| 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
- Judge refuses to dismiss Maduro case but questions blocking of funds for his defense
on March 26, 2026Federal Judge Alvin Hellerstein rejected on Thursday the defense's motion to dismiss the charges against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, in a second hearing at the Southern District Court of New York that ran unusually long due to the debate over funding their legal representation.
- Maduro faces New York court in key hearing over legal defense
on March 26, 2026Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, appear on Thursday, March 26, before the Southern District Court of New York in a second hearing in the criminal case they face in the United States following their capture in January during a U.S. military operation.
- Rodríguez promises "legal certainty" to investors while Machado competes for attention from Texas
on March 26, 2026Venezuela's interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, participated via videoconference on Wednesday at the FII Priority investment forum in Miami, where she assured American, Saudi, and Latin American investors that her government is advancing reforms to guarantee "legal certainty" for investments in the country.
- Venezuela sends diplomatic delegation to Washington to formalize restoration of ties with US
on March 25, 2026Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodríguez announced on Tuesday that a delegation of Venezuelan diplomats will travel to Washington this week to advance the normalization of bilateral relations with the United States, severed since 2019.
- Delcy Rodríguez renews Venezuela's military high command following Padrino's ouster
on March 20, 2026Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, executed a sweeping restructuring of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) leadership. The changes, announced less than 24 hours after the appointment of Gustavo González López as the new Defense Minister replacing the veteran Vladímir Padrino, mark a significant shift in Caracas' power structure […]
- Delcy Rodríguez removes Vladimir Padrino as Venezuela’s defense minister
on March 18, 2026Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez on Wednesday removed Vladimir Padrino López as defense minister and appointed General Gustavo González López in his place, ending one of the longest and most politically sensitive tenures within the country’s ruling military hierarchy. Venezuelan media reported the move citing Rodríguez’s official […]
- Venezuelan National Assembly speaker meets US Senate envoys
on March 18, 2026Venezuelan National Assembly speaker Jorge Rodríguez said on Wednesday that he met in Caracas with representatives of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee and with U.S. Chargé d’Affaires Laura Dogu, in the latest sign of the bilateral opening that began after January’s political shift. Rodríguez said the agenda forms part of a dialogue […]
- Colombia and Venezuela will seek full Mercosur membership, Petro says
on March 16, 2026Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his country and Venezuela will seek admission to Mercosur as full members, one day after a ministerial meeting in Caracas that he described as “extremely successful,” according to EFE. In a message posted on X, Petro said: “We will ask for the moratorium to be lifted so Venezuela can enter Mercosur as a full […]
- Former Chevron executive told CIA the opposition would struggle to control Venezuela
on March 16, 2026Ali Moshiri, Chevron’s former top executive for Venezuela and a longtime Washington interlocutor on energy matters, warned the CIA before Nicolás Maduro’s ouster that a direct handover of power to the opposition led by María Corina Machado could produce an unstable transition because she lacked control over the security apparatus and the state’s […]
- Petro sends ministers to Caracas after meeting with Delcy Rodríguez is called off
on March 13, 2026Colombia and Venezuela shifted their planned bilateral contact to the ministerial level on Friday after a presidential meeting announced for the border was abruptly canceled under the formula of “force majeure.” Instead of the face-to-face encounter scheduled between Gustavo Petro and Delcy Rodríguez at the Atanasio Girardot bridge, Bogotá sent a […]
