Caracas (Venezuela)

• After President’s Capture, U.S. and Venezuela Explore Restoring Diplomatic Ties - In moves that embodied the contradictions and fast-changing nature of the two countries’ relationship, both said on Friday that they were eyeing reopening embassies and restoring long-severed diplomatic ties.
• Outside Prisons in Caracas, Venezuelans Anxiously Await Release of More Political Detainees - Venezuela’s interim government said it would release an “important number” of imprisoned people, but only nine have been confirmed freed.
• Fact-Checking Trump’s Justifications for the Venezuela Operation - The president has repeatedly tied Venezuela to drug overdose deaths, claimed the Maduro regime sent an influx of criminal migrants and accused the country of stealing American oil.
• Venezuela Announces the Release of Political Prisoners - The release, which was expected to happen later on Thursday, offers the first gesture of conciliation under an interim government, even as arrests and crackdowns continue.
• The Case for Real Regime Change in Venezuela - The former envoy Elliott Abrams says the administration should push harder.
• How the ‘Donroe Doctrine’ Reinforces Xi’s Vision of Power in Asia - The U.S. assault on Venezuela points to a world where big powers seek to call the shots in their regions, an idea Beijing knows well.
• Venezuela Braces for Economic Collapse From U.S. Blockade - Venezuela could lose the bulk of its export revenues this year if the U.S. blockade stays in place, according to internal government estimates, a scenario that would set off a humanitarian crisis.
• Maduro Says He Is a Prisoner of War, Not a Defendant. The Words Matter. - His simple statement in federal court was aimed directly at contradictions in the Trump administration’s actions in the Caribbean.
• This Is What Venezuelans Really Want - We have long faced a brutal paradox: an absent yet omnipotent state.
• How a New York Times Reporter Got a Phone Interview With Trump After Maduro’s Capture - How did a New York Times reporter reach the president right after he announced that the United States had captured Venezuela’s leader?