and asset losses, and the estimates do not include the full extent of infrastructure damage or the long-term reconstruction costs.

For its part, the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) estimates that rebuilding Venezuela will require approximately $37 billion. According to its assessment, $24 billion would be needed to replace damaged buildings—including homes, schools, businesses, and hospitals—while another $13 billion would be required to repair critical infrastructure such as telecommunications, highways, and electricity networks.

Different analyses have placed the recovery costs between $12 and $20 billion.

So far, however, the Trump administration has pledged $300 million in humanitarian assistance, whereas Venezuela’s US-based frozen assets are valued at $11-13 billion. The White House also retains control over Venezuela’s oil export revenues, returning a portion of the funds to Caracas at its discretion.

Rodríguez announced on Wednesday that countries offering humanitarian aid can monitor its distribution through a digital platform used to coordinate deliveries across the 87 temporary shelters established for displaced families throughout the country. The acting president has vowed to prioritize the well-being of families who lost their homes and to provide new housing solutions in the coming months.

The latest official update placed the death toll from the earthquakes at 3,889, while the number of injured remains at 16,740 and the number of displaced people stands at 17,907.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.

July 9 (UPI) — Venezuelan interim President Delcy Rodríguez said she will send a formal letter to King Charles III, seeking release of the country’s gold reserves at the Bank of England, asserting the assets are needed to finance recovery efforts after the deadly June 24 earthquakes.

During a videoconference Wednesday with officials overseeing 87 temporary camps established for earthquake survivors, Rodríguez said she had begun direct international efforts to recover frozen Venezuelan assets and use them to respond to the disaster.

“That gold belongs to our people and should be used to address the terrible, tragic consequences of these twin earthquakes,” Rodríguez said, according to TeleSur.

She also renewed calls for an end to sanctions against Venezuela, arguing the country has financial resources frozen abroad that could be used to fund reconstruction after the disaster, which has killed 3,800 people.

In addition to appealing directly to the British monarch, Rodríguez said she is also in talks with International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva.

She said the goal is to unlock about $3.568 billion in Special Drawing Rights held by Venezuela at the IMF.

Venezuela’s gold reserves remain in custody at the Bank of England. According to Deutsche Welle, U.K. courts previously rejected transferring control of the assets to Nicolás Maduro’s administration after determining it was not the country’s legitimate government.

Rodríguez became interim president in January after Maduro was captured by U.S. military forces.

Separately, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Iván Gil called Wednesday for the release of Venezuelan state assets frozen abroad during a virtual meeting with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

“We have accounts belonging to the Venezuelan state in different parts of the world that have been frozen as a result of illegal sanctions,” Gil said, according to NTV24.

U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, who is in Venezuela, said the scale of the disaster prompted the United Nations to launch an urgent appeal for $296 million to support relief operations after the earthquakes.

According to multiple media reports, tracked international financial assistance pledged or delivered to Venezuela has exceeded $600 million through multiple donors and aid channels.

The U.S. State Department said it has committed more than $386 million in direct humanitarian assistance. The aid includes more than 400 metric tons of supplies, including hygiene kits, emergency shelter materials and food.

The assistance is being distributed through the Red Cross, UNICEF and the U.N. World Food Program rather than through Venezuela’s central government.

Despite those contributions, the financial challenge remains immense. U.N. estimates place total physical damage to homes, schools, hospitals and other infrastructure at about $37 billion, meaning the international aid received so far covers only the initial emergency response, including medical care and temporary shelter for displaced residents.

Six months after Nicolás Maduro’s military removal by US forces, the political situation in Venezuela can be summarized very schematically.

Under the 1999 Constitution, on July 3, Maduro’s absence became absolute. Under this assumption, Article 233 of the Constitution states that presidential elections must be held within 30 consecutive days following July 3. Meanwhile, Delcy Rodríguez remains as acting president, filling Maduro’s absolute absence.

The elections would be the final part of the third phase of the plan that Trump administration officials and Marco Rubio in particular often mention.

However, we know that elections will not be held in the short term, as there is a consensus that a new National Electoral Council (CNE) and conditions of electoral integrity are necessary. That is because, in theory, the first two phases outlined by the US government—stabilization and recovery—should first be completed.

So, how can the Venezuelan opposition push for free elections someday?

To do so, Venezuelans must first determine who within the Venezuelan opposition should lead the charge.

Naturally, it would be María Corina Machado. However, there is evidence that the Trump administration does not want her to be that lead person. I am not saying the White House does not want Machado to be a presidential candidate, but that everything seems to suggest that the Trump administration does not want her to lead the process toward those elections. Which is a different matter.

No political actor can achieve anything significant without the support, or at least the acquiescence, of the US.

Therefore, if the US government does not want Machado to lead the political process that will lead us to free elections, who is the US government backing? It has only given two indications so far.

