13/01/2013 | Argentina

CFK in Abu Dhabi, first stop of Asian tour

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner arrived to the United Arab Emirates in the first stop for her Asian tour which includes visits to Vietnam and Indonesia as part of an eleven day-long official trip. CFK first visit was to Cuba, where she met with family members of ailing Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez.

05/03/2013 | Argentina

CFK in Venezuela for Chávez's wake

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner cancelled her activities after being informed about the death of her Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chávez, and will head to Venezuela tomorrow morning.

07/03/2013 | Argentina

CFK pays last visit to Chavez’s funeral before returning home

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner decided to pay a last visit, at noon, to the Military Hospital in Caracas, where the remains of Hugo Chávez lies, to then return to Buenos Aires. "I didn't come here to bid farewell to a President, but to a friend," she stated in her Twitter account.

08/10/2012 | Argentina

CFK takes to social networks to congratulate Chávez

President Cristina Fernández said she spoke with her Venezuelan counterpart after he found out of his reelection and congratulated him for this victory.

08/01/2013 | Argentina

Government confirms CFK will visit Chávez in Cuba

The national government confirmed today that Cristina Fernández de Kirchner will travel to Cuba this week, where she will likely visit Hugo Chávez, although she is also expected to take part in a ‘virtual assumption’ ceremony for the leader in Caracas on Thursday.

10/01/2013 | Argentina

Gov't announces Mitre, Sarmiento carriages to be replaced

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner announced in a televised speech that all the coaches of the Sarmiento and Mitre train lines will be renovated. She also criticized City Mayor Mauricio Macri and said she considers a $3.80 subway fare "outrageous."

01/12/2011 | Argentina

Chávez surprises CFK with Kirchner painting

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez surprised Cristina Fernández de Kirchner when he announced the creation of the Néstor Kirchner room while they were holding a bilateral meeting at the Palace of Miraflores in Caracas. He also unveiled a painting, created by himself, showing the face of her late husband sitting next to the Bolivarian leader..

03/12/2011 | Argentina

CFK back in Buenos Aires after CELAC summit

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner arrived back to Buenos Aires early this morning, after her participation the first Community for Latin American and Caribbean States CELAC summit in Venezuela, where she held meetings with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and her Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff.

03/08/2012 | Argentina

Argentina, Venezuela ratify YPF-PDVSA strategic alliance

Argentina and Venezuela gave their first step in the creation of an energy strategic alliance between oil companies YPF and PDVSA, after the agreement signed by President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chávez, in Brasilia last Tuesday.

24/10/2011 | Argentina

World leaders congratulate CFK

Phone calls and official statements have been pouring in since yesterday when Cristina Fernández de Kirchner became not only first women to run Argentina, but also the first one to do it twice. World leaders rushed to congratulate her and show support for her second term.

30/11/2011 | Argentina

CFK flies to Caracas, to meet with Chávez, Rousseff

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner is en route to Caracas, Venezuela where she will meet with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez and her Brazilian counterpart, Dilma Rousseff.

01/12/2011 | Argentina

CFK, Chávez sign bilateral agreements

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner attended a bilateral meeting with her Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez at the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, where they both signed several bilateral cooperation agreements.

29/03/2011 | Argentina

CFK meets with Chávez, underlines role of UNASUR

During a joint press conference held earlier, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez discussed the importance of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), as well as signing economic integration agreements, and discussing bilateral ties.

29/03/2011 | Argentina

‘Cristina is the woman that this country needs,’ Chávez assures

While speaking at a ceremony in La Plata in which he was honoured with a journalism award, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez showed his support for President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her potential reelection in October by assuring that “she is the woman this country needs in order for the ship to maintain a steady course.”

29/03/2011 | Argentina

In the wings with the Bolivarian showman

Herald staff.- Venezuela’s President, Hugo Chávez, began his Latin American tour in Government House’s White Salon unpunctually yesterday morning, accompanied by his Argentine counterpart Cristina Fernández de Kirchner.

05/03/2013 | World

The world reacts to Chávez's death

The announcement made by Vice-President Nicolás Maduro about the death of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, 58-years-old, immediately hit the global press.

05/03/2013 | World

After Chávez, Obama says seeks 'constructive relationship' with Venezuela

President Barack Obama today said the United States is interested in starting a new relationship with Venezuela after the death of its socialist president, Hugo Chávez.

06/03/2012 | World

US watchful for ‘potential turbulence’ in Venezuela

United States Air Force Commander, General Douglas Fraser, in charge of the US Southern Command, stated before Congress that the Department of Defence is “watchful for potential geopolitical turbulence that could impact US citizens,” and highlighted the uncertainties of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez health and economic instability.

22/07/2012 | World

Chávez says election rival and Romney want to subjugate Venezuela

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez compared his election rival to "far-right" US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, saying both men wanted to subjugate the country under capitalism and crush his socialist "revolution."

24/01/2013 | World

Spain's El País apologises for fake Chávez photo

Spain's El País newspaper withdrew what it said was "false photo of Hugo Chávez" that it had published in its on-line and print editions today.

14/12/2010 | World

Chávez's decree move enrages Venezuela opposition

Venezuela's parliament gave preliminary approval for President Hugo Chávez to rule South America's top oil producer by decree for a year, prompting opposition accusations that the socialist leader is behaving like a dictator.

