Latest news with #pro-Maduro
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Maduro pushes Colombia-Venezuela alliance as U.S. doubles bounty for his arrest
Facing the highest reward for a capture ever offered by the United States, Venezuelan ruler Nicolás Maduro is calling on Colombia to join forces against what he describes as escalating aggression from Washington. Maduro offered few details on how his proposed alliance with Colombia's leftist president, Gustavo Petro, would work but suggested enhanced cooperation across both governments, including their armed forces. His comments came days after the U.S. announced a $50 million reward for information leading to Maduro's capture, accusing him of heading one of the world's most dangerous drug trafficking networks. Petro, a former guerrilla fighter, responded swiftly, warning that military aggression against Venezuela would be considered an attack on Colombia. In June, Petro accused U.S. officials—specifically naming Secretary of State Marco Rubio—of leading a plot to overthrow him, a charge he later softened in a letter to President Donald Trump. Maduro reinforced his call for unity during his weekly television program, urging 'cooperation between authorities—governors, mayors, legitimate public officials—to unite two national governments with their ministries, to unite Colombia's military forces with the Bolivarian armed forces.' He argued the union was needed to rid border states of violence and dismantle drug trafficking. Maudro's timing suggested a direct response to Washington's accusations that he is among the top drug kingpins in the world. Flanked by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, Maduro emphasized the loyalty of Venezuela's military and security forces, signaling that the $50 million reward would not weaken their support. He praised the armed forces for defending Venezuela's 'peace and sovereignty,' framing them as defenders against foreign aggression. The public display of unity follows intensified pressure from Washington. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau told Donald Trump Jr. in an interview this week that 'new actions' to pressure Maduro's regime were coming in the 'days and weeks' ahead. Maduro appears determined to recast the U.S. bounty on his capture as a rallying cry rather than a threat. Local news reports say his government has launched an expensive propaganda campaign promoting the message that the situation is under control. Millions of dollars are reportedly being spent on posters, rallies, promotional merchandise and anti-U.S. slogans. Public sector employees and members of the armed forces have been instructed to join pro-Maduro demonstrations, which have drawn participants in Caracas and other major cities. Top officials—including Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, National Assembly head Jorge Rodríguez and Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez—marched alongside loyalists, public workers, and motorcyclist groups in defiant displays following the U.S. announcement of the unprecedented bounty. In revealing the decision to double the existing $25 million reward, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro leads the Cartel of the Suns—a drug trafficking organization embedded in Venezuela's military—and works with groups including Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang, Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel and other transnational criminal networks. Bondi called Maduro 'one of the world's biggest drug traffickers and a threat to our national security,' adding that the bounty increase was aimed at tightening the net around him. Bondi also announced the seizure of over $700 million in assets linked to Maduro, including two private jets, nine vehicles, and several properties. A federal indictment in New York outlines Maduro's alleged ascent in the Cartel of the Suns. According to court filings, after the 2013 death of former president Hugo Chávez, Maduro moved from acting as a facilitator to serving as the cartel's leader, integrating its operations with the Venezuelan state apparatus. Prosecutors allege the cartel's strategy went beyond profits, aiming to export cocaine to the United States. While other top leaders in the Venezuelan regime such as Cabello and Tareck El Aissami were often seen as the cartel's figureheads, new evidence suggests Maduro's role was far more significant than previously believed. The indictment claims the purpose of Venezuela's drug trafficking apparatus goes beyond self-enrichment. The cartel, it says, aimed 'to flood the United States with cocaine and inflict the drug's harmful and addictive effects on users in this country.' U.S. intelligence estimates suggest that more than 250 tons of cocaine pass through Venezuela each year, a figure that may have doubled in recent years due to the economic vacuum created by oil sanctions. The U.S. bounty announcement marked the latest escalation in a long-running standoff between Washington and Caracas. Sanctions, diplomatic isolation and repeated calls for Maduro to step down have failed to dislodge him from power. The reward—now at a historic high—signals a shift toward even more aggressive tactics. Maduro, meantime, is working to project confidence. Analysts believe that by aligning himself closely with Petro and other leftists leaders and attempting to frame the U.S. measures as part of a broader assault on Latin America, he seeks to strengthen regional solidarity and paint Washington as an aggressor. 'While we're dismantling the terrorist plots orchestrated from her country, this woman [Bondi] is coming out with a media circus to please the defeated far right in Venezuela,' said Maduro's foreign minister, Yván Gil, soon after the new reward was annnounced. 'It doesn't surprise us, coming from who she comes from.'
