All posts tagged: Venezuelan

Trump accepts Nobel medal from Venezuelan opposition leader Machado

Trump accepts Nobel medal from Venezuelan opposition leader Machado

Published by Sam Flores

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gave her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday during a White House meeting, as she tries to gain some influence over how the president shapes the South American country’s political future. A White House official confirmed that Trump intends to keep the medal. In a social media post on Thursday evening, Trump wrote: “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!” Machado, who described the meeting as “excellent,” said the gift was in recognition of what she called his commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people. Machado’s attempt to sway Trump came after he dismissed the idea of installing her as Venezuela’s leader to replace the deposed Nicolas Maduro. Trump openly campaigned for the prize before Machado was awarded it last month and complained bitterly when he was snubbed. Though Machado gave Trump the gold medal that honorees receive with the prize, the honor remains hers; the Norwegian Nobel Institute has said the prize cannot be transferred, shared or revoked. Asked on Wednesday if he wanted Machado to give him the …

Venezuelan opponent says she presented her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump during meeting

Venezuelan opponent says she presented her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump during meeting

Published by Sam Flores

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado speaks to reporters as she departs the US Capitol after meeting with US senators in Washington, DC, January 15, 2026. DREW ANGERER / AFP Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she “presented” her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Donald Trump during a meeting with him at the White House on Thursday, January 15. “I presented the president of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize,” Machado told reporters after leaving the White House and heading to Capitol Hill. She said she had done so “as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.” The Nobel Institute, which awarded the prize, had said Machado couldn’t give it to Trump. The White House said before the meeting that, if she tried to do that, whether he accepted it would be entirely up to Trump. Even if it was just symbolic, however, Machado’s gesture was extraordinary given that Trump has dismissed Machado’s credibility to take over leadership of Venezuela after an audacious US military raid that captured then-president …

ICE officer shoots Venezuelan man in Minneapolis

ICE officer shoots Venezuelan man in Minneapolis

Published by Sam Flores

An officer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement shot and wounded a Venezuelan man in Minneapolis on Wednesday evening as he was reportedly fleeing a traffic stop. When officers caught up with the man, he “began to resist and violently assault the officer,” according to a statement shared with The New York Times by Tricia McLaughlin, a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security. According to McLaughlin, two people exited a nearby building and assaulted an ICE officer with a snow shovel and a broom handle. Fearing for his life, the officer fired shots, striking the Venezuelan man in the leg. Both the officer and the unnamed man were taken to a nearby hospital, and the two people who reportedly struck the officer were arrested. Minneapolis city officials said the man’s injuries were “non-life-threatening.” “We understand there is anger. We ask the public to remain calm,” the officials said in a post on X. BREAKING: ICE has just shot another person, this time in North Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com/wg1Av0TVv5 — Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) January 15, 2026 Minneapolis Mayor …

What lies ahead for Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado? | US-Venezuela Tensions News

What lies ahead for Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado? | US-Venezuela Tensions News

Published by Sam Flores

Prioritising stability Questions about Machado’s role in Venezuelan politics emerged within hours of the US operation to remove Maduro, a leader accused of violently suppressing dissent. Machado, 58, had been living in hiding for months after the 2024 election, for fear of facing arrest. But that changed in December, when she escaped abroad to accept the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to advance Venezuelan democracy. Given her longstanding public opposition to Maduro, Machado was widely viewed as a favourite to replace him, should his government ever fall. But when Trump announced the US military operation to remove Maduro, he quickly quashed the prospect of Machado stepping into Venezuela’s presidency. “I think it would be very tough for her to be the leader. She doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country,” Trump said at a news conference hours after the attack. Rather than work with Machado, Trump announced plans to cooperate with Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s vice president. She has since been sworn in as interim president. “She’s essentially willing to …

