A chronological record of Venezuela's political news
Stories originally published by Diario Las Américas, ordered by original publication date.
Linked source — headline, our own summary and a link to the original.
Visit Diario Las AméricasDonald Trump announced on January 3, 2026, that US forces had captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and taken them out of Venezuela after a large-scale military operation. Delcy Rodríguez, then vice president, said she did not know their whereabouts and demanded proof of life.
After the pre-dawn bombings of January 3, 2026, and Nicolás Maduro's capture by the US, thousands of Venezuelans lined up at supermarkets and pharmacies to stock up, while streets were largely empty and chavista supporters rallied in squares against the operation.
Economists interviewed by Diario Las Américas place Venezuela, at the close of 2025, on the threshold of hyperinflation: inflation projections range from over 280% to over 750%, with a sharp fall of the bolívar, despite slight oil-driven GDP growth. They argue that recovery requires a change of government.
Donald Trump ordered on December 16, 2025, a blockade of sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, days after the US seized a tanker off the Venezuelan coast. Trump said the naval deployment will keep growing; the Maduro government called the measure "irrational".
Donald Trump announced on September 2, 2025, that US forces struck a boat in the Caribbean that had left Venezuela and, according to Washington, carried Tren de Aragua drugs, killing all 11 people aboard. The White House released video; it was the first strike since the US naval deployment in the region.
The UN World Food Programme announced on August 20, 2025, that for lack of funds it will halve its projects in Venezuela and stop operating in five states. It was assisting about 400,000 people; the UN estimates that four million need food aid.
The Maduro government confirmed on July 18, 2025, the release from prison of 80 political prisoners, under a deal with the US that included the return of 252 Venezuelans held in El Salvador's Cecot prison and the release of 10 Americans. They include Williams Dávila; prisoners' advocates demand full freedom for all.
Opposition leader Juan Pablo Guanipa, an associate of María Corina Machado, was arrested in Caracas on May 23, 2025, two days before regional and legislative elections. Minister Diosdado Cabello accused him of leading an alleged network to sabotage the vote; other arrests of opposition figures and activists were reported.
In April 2025 Maduro decreed a 60-day economic emergency with ten fiscal and tax measures, including the suspension of national, state and municipal taxes, citing lost revenue from oil sanctions. Specialists consulted by the outlet warn that it concentrates power, weakens municipalities and businesses, and bypasses legislative oversight.
The Maduro government halved public-sector working hours for six weeks from March 24, 2025, to save electricity, citing low reservoir levels in the Andes. Experts interviewed by Diario Las Américas blame the power crisis on years of mismanagement, lack of maintenance and corruption.
About 40 retirees and pensioners protested on March 13, 2025, outside the Ombudsman's Office in Caracas to demand a raise. The Social Security pension, 130 bolívars and unchanged since 2022, was worth US$1.96 a month; pensioners do not receive the bonuses that supplement public-sector pay.
Nicolás Maduro was sworn in on January 10, 2025, for a third consecutive six-year term, declared winner of the July 28 election by the electoral council and the Supreme Court. The opposition says its tally sheets show Edmundo González Urrutia won. The outlet says Machado was briefly held the day before; the government denies it.
