Live: Venezuela begins releasing 'significant number' of prisoners in ‘peace' gesture
· France 2408/01/2026 - 22:48
Venezuela acting president meets with Chinese ambassador
Venezuelan acting President Delcy Rodriguez met with China's ambassador to the South American country, Lan Hu, she said in a post on Telegram on Thursday.
"We value China's firm and consistent stance in strongly condemning the serious violation of international law and Venezuelan sovereignty," Rodriguez said, referring to the US capture of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro over the weekend.
08/01/2026 - 22:15
Venezuela begins 'large' prisoner release amid US pressure
Venezuela on Thursday began releasing a "large number" of political prisoners, including several foreigners, in an apparent concession to the United States after its ouster of ruler Nicolas Maduro.
The releases are the first since Maduro's former deputy Delcy Rodriguez took over, with the backing of President Donald Trump, who says he is content to let her govern as long as she gives Washington access to oil.
The White House credited Trump with securing the prisoners' freedom.
08/01/2026 - 21:02
Spain says Venezuela freed five Spanish prisoners
Venezuela on Thursday freed five Spaniards in a large prisoner release seen as a concession to the United States after the ouster of president Nicolas Maduro, Spain's foreign ministry said.
"The government of Spain welcomes the liberation today in Caracas of five Spaniards, one of them a dual national, who are preparing to travel to Spain," the ministry said in a statement.
08/01/2026 - 19:45
'Trump does not speak of freedom but fundamentally of oil,' Venezuelan opponent Arria says
In an interview with FRANCE 24, veteran Venezuelan opposition figure Diego Arria criticised US President Donald Trump's approach following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by US special forces on January 3. "I was very concerned that the president does not speak of the recovery of freedom (...) of liberating the political prisoners, but speaks fundamentally of oil," he said.
08/01/2026 - 19:12
Foreign embassies in Venezuela begin arranging visits next week for American, European oil companies, sources say
Foreign embassies in Venezuela are beginning to arrange visits scheduled for next week that will include representatives for American and European oil companies, two sources told Reuters.
The business meetings will be held to conduct assessments of infrastructure in Venezuela, the sources said.
"As President Trump said, we are making preparations to allow for a reopening should the President make that decision,” a US State Department spokesperson said.
08/01/2026 - 19:00
Trump slams Republican senators who agreed to advance bill curbing Venezuela war powers
President Donald Trump decried his fellow Republicans in the US Senate who on Thursday voted to advanced a resolution that would bar him from taking further military action against Venezuela without congressional authorization.
"Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to office again," Trump wrote in a social media post.
08/01/2026 - 17:59
Venezuela's top lawmaker says significant number of prisoners, including foreigners, to be freed in the coming hours
Venezuela's top lawmaker Jorge Rodriguez said on Thursday that a significant number of both foreign and Venezuelan prisoners will be freed in the coming hours.
The liberations, a repeated demand of the country's opposition, are a gesture of peace, Rodriguez said, adding the action was unilateral and not agreed with any other party.
“The Bolivarian government, together with state institutions, has decided to release a significant number of Venezuelan and foreign individuals, and these release processes are taking place as of this very moment,” Rodriguez added.
08/01/2026 - 17:47
US Senate advances resolution to limit Trump's war powers after Venezuela raid
The Senate advanced a resolution Thursday that would limit President Donald Trump’s ability to conduct further attacks against Venezuela, sounding a note of disapproval for his expanding ambitions in the Western Hemisphere.
Democrats and five Republicans voted to advance the war powers resolution on a 52-47 vote and ensure a later vote for final passage. It has virtually no chance of becoming law because Trump would have to sign it if it were to pass the House.
08/01/2026 - 17:39
US president's agenda tests world order
08/01/2026 - 16:52
Oil company executives know more about Trump's Venezuela plan than American people, says US senator Elizabeth Warren
US Senator Elizabeth Warren on Thursday posted on X that "Oil company executives seem to know more about Trump's secret plan to "run" Venezuela than the American people".
08/01/2026 - 16:43
Analysis: What's next for Venezuela?