One, somewhat farcical even in terms of US foreign policy, was that Trump invited Enrique Márquez, a satellite political leader, to the State of the Union address. It was a message to say that the US president does not want Machado leading the process that would lead to free elections.

The other was the return of Dinorah Figuera, president of the 2015 National Assembly Delegated Commission, to Venezuela, at the invitation of the US, where she was received at the airport by US embassy personnel. Upon arrival, Figuera met with Chargé d’Affaires John Barrett and National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez. In this way, the Trump administration emphasized its vision of who would be the opposition’s interlocutor.

Finally, after the earthquakes, there was a third, even clearer message: to disavow Machado’s trip to Venezuela.

At this point, it is worth remembering that at this moment in Venezuelan political history, no political actor can achieve anything significant without the support, or at least the acquiescence, of the US. Like it or not, the result of the January 3rd operation is that we find ourselves under a tutelage of both the regime and the opposition.

Given this reality, where should we push for the Venezuelan transition?

The 2015 National Assembly, with US support, could dedicate itself to building the electoral roadmap together with the 2026 National Assembly.

If the Trump administration doesn’t want Machado to lead the process toward free elections, and the last clear signal it sent was to involve the 2015 National Assembly, perhaps that’s the path we should follow.

From what we understand, the idea of ​​involving the 2015 National Assembly, through 6 or 12 of its members, is to work with the 2026 National Assembly to build an institutional roadmap leading to elections, specifically the appointment of a new board for the CNE, and perhaps the formation of a new Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ).

It is known that this option generates deep distrust in Machado, who attempted to thwart it, apparently unsuccessfully, with the Panama Manifesto, in which she declared, among other things, that she should lead the negotiations with the interim regime. However, it seems that if a definitive break with the Trump administration is not desired, Machado and the 2015 National Assembly should reach agreements.

The first could be that the 2015 National Assembly, with the support of the US government, dedicates itself to building the electoral roadmap together with the 2026 National Assembly. Naturally, Machado’s opinion would be taken into account at all times. This should lead to the appointment of a new CNE board and a new TSJ. Then, the electoral legislation and administrative regulations would have to be reformed to create conditions that allow for truly free elections. Machado’s opinion would also be taken into account at all times.

Finally, a primary election could be held within the opposition, allowing opposition voters to express their views. It is likely that Machado will be re-elected as the opposition candidate. This way would open an acceptable option for those who control this process: an electoral path around the 2015 and 2026 National Assembly elections, and then presidential elections in which, predictably, María Corina Machado will win.

Venezuela has marked its 215th Independence Day as citizens continue to grapple with grief following a pair of deadly earthquakes on June 24.

On Sunday, interim President Delcy Rodriguez sought to project strength during a military service in honour of the annual holiday.

“There will be no social unrest here,” Rodriguez said. “What we have here is deep social solidarity.”

But Rodriguez’s government has faced backlash since the twin earthquakes struck, hitting Venezuela with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, respectively.

On Sunday, Venezuela’s Ministry of Communication and Information announced that it had recorded 3,342 deaths as a result of the earthquakes, with more expected. Thousands of people remain missing.

In addition, some 16,470 people are injured, while 17,345 have been left without homes.

The powerful seismic activity levelled buildings along Venezuela’s northern coastline, damaging regions like La Guaira and the Caracas metropolitan area.

Critics have accused the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, which has led the country since 2007, of chronic mismanagement and corruption.

That, they say, has left Venezuela incapable of handling a crisis of the current scale. The June 24 earthquakes are the deadliest in a century for the country, and they represent the most catastrophic natural disaster Venezuela has weathered since the flash floods of 1999.

After the earthquakes, residents reported that government aid was slow to reach the most affected areas. Some accused the government of impeding the flow of foreign assistance.

In Sunday’s remarks, Rodriguez accused critics of seeking to stir “hatred” against the state.

“Attempts are being made today to attack Venezuelan institutions,” Rodriguez said. “There can be no room for any kind of conspiracy, internal or external, from whatever source it may come.”

The earthquakes are the first major disaster the Rodriguez government has had to contend with.

Rodriguez was sworn in as acting president in January, after serving as vice president under then-President Nicolas Maduro.

But on January 3, the United States launched a military operation to abduct and imprison Maduro on drug- and weapons-related charges. He is currently facing trial in New York.

Since taking power, Rodriguez has sought to work within the demands of US President Donald Trump. Her government has overseen reforms, for example, to its nationalised mining and fuel industries allowing more foreign investment.

The Trump administration, meanwhile, has stood by Rodriguez, even amid the outpouring of criticism following the earthquakes.

Media reports have emerged that the US has repeatedly rejected requests from Venezuela’s main opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, to help her return to the country.

Machado had been living in hiding under Maduro for fear she would be arrested for her politics. In December, shortly before Maduro’s abduction, she secretly left Venezuela to collect a Nobel Peace Prize for promoting democracy.

But Machado has yet to return, though she has said she wants to be in the country to help with disaster relief efforts.

Her political coalition, Vente Venezuela, has been organising its own volunteer effort to collect donations and distribute supplies.

In a message to mark Venezuela’s Independence Day, Machado sought to draw a parallel between the US and her country.

“Yesterday, the people of the United States celebrated the 250th anniversary of their Declaration of Independence. Mere hours separate these commemorations, reflecting far more than a coincidence of history,” she wrote.

“They remind us that our nations are bound by the same republican ideals and by a shared commitment to the defense of the free world.”

In January, Machado presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal, in what was widely seen as an attempt to curry favour with the US president.

She has repeatedly pushed for new elections in Venezuela, claiming that her party has had a mandate to lead since the 2024 presidential race.

That election saw Maduro claim a third term as president, despite published vote tallies indicating he lost the race to the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, an ally of Machado.

“We have built an unshakable democratic legitimacy, we have defeated the regime’s lies with the truth, and we have peacefully mobilized an entire nation that today is outraged and desperate for change,” Machado wrote in her Independence Day message.

“Enduring alliances are built on truth and trust. Now is the time to move forward with determination and to carry out, with unwavering resolve, the decisive chapter of our shared strategy.”

Cristiano Ronaldo has sent a message to a young Venezuelan earthquake survivor, who is recovering in hospital after having his leg amputated. Andres Mieles, who was also orphaned in the June 24 disaster, had requested a Ronaldo trading card to keep his spirits up – but the superstar himself had other ideas.

Caracas, July 2, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – The Venezuelan government has welcomed an official Israeli delegation in the first significant bilateral engagement since Caracas severed ties with Tel Aviv in 2009.

In the wake of the devastating June 24 double earthquake, a joint civilian-military mission led by Israeli diplomat Yoed Magen landed in the South American country on Wednesday.

In a social media message, the IDF claimed its “humanitarian delegation” would “support recovery efforts” and share Israel’s “experience in emergency situations.”

The Israeli government confirmed the deployment of a “preliminary team” via its Spanish-language X account and announced further arrivals in the coming days.

“The remaining delegation members will incorporate themselves in the coming days. Expert teams will work alongside local authorities and collaborate in the reconstruction efforts,” the statement read.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil “received and thanked” the Israeli mission on behalf of the acting Delcy Rodríguez administration, claiming that  it was part of “international technical cooperation and support for the Venezuelan people.” In a Thursday night press conference, Rodríguez expressed her appreciation for the arrival of the “highly trained and professional” Israeli team and confirmed they were meeting with Venezuelan authorities to help evaluate damaged infrastructure.

The Israeli delegation includes a military contingent headed by Brigadier General Elad Edri, chief of staff of the IDF Home Front Command. It held meetings with Venezuelan Public Works Minister Juan José Ramírez and with Francisco Garcés, the head of a newly formed presidential commission tasked with evaluating the safety and habitability of infrastructure following the tremors.

Israeli nonprofits IsraAid and NATAN Worldwide Disaster Relief had previously announced they were dispatching teams to Venezuela but their arrival has not been confirmed. Social media footage has shown the use of Israeli-made drones to conduct 3D-mappings of flattened buildings and locate possible survivors under the rubble.

The dispatch of the Israeli mission dovetails with a significant post-earthquake US military deployment. The Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has reported 900 military personnel on the ground, while US forces are running logistics at the Simón Bolívar International Airport and La Guaira port.

Following the January 3 US military strikes and kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro, the acting Rodríguez administration has fast-tracked a diplomatic rapprochement with Washington and radically reoriented its geopolitical alignments. During the recent US-Israel war against Iran, Caracas did not express support for its longtime ally in Tehran, instead offering public backing for US Gulf allies such as Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez severed ties with Tel Aviv in 2009, fiercely denouncing Operation Cast Lead as “genocide” and voicing solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Maduro maintained his predecessor’s policy position excoriating Israeli military occupation and war crimes in Gaza and Lebanon, as well as the June 2025 Twelve-Day War against Iran. The Maduro government publicly endorsed South Africa’s activation of the Genocide Convention against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2024.

The arrival of an Israeli mission has drawn backlash from the Chavista grassroots. Hindu Anderi, spokesperson for the Platform of Solidarity with the Palestinian cause, slammed the “hypocrisy” of Tel Aviv claiming the mantle of humanitarianism amid its ongoing genocides in Gaza and Lebanon.

“The Zionist regime wants to whitewash its record through rescue teams […] after condemning the Palestinian people to rubble,” she wrote on social media.

