Americas

A former mayor campaigning on an anti-corruption ticket swept to victory in El Salvador's presidential election on Feb. 3, bringing an end to a two-party system that has held sway over the violence-plagued Central American country for three decades.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro proposed early parliamentary elections on Feb. 2, seeking to shore up his crumbling rule after a senior general defected to the opposition and tens of thousands thronged the streets in protest at his government.

European Union governments will move to recognize Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim president from next week, but using cautious language for fear of setting a precedent for political crises, two EU diplomats said on Feb. 1.

Neighbors wait to receive bags of subsidized food distributed under a government program named "CLAP, " in the Catia district of Caracas, Venezuela on Jan. 31. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

More than a week into a standoff with the opposition, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Wednesday that he is willing to negotiate.

Greece has called for "political dialogue" to end the crisis in Venezuela where opposition leader Juan Guaido has declared himself the country's president after mass protests against Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro oversaw a display of the army's Russian hardware on Jan. 27, with anti-aircraft flak and tank rounds pounding a hillside to show military force and loyalty in the face of an international ultimatum for new elections.

Venezuela's foreign minister rejected a European ultimatum Saturday to hold elections within eight days, insisting that Nicolas Maduro remained the legitimate president despite US-led pressure, reports AFP. 

"Nobody is going to give us deadlines or tell us if there are elections or not," Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza told a special session of the United Nations Security Council.

"When Tomatoes Met Wagner," a documentary by Marianna Economou, will open at the Berlin International Film Festival next month, telling the tale of an initiative to revive a native Greek fruit - and a village hit by the crisis.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro began a new term on Thursday with the economy in ruins and his regime more isolated than ever as regional leaders declared his re-election illegitimate and shunned his inauguration, reports AFP.