Venezuela's leader Nicolás Maduro announced on state television on 7 January the arrest of seven foreigners whom he accused of being "mercenaries", allegedly trying to prevent him from taking the presidential oath.

Syria had experienced 13 years of civil war and splintered into religious and ethnic factions before the regime fell. While Venezuela’s situation differs in many respects from that of Syria, the repressive regime in Caracas shares allies with Assad’s ousted government and, like his, is loathed by most citizens.

Two U.S. citizens have been arrested in Venezuela, part of group of what President Nicolas Maduro described on Tuesday as seven "mercenaries," the embattled leader said in remarks broadcast by state television.

Venezuela’s exiled opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia has urged the Venezuelan military to recognize him as their commander-in-chief and “put an end to the leadership” of President Nicolás Maduro,

Venezuela’s government has doubled down on its intention to arrest the opposition leader who claims to have defeated President Nicolás Maduro in last year’s election

Tension mounted in Venezuela Monday ahead of strongman Nicolas Maduro's swearing-in ceremony, with Caracas vowing to arrest exiled opposition figure Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia if he returns to the country.

A senior U.S. administration official has told the Associated Press that the Venezuelan opposition leader who claims to have defeated President Nicolás Maduro in last year’s presidential election will meet with U.

Venezuela's government is intensifying efforts to apprehend opposition leader Edmundo González, who claims to have defeated President Nicolás Maduro in last year's contentious election. On Sunday, National Assembly leader Jorge Rodriguez declared the immediate arrest of González if he sets foot in the country.