Venezuelan officials have reported 2,595 people killed in the earthquake as of July 2, more than 12,000 injured, and over 15,000 displaced families. The search and rescue operations have been backed by more than 4,000 foreign specialists from 30 countries.

Edited and with additional reporting by Lucas Koerner in Caracas.

She said she and 31-year-old Ana Luz were extremely close and would talk every day on video calls. Her sister always had Kleiber by her side.

“Wherever she went, her son went too. Whatever Kleiber wanted, she would please him. If she didn’t have money, she would call me: ‘Kleiber wants this’ or ‘he’s missing this,'” Andreína said.

“She is my older sister and I always trusted her and could tell her my problems and whenever I spoke to her on a video call, the child was by her side.”

Andreína said she was certain that her sister would have been next to Kleiber in the rubble.

As she sat with her nephew in hospital, desperate search and rescue efforts were continuing after the earthquakes.

Some 2,295 deaths have been officially recorded, but the final toll is expected to be many times higher. Tens of thousands have been reported missing, and the United Nations has said it is procuring 10,000 body bags for the country.

Andreína said she had not lost hope that Kleiber’s parents would be rescued.

“Just as they found my nephew, I have faith that they are going to find my sister and my brother-in-law,” she said.

Looking affectionately at Kleiber, she said she believed “he has a purpose in the world”.

“When this child grows up, God willing, this will be his story,” she said.

Additional reporting by Euridice Ledezma

Caracas, June 30, 2026 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has created a Presidential Commission for the Assessment of Housing and Infrastructure Habitability following the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck the country on June 24.

The commission, chaired by structural engineer Francisco Garcés, began its work on Monday, June 29, in the states of La Guaira and Miranda, as well as in Caracas, carrying out scientific and technical evaluations of buildings, bridges, overpasses, and road infrastructure.

The inspections will deliver a traffic light-style assessment system developed by the Venezuelan Seismological Research Foundation (FUNVISIS) and the Central University of Venezuela (UCV) to classify the level of structural damage through a rating system that is easily understood by the public.

“We have created a traffic light system to determine whether a building is habitable, using the colors green, yellow, and red, so that this commission on housing and infrastructure can decide whether a home is safe to continue occupying,” Rodríguez said during a televised broadcast on Monday.

Under the system, green identifies homes that are structurally stable and safe for occupancy without significant risk. Yellow indicates buildings with moderate or partial damage that require repairs before they can be safely reoccupied, while red designates structures that have suffered total loss or critical structural damage.

“We have found buildings whose structural systems—beams, columns, and frame structures—have not sustained significant damage. However, the masonry has been severely affected. This means these buildings are repairable but cannot be inhabited until damaged walls and enclosure elements are removed and rebuilt,” Garcés explained to Venezuelan media.

The commission brings together specialists from the Ministry of Habitat and Housing, the Ministry of Public Works, the Venezuelan College of Engineers, the Venezuelan Chamber of Construction, Funvisis, and the Engineering Corps of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces.

It is also supported by several academic institutions and will coordinate efforts with governors’ and mayors’ offices from the hardest-hit regions.

“We have deployed several teams of engineers specialized in structural engineering,” Garcés added. “After receiving training in the use of the damage assessment forms, they are able to determine the condition of a structure and recommend the appropriate course of action.”

The acting government has also launched training programs so that professors, graduates, and senior engineering students with the required technical background can join the inspection teams. Authorities say the initiative likewise aims to address public fears among residents who remain hesitant to return to their homes.

Rodríguez additionally announced plans to build thousands of new homes by the end of the year.

According to official figures, the earthquakes have left 189 buildings completely destroyed as well as 585 structures with severe damage or partial collapse. There have been 38 hospitals and 44 shopping malls affected, and 1,645 additional structures, mainly bridges and roads, have sustained damage.

Multiple corporate media outlets have launched claims that the buildings from Venezuela’s Great Housing Mission (GMVV) were especially damaged by the earthquake. However, analysis from open-source tracking of damaged buildings has shown that only a very small percentage of affected structures belong to the housing mission. Former President Hugo Chávez launched the massive program in 2011 to provide housing at next-to-no cost for working-class families.

So far, Venezuelan authorities have reported 1,943 dead, 10,571 injured, and over 15,000 displaced families as a result of the double earthquake. The disaster has seen emergency teams arrive from 27 countries to assist in search-and-rescue operations. For its part, the US Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has deployed multiple military assets and is managing operations at Simón Bolívar International Airport, the South American country’s main air hub.

Alongside the disaster in Venezuela’s northern central region, the Caribbean nation has been struck by further emergencies in recent days. Torrential rains caused rivers to overflow in western Portuguesa state, leaving an initial toll of 100 displaced families. Further west, firefighters have been working to bring forest fires under control since last Friday.

Edited by Ricardo Vaz in Caracas.