Despite the tensions, Venezuela reaffirmed its commitment to collaborate with the emerging superpowers that make up BRICS. On Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro responded to Brazil’s decision to veto his country’s entry into BRICS, calling this veto a “hostile action” that contradicts the spirit of integration that this economic cooperation group promotes. Consequently, the Bolivarian leader demanded an explanation from Brazilian President Lula da Silva.
Executed by Brazilian Ambassador Eduardo Paes Saboia, the veto aligned with policies applied during the presidency of Jair Bolsonaro (2019-2022), a far-right politician who promoted international “exclusion and intolerance” toward Venezuela. “When the list of new BRICS member countries was announced, Eduardo Paes Saboia, a functionary with a dark Bolsonarist background, admitted that the government of Lula da Silva indeed vetoed Venezuela,” Maduro stated. He also recalled that the Brazilian Foreign Affairs Ministry, known as Itamaraty, has a history of decisions aligned with U.S. interests. This stance has its roots in the historic influence of the U.S. Department of State over Brazilian diplomacy, tracing back to the 1964 coup against then-President Joao Goulart.
Despite what happened, Maduro highlighted Venezuela’s ties with BRICS member countries and the importance of its bilateral agenda with nations such as China, Russia, and India.
COP16: Gustavo Petro rejects economic blockade imposed by the US on Venezuela
Petro underscored the difficult conditions faced by the Venezuelan population due to these unilateral measures, asserting that “Venezuela is blocked.” The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, expressed his rejection of the economic blockade imposed by the United States on Venezuela during the inauguration of the high-level segment of the United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP16) in Cali. In his speech, Petro stated that “the massive migration of Venezuelans to the U.S. is a direct consequence of the economic sanctions imposed by Washington on Caracas.” He highlighted that over three million Venezuelans have migrated, emphasizing that “we are not frightened because we consider them our brothers.”
Venezuela rejects Brazilian government interference
On Wednesday, Venezuela’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Acting Head of Mission of the Federative Republic of Brazil to express its rejection of the “repeated interference” from the Brazilian government. Venezuelan Minister Criticizes Brazil’s BRICS Membership Block as a Threat to Its Global Influence. More specifically, the Bolivarian diplomats referred to statements made by President Lula da Silva’s Foreign Affairs Advisor, Celso Amorim, “who, behaving more like a messenger of the U.S. imperialism, has devoted himself impertinently to making value judgments on matters that pertain solely to Venezuelans and their democratic institutions.”
The Bolivarian authorities also condemned anti-Latin American attitudes that contradict the fundamental principles of regional integration among the nations of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). These attitudes became evident through Brazil’s veto of Venezuela’s inclusion in the list of associate members of BRICS, the economic cooperation group originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
Venezuela stands in solidarity with Spain amid DANA disaster
The Government of Venezuela expressed its solidarity with Spain on Wednesday regarding the deaths and damages caused by floods resulting from the phenomenon known as DANA (Isolated Depression at High Levels) in the south and east of the European country, where at least 95 deaths have been reported. The Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Yván Gil, lamented the events in Spain through a statement on his Telegram channel. In the message, he stated: “We express our deep sorrow to the people and government of Spain for the tragic loss of human life and damage caused by devastating floods in the south and east of the country, especially in the Valencian Community.” Gil also conveyed his condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims, along with a message of encouragement to those conducting search and rescue operations for individuals still missing and at risk during these critical hours. Additionally, he offered Venezuela’s support in this difficult situation.
Venezuela condemns the blockade against Cuba and expresses solidarity at the UN
In a strong statement from the General Assembly of the United Nations, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro condemned the economic blockade imposed on Cuba by the United States, reaffirming Venezuela’s unwavering support for the Caribbean Island. On this occasion, 187 countries joined together to demand the lifting of sanctions that severely affect the Cuban people. “Today, for the thirty-second time, 187 countries raise our voices in the General Assembly to demand the lifting of U.S. sanctions. Cuba deserves, and has earned, the right to choose its path to develop in peace and with total freedom,” Maduro declared in his speech. The Venezuelan leader extended his solidarity to President Miguel Díaz-Canel and General of Armies Raúl Castro, as well as to all Cubans who continue to fight for their sovereignty and well-being. “On behalf of Venezuela, I express my willingness to continue opening paths and creating formulas that allow us to advance in the search for concrete solutions that lead us to the integral well-being of our nations,” he added.
Venezuela boots tourism with new historical routes and exceptional growth
In a context of increasing interest in tourism in The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro has announced the creation of historical routes throughout the country. This initiative aims to strengthen the tourism sector, which has experienced a remarkable growth of 108% compared to the previous year. During the presentation of the National Tourism Award, held at the iconic Hotel Humboldt, the president emphasized the importance of diversifying tourism offerings and attracting more international visitors. The Minister of Popular Power for Tourism, Leticia Gómez, revealed that to date, 1,588,000 international tourists have entered the country in 2024.
Venezuela: President Maduro celebrates first anniversary of the great Women’s Mission
In the context of the first anniversary of the creation of the Great Mission for Women, President Nicolás Maduro recognized the important role of Venezuelan women in Bolivarian society and stressed that this issue is “central to the country’s political and cultural agenda”. The Venezuela Women’s Great Mission has demonstrated the justeza of its birth, its existence and the power that “today is having in the Venezuelan reality».
The official also indicated that it was essential that the movement in favor of feminist causes should be organized, a topic he discussed with the Minister for Popular Power for Women and Gender Equality, Jhoanna Carrillo. “We have to go in search of all the women who want to be protagonists of this new story… the search to tell women: come we go together”, Maduro stressed.