03/03/2011 | World

Venezuela talks up Chavez's Libya peace plan

Venezuela pushed a vague peace plan for Libya, saying President Hugo Chavez's friend Muammar Gaddafi was in favor of foreign mediation.

16/11/2011 | World

Obama kisses Chávez in Benetton ad campaign

Italian store Benetton launched its new ad campaign with photo montages showing the Pope kissing the imam of Cairo's al-Azhar, Ahmed el Tayeb, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez also kissing his US counterpart Barack Obama in the name of the fight “against hate.”

02/04/2013 | Latin America

At Chávez's birthplace, Maduro vows to win Venezuela vote

Venezuelan acting President Nicolás Maduro made a pilgrimage to late socialist leader Hugo Chávez's birthplace and pledged to win the April 14 election in his honor.

14/04/2013 | Latin America

Expectation grows in Venezuela as future of 'Chavista' populism is decided

Venezuelans voted on whether to honor Hugo Chavez's dying wish for a longtime loyalist to continue his self-styled socialist revolution or hand power to a young challenger promising business-friendly changes.

15/04/2013 | Latin America

Tight win for Maduro in Venezuela elections

Late socialist leader Hugo Chávez's chosen successor Nicolás Maduro won Venezuela's presidential election by a whisker but now faces opposition protests plus a host of economic and political challenges in the OPEC nation.

11/03/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela's Capriles joins race, tussles with Maduro

Venezuela's opposition leader vowed to fight late Hugo Chávez's preferred successor for the presidency next month and the pair quickly locked horns in an angry war of words.

17/03/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela's Maduro urges Obama to halt 'plot' against rival

Venezuela's acting president urged US President Barack Obama to stop what he called a plot by the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency to kill his opposition rival and trigger a coup ahead of an April 14 election.

20/03/2013 | Latin America

Capriles mocks Maduro as non-entity

Fighting an uphill battle in Venezuela's election, opposition leader Henrique Capriles scoffs at acting president and rival Nicolás Maduro as a non-entity riding on the memory of Hugo Chávez to hide his own incompetence.

08/03/2013 | Latin America

More than 30 world leaders honor Chávez at funeral

Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Cuba's Raul Castro joined about 30 other heads of state at Hugo Chávez's funderal in an emotional farewell to the charismatic but divisive Venezuelan leader who changed the face of politics in South America.

08/03/2013 | Latin America

Maduro takes office, as opposition questions SC sentence

09/03/2013 | Latin America

As Venezuelans mourn Chavez, election expected in April

Venezuela will likely hold a presidential election in mid-April, multiple sources from the opposition and election board said although some in the government were pushing for the symbolic April 13 anniversary of Hugo Chávez's return to power after a short-lived 2002 coup.

06/03/2013 | Latin America

Venezuelans bid farewell to Chávez

07/03/2013 | Latin America

Chávez's last words: 'Please don't let me die'

President Hugo Chávez died of a massive heart attack after great suffering and inaudibly mouthed his desire to live, the head of Venezuela's presidential guard said.

07/03/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez to be embalmed for public view

06/03/2013 | Latin America

Venezuelans mourn Chávez as focus turns to election

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's death has unleashed a flood of emotional tributes that his allies hope will help ensure the survival of his self-styled socialist revolution when voters elect a successor.

06/03/2013 | Latin America

Stunned Cuba ponders future without Chávez

06/03/2013 | Latin America

Venezuelans react on the streets of Caracas

Venezuelans react on the streets of Caracas after the death of President Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías.

05/03/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela's military vows loyalty to Maduro

05/03/2013 | Latin America

Hugo Chávez's life in pictures

05/03/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela opposition leader urges unity, offers condolences

Opposition leader Henrique Capriles called for unity among Venezuelans and offered condolences to Hugo Chávez's family and supporters after the president's death today.

05/03/2013 | Latin America

Supporters of Chávez devastated by his health setback

Venezuela's political and military leaders gathered at the presidential palace and supporters wept after the government said President Hugo Chávez suffered a serious setback in his battle against cancer.

05/03/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela's Hugo Chávez dies

Venezuelan President Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías died after a two-year battle with cancer. Venezuelans will vote for a new president in 30 days and Vice President Nicolas Maduro will temporarily assume power.

05/03/2013 | Latin America

Factbox: Chávez, 14 years in power

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez died today after his battle with cancer, ending the socialist leader's extraordinary 14-year rule of the OPEC nation.

23/02/2013 | Latin America

Maduro says Chávez gives written orders

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez remains breathing through a tracheal tube and communicates via written messages, ordering government's decisions from the hospital in Caracas, Vice-President Nicolás Maduro reported today.

03/03/2013 | Latin America

'Chávez in good spirits though ups and downs,' Bolivia's Morales

Bolivian president, Evo Morales, says his Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chávez, is in stable conditions but still suffering from ups and downs in his recovery from a fourth round of surgery for cancer.

04/03/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela says Chávez's breathing problems have worsened

President Hugo Chávez's breathing problems have worsened and the socialist leader is suffering a new, severe respiratory infection after cancer surgery in Cuba, Venezuela's government said today.

13/02/2013 | Latin America

VP says Venezuela's Chávez having 'alternative' cancer treatment

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is undergoing "complex" alternative treatments more than two months after having cancer surgery in Cuba, his vice president said.

18/02/2013 | Latin America

Re-elected Correa vows media and land reforms

Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa vowed today to press ahead with laws to control the media and redistribute land to the poor as he looks to deepen his socialist revolution after a resounding re-election victory.

