Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC
 / people

Nicolas Maduro

Nicolas Maduro
The latest news and top stories on Nicolas Maduro, the former president of Venezuela in US custody. After more than a decade in power, Maduro’s tenure effectively ended on January 3, 2026, when he was abducted by US special forces during a pre-dawn raid on his Caracas compound. He and his wife, Cilia Flores, were subsequently exfiltrated to New York City to face narcotrafficking charges.
A US Marines helicopter overflies a quake-hit area in Caraballeda, La Guaira state, Venezuela. Photo: AFP
Venezuela

From raid to relief: US military aids Venezuela after twin earthquakes

US deploys forces and drone assets to spearhead relief, marking a stunning shift for a relationship upended by a raid six months ago.

videocam
China's military weapons

Should China worry more about keeping defence customers than winning new deals?

videocam
Venezuela

Why did they pancake? Building failures, soft soil amplify Venezuela quake destruction

videocam
7
Venezuela

Critical rescue window passes in quake-hit Venezuela as death toll nears 1,500

While a 21-year-old man was found alive after 106 hours trapped under rubble, hopes are fading for thousands of people unaccounted for.

videocam
Rescuers search through the rubble in hard-hit La Guaira state. Photo: AP
Natural disasters

Venezuelan boy pulled alive from rubble 3 days after deadly quakes

Residents clawed away rubble from collapsed buildings in search of survivors, amid public outrage over the government’s response.

videocam
Americas and the Caribbean

Time runs out for thousands missing after Venezuela earthquakes

With at least 920 dead and more than 51,000 missing, a critical 72-hour window for rescuing survivors has almost closed.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Venezuela

Editorial | World quick to answer stricken Venezuela’s call for aid

Even countries that had broken off ties with Caracas have reached out to help, showing the power disaster has to unite people in adversity.

Rescuers work at a building damaged by an earthquake in the Altamira area of Caracas, Venezuela, on June 25. Photo: EPA
Venezuelan crisis

In Venezuela, China’s oil-for-loan deals run into huge US-led debt restructuring

Beijing’s influence in Caracas seen fading, with Washington controlling Venezuela’s oil revenues and debt overhaul, potentially triggering a stand-off.

videocam
14
Venezuela

Venezuela earthquakes draw aid from governments that cut ties with Caracas

Argentina, Ecuador, El Salvador and other governments that suspended relations with the country offer rescue teams and humanitarian aid.

videocam
US-Venezuela conflict

As Venezuela reels from earthquake disaster, a test for new US relationship

Washington’s swift disaster response clearest indication yet of how relationship with Caracas has evolved, but bigger challenges lie ahead.

videocam
People walk and ride past collapsed structures and debris following an earthquake in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
United States

Trump opens 250th US birthday party with a campaign-style rally

The US president put himself and his policies at the centre of the opening event on the National Mall in Washington.

US President Donald Trump doing his usual dance. Photo: Reuters
War and conflict

Opinion | 8 takeaways from the US-Iran war

From the rise of devastating asymmetric warfare to the crumbling of the US maritime hegemony and alliances, the war offers food for thought.

7
Vietnam

Asian Angle | When the US comes for Cuba, what can Vietnam do?

Vietnam has stood by Cuba for 60 years. Now Washington is raising the price of that friendship – and Hanoi must decide what it’s worth.

videocam
10
Hong Kong society

Easy money or risky business? What can Hong Kong do as prediction markets boom?

Despite official warnings ahead of World Cup, Polymarket and Kalshi remain popular with residents who bet on everything from politics to weather.

6
Illustration: Henry Wong
Americas and the Caribbean

Under US pressure, Cuba unveils largest economic reform in decades

National Assembly votes unanimously to approve dozens of reforms aimed at opening up the struggling island’s economy.

A man works on a classic American car in Havana. The communist island has unveiled its most profound free-market reforms in decades. Photo: AP
China-Latin America relations

China says US ‘invented’ terrorism charges to justify Cuba blockade

Foreign ministry rebutted Marco Rubio’s claim that Cuba sponsors terrorism and demanded an end to US sanctions on the island.

videocam
17
China-Latin America relations

Opinion | China’s economic inroads in Latin America are hitting political walls

China’s economic gains in the Americas are real, but Donald Trump’s return to the White House shows that political success is another story.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Cuba

Cuba receives shipment of rice donated by China as US squeezes island

Beijing reinforces ties through ‘the largest food aid’ in recent years as Cuba reels under economic crisis.

14
Workers stack rice donated by China in Havana, Cuba earlier this year. Photo: Xinhua
China-Latin America relations

US casts Cuba as China-linked security threat while still pushing for talks

Washington portrays Havana as a national security risk tied to Beijing and Moscow while insisting diplomacy remains possible.

videocam
8
China-Latin America relations

US charges Raul Castro as Trump administration ratchets up pressure on Cuba

Historic murder charges against 94-year-old former leader mark the first time Washington has criminally pursued a Castro brother.

videocam
29
China-Russia relations

China and Russia warn US Golden Dome poses ‘clear threat’ to stability

Days after Xi-Trump talks, Beijing and Moscow slam Washington’s military provocations and its plans for missile defence system.

13
China and Russia say the Golden Dome missile defence system initiated by US President Donald Trump would have “serious negative consequences for international security”. Photo: AP
China-Latin America relations

US plans to charge Raul Castro increases Trump administration’s pressure on Cuba

US Justice Department preparing to indict ageing Cuban leader on Wednesday over the shooting down of two aircraft three decades ago.

videocam
18
Former Cuban president Raul Castro attends a May Day rally in Havana, Cuba, on May 1. Photo: Reuters
2026 Xi-Trump summits

Marco Rubio dons ‘Maduro look’ as he heads to China, sparking internet frenzy

Chinese social media users react to Rubio’s tracksuit photo, calling it a ‘meaningless gimmick’ and raising questions about sanctions.

32
Diplomacy

Opinion | Latin America is reassessing the benefits of warm ties with Beijing

From Honduras to Cuba and Venezuela, leaders are taking a more transactional view of what relations with Beijing really bring.

videocam
China-Latin America relations

US targets Cuba nickel operation in move affecting China-linked supply chains

Marco Rubio revealed sanctions on Thursday, escalating Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Havana’s military-controlled economy.

videocam
18
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on Thursday against Moa Nickel SA, a joint venture between Sherritt International and Cuba’s state-owned General Nickel Company. Photo: Xinhua
China-Latin America relations

Beijing backs Cuba, Chile reveals smuggling ring: Latin America relations reads

From a smuggling ring in Chile to rare earth wrangling in Brazil, here are highlights from the SCMP’s foreign correspondents in April 2026.

People walk past a mural with the Cuban flag in Havana, Cuba, on April 15. Photo: EPA
United States

First direct US-Venezuela commercial flight in 7 years heads to Caracas

For the past seven years, passengers have relied on international airlines and indirect routes through neighbouring Latin American countries.

videocam
Science

Will the future world order be determined by who controls low Earth orbit?

Amid Starlink’s ability to service conflict zones, Chinese article warns of ‘new form of power’ to allow or cut connectivity in real time.

videocam
12
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement