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 AméricasNightly protests with burning tires and pot-banging are spreading in Venezuela against power rationing of seven to 12 hours a day, as the oil sector opens to investment. According to Delcy Rodríguez, demand peaked at 16,400 megawatts in September, the highest since 2017; experts estimate the country generates about 12,000.
The UN Human Rights Council extended on October 6, 2026, for two years the mandate of its independent fact-finding mission on Venezuela, by 25 votes to 5 with 17 abstentions. Its latest report says the repression apparatus remains in place after Maduro's fall; Venezuela's delegation opposed the renewal.
María Corina Machado backed on social media Republican Senator Bernie Moreno's proposal, made in a Fox News interview, to hold Venezuela's presidential election on July 24, 2027, Simón Bolívar's birthday. There is no official call or announced electoral calendar.
The official toll from the two June 24 earthquakes, of magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, reached 6,509 dead, National Assembly president Jorge Rodríguez reported on August 24, 2026; 25,240 homes are uninhabitable. The NGO Provea questioned the choice of a National Guard general as sole authority for the emergency.
Chavismo and the opposition agreed on August 12, 2026, at the close of the first US-backed dialogue round, to renew the entire Supreme Court bench through a new nomination process. They also agreed to jointly seek the recovery of Venezuelan gold held at the Bank of England.
A study by the NGO FundaRedes, presented on August 4, 2026, says 80% of public-school pupils suffer some degree of malnutrition, schools face a 74% teacher shortfall and 56% of students report suicidal thoughts. Its president, Javier Tarazona, called for the education minister's resignation.
An earthquake of magnitude 7.1, according to preliminary US Geological Survey data, struck central Venezuela on June 24, 2026, centered near Montalbán, Carabobo state. Injuries were reported in Guatire, and cracked buildings and evacuations in Caracas; there was no official toll yet.
The US chargé d'affaires in Venezuela and Electricity Minister Rolando Alcalá agreed on May 14, 2026, to move forward with a three-phase, US-backed plan to rebuild the national power grid. That same day, new supply failures were reported in Caracas and other regions.
The IMF and the World Bank resumed relations with Venezuela on April 16, 2026, under acting president Delcy Rodríguez, after suspending them in 2019 over the dispute about which government to recognize. The IMF said it acted on the views of members holding most of its voting power.
Acting president Delcy Rodríguez replaced Vladimir Padrino López, defense minister for over 11 years, with General Gustavo González López, former head of the Sebin and DGCIM intelligence services, who is sanctioned by the US, Canada and Switzerland over human rights violations. Human rights advocates criticized the appointment.
Hundreds of workers, union members and retirees marched on March 12, 2026, in Caracas and other cities to demand wage increases and, for the first time in years, reached the National Assembly to deliver their demands. The minimum wage remains 130 bolívars (about US$0.29), unchanged for four years.
Venezuela's Central Bank, which resumed publishing the figure after more than a year, reported on March 6, 2026, that 2025 inflation was 475%. Food rose 532% and education 570%; the bank also reported GDP growth of about 9%, driven by oil.