21/02/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez still suffers breathing problems

Venezuela's cancer-stricken president, Hugo Chávez, is still suffering respiratory problems after his operation in Cuba more than two months ago, the government said.

23/01/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela's VP says he's target of assassination plot

Venezuelan Vice President Nicolás Maduro said unidentified groups had entered the country with the aim of assassinating him and the head of the National Assembly as President Hugo Chávez recovers from cancer in Cuba.

04/02/2013 | Latin America

Fidel Castro says Chávez improving after tough cancer fight

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro said Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is getting "much better" as he recovers from cancer surgery almost two months ago in Havana, Communist Party newspaper Granma reported today.

12/02/2013 | Latin America

Cuba tones down Castro's positive words on Chávez health

More than a week after former leader Fidel Castro was quoted in Cuban media as saying Venezuela's cancer-stricken President Hugo Chávez was "much better," the Communist Party newspaper published a different, toned down version of his comments.

15/01/2013 | Latin America

Maduro stands in for Venezuela's ailing Chávez in key speech

Venezuelan Vice President Nicolás Maduro gave a brief state of the nation address today in place of his ailing boss, Hugo Chávez, who has not been seen in public since going to Cuba for cancer surgery more than a month ago.

16/01/2013 | Latin America

'Talk to us,' Venezuela's Capriles urges Chávez

Venezuela's opposition leader, Henrique Capriles, called today for a proof of life from ailing President Hugo Chávez who has not been seen since cancer surgery in Cuba five weeks ago.

22/01/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez has no return date yet says minister

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez does not have a date for his return from Cuba despite "encouraging" news on his recovery from cancer surgery, Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said.

09/01/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela court endorses Chávez inauguration delay

Venezuela's top court endorsed the postponement of Hugo Chavez's inauguration this week and ruled that the cancer-stricken president remained the South American OPEC nation's leader.

10/01/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela's sick Chávez misses own inauguration bash

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez remained on his sickbed in Cuba today while thousands of supporters rallied in his honor on the day he should have been sworn in for a new six-year term in the South American OPEC nation.

13/01/2013 | Latin America

Chávez's medical evolution 'favorable,' Venezuelan gov't says

Cancer-stricken Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's lung infection has been controlled and his medical condition is developing positively, more than a month after his latest surgery in Cuba, the government said.

04/01/2013 | Latin America

Chávez swearing-in can be delayed, Venezuelan VP says

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's formal swearing-in for a new six-year term scheduled for Jan. 10 can be postponed if he is unable to attend due to his struggle to recover from cancer surgery, his vice-president said today.

05/01/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela lawmakers elect Chávez ally as Assembly chief

Venezuelan lawmakers re-elected a staunch ally of Hugo Chávez as leader of the National Assembly today, putting him in line to be caretaker president if the socialist leader does not recover from cancer surgery.

08/01/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela opposition furious over likely Chávez inauguration delay

Venezuela's opposition has accused the government of violating the constitution by proposing to delay cancer-stricken President Hugo Chávez's inauguration Thursday for a new term amid growing uncertainty over the polarized OPEC nation's political future.

01/01/2013 | Latin America

Venezuelan VP says Chávez 'absolutely aware of his situation'

Venezuelan Vice-President Nicolás Maduro stated during an interview that President Hugo Chávez is "aware of the complex situation he is going through," and blasted the press over the rumours about of his condition.

02/01/2013 | Latin America

Venezuela's opposition demands 'whole truth' about Chávez health

Venezuela's opposition demanded the government tell "the whole truth" about the health of cancer-stricken President Hugo Chávez, who has not been heard from in three weeks after undergoing a grueling operation in Cuba.

03/01/2013 | Latin America

Chávez still has 'severe' respiratory problem

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is still suffering from a lung infection that has hindered his breathing as he battles to recover from Dec. 11 cancer surgery, the government said today.

18/12/2012 | Latin America

Chávez stable after respiratory infection, gov't says

Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez is in "stable" condition in Cuba after being treated for a respiratory infection following cancer surgery a week ago, the government said today.

20/12/2012 | Latin America

Chávez 'awake' and 'in good conditions'

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is conscious and recovering a week after a cancer surgery he underwent in Cuba, and "in good conditions" after suffering a respiratory infection, according to Vice-President Nicolás Maduro.

30/12/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez in 'delicate' condition after surgery, VP Maduro says

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez suffered more complications linked to a respiratory infection that hit him after his fourth cancer operation in Cuba, the vice president said in a somber broadcast.

14/12/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez in satisfactory condition

Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez is recovering "satisfactorily" from his cancer surgery in Cuba although the process remains slow, Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said today.

15/12/2012 | Latin America

Chávez has 'full intellectual capacity' after surgery

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has recovered "full intellectual capacity" after a six-hour cancer operation in Cuba this week, an official said today, but offered few details on the socialist firebrand's physical condition.

16/12/2012 | Latin America

With absent Chávez, Capriles holds seat in Venezuela state elections

Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles held his governorship post in state elections, leaving him well placed to challenge the government, should President Hugo Chavez's cancer necessitate a new presidential vote.

09/12/2012 | Latin America

Chávez suffers cancer recurrence, names potential successor

Venezuela's President Hugo Chaáez returns to Cuba for more surgery after a recurrence of cancer led him to name a successor for the first time in a sign the disease may force an end to his 14-year rule.

