Venezuelans vote in controversial election

The western city of Maracaibo used to be Venezuela's affluent oil capital. But today, it's a place of hardship and hunger. Facing hyperinflation, corruption, penniless public services, crime and chronic shortages, the city has become a symbol of the country's wider economic collapse. Eating has become a luxury. Due to a lack of medical care, the lives of children, the elderly and those with chronic diseases are slowly slipping away. In this 26-minute documentary, our reporter Roméo Langlois bring us a heart-wrenching account of the depths of human suffering.

At least 46 people were killed in a riot at a Venezuelan prison, according to figures reported by a human rights group and media on Saturday. The country's prisons have serious problems with overcrowding and violence.

Venezuela’s defense minister said he was thankful for Iran’s solidarity as the coronavirus pandemic adds to its economic woes. Venezuela has the world’s largest oil reserves, but its capacity to refine is limited.

After months of training, participants in Miss Venezuela -- the country's most competitive beauty pageant -- get their hair styled while waiting for makeup artists to work their magic, as the queens prepare to appear in front of the judges in an atypical pre-recorded edition of the contest held with no audience due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

President Nicolas Maduro says he expects mass vaccination of Venezuelans against Covid-19 with the Russian-developed Sputnik V vaccine to begin in April 2021.

Leopoldo Lopez had been confined in Venezuela for more than six years. It isn't clear how he escaped from the Spanish ambassador's residence in capital city Caracas to join family in Madrid.

A new Venezuelan parliament dominated by ruling socialists has been inaugurated, consolidating President Nicolas Maduro's grip. Out of a job as speaker, opposition head Juan Guido vowed to chair rival sessions online.

Leopoldo Lopez told DW that President Maduro can call upon more global backing for his cause than those fighting for democracy in Venezuela. The activist was in Berlin to drum up support for free and fair elections.

The Central Bank of Venezuela's new notes were launched as hyperinflation and US sanctions continue to cripple the economy of the oil-producing nation. As inflation skyrockets, the biggest bill is worth just 52 cents.

Venezuela suffers a deadly second wave of the coronavirus as the head of one medical clinic says the number of cases, and their seriousness, has increased compared to last year.

"I must wear a face mask," repeat a couple of Venezuelan boys to insistent police officers as the country faces a second wave of Covid-19 infections. The officers form part of a squad that tours the city of Los Teques just outside of Caracas to ensure shop closing hours, quarantines and mask-wearing are respected.

Raised in Philadelphia, the hometown of famous Hollywood character Rocky Balboa, Nalek Korbaj hopes to honour Venezuela's Olympic boxing tradition at the Tokyo Olympic Games.