Crisis in Venezuela

The U.S. State Department on Aug. 28 opened a representative office for Venezuela in Bogota, Colombia, and said it will continue its opposition to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and support for opposition leader Juan Guaido from there.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on Aug. 20 he had authorized contact with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump "for months," in an effort to repair relations with Washington.

Ankara objects to Washington's move earlier this week to place more sanctions against the Venezuelan government, the Turkish foreign ministry said on Aug. 9.

Greece's Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Friday saying that the government has recognized Juan Guaido as president of Venezuela, supporting his call "for free, fair and democratic presidential elections."

US Vice President Mike Pence and National Security Adviser John Bolton hailed Greece's decision to recognize Juan Guaido as Venezuela's interim president on Friday.

Five months after the European Parliament and a large number of EU countries decided to recognise Juan Guaido as the interim president of Venezuela, Greece under the new government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis has followed suit.

The United States on June 28 imposed sanctions on the son of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for serving in his father's "illegitimate regime."

VesselsValue has published its assessment of the likely impact of an escalation in the standoff between the United States and Iran on the tanker market, particularly very large crude carriers (VLCCs), a market where Greek shipowners control 23.8 percent of the global fleet by ship number, according to the shipping vessel database service.

Venezuela's socialist government said on June 26 it had derailed a coup bid, claiming the United States, Colombia and Chile colluded in a military plot to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro and install a general and former defense minister in his place.    

Cuba will continue to support Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a legitimate South American leader, France's press agency quoted an official Cuban representative as saying.

The Cuban source of France's press has underlined that Havana's support for Maduro "is not negotiable" despite U.S. sanctions against an island state.