| 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
- Delcy Rodríguez defends Essequibo claim at The Hague under temporary EU sanctions waiver
on May 11, 2026Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez arrived in the Netherlands on Sunday to defend her country's claim to the Essequibo, the border region disputed with Guyana, before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The trip, authorized under a specific waiver to the European Union sanctions imposed on her, marks her first major international journey […]
- Nahuel Gallo describes torture and a sardonic "you're off to Disney" during Venezuela detention
on May 9, 2026Argentine gendarme Nahuel Gallo, who spent 448 days detained in Venezuela under the regime of Nicolás Maduro, described in a televised interview the torture inflicted on him at the El Rodeo I prison and revealed the phrase his captors used to announce his confinement: "You're off to Disney."
- US removes 13.5 kilos of highly enriched uranium from Venezuela's RV-1 reactor
on May 9, 2026The U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has completed the removal of 13.5 kilograms of highly enriched uranium from the former RV-1 research reactor at the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research (IVIC), in Miranda state, in an operation coordinated with the United Kingdom, the International Atomic Energy Agency […]
- Venezuela confirms death of political prisoner Víctor Hugo Quero, ten months after he died
on May 8, 2026Venezuela's Ministry for Prison Services confirmed on Thursday the death of political prisoner Víctor Hugo Quero Navas, a 51-year-old merchant, nearly ten months after he died in state custody and following more than a year of forced disappearance complaints filed by his family.
- Venezuelans rally in more than 120 cities worldwide demanding release of political prisoners
on May 4, 2026Dozens of cities in Venezuela and more than 120 gathering points around the world joined on Sunday a global day of mobilization called by Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace laureate María Corina Machado to demand the release of political prisoners and to bring international visibility to the country's human rights situation. The rallies took […]
- Caracas and Washington launch direct flights after seven years and sign two oil deals
on May 1, 2026The United States and Venezuela inaugurated on Thursday the first direct air connection between the two countries since 2019 and signed two new energy agreements, in a day the White House described as a substantive advance in the “economic revitalization” phase of the three-stage plan designed by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio […]
- European Parliament urges sanctions on Venezuela to remain until verifiable democratic progress
on April 30, 2026The European Parliament approved on Thursday, by a wide majority, a resolution urging the Council of the European Union not to lift sanctions imposed on those responsible for human rights violations in Venezuela until the country adopts "significant measures toward a peaceful transition to democracy." The text, promoted by the European People's Party, […]
- US intervention forces end to decade of statistical opacity at Venezuela's Central Bank
on April 30, 2026The Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) has begun systematically publishing economic indicators that had been held under wraps for at least a decade, in an institutional shift driven by the US military intervention that culminated on January 3 with the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro and by the subsequent reconfiguration of Venezuela's financial […]
- Petro travels to Caracas to meet Delcy Rodríguez following failed Cúcuta summit
on April 24, 2026Colombian President Gustavo Petro will meet at midday on Friday in Caracas with Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodríguez, in what marks the first official meeting between a head of state and the Venezuelan leader since she took office on January 5, following the capture of former president Nicolás Maduro in a US military operation on January 3 of this […]
- Irregular Venezuelans in Chile want to leave but can't: no papers, no consulate, no return mechanism
on April 20, 2026As President José Antonio Kast's government ramps up its campaign against irregular immigration with deportation flights and promises of mass expulsions, thousands of undocumented Venezuelans in Chile face a paradox: they want to leave but cannot do so legally. Without valid passports, without Venezuelan consular services in the country and without a […]
