News Live

Earthquake of magnitude 5.1 - 31 km NW of Archidona, Ecuador

Trump formally nominates Lt. Gen. Donovan, currently the Vice Commander of SOCOM, to lead U.S. Southern Command. Reuters first reported this last week

Today, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctioned several family members and associates of the Maduro-Flores family. This action further targets the narco-corruption structure that sustains Nicolás Maduro’s illegitimate regime, namely the familial networks of Carlos Erik Malpica Flores and Ramon Carretero Napolitano.

Four officials (two military and two police officers) were killed in Santa Cruz de Aragua, after an ambush

Marco Rubio: We are not concerned about an escalation with Russia with regards to Venezuela. We have always expected them to provide rhetorical support for Maduro. They have their hands full in Ukraine

Asked if the US wants regime change in Venezuela, @SecRubio says, "Our goal is regional stability in the national interest of the US. Do we consider Maduro legitimate? - No

Trump said he is not ruling out war with Venezuela, telling NBC News, “I don’t rule it out.”

Southcom: On Dec. 18, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted lethal kinetic strikes on two vessels operated by Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations. A total of five male narco-terrorists were killed during these actions - three in the first vessel and two in the second vessel. No U.S. military forces were harmed. #OpSouthernSpear

Panama's president announces that a direct flight to Caracas carrying Venezuelan migrants will take place next Monday.

Bolivia faces uncertainty and threats of protests after the removal of fuel subsidies in the country

Chevron proceeds with crude oil shipments from Venezuela despite tensions with the U.S., according to Bloomberg

The US Department of State has demanded that Honduras’ National Electoral Council immediately begin a manual count of ballots from last month’s presidential election, which has been stalled by protests and wrangling over alleged fraud

Chinese Foreign Ministry: We support Venezuela's request for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council

Maduro speaks by phone with the UN chief after escalating US threats and blockade announced by Trump

Trump: Drugs brought in by ocean and by sea are now down 94%

Southcom: On Dec. 17, at the direction of @SecWar Pete Hegseth, Joint Task Force Southern Spear conducted a lethal kinetic strike on a vessel operated by a Designated Terrorist Organizations in international waters. Intelligence confirmed that the vessel was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route in the Eastern Pacific and was engaged in narco-trafficking operations. A total of four male narco-terrorists were killed, and no U.S. military forces were harmed.

Venezuelan President Maduro is calling for a "perfect union" with the Colombian military in defense of his country's sovereignty, a move that comes amid the US deployment in Caribbean waters under the pretext of combating drug trafficking. Maduro denounces a "warmongering and colonialist agenda" by the country governed by Donald Trump, who ordered a total blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers. Despite this, the Chavista leader stated that "trade back and forth" of Venezuelan oil will continue.

Venezuela on Wednesday requested that the United Nations Security Council meet to discuss "ongoing U.S. aggression" against the country, according to a letter to the 15-member body seen by Reuters. A U.N. diplomat said a meeting would likely be scheduled for Tuesday

.@POTUS on the Naval blockade on Venezuela: "We're not gonna let anybody going through that shouldn't be going through. They took all of our energy rights—they took all of our oil from not that long ago. they illegally took it

Trump on Venezuela: We want it back. They took our oil rights. We had a lot of oil there. As you know. They threw our companies out and we want it back

Trump: Venezuela took our oil and we want it back after they expelled our companies.

US military aircraft maintain patrols off the Venezuelan coast for the second consecutive day

Trinidad and Tobago asserts that it is not involved in the US blockade of Venezuela.

Following Trump's threat of a total embargo on sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers, Venezuela sent naval escorts to protect ships leaving its ports. The United States is aware of the escorts and is considering options, but has not said what it will do next. Maduro maintains that exports will continue "at any price."

Supreme Court of Justice condemns Trump's blockade announcement as an "attack on sovereignty".

Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA, says oil exports are continuing as normal following US President Trump's announcement of a blockade on Venezuelan tankers.

Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López affirms that the Venezuelan Armed Forces will preserve the country's territorial integrity "at all costs".

A spokesman for the German Foreign Ministry announced that the country's government attaches importance to preventing the escalation of the crisis in Venezuela and the region.

Today, major flooding following heavy rainfall in Petrópolis, Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil

Venezuelan President Maduro proposed organizing protest actions against US "piracy" in various ports around the world.