CARACAS (AP) — Venezuelans are watching the start of a round of U.S.-backed talks between the ruling party and the opposition on Saturday with cautious optimism after several previous negotiations failed to bring reconciliation.
The latest talks follow the January capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, and will focus on strengthening democracy and restoring rights after nearly three decades of socialist rule.
The talks will be led by members of Venezuela's overwhelmingly pro-government National **** embly and a group of former opposition lawmakers who previously attempted to oust Maduro. U.S. officials say they will have a facilitating role.
"I hope these people (the government) finally understand that we won't move forward with the usual arbitrary actions; they must respect agreements," said Soraida Martínez, a 58-year-old homemaker. "Both sides need to make concessions for the good of the country."
Saturday's meeting comes nearly seven weeks after a gathering in Caracas between National **** embly chief Jorge Rodríguez — the brother of Acting President Delcy Rodríguez — and former lawmaker Dinorah Figuera, who briefly returned to Venezuela after nearly eight years in exile.

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Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on Wednesday raised the alarm over Iranian drones believed to be in Cuba.
"Iran has been a consistent threat to the united security interests of our country, certainly of Israel," Bush said during a United Against Nuclear Iran event, serving as the group's chair. "And now, we see that it's not just Israel and the United States, but the Gulf region as well. I also want to point out that the press reports that there are 300 of these [drones] in Cuba."
He said the U.S. has capabilities to protect the country before adding that "drones organize in clusters and can get through the defense capabilities, as we've seen in the Middle East as well."
"I think it's important to recognize that Iran has consistently been working with Cuba, Venezuela prior to the departure of Maduro from the regime, creating instability in not just in Cuba, but certainly in the region," Bush said, referring to deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
He praised the current administration's efforts against Iran's military capabilities, saying "we're on the verge of creating a much more peaceable world by standing up against this aggression."

South America has raised its oil exports more than the U.S. has done so far this year as key producers in the region boosted production and shipments to a world scrambling for crude that’s not dependent on the Strait of Hormuz.
Over the past five years, South America’s biggest producer and exporter, Brazil, has started production at several new offshore platforms in the Santos pre-salt fields. Guyana has continuously increased overseas shipments as the Exxon-led consortium starts up developments at fields in the offshore Stabroek block, where more than 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent have been found over the past decade.
Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru have seen their crude output decline. Venezuela, however, is raising its output after more than six years of crumbling production and exports between the U.S. sanctions on the Venezuelan industry in 2019 and the U.S. capture of Nicolas Maduro early this year.
In the past two months, Venezuela has boosted its oil exports to a seven-year high and is set to further ramp up shipments as U.S.-controlled sales, easing sanctions, and returning international firms lifted Venezuela’s oil production.
The rise of supply from South America couldn’t have come at a better time for these producers—buyers are scrambling for supply that doesn’t need passage through the Strait of Hormuz after the Middle East war crippled exports from the world’s most important exporting region.

It’s a slogan that’s long encapsulated the unique ability of Hugo Chávez's fiercely nationalistic revolution to stay in power in Venezuela for 27 years: “United, we will win!”
The young, the old, ruling party leaders and propagandists alike shout it at official events, street demonstrations and on state television, pumping their fists to show loyalty to the self-described socialist government — and its traditional antipathy toward the United States. Even when confronted with overwhelming truths that defy such bravado, the diverse coalition of military, ideological and opportunistic hangers-on has acted in lockstep.
But cracks in that unity have emerged after the stunning U.S. military operation that captured then- President Nicolás Maduro in January. Longtime loyalists are airing disagreements with the government of acting President Delcy Rodríguez and even discussing publicly rumors that an insider’s betrayal helped the U.S. depose Maduro.
Rodríguez, has done away with some of Chávez’s policies, complied with U.S. demands and shuffled the government to her liking, removing ministers, pushing legislation through the National ******* embly to overhaul the nation's oil industry and releasing political prisoners.
Supporters of Chavismo are making their disapproval known. Many criticize the warming relationship between Rodríguez’s government and the White House, whose occupant, regardless of party, Chavismo has historically seen as its main adversary.

Confused Trump, 79, Forgets Who President He Installed Is

Even President Donald Trump seems to be struggling to keep track of the sheer number of countries he’s waged war with lately.Trump, 79, appeared to forget who the leader he installed in Venezuela was while speaking on Monday—just over two months after he directed the United States military to kidnap the country’s former president, Nicolás Maduro.“Venezuela, who’s been great, by the way, the relationship with Venezuela has been fantastic,” Trump said during a news conference regarding his shuttering of the John F. Kennedy Center for t

Cuba’s leaders just lost an ally in Maduro − if starved of Venezuelan oil, they ...

Footage of a handcuffed Nicolás Maduro being escorted to a Brooklyn detention center will come as uncomfortable viewing for political leaders in Havana.
“Cuba is going to be something we’ll end up talking about,” said President Donald Trump just hours after the Jan. 3, 2026, operation to seize the Venezuelan president. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed Trump’s warning: “If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned.”
As a historian of the United States and Cuba, I believe that Wash

Venezuela's acting president says she has had 'enough' of U.S. orders

Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez said Sunday she has had “enough” of Washington’s orders, as she works to unite the country after the US capture of its former leader Nicolás Maduro.
Rodríguez has been walking a tight-rope since being backed by the US to lead the country in the interim; balancing keeping Maduro loyalists on board at home while trying to ensure the White House is happy.
Now, almost a month into her new role, Rodríguez has pushed back on the US, amid ongoing pressure including a series of deman

Trump says U.S. used secret 'Discombobulator' to disable Venezuela's equipment

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said the U.S. used a secret weapon he called “The Discombobulator” to disable Venezuelan equipment when the U.S. captured Nicolás Maduro. Trump also renewed his threat to conduct military strikes on land against drug cartels, including in Mexico.
Trump made the comments in an interview Friday with the New York Post.
The Republican president was commenting on reports that the U.S. had a pulsed energy weapon and said, “The Discombobulator. I’m not allowed to talk about it.

The government of Nicolás Maduro claims to have millions of troops, enough military power and an efficient anti-aircraft system to counter a possible armed attack by the United States amid accusations that Venezuela’s political leadership leads a “terrorist” drug trafficking cartel.
But does the Maduro administration have enough money to pay for and endure the consequences of a long-term war with the United States after years of economic crisis? Experts doub it, warning of the outcomes that an armed conflict would have in one of the most troubled economies in the world.
The U.S. State Depart

Venezuela slams U.S. military buildup as Trump says he's spoken with Maduro

US President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday he had recently spoken with Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro amid soaring tensions between the two countries, while Caracas slammed what it called US preparations for an attack.
The United States is piling the pressure on Venezuela, with a major military buildup in the Caribbean, the designation of an alleged drug cartel run by Maduro as a terrorist group, and an ominous warning from Trump that Venezuelan airspace is "closed."
Washington says the aim of the military deplo