Maduro’s arrest made this Venezuelan song go viral

Maduro’s arrest made this Venezuelan song go viral

Published by Sam Flores

After Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was seized by United States forces on Jan. 3, one song became a celebratory anthem for many Venezuelan nationals, but it came from an unconventional source: a meme account. The track “Maduro Renuncia” reached the top spot on the Spotify Viral chart in Venezuela, which keeps a daily tab of the 50 most buzz-worthy tracks in the country; chart placement is based on recent song plays, number of shares and new listeners. The upbeat EDM song, in which one high-pitch voice repeatedly chants “Maduro, resign,” as well as obscenities, was created by Venezuelan artist Pupu Records. (The excrement-inspired moniker is indeed his official alias — which provides him a necessary shield of anonymity as he critiques the Venezuelan government through various smutty meme songs.) “Pupu Records is like a facade where everything is a meme, everything is a joke and nothing is serious,” said Pupu Records through a Zoom interview. He preferred not to disclose his real name or current location — although he confirmed his residence outside of Venezuela. …

Trump says no more Venezuelan oil or money to go to Cuba

Trump says no more Venezuelan oil or money to go to Cuba

Published by Sam Flores

Tankers dock at the Matanzas terminal as Cubans brace for worsening fuel shortages after the U.S. seized Venezuela-linked tankers, cutting a vital energy lifeline in Matanzas, Cuba, Jan. 7, 2026. Norlys Perez | Reuters U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said no more Venezuelan oil or money will go to Cuba and suggested the Communist-run island should strike a deal with Washington, ramping up pressure on the long-time U.S. nemesis and provoking defiant words from the island’s leadership. Venezuela is Cuba’s biggest oil supplier, but no cargoes have departed from Venezuelan ports to the Caribbean country since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces in early January amid a strict U.S. oil blockade on the OPEC country, shipping data shows. Meanwhile, Caracas and Washington are progressing on a $2 billion deal to supply up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil to the U.S. with proceeds to be deposited in U.S. Treasury-supervised accounts, a major test of the emerging relationship between Trump and interim President Delcy Rodriguez. “THERE WILL BE NO MORE …

War Profiteers Furious After Polymarket Refuses to Pay Out on Venezuelan Invasion Bets

War Profiteers Furious After Polymarket Refuses to Pay Out on Venezuelan Invasion Bets

Published by José Betancourt

Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Getty Images Nearly a week after US strikes bombarded Venezuela during the kidnapping of its president Nicolás Maduro, betting platform Polymarket is refusing to pay out users who gambled on the invasion of Venezeula. Polymarket is a controversial prediction market where users can gamble on the outcome of real-world events, like who will win a certain election, or which side will control a certain village in the Ukraine-Russo war by a pre-specified date. In this particular wager, Polymarket was supposed to pay out if “the United States commences a military offensive intended to establish control over any portion of Venezuela,” a determination to be made by “a consensus of credible sources,” the New York Times reported. To those who wagered on such an outcome, the events of January 3rd were proof positive that an invasion had taken place. Instead, Polymarket came out with a statement arguing the opposite. “This market refers to US military operations intended to establish control,” the note declares. “President Trump’s statement that they will …

Latin American left responds to Trump’s pledge to take over of Venezuelan oil : NPR

Latin American left responds to Trump’s pledge to take over of Venezuelan oil : NPR

Published by Sam Flores

Latin America’s left is in disarray after the seizure of Nicolas Maduro and the U.S.’s pledge to take over Venezuela’s oil industry. Many on the left are changing their rhetoric about President Trump. SACHA PFEIFFER, HOST: Latin America has been swept up in a rapid chain of events over the past week. That’s following the U.S. incursion into Venezuela and the removal of its president, Nicolás Maduro. President Trump is projecting U.S. power across the region on a scale not seen since the United States invaded Panama nearly four decades ago. But the response from some of Latin America’s most strident leftist leaders has been subdued. NPR’s Carrie Kahn reports. (SOUNDBITE OF DRUMS) CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Supporters of Colombian President Gustavo Petro streamed into downtown Bogota last week, heeding Petro’s calls to defend the nation’s sovereignty. (SOUNDBITE OF NOISEMAKERS) KAHN: After U.S. forces seized Venezuela’s Maduro, President Trump hinted that Colombia and Petro, who Trump had accused of being a drug trafficker, could be the next target for U.S. military action. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) …