| Area Total | 912,050 sq km |
| Climate | tropical; hot, humid; more moderate in highlands |
| Natural Resources | petroleum, natural gas, iron ore, gold, bauxite, other minerals, hydropower, diamonds |
| Imports | agricultural products, livestock, raw materials, machinery and equipment, transport equipment, construction materials, medical equipment, petroleum products, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, iron and steel products – US 24.8%, China 14.2%, Mexico 9.5% (2017) |
| Government | federal presidential republic |
| Capital | Caracas |
| Population | 31,689,176 (July 2018 est.) |
| Ethnicity | unspecified Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Arab, German, African, indigenous people |
| Language | Spanish (official), numerous indigenous dialects |
| Exports | petroleum and petroleum products, bauxite and aluminum, minerals, chemicals, agricultural products – US 34.8%, India 17.2%, China 16%, Netherlands Antilles 8.2%, Singapore 6.3%, Cuba 4.2% (2017) |
News about Venezuela
- Families of political prisoners protest outside Venezuela’s National Assembly, question amnesty bill
on February 10, 2026Families of political prisoners and activists gathered on Tuesday outside Venezuela’s National Assembly in central Caracas, calling for the release of detainees who remain behind bars and challenging the scope of a government-backed amnesty bill.
- Venezuela welcomes Trump-loving US TV channel in ‘marriage of convenience’
by Tom Phillips Latin America correspondent on February 10, 2026Newsmax, granted major access as the first foreign outlet admitted after the US strike, hailed Trump as a ‘liberator’ In the days after Nicolás Maduro was abducted by US special forces, hundreds of journalists from as far away as Japan flocked to Colombia’s border with Venezuela hoping to witness the fallout from one of the most dramatic moments in […]
- US says two people killed in military strike on boat in Pacific
by Robert Mackey and agencies on February 10, 2026Officials say rescuers searching for lone survivor after latest attack on what Pentagon says are suspected drug smugglersThe US military’s Southern Command, which oversee operations in Latin America and the Caribbean, announced that it carried out another deadly strike on Monday, killing two suspected drug smugglers in the eastern Pacific.The statement […]
- Prominent Venezuelan opposition politician detained hours after release
by Tom Phillips Latin America correspondent on February 9, 2026Prosecutor claims Juan Pablo Guanipa was re-arrested due to non-compliance with terms of releaseOne of Venezuela’s most prominent opposition politicians, Juan Pablo Guanipa, has been detained by security forces just hours after being released from prison, as the South American country’s leaders sent mixed signals about their commitment to political […]
- Venezuela re-arrests opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa hours after release
on February 9, 2026Venezuelan opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa was re-arrested only hours after leaving prison, in a move that sparked renewed accusations of political persecution and raised fresh questions about the scope of the government’s ongoing release process amid a pending amnesty bill.
- Venezuela frees Juan Pablo Guanipa and members of María Corina Machado’s inner circle
on February 9, 2026Opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa and several close collaborators of anti-government figure María Corina Machado were released from detention in Venezuela on Sunday, in a new round of politically sensitive releases that rights groups say must be measured not only by numbers but also by whether detainees regain full civil and political rights.
- Venezuelan opposition flags “serious omissions” in amnesty bill, demands full release
on February 7, 2026Venezuela’s main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD), on Friday challenged what it called “serious omissions” in a proposed amnesty law promoted by acting President Delcy Rodríguez and approved in a first debate by the chavista-controlled National Assembly.
- US military says two killed in strike on alleged drug boat in Pacific
by Agence France-Presse on February 6, 2026Death toll from Washington’s campaign on alleged drug traffickers now at least 128The US military on Thursday said it killed two alleged drug traffickers in a strike on a boat in the eastern Pacific, bringing the death toll from Washington’s campaign to at least 128.“Intelligence confirmed the vessel was transiting along known narco-trafficking routes […]
- Venezuela’s legislature advances urgent amnesty law to free jailed protesters and critics
on February 6, 2026Venezuela’s legislature is moving forward with a proposed amnesty law that would grant clemency to protesters and government critics jailed in recent years.
- Cuba open to talks with US ‘without pressure’ after months of Trump threats
by Ruaridh Nicoll in Havana on February 5, 2026Miguel Díaz‑Canel says Cuba is willing to engage Washington amid the island’s deepening economic crisisAfter months of threats from Donald Trump, the president of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel, has said that his government is willing to talk to the United States, just so long as it is “without pressure”.Standing in front of a life-sized photograph of […]
- Maduro’s alleged frontman Alex Saab reportedly detained in Caracas
by Tom Phillips Latin America correspondent on February 5, 2026FBI and Venezuela’s intelligence agency also reportedly arrest billionaire media mogul Raúl Gorrín at same addressA close and powerful associate of the deposed Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has reportedly been detained during a joint operation by Venezuela’s intelligence agency and the FBI.Alex Saab, a wealthy Colombian-Venezuelan businessman […]
- Venezuela plan to turn notorious prison into cultural centre scrubs past horrors, critics say
by Tiago Rogero, South America correspondent on February 5, 2026The move is among several measures the acting president has touted since Maduro’s capture – yet critics say it erases Venezuela’s long history of repressionIt was designed in the 1950s to be the world’s first “drive-through shopping centre”, a futuristic structure with more than than two miles of ramps looping past 300 shops, as well as cinemas, […]
- Venezuela detains Alex Saab in joint operation with United States
on February 5, 2026Colombian-Venezuelan businessman Alex Saab — long portrayed by U.S. authorities as a key financial operator for Chavismo and a former Venezuelan industry minister — was detained in Caracas early Wednesday in what Colombian media described as a joint operation involving Venezuela’s intelligence service (SEBIN) and the FBI. Venezuela’s government had […]
- The people betting on catastrophic world events – podcast
by Presented by Annie Kelly with Saahil Desai; produced by Isaaq Tomkins, Alex Atack , Eli Block and Ross Burns; executive producer Homa Khaleeli on February 4, 2026Prediction markets allow you to put money on everything from the US attacking Iran to Jesus returning. Saahil Desai explains their dizzying riseIn the early hours of 3 January, Donald Trump ordered a surprise attack on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, to kidnap the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro. Millions of Venezuelans’ lives were thrown into […]
- Betting spike ahead of Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize and suspected cyber breach trigger leak probe
on February 3, 2026The Norwegian Nobel Institute concluded that a cyberattack is the “most likely” explanation for the leak of information about the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, after prediction markets registered an abrupt—and highly profitable—shift in favor of María Corina Machado a few hours before the official announcement.
