Maduro's administration

In a move likely to escalate tensions with neighboring Guyana, Venezuela's lawmakers, aligned with President Nicolas Maduro's government, have passed legislation to establish a new state within the disputed Essequibo region. The decision comes amidst a longstanding territorial dispute between the two nations, with the legal case pending in the UN International Court of Justice.

 A nationwide strike against plans to rewrite the constitution shut down much of Venezuelan's capital on July 20 çbefore erupting into sporadic violence that left at least two young men dead.