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Setbacks for Venezuela Opposition Drive against President

Venezuela's opposition has suffered a major blow after authorities halted their drive to recall leftist President Nicolas Maduro and reportedly ordered top opposition leaders not to leave the crisis-torn country.

Henrique Capriles, a former presidential candidate and governor of the state of Miranda, said on Twitter late Thursday that he and seven others had received court orders barring them from travel outside the country.

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OAS Chief Says No Democracy, Rule of Law in Venezuela

The head of the Organization of American States denounced corruption and violence in Venezuela on Monday, saying a 14-year prison term for an opposition leader there marked the end of democracy in the country.

In an eight-page letter to opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, Luis Almagro highlighted the climate of "intimidation" against the political opposition in Venezuela and those working to recall leftist President Nicolas Maduro.

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Maduro Names Army Official as Minister Despite U.S. Drug Charges

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has named a senior military official as his new interior minister despite his being indicted this week in the United States on drug-related charges.

U.S. prosecutors accuse Nestor Reverol of receiving payments from drug traffickers and facilitating the deliveries of cocaine to the United States between 2008 and 2010, when he was head of the anti-narcotics agency.

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Venezuela Police Block Opposition March for Recall Vote

Venezuelan police blocked a march Wednesday by opposition protesters demanding a referendum on removing President Nicolas Maduro, a prospect looking less likely as the leftist government digs in its heels.

Some 200 police blocked hundreds of opposition demonstrators shouting "Recall now" as they tried to march on the headquarters of the National Electoral Council (CNE) in Caracas.

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Venezuela Will Temporarily Re-Open Border Crossing

Venezuela will temporarily re-open its border with Colombia on Sunday, a state governor said, a move that will allow desperate Venezuelans to stock up on food, medicine and other basics sorely lacking in their country.

"We will not put up any obstacle... whoever wants to cross can cross," Jose Vielma Mora, governor of the border state of Tachira, told reporters Thursday.

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Venezuela Takes Over Kimberly-Clark Facilities

Venezuela's embattled government said Monday it would take over operations at facilities where US consumer goods giant Kimberly-Clark just shut down, citing unworkable economic conditions.

"We are going to sign, at the workers' request... to authorize immediate occupation of the workplace known as Kimberly-Clark de Venezuela... by its workers," Labor Minister Oswaldo Vera said at the facility's plant in the central city of Maracay.

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Maduro Says US-Based Bank Seeking 'Financial Blockade' on Venezuela

Citibank plans to close the account Venezuela uses to make international payments, President Nicolas Maduro said Monday, accusing the US-based bank of a "financial blockade."

"Citibank, with no warning or communication, says that it is going to close the Central Bank and Bank Of Venezuela account. That is what you call a financial blockade," the embattled president said in televised remarks.

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Venezuela President Vows Military Boost to Fight Crisis

Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro said Tuesday the country must boost its military might, as he fends off attempts to remove him from office.

"Military power has to keep growing," Maduro said at a military parade in Caracas to mark Venezuelan independence day.

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Venezuelan Women Storm Border with Colombia to Stock Up

Five hundred hungry Venezuelan women rushed across a bridge into Colombia in defiance of a year-long border closure in search of basic foods and commodities that have grown scarce at home due to a crippling economic crisis.

The women, dressed mostly in white and coming from towns in western Tachira state, managed to break through a military cordon, across a bridge and into the northeastern Colombian city of Cucuta.

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Venezuela's 2015 Oil Revenues Plunge 40 Percent

Venezuela's oil revenues plummeted 40.7 percent in 2015 due to sinking global oil prices, the country's state-owned PDVSA said in its annual report released Sunday.

PDVSA -- the world's fifth-largest oil company -- earned $72.2 billion in revenues last year, a sharp drop from 2014's $121.9 billion.

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