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
High voter abstention expected in Venezuela's upcoming elections
ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay, May 23 (UPI) -- Venezuela will hold regional and parliamentary elections Sunday amid a deep political and economic crisis. High voter abstention is forecast and a divided opposition lacks a unified strategy against the ruling party. María Corina Machado, leader of the opposition Democratic Unitary Platform, who is in hiding from government security forces, has called for a boycott of the vote. She urged Venezuelans not to legitimize what she describes as a fraudulent process. Other opposition leaders, including former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles and Zulia state Gov. Manuel Rosales, have chosen to participate in the vote to preserve political representation. After leading the opposition coalition that secured Edmundo González's victory in the 2024 presidential vote, Machado remains a key figure for many who oppose President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro rejected the election results and held on to power by force. Machado's influence is expected to drive widespread abstention, according to Beatriz Rangel, a former Cabinet minister under President Carlos Andrés Pérez. A recent poll from the Center for Political and Government Studies at Andrés Bello Catholic University found that just 15.9% of Venezuelans plan to vote in the upcoming elections. Of those, 74.2% said they would back pro-Maduro government candidates, while 13.8% expressed support for figures aligned with Rosales and Capriles. The leading reasons cited for abstention include a lack of trust in the National Electoral Council (27.4%), the belief that voting no longer makes a difference (23.9%), and the view that participating would undermine protests against alleged fraud in the most recent presidential election (14.4%). Venezuela's economic situation continues to worsen after a brief period of relative stability. The Venezuelan Finance Observatory reported a 2.7% contraction in the economy during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, citing declining oil production, soaring inflation and reduced domestic consumption. The Economic and Social Research Institute at Andrés Bello Catholic University projects inflation will reach 220% by the end of the year, driven by the depreciation of the bolívar and falling government revenues. The weakened currency has made imported goods more expensive and eroded purchasing power for most Venezuelans. The upcoming elections will decide 285 seats in the National Assembly and 24 regional governorships, most of which are expected to remain under the control of Maduro allies. For the first time, representatives from the disputed Guayana Esequiba region also will be elected, a move that has heightened tensions with Guyana. The Guyanese government has denounced the inclusion as illegal and warned that those participating could face arrest.
UPI
23-05-2025
- Business
- UPI
High voter abstention expected in Venezuela's upcoming elections
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (L), greets supporters with his wife, Congresswoman Cilia Flores, during a campaign closing ceremony in Caracas, Venezuela, on Thursday. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez/EPA-EFE ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay, May 23 (UPI) -- Venezuela will hold regional and parliamentary elections Sunday amid a deep political and economic crisis. High voter abstention is forecast and a divided opposition lacks a unified strategy against the ruling party. María Corina Machado, leader of the opposition Democratic Unitary Platform, who is in hiding from government security forces, has called for a boycott of the vote. She urged Venezuelans not to legitimize what she describes as a fraudulent process. Other opposition leaders, including former presidential candidate Henrique Capriles and Zulia state Gov. Manuel Rosales, have chosen to participate in the vote to preserve political representation. After leading the opposition coalition that secured Edmundo González's victory in the 2024 presidential vote, Machado remains a key figure for many who oppose President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro rejected the election results and held on to power by force. Machado's influence is expected to drive widespread abstention, according to Beatriz Rangel, a former Cabinet minister under President Carlos Andrés Pérez. A recent poll from the Center for Political and Government Studies at Andrés Bello Catholic University found that just 15.9% of Venezuelans plan to vote in the upcoming elections. Of those, 74.2% said they would back pro-Maduro government candidates, while 13.8% expressed support for figures aligned with Rosales and Capriles. The leading reasons cited for abstention include a lack of trust in the National Electoral Council (27.4%), the belief that voting no longer makes a difference (23.9%), and the view that participating would undermine protests against alleged fraud in the most recent presidential election (14.4%). Venezuela's economic situation continues to worsen after a brief period of relative stability. The Venezuelan Finance Observatory reported a 2.7% contraction in the economy during the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, citing declining oil production, soaring inflation and reduced domestic consumption. The Economic and Social Research Institute at Andrés Bello Catholic University projects inflation will reach 220% by the end of the year, driven by the depreciation of the bolívar and falling government revenues. The weakened currency has made imported goods more expensive and eroded purchasing power for most Venezuelans. The upcoming elections will decide 285 seats in the National Assembly and 24 regional governorships, most of which are expected to remain under the control of Maduro allies. For the first time, representatives from the disputed Guayana Esequiba region also will be elected, a move that has heightened tensions with Guyana. The Guyanese government has denounced the inclusion as illegal and warned that those participating could face arrest.