10/12/2012 | Latin America

Chávez arrives in Cuba for surgery, vows 'I'll be back'

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez flew to Cuba early today for cancer surgery, vowing to return quickly despite admitting the disease could curb his 14-year rule of the South American nation.

12/12/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez 'in stable condition' after operation

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is in stable condition after his cancer operation in Cuba, Information Minister Ernesto Villegas said today.

29/11/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's VP says Chávez doing well in Cuba

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez is doing well as he receives medical treatment in Cuba, Vice President Nicolas Maduro said today, despite a two-week absence from public view that has raised fresh doubts about his health.

03/12/2012 | Latin America

Chávez will travel to Brazil for summit, ambassador says

Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez will travel to Brazil for a regional summit at the end of this week despite cancer-related medical treatment in Cuba, Brazil's ambassador said on today.

06/12/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chavez likely to miss Brazil summit due to health

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez will not attend a regional trade summit in Brazil, sources said.

21/10/2012 | Latin America

Fidel Castro alive and well, Chávez aide says

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro is alive and well, according to Elias Jaua, a former Venezuelan vice president who says he met with Castro over the weekend.

27/11/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez to continue medical treatment in Cuba

Following a nearly two-week absence from the public eye, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez will travel to Cuba for medical treatment, months after he underwent chemotherapy and radiation for cancer there.

28/11/2012 | Latin America

Chávez arrives in Cuba for medical treatment

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez flew into Cuba today for cancer-linked medical treatment that revived questions about the viability of his socialist rule and left many guessing about his exact condition.

04/10/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez fights Capriles in re-election bid

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez faces the toughest election of his 14-year rule on Sunday in a vote pitting his charisma and oil-financed largesse against challenger Henrique Capriles' promise of jobs, safer streets and an end to cronyism.

09/10/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez hails 'perfect' democracy, mocks tyrant image

An ebullient President Hugo Chávez hailed his comfortable re-election as evidence of Venezuela's "perfect" democracy and mocked his foes' depiction of him as a dictator.

10/10/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez names Maduro as vice-president

Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez named Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro as his new vice-president in the first change of his cabinet after Sunday's re-election.

29/09/2012 | Latin America

Two Venezuelan opposition activists shot dead

Gunmen shot and killed two local leaders of parties backing presidential challenger Henrique Capriles today in the worst violence of a volatile campaign before Venezuela's election next weekend, the opposition said.

01/10/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Capriles vows to help Colombian peace talks

Venezuelan opposition leader Henrique Capriles pledged to help Colombia in its peace talks with rebels and distance himself from Iran should he defeat President Hugo Chávez in an increasingly tight race ahead of Sunday's election.

02/10/2012 | Latin America

Colombia's Santos to spend 2-3 days in hospital after cancer surgery

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos will spend two or three days in the hospital after surgery for non-aggressive prostate cancer, his doctor said, a day before the 61-year-old was scheduled for the operation.

22/09/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Capriles mocks Chávez's pledges at rally

Venezuela's opposition presidential candidate Henrique Capriles spoke at a rally today, mocking President Hugo Chavez's grandiose campaign pledges two weeks before the election, and vowed to fix voters' daily problems if he wins.

26/09/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela polls mixed as presidential vote nears

Venezuelan pollsters diverged sharply over whether President Hugo Chávez will win re-election on Oct. 7 or lose to opposition rival Henrique Capriles in an increasingly close election.

28/09/2012 | Latin America

Satellite launch stirs passions before Venezuela vote

Venezuela will launch its second satellite in a move President Hugo Chávez says highlights the achievements of his self-styled revolution ahead of an election, but which his rival says underscores his neglect of problems closer to home.

16/09/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela opposition chides Chavez over recent weeping jag

Venezuela's opposition presidential candidate chided Hugo Chavez for publicly weeping over the loss of freedom he has had to contend with during his 14 years in power, all part of an increasingly dramatic campaign ahead of the Oct. 7 vote.

17/09/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Capriles slams Chávez for blocking broadcast

Venezuela's opposition candidate Henrique Capriles slammed President Hugo Chávez for blocking a live broadcast of an opposition rally, highlighting criticism the leftist leader abuses state resources to guarantee his re-election.

19/09/2012 | Latin America

Top Colombian drug lord captured in Venezuela

One of Colombia's most wanted drug traffickers was captured in neighbouring Venezuela with the help of Caracas as well as British and US intelligence agencies, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said.

20/08/2012 | Latin America

Well-armed Venezuela prisoners riot again, killing 25

Well-armed inmates in one of Venezuela's notoriously overcrowded prisons rioted over the weekend, killing 25 people, the government said.

28/08/2012 | Latin America

Two of three tank fires extinguished at Venezuela refinery

Firefighters have managed to extinguish two of three burning storage tanks at Venezuela's biggest refinery today, officials said, as authorities aim to restart the facility by the end of the week.

05/09/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez: Infamous Bush insult was not scripted

Six years after he drew jeers and cheers for calling then-US President George W. Bush the devil, Venezuelan leader Hugo Chávez offered an explanation: that podium in the United Nations General Assembly really did smell like sulfur.

31/07/2012 | Latin America

'Venezuela's entry to Mercosur strengthens the region,' CFK

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner assured today during a press conference held at the Mercosur summit in Brasilia, that Venezuela’s entry to the bloc “strengthens the entire region.”