What's next for Venezuela, where a surprise attack saw US forces capture President Nicolas Maduro and his wife? Is getting control of the country's oil reserves the most important motivation for US President Donald Trump?
Charles Pellegrin talks to David Goldwyn, president of Goldwyn Global Strategies and former US State Department special envoy and coordinator for international energy affairs from 2009 to 2011.
08/01/2026 - 16:19
08/01/2026 - 16:06
US military operation in Venezuela 'a clear violation of international law'
The capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife by the US set a 'dangerous precedent: any great power can do as it pleases', warns Dr. Gabriel Hetland, Author, Associate Professor of Sociology & Latin American Studies at the University at Albany.
For a deeper perspective, Gavin Lee also welcomes Kethevane Gorjestani, Fraser Jackson, Mikey Kay, Journalist and former British Aviation Commander, and Hélène Conway-Mouret, Senator representing French citizens abroad.
08/01/2026 - 15:45
08/01/2026 - 14:41
US energy chief says there is room for US and China in Venezuela
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said there was room to balance roles for both the United States and China in Venezuela to allow for commerce but that Washington would not allow Beijing to have major control over the Latin American country.
In an interview on Fox Business Network, Wright also said he expected see Chevron quickly grow its activities in Venezuela with ConocoPhillips and Exxon Mobil also looking to play a role.
08/01/2026 - 14:40
India's Reliance Industries will consider buying Venezuelan oil
India's Reliance Industries Ltd, operator of the world's largest refining complex, on Thursday said it will consider buying Venezuelan oil if permitted for sale to non-US buyers.
"We await clarity on access for Venezuelan oil by non-US buyers and will consider buying the oil in a compliant manner," a Reliance Industries Spokesperson said in response to a Reuters email seeking comments.
08/01/2026 - 14:16
08/01/2026 - 12:43
Russia accuses US of stoking 'military-political tension' with tanker seizure
Russia has accused the United States of stoking tensions and threatening international shipping with its seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic a day earlier.
Moscow's foreign ministry said the move will "only result in further military and political tensions", adding that it was worried by "Washington's willingness to generate acute international crisis situations."
08/01/2026 - 12:39
US Senate to vote on reining in Trump on Venezuela
The US Senate is due to consider a resolution that would block President Donald Trump from taking further military action against Venezuela without congressional authorisation.
After Maduro's capture, some lawmakers have accused the administration of misleading Congress, including Democrats publicly and some Republicans behind the scenes.
"I spoke to at least two Republicans today who did not vote for this resolution previously who are thinking about it," Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican who is co-sponsoring the resolution, told a news conference ahead of the vote.
"I can't guarantee you how they vote, but at least two are thinking about it, and some of them are talking publicly about their misgivings over this," Paul said, speaking beside Democratic Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia, another leader of the resolution.
He did not identify the Republicans. Trump's party holds a 53-47-seat majority in the Senate.
08/01/2026 - 11:38
German president says US is destroying world order
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has strongly criticised the US foreign policy under President Trump and urged the world not to let the world order disintegrate into a "den of robbers" where the unscrupulous take what they want.
Although the German president's role is largely ceremonial, his words carry some weight and he has more freedom to express views than politicians.
Describing Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a watershed, Steinmeier said the US behaviour represented a second historic rupture.
"Then there is the breakdown of values by our most important partner, the USA, which helped build this world order," Steinmeier said in remarks at a symposium late on Wednesday.
"It is about preventing the world from turning into a den of robbers, where the most unscrupulous take whatever they want, where regions or entire countries are treated as the property of a few great powers," he said.
Summary of yesterday's news:
- The US on Wednesday seized a Russian oil tanker in the North Atlantic that officials said was part of a shadow fleet carrying oil in violation of US sanctions.
- The US military had pursued the Marinera tanker, formerly named the Bella-1, from the coast of Venezuela, capturing it shortly before seizing a second sanctioned tanker in the Caribbean.
- US President Donald Trump announced plans to relax some sanctions so the US can oversee the sale of Venezuela’s petroleum worldwide.