Former opposition legislator Dinorah Figuera arrived in Venezuela on August 6 at the head of a delegation of ex-deputies from the 2015 National Assembly, with US backing, to begin talks with the Maduro government on a political transition; Figuera said the first results of the dialogue are expected in December 2026
Venezuela's overlapping political, economic, and humanitarian emergency, rooted in two decades of Chavista rule, escalated into US military intervention in January 2026 and a catastrophic earthquake response in June.
full dossier ›Chile's President José Antonio Kast and Venezuela's government of Delcy Rodríguez agreed on July 30 to restore consular services and establish a roadmap toward full diplomatic normalization; Chile's main condition was a mechanism to facilitate the deportation of irregular Venezuelan migrants, a campaign priority for Kast; ties were severed in early 2025 following the disputed July 2024 Venezuelan election
A World Bank damage assessment released on July 23, 2026 found Venezuela's June 2026 twin earthquakes caused US$19.6 billion in physical damage to buildings and infrastructure, equivalent to 18% of gross domestic product; 47% of damage hit residential buildings; rebuilding could cost up to US$50 billion; the Norwegian Refugee Council reported only 39% of the humanitarian response is funded one month after the disaster
A US federal court in New York set June 1, 2027 as the start date for the trial of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on narco-terrorism and drug trafficking charges; Maduro appeared in court for the third time since his capture in Caracas in January 2026, while the US permitted Venezuela to fund his legal defence despite existing sanctions
US Southern Command declared Venezuela's main port open on June 30, six days after twin Mw 7.2 and 7.5 quakes; the USS Fort Lauderdale is now using the berths to deliver heavy supplies, removing the bottleneck that had confined all aid to the damaged Simón Bolívar airport
The official count rose to 1,943 dead and 10,571 injured by June 30, with 43,000 still missing; Simón Bolívar Airport's primary runway remains closed until at least July 2 while the La Guaira port declared operational and is being used by US and other relief vessels
SOUTHCOM surged a Contingency Response Element to Simón Bolívar International Airport on Sunday to restore airfield operations; 130 Marines are en route to La Guaira, as Venezuela's confirmed death toll reaches 1,450 with more than 68,900 missing
Official count stood at 1,943 dead and 10,571 injured as of June 30, with 43,000 still missing; La Guaira port declared operational June 30, removing the aid bottleneck; UNICEF confirmed 680,000 children require assistance
A senior official told reporters a 'nine-figure' package beyond the $150 million already committed will be announced within days; State Dept deployed US Embassy Caracas for coordination; 1,600 rescuers from 17 nations are on the ground
A 7.2 foreshock and 7.5 mainshock 39 seconds apart destroyed buildings near La Guaira and Caracas; USGS gives 44% odds the toll exceeds 10,000; confirmed dead rises as teams clear rubble
A M7.2 at 22:05 UTC and a M7.5 shortly after struck Sucre state; PAGER red alert flags an 87% chance fatalities cross 1,000
First US strike killing a designated-terrorist leader in the hemisphere, run jointly with Delcy Rodríguez's post-Maduro government