31/07/2012 | Latin America

CFK, Chávez sign YPF, PDVSA cooperation agreement

After attending a Mercosur meeting in Brasilia, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner and her Venezuelan counterpart, Hugo Chávez, signed a cooperation agreement to develop a strategic energy plan between state oil companies YPF and PDVSA.

10/08/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez says US detainee was Marine

A US citizen arrested in Venezuela while entering illegally from Colombia is a former US Marine and is refusing to explain himself under interrogation, President Hugo Chávez said.

13/07/2012 | Latin America

Chávez says Venezuela is no threat to anyone

President Hugo Chavez denied on Friday that Venezuela was a threat to anyone, after US presidential hopeful Mitt Romney criticized Barack Obama for playing down the risk posed by the socialist leader.

14/07/2012 | Latin America

Chávez re-election team expands social media reach via Twitter

Venezuela's verbose Hugo Chávez is offering to send supporters his tweets to their mobile phones as the socialist president fights a vigorous opposition campaign across the Twitter-mad country ahead of an Oct. 7 election.

24/07/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela unveils 3D image of hero Bolivar

Venezuela's Hugo Chávez unveiled a 3D image of South America's 19th century independence hero Simon Bolivar on Tuesday, based on bones the president ordered exhumed two years ago to test his theory that Bolivar was murdered.

04/07/2012 | Latin America

Paraguay accuses Chávez of meddling, withdraws envoy

Paraguay's new government ordered home its ambassador in Venezuela after accusing President Hugo Chávez's government of meddling in an attempt avert the impeachment of the leftist Paraguayan president's last month.

09/07/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez says 'totally free' of cancer

President Hugo Chávez said he was fully recovered from cancer three months before Venezuela's election, where he is seeking to win another six-year term.

11/07/2012 | Latin America

Chávez seeks nearly $7 billion hike in 2012 borrowing cap

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez will seek Congress' approval to hike the 2012 government borrowing cap by about a third to $27 billion to help fund a new pension program ahead of his October 7 reelection bid.

11/06/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez stages cancer-comeback rally

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez led his biggest rally since he was diagnosed with cancer a year ago, seeking to stage a show of strength as he heads into a re-election campaign to extend his 13 years of socialist rule.

26/06/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela election ads glorifying Chavez irk foes

Political ads exalting Venezuela's socialist President Hugo Chávez as second only to God have offended opponents and added further controversy to an already spicy election campaign.

01/07/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez, Capriles launch presidential race

President Hugo Chávez shook off his health problems to lead a massive rally on Sunday while opposition rival Henrique Capriles took to remote regions for the formal launch of Venezuela's presidential race.

06/06/2012 | Latin America

Chávez to submit presidential candidacy next week, campaign chief says

Venezuelan President Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías will submit on Monday 11 his candidacy for next October 7 presidential vote, according to his campaign manager Jorge Rodríguez.

09/06/2012 | Latin America

Chavez says tests show him in good health

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said today medical tests following his cancer treatment show he is in good health, but provided few additional details about an illness that has become an obsession in the OPEC nation.

10/06/2012 | Latin America

Capriles rallies Venezuelans to challenge Chávez

Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans flooded downtown Caracas to support opposition candidate Henrique Capriles in the biggest rally to date of his campaign to unseat cancer-stricken socialist President Hugo Chávez.

18/05/2012 | Latin America

Chávez breaks silence with phone call

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez ended a weeklong silence after his latest cancer treatment with a call to state television, singing a folk song and vowing to deepen his self-styled socialist "revolution."

22/05/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez reappears, leads cabinet meeting

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez reappeared in a live television broadcast, the first time he has been seen in public view since returning from cancer treatment in Cuba almost two weeks ago.

02/06/2012 | Latin America

Chávez reappears in public

President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer, made his first public appearance before the press today since April, after meeting with a part of the Belarus government.

30/04/2012 | Latin America

Chávez to withdraw Venezuela from IACHR

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez announced that his country will withdraw "from the sadly famous Inter-American Commission on Human Rights" (IACHR) and called for the State Committee to evaluate this issue.

07/05/2012 | Latin America

Chávez breaks silence, says governing Venezuela

President Hugo Chávez broke a week-long silence to deny he had left Venezuela rudderless during his cancer treatment in Cuba and to promise a resounding re-election win in October.

10/05/2012 | Latin America

Chávez rival struggles to close gap in Venezuela race

On a heady night in mid-February, Henrique Capriles roared himself hoarse with optimism at his victory rally in Caracas after trouncing rivals to win the Venezuelan opposition's presidential ticket.

24/04/2012 | Latin America

Chávez 'alive and kicking' in Cuba, pictures released

Photos released by the Venezuelan government showed Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez wearing a track suit and strolling in a garden in Havana with Foreign Minister Nicolás Maduro, playing bowls with his brother, Adán, and kissing a crucifix as he hugged his daughter, María Gabriela.

26/04/2012 | Latin America

Chávez back from Cuba after cancer treatment

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has returned home after 11 days of cancer treatment in Cuba as the state television showed images of the Head of State chatting with his vice president and other aides after arriving at Caracas' international airport early today.

28/04/2012 | Latin America

Fidel Castro accuses Obama of trying to topple Chávez

In his most recent reflections, published in Cuba’s Communist Party newspaper, former Cuban leader Fidel Castro says Washington is promoting destabilizing plans aimed at toppling the Bolivarian government headed by Venezuela’s President Hugo Chávez.

