AT the 360 rooftop bar in the heart of Caracas, every table is taken – even though a round of drinks can cost more than several months of base wages for many Venezuelans.

Venezuela’s vast oil wealth did more than sustain an ally in Havana. It helped finance a far-reaching intelligence and security apparatus — one tied to allegations of torture, political persecution and social control,

Since the U.S. ousted Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, earlier this year, officials in Caracas have been looking for ways to increase oil production, including by attracting foreign private investment.

Colombia and Venezuela announced they will seek full membership in the Mercosur trade bloc before a trade agreement with Europe is in effect.

Trump administration has pressed the interim Venezuelan government for concessions on issues such as oil access.

The American flag has been raised over the U.S. Embassy in Caracas for the first time since 2019. The move Saturday highlights the recent shift in the relations between the United States and Venezuela since then President Nicolás Maduro was captured by American troops in January.

March 14 (Reuters) - In mid-February, hundreds of students from Venezuela’s most prestigious university did the once unthinkable: their protest left the campus of the Central University of Venezuela in Caracas and spilled out into a nearby street.