Venezuela

Venezuela's gold holdings in the Bank of England have jumped after it closed out a gold swap deal with Deutsche Bank, according to two sources, as Britain remains reluctant to release gold held for the troubled OPEC nation.

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. 

Greece's Consul General to Venezuela, Aggelos Haritos, was found dead in a hotel room in Caracas, Greek television channel Skai reported on Thursday.

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake shook Venezuela on Thursday, according to the United States Geological Survey.

The quake was recorded shortly before 5 a.m. about 2 miles northeast of San Diego, Venezuela, and had a depth of about 6 miles, according to the USGS.

The agency first reported the magnitude of the quake as 5.6, but later adjusted the magnitude to 5.5.

Guyana's government is "in discussion" with Exxon Mobil after two ships searching for oil off the South American country's coast halted work following a weekend confrontation with Venezuela's navy, Guyana's foreign minister said on Dec. 24.

Goodyear is halting operations in Venezuela because of dire economic conditions and U.S. sanctions, the company said on Dec. 10, part of an exodus of foreign corporations from the country.

Attending a Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) meeting in Brussels on Monday, Romania's Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu welcomed the opportunity to discuss the Western Balkans, given the upward trend in their relationships with the EU.

Turkish soap operas, which are screened in many countries from Venezuela to Pakistan, are now expanding popularity in the Arab world with more and more binge-watching Palestinian families. Click through for the story in photos...

The Turkish state aid agency successfully carried out projects for health, education, and art in Venezuela, it said on Dec. 8.

Turkey is determined to further enhance relations with Venezuela, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said on Dec. 3 during his historical visit to the Latin American country.