19/04/2012 | Latin America

Ex-Supreme Court justice says Venezuela manipulates courts

A Venezuelan Supreme Court judge who was removed from his post last month for assisting a drug trafficker has accused President Hugo Chávez's leftist government of systematically manipulating the courts, including meddling in drug cases.

20/04/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela seeks arrest of fugitive judge through Interpol

Venezuela asked Interpol to issue a notice for the arrest of a former Supreme Court justice who fled the country after he was removed from the bench for allegedly assisting a drug trafficker.

23/04/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez calls home to squash death rumors

A healthy-sounding President Hugo Chávez called Venezuelan state television from Cuba to dispel rumors fanned by a nine-day silence that he had died undergoing cancer treatment at a hospital in Havana.

25/03/2012 | Latin America

Chávez starts radiation therapy, may meet Pope

Venezuela's Hugo Chávez said on Sunday he had started radiation treatment in Cuba, where he could also meet Pope Benedict in the latest high profile development as the president tries to fight off cancer and win re-election.

08/04/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez lands in Cuba for treatment

Venezuelan President Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías returned to Cuba on Easter Sunday for a third round of radiation therapy.

10/04/2012 | Latin America

Chávez to attend summit, says Colombia

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez will attend the Summit of the Americas in Colombia this weekend, Colombia's foreign minister said, in what would be a show of strength for the socialist stalwart who has been weakened by cancer.

13/03/2012 | Latin America

New photos show Chávez recovering in Cuba

The Venezuelan government published several new photos showing president Hugo Chávez during his recovery stage in La Habana on Tuesday, after undergoing surgery to have a malignant tumor removed.

16/03/2012 | Latin America

Chávez returns to Venezuela from Cuba after surgery

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez flew home after cancer surgery in Cuba that will require him to have radiation therapy ahead of October's re-election bid.

18/03/2012 | Latin America

Venezuelans flock to columnist for news on Chavez cancer

Some Venezuelans cannot get enough of Nelson Bocaranda, a mild-mannered radio reporter and gossip columnist who has been dishing up inside information on President Hugo Chavez’s cancer.

02/03/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela publishes photos of Chávez with Fidel

Venezuela published photographs of President Hugo Chávez chatting with Cuba's Fidel Castro and walking in a hospital as he recovers from cancer surgery on the Communist-led island.

04/03/2012 | Latin America

Chavez faces more cancer treatment before Venezuela vote

President Hugo Chavez said he will need radiation treatment for cancer in the run-up to Venezuela's October presidential poll, though he insisted there was no metastasis after the removal of another tumor. 

11/03/2012 | Latin America

Down but not out, sick Chavez seeks re-election in Venezuela

Cranes tower over new apartment blocks in Venezuela's capital where President Hugo Chavez's government plans to house 20,000 poor families as part of a populist pre-election spending push.

15/02/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez taunts 'bourgeois' election foe

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez vowed to thrash newly chosen opposition leader Henrique Capriles in an October election and mocked his foes for copying him to woo voters.

22/02/2012 | Latin America

Chávez surgery rocks Venezuela ahead of election

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's imminent departure for more cancer surgery in Cuba has thrown his re-election campaign into uncertainty and once again shaken the socialist leader's passionate supporters.

23/02/2012 | Latin America

Chávez goes to Cuba on Friday for cancer surgery

Venezuela's ailing socialist leader, Hugo Chávez, will fly to Cuba on Friday for an unknown period to undergo new cancer surgery that has shaken the South American nation before an October presidential election.

02/02/2012 | Latin America

Chávez reiterates support on Argentina's sovereignty claim over Malvinas

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner held a phone conversation with her Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chávez, who reiterated his support of Argentina’s claim over the sovereignty of the Malvinas islands, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry announced

05/02/2012 | Latin America

Opposition angered as Chavez celebrates coup

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez mounted a lavish celebration to mark the 20th anniversary of the failed coup that helped launch his political career, as opposition leaders slammed the event as a blemish on the country's democracy.

13/02/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela's Capriles seeks to unseat Chávez

Venezuela's opposition primary winner Henrique Capriles exuded confidence that he can unseat President Hugo Chávez and end 13 years of socialism that foes say has left the OPEC nation in crisis.

02/01/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela shrinks nationalization payment to Exxon

Venezuela's PDVSA said it will pay Exxon Mobil Corp $255 million in compensation for nationalized assets - less than a third of what the US oil giant said it was awarded by an arbitration panel.

06/01/2012 | Latin America

Venezuela names defence min accused by US as drug kingpin

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez named as defence minister General Henry Rangel Silva, who the United States has described as a "drug kingpin" linked to cocaine smuggling from neighboring Colombia.

09/01/2012 | Latin America

Iranian, Venezuelan leaders rebuff US, joke about bomb

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuela's Hugo Chávez lavished each other with praise, mocked US disapproval and joked about having an atomic bomb at their disposal.

06/12/2011 | Latin America

Chávez laughs off Obama-kiss Benetton ad

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez laughed off a Benetton advertisement that showed him kissing his ideological adversary and US counterpart Barack Obama, guffawing that it was a "good joke."

19/12/2011 | Latin America

Chávez to make first official trip since surgery

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said he will travel to a summit in Uruguay in his first official foreign trip since undergoing cancer surgery in June and a further sign he is feeling stronger.