The Venezuelan president recalled the struggles of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, in which discrimination against women was prevalent during the period specifically of the Fourth Republic. In that sense, he highlighted that it was thanks to the legacy of the Bolivarian Revolution, with Hugo Chávez at the head, that “everything changed and made the issue of women, equality, their rights, the new feminism of the 21st century a central issue on the country’s political and cultural agenda”.
Venezuela rejects Colombian foreign Minister’s statements
On Thursday, Venezuelan Foreign Affairs Minister Yvan Gil condemned the diplomatic stance of Colombian Foreign Minister Luis Murillo, emphasizing that Venezuela will no longer tolerate an attitude of disparagement. “They have turned Colombian diplomacy into microphone diplomacy. Enough talking about Venezuela! From here, we can give the world lessons in true democracy,” the Bolivarian diplomat said.
“We will not tolerate one more word about Bolívar’s homeland. They will deeply regret the consequences; we have already warned them. Stop the chatter crafted from the North!” he added. Previously, the Colombian FM Murillo stated that “diplomacy requires balance and mutual respect. President Gustavo Petro’s stance, which has not changed and remains the same from the beginning, is guided by principles, not by threats or external pressures.”
Musk spent $1bn on coup attempt – Maduro
The billionaire distributed the money to “fascists” through opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan leader has claimed.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has accused tech tycoon Elon Musk of “investing” at least $1 billion in inciting violence in the South American country after the presidential election earlier this year. Maduro was declared the winner of the July 28 poll by the national election authorities, though the US claimed that victory had been stolen from opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.
The Venezuelan leader named his political opponent, businesswoman Maria Corina Machado, as the distributor of the alleged funding to “fascist” groups, claiming that the US government was ultimately behind attempts to oust him from power. US policy has long been to put economic and political pressure on Venezuela in an attempt to replace its government. For years, Washington and other Western nations recognized opposition politician Juan Guaido rather than Maduro as leader of Venezuela. This allowed the US-backed figure to press claims on Venezuelan national assets in Western jurisdictions, including stakes in oil companies on US soil and gold reserves held in the Bank of England.
Musk has previously expressed support for removing foreign governments in pursuit of his corporate interests. In July 2020, he was challenged online with a claim that Washington had orchestrated a coup against Bolivian President Evo Morales so that his electric car company, Tesla, could secure access to the country’s rich lithium reserves. Musk responded with a post: “We will coup whoever we want! Deal with it.”
Venezuela and India: A budding energy and multipolar partnership
The Venezuelan Executive Vice President and Minister of Petroleum, Delcy Rodríguez, visited the Republic of India after having accompanied President Nicolás Maduro to the XVI BRICS Summit in Russia, where Venezuela deployed its diplomacy in a scenario of consolidation of the multipolar paradigm. The meeting in India is a further step in the construction of Venezuela’s ties with strategic actors that are defining the current course of the global economy and the dynamics of international relations. Venezuela has in India a partner that is a high consumer of hydrocarbons, justified by the economic growth – industrial and technological – that has been developing since the dawn of the 21st century, with great interests in energy investment, and characterized by active diplomacy in favor of its sovereign interests despite having a close relationship with the United States – and Israel.
The work agenda focused mainly on the energy area, in which Indians have the greatest interest, but the agreements between the two nations and the strategic projects of the future were also reviewed. Subsequently, the senior Venezuelan official had a meeting, in her capacity as Minister of Oil, with her counterpart in the sector, Hardeep Singh Puri. The Indian minister reported, through his account in X, that “in an interesting conversation with the dignitary of Venezuela, a country where Indian companies have invested close to one billion dollars, we discussed the way forward for our investments.”
President Maduro announces direct flights with China to attract one million Chinese tourists to Venezuela
The president announced that they will work to guarantee flights from China to Venezuela and from Venezuela to China, with the aim of attracting one million Chinese tourists to the country’s tourist spots. He invited the world to get to know the tepuis, landscapes and rivers of the Gran Sabana, highlighting that “we have the wonders of the oldest region on the planet, such as the Gran Sabana and the Canaima National Park, which is just a point in a natural wonder,” he said. In addition, the head of state indicated that tourism services are being developed to turn the Catatumbo Lightning into a great tourist focus, transcending the Venezuelan, Latin American and Caribbean borders. He also recalled the recovery of the historic Humboldt Hotel, one of the most important investments in hotels, which was ordered by Supreme Commander Hugo Chávez.
Venezuela consolidates its position as a tourist destination with a growth of 108% in 2024
“So far in 2024, one million 588 thousand international tourists have entered the country, exceeding this year’s goal,” reported the Minister of People’s Power for Tourism, Leticia Gómez, at the III edition of the National Tourism Award 2024, held this Wednesday, October 29 at Hotel Humboldt.
In this regard, she stressed that this represents a growth of 108% compared to the same period in 2023, and expects that, by the end of 2024, almost 2 million arrivals will be registered in Venezuela in December.Gómez stressed that his office works daily to transform the entire tourism system into a productive mechanism for the country, positively impacting the national economy with master plans and the development of the Tourism Engine, which has grown exponentially during the last 14 quarters. “Tourism continues to enter among the engines of the economy, which continues to grow steadily,” he said.
Commenting on the organization of the tourism model in the nation, she mentioned the coordination with the International Center for Productive Investment (CIIP) to develop plans in Margarita, Mochima and La Tortuga, among other areas of natural beauty. He also highlighted the progress in international alliances for the management of Venetur hotels, which will be delivered in the short term. She ratified the arrival of tourists from Cuba, China, Russia and other countries, and mentioned the existence of a Venetur office in Moscow, following an instruction from President Maduro.
