Caracas

“I love to write. It’s how I express myself best… The ascent of Olympus left me somewhat silent; as I descended from the mountain walking through the ‘forest of silence,’ I heard my footsteps, and they were quiet. Even I was quiet.

Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar and Venezuelan Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodriguez have discussed new opportunities for cooperation in the exploration, production and trade of natural gas and oil.

Bayraktar met with the Venezuelan committee in the Turkish capital Ankara, the Turkish minister said on X.

Spain rejects allegations by Venezuela that Madrid was involved in a plot to destabilize the government of the Latin American country, a Foreign Ministry source said on Sunday.

The Venezuelan government said Saturday opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who disputed President Nicolas Maduro's July 28 reelection, has left the country to seek asylum in Spain.

Gonzalez Urrutia had been in hiding for a month, ignoring three successive summons to appear before prosecutors, saying attending the hearing could have cost his freedom.

AFP FILE- Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate for the Plataforma Unitaria Democratica party, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, poses for a picture during an event with the Voluntad Popular opposition party in Caracas on May 23, 2024

Electricity has been cut off across Venezuela, including the capital Caracas, due to what the government described as sabotage, according to Communications Minister Freddy Ñáñez, as reported by the Associated Press. Energy workers are currently addressing the issue, which arose around noon Bulgarian time. In Caracas, authorities have implemented measures to maintain ground transportation.

Venezuelan opposition supporters gathered in Caracas on Wednesday, chanting "Liberty!" as their leader came out of hiding to lead a protest against President Nicolas Maduro's reelection, widely denounced as fraudulent.

The EU said it is "extremely concerned" about the deepening political crisis in Venezuela, where the results of the presidential election last month have been rejected by the opposition, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said Sunday.

Venezuela's opposition, claiming victory in presidential elections they say were stolen by strongman Nicolas Maduro, gathered in the thousands in Caracas and elsewhere on Saturday, vowing to fight "to the end."

Venezuela's opposition leader emerged from hiding on Aug. 3, declaring "We have never been so strong," as President Nicolas Maduro slammed what he called attempts to "usurp the presidency" following the disputed July 28 election.