28/12/2011 | Latin America

Chávez says US developed way to give LatAm leaders cancer

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez speculated that the United States might have developed a way to give Latin American leaders cancer, after Argentina's Head of State Cristina Fernández de Kirchner joined the list of presidents diagnosed with the disease.

28/11/2011 | Latin America

CFK to meet Rousseff in Caracas

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner will hold a bilateral meeting with her Brazilian counterpart Dilma Rousseff in the framework of the first Latin American and Caribbean States Community Summit (CELAC).

28/11/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela, Colombia hail drug kingpin capture

The presidents of Venezuela and Colombia announced the capture of one of the region's most-wanted drug traffickers and touted it as evidence that their ideologically opposed governments were united against crime.

02/12/2011 | Latin America

Chávez hosts CELAC summit, snubs US, Canada

Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez hosted fellow Latin American leaders to launch a new regional body that pointedly excludes the United States.

20/10/2011 | Latin America

Chávez says ‘martyr’ Gaddafi was killed

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez qualified the ex leader of Libya, Muammar Gaddafi, as “a martyr,” and assured he “was outrageously killed.”

22/10/2011 | Latin America

Doctors quash claims that Chávez will die in 2 years

Physicians treating Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez disputed today claims made by a former doctor of the socialist leader that he would die within two years from his undisclosed cancer.

05/11/2011 | Latin America

Chávez shows good health on national television

President of Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, who is currently recovering from a battle with cancer, went out of his way to show his good state of health today, by running with a group of students of the Military Academy, shown on a Venezuelan television network.

17/10/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela blocks Chávez rival's presidential bid

Venezuela's Supreme Court blocked high-profile opposition challenger Leopoldo López on Monday from running against President Hugo Chávez in a 2012 vote despite an international ruling in his favour.

19/10/2011 | Latin America

Chávez plans 'thanksgiving' after Cuba cancer tests

Venezuela's convalescing President Hugo Chávez said he would be home on Thursday for a thanksgiving ceremony at a religious shrine after checks in Cuba following cancer treatment.

20/10/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela’s Chavez: ‘I'm free of illness’

Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez declared himself cancer-free today, four months after surgery to remove a cancerous tumor that shook the South American nation ahead of a 2012 presidential vote.

29/09/2011 | Latin America

Chavez fights health scare rumors

Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez denied rumors today that he was rushed to the hospital’s emergency room in a health scare episode. Versions of a supposed worsening of Chavez’ physical condition emerged at the Miami media this week.

01/10/2011 | Latin America

Hugo Chávez sends solidarity to Gaddafi, Syria

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said he was praying for Libya's deposed leader Muammar Gaddafi and also sent a message of solidarity to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad against "Yankee" aggression. 

07/10/2011 | Latin America

Rapping Chávez launches coalition year before vote

Jiving to rap music and vowing a "thrashing" in Venezuela's vote exactly a year away, President Hugo Chávez resuscitated a left-wing political coalition that he hopes will propel him to re-election.

02/09/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez finishes third chemo session

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez ended a third round of chemotherapy, saying he "couldn't feel better" as he led a caravan to the presidential palace cheered on by thousands of supporters.

13/09/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez to run again in October 2012

Venezuela's presidential vote will be held on Oct. 7 next year when Hugo Chávez hopes to win re-election and cement his socialist "revolution" in South America's largest oil exporter.

17/09/2011 | Latin America

Chavez heads to Cuba for more chemotherapy

Venezuela's cancer-stricken leader Hugo Chavez said he will return to Cuba today for a fourth and probably last round of chemotherapy, vowing to be recovered and fit for a tough re-election campaign next year.

17/08/2011 | Latin America

Chávez to nationalize Venezuelan gold industry

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said he will nationalize the gold industry, including extraction and processing, and use its output to boost the country's international reserves.

23/08/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez says Gaddafi still Libya's leader

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said he will only recognize a Libyan government led by his friend and ally Muammar Gaddafi and accused the United States of inciting the country's civil war.

27/08/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela: Chávez to have third chemo session

President Hugo Chávez will undergo a third round of chemotherapy for cancer at home in Venezuela beginning tomorrow, he said, instead of traveling to Cuba where he had two previous rounds of treatment

05/08/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela frees more than 2,000 prisoners

Venezuela has freed more than 2,000 inmates to improve conditions in its violent and overcrowded prisons, state media said.

06/08/2011 | Latin America

Chávez to return to Cuba for more chemotherapy

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said he will return to Cuba for a second session of chemotherapy to treat a cancer that has forced him to slow his pace ahead of a re-election bid next year.

14/08/2011 | Latin America

Chávez congratulates CFK over primaries result

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez congratulated President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner via his Twitter account after the first official results of the primary election showed her as the winner.

22/07/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chavez says first chemo successful

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said his first phase of chemotherapy treatment for cancer was successful, and he is preparing for a second phase to eliminate the risk of malignant cells.

25/07/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez will run for re-election in 2012

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez will seek another six-term in an election next year despite recovering from cancer surgery, he said in an interview with state newspaper Correo del Orinoco.

28/07/2011 | Latin America

‘I promise I’ll live,’ Chávez assures CFK

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who currently undergoes a treatment for cancer, said he has had a “beautiful” conversation with his Argentine counterpart Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, to whom he promised he will beat the disease.

09/07/2011 | Latin America

Latin America mourns Cabral’s death

Recovering from a surgery to remove a cancer tumor, Venezuela president Hugo Chávez expressed his condolences over the murder of Argentine singer Facundo Cabral in Guatemala city.

16/07/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela's ailing Chávez delegates some powers

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez delegated some powers to his vice president and finance minister, hours before a planned departure to Cuba for cancer treatment.

20/07/2011 | Latin America

Chávez softens on opposition prisoners

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, humbled by a cancer that has upended the OPEC nation's politics, has set clemency proceedings in motion for convicted opposition activists suffering from health problems.

02/07/2011 | Latin America

Uncertainty over Chavez's recovery roils Venezuela

Venezuela was mired in uncertainty today over how long President Hugo Chavez would take to recover from a cancer operation, despite assurances by allies he will be fit to run for re-election next year.

04/07/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chavez vows to win health battle

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez said on Monday he had to submit to "strict" medical treatment but would win the battle to regain his health after an operation in Cuba for a cancerous tumor .

05/07/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela celebrates independence with Chávez home

Venezuela celebrated the 200th anniversary of its independence with President Hugo Chávez back in his palace after a triumphant return from cancer surgery in Cuba that has left him weakened but defiant.

05/05/2011 | Latin America

Chávez denounces opposition plans to ‘destabilize’ Venezuela

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez denounced that the opposition might be plotting to “destabilize” the country. He urged the people to watch out from those "groups playing to the destabilizing plot."

11/06/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez has successful surgery in Cuba

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez had a successful operation on in Cuba for an abscess in the pelvis discovered on the last stage of this week's tour around Latin America, his government said.

25/06/2011 | Latin America

Power vacuum in Venezuela

There’s no such thing as “Chavism” without Hugo Chávez. That’s the conclusion which emerges from a 20-day power vacuum in Venezuela with an ailing Chávez stuck in Havana...

22/03/2011 | Latin America

Chávez says capitalism may have ended life on Mars

Capitalism may be to blame for the lack of life on the planet Mars, Venezuela's socialist President Hugo Chávez said.

27/03/2011 | Latin America

Chávez to begin South America tour in Buenos Aires

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez reported he will begin in Buenos Aires his trip to Argentina, Uruguay, Bolivia and Colombia to strengthen bilateral relationships with these countries.

26/04/2011 | Latin America

Chávez says Gaddafi officials in Venezuela

A delegation of Libyan officials is in Venezuela to discuss possible peaceful solutions to the war in the North African country, Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez said.

10/02/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela lawmakers exchange punches in parliament

Venezuelan lawmakers exchanged punches in parliament when a fight erupted between members of President Hugo Chávez's socialist party and rivals, in a sign of the OPEC member nation's political polarization.

18/02/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela says US is meddling in hunger strikes

Venezuela accused the United States of meddling in connection with student hunger strikes opposed to President Hugo Chávez and said Washington was trying to create "something like a virtual Egypt" in Venezuela.

19/03/2011 | Latin America

Chávez denounces military action in Libya

Western military action in Libya is aimed at seizing the North African country's oil reserves, Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said.

22/12/2010 | Latin America

Venezuela opposition slams "coup d'etat" by Chávez

Venezuela's opposition accused President Hugo Chávez of a "coup d'etat" after the outgoing parliament gave him the power to rule by decree for 18 months and pushed through a host of new laws.

23/12/2010 | Latin America

Venezuela security forces break up student protest

Venezuelan security forces fired a water cannon and rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of students protesting against a new law tightening the government's control over universities.

15/01/2011 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez may shorten decree powers

Denying he was a dictator, President Hugo Chávez offered to give up much-criticized decree powers in May, a year ahead of schedule, if post-flood emergency measures were implemented quickly.

11/12/2010 | Latin America

Venezuela opponents wary of Chávez decree powers

Venezuelan opposition leaders said they feared President Hugo Chávez would use decree powers he has requested to override an electoral setback that stripped him of a super-majority in parliament.

16/12/2010 | Latin America

Venezuela's Chávez has 'battery' of decrees ready

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said he had a "battery" of decrees ready to issue once parliament grants him special powers that opponents say are an attack on democracy in the South American nation.

17/12/2010 | Latin America

Venezuela assembly gives Chávez decree powers

Venezuela's parliament gave President Hugo Chávez decree powers for 18 months, outraging opposition parties that accuse him of turning South America's biggest oil producer into a dictatorship.

30/06/2011 | Multimedia

Venezuela's Chávez says was treated for cancer

Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez said he had undergone a successful operation in Cuba to extract cancerous cells and was on the road to full recovery.

07/10/2012 | Latin America

Chávez’s fate lies in Venezuela’s divided barrios

The last time he ran for re-election, President Hugo Chávez won comfortably in Petare, one of Latin America’s biggest slums with nearly half a million people.

21/07/2011 | In Depth - Copa América 2011

Copa América: Chávez tweets Venezuela 'was ripped off'

President Hugo Chávez proclaimed Venezuela had been "ripped off" after his team were beaten on penalties by Paraguay in the Copa América semi-finals. Paraguay won a penalty shootout 5-3 sinking a desperately unlucky Venezuelan side who had a goal ruled offside and hit the crossbar three times during the goalless draw.

07/10/2012 | In Depth - Elections in Venezuela

Key facts: Chávez battles Capriles for Venezuelan presidency

Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez faces opposition challenger Henrique Capriles in what looks like the former soldier's toughest election in 14 years of socialist rule.