2026 in Venezuela

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Timeline of Venezuelan history

Events in the year 2026 in Venezuela.

Government

Holidays

Source:[1]

Events

January

  • 3 January —
    • The United States carries out airstrikes in Caracas and multiple states of Venezuela, prompting the Maduro government to declare a state of national emergency.[2] US President Donald Trump later announces that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores had been captured and flown out of the country amid charges of narcoterrorism.[3] Trump then indicates that the United States plans to run Venezuela until there is a "safe, proper and judicious transition".[4]
    • The Supreme Tribunal of Justice orders vice president Delcy Rodríguez to assume the presidency in the absence of Maduro.[5]
  • 5 January —
    • Delcy Rodríguez is sworn in as acting president.[6]
    • The Swiss government imposes a four-year freeze on any assets held by president Maduro and his close associates in Switzerland.[7]
  • 8 January – Announcement of the 2026 political prisoner release in Venezuela
  • 12 January – The government announces the release of 112 political prisoners.[8]
  • 22 January – The government releases Rafael Tudares Bracho, the son-in-law of opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia who had been detained since January 2025.[9]
  • 29 January — President Rodríguez signs a law allowing the entry of private companies in the production and sale Venezuelan oil.[10]

February

  • 6–22 February – Venezuela at the 2026 Winter Olympics
  • 8 February – Juan Pablo Guanipa, the leader of the opposition Justice First party, is arrested in Caracas hours after being released from prison.[11]
  • 10 February – Venezuela delivers its first crude oil shipment to Israel in several years.[12]
  • 20 February –
    • President Rodriguez signs a new amnesty law.[13]
    • Around 214 political prisoners detained at the Rodeo I prison launch a hunger strike demanding their release under the new amnesty law.[14]
  • 25 February –
    • The United States allows the export of Venezuelan oil to Cuba for humanitarian purposes.[15]
    • Tarek William Saab resigns as attorney-general, but is immediately appointed as interim Ombudsman by the National Assembly following the resignation of Alfredo Ruiz.[16]

March

April

  • 25 April – A bus falls into a ravine in Cardenal Quintero, Mérida, killing 12 people and injuring three.[23]
  • 30 April – Commercial flights between the US and Venezuela resume for the first time since 2019.[24]

May

  • 16 May – Maduro associate Alex Saab is deported to the United States.[25]
  • 24 May – Clashes break out between inmates and security forces at the Injuba prison in Barinas following protests against abuses by prison administrators.[26]

June

  • 13 June – US President Donald Trump announces that an American strike killed Niño Guerrero, the leader of the Venezuelan transnational organized crime syndicate Tren de Aragua. Trump states that the military action was coordinated with president Rodriguez.[27]
  • 24 June – A doublet earthquake measuring 7.2 and 7.5 respectively hits near Morón, killing at least 920 people.[28]
  • 29 June – A rig explosion left at least eight workers injured in Caracas.[29]

Deaths

References

  1. "Venezuela Public Holidays 2026". Public Holidays Global. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
  2. "Explosions heard over Venezuelan capital Caracas amid US tensions". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 2026-01-03.
  3. Bergengruen, Vera (3 January 2026). "Maduro Faces Federal Drug-Trafficking Charges in U.S." The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  4. "Venezuela Live Updates: Trump Says U.S. Will 'Run the Country' After Capture of Maduro". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  5. "Venezuela's Supreme Court orders Delcy Rodriguez become interim president". Reuters. 3 January 2026. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
  6. "Delcy Rodriguez formally sworn in as Venezuela's interim president". Reuters. 5 January 2026. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
  7. "Switzerland freezes all Maduro-linked assets 'with immediate effect'". Euronews. 2026-01-05. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  8. "Venezuela says over 100 political prisoners released; pope meets Machado". Al Jazeera. 2026-01-12. Retrieved 2026-01-12.
  9. "Venezuelan opposition leader son-in-law released after 380 days in detention". AP News. 2026-01-22. Retrieved 2026-01-22.
  10. "Venezuela's acting president signs oil industry overhaul, easing state control to lure investors". AP News. 30 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  11. "Venezuela opposition figure freed, then rearrested after calling for elections". France 24. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  12. "Venezuela Ships First Crude Cargo to Israel as Oil Exports Reopen After Maduro's Ouster". Bloomberg. 10 February 2026. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
  13. "Venezuela signs amnesty law as families await prison releases". Al Jazeera. 2026-02-20. Retrieved 2026-02-21.
  14. "More than 200 political prisoners in Venezuela launch hunger strike". France 24. 23 February 2026. Retrieved 23 February 2026.
  15. "US to allow Venezuelan oil sales to Cuba as alarm grows in the Caribbean". Al Jazeera. 26 February 2026. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  16. "Venezuela attorney general resigns, then lands acting ombudsman role in surprise move". AP News. 26 February 2026. Retrieved 26 February 2026.
  17. "US, Venezuela restore ties as Washington pushes for minerals access". RFI. 2026-03-06. Retrieved 2026-03-06.
  18. ""Cuba will fall very soon," says Trump as Shield of the Americas alliance created". Euronews. Retrieved 2026-03-08.
  19. Quell, Molly (2026-03-13). "International court drops investigation into US sanctions on Venezuela". Associated Press. Retrieved 2026-03-13.
  20. "US embassy in Venezuela reopens as Trump pushes for access to resources". Al Jazeera. 2026-03-14. Retrieved 2026-03-15.
  21. "Venezuela stun USA to win politically charged World Baseball crown". France 24. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
  22. "Venezuela's acting president replaces long-time defense minister with intelligence head".
  23. "Asciende a 12 la cifra de fallecidos por accidente de autobús en la carretera Mérida-Barinas" [The death toll from the bus accident on the Mérida-Barinas highway has risen to 12]. El Nacional (in Spanish). 28 April 2026. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  24. "The first direct US-Venezuela commercial flight in 7 years lands in Caracas". AP News. May 1, 2026. Retrieved May 2, 2026.
  25. "Venezuela says it deported a close ally of Maduro to face criminal proceedings in US". AP News. May 17, 2026. Retrieved May 17, 2026.
  26. "Venezuelan prison director sacked as inmates allege mistreatment". BBC. May 26, 2026. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  27. "Trump says US military strike killed leader of Venezuela's Tren de Aragua gang". The Business Standard. Reuters. June 13, 2026.
  28. "Venezuelans take search for the missing into their own hands in earthquake aftermath". AP News. 2026-06-26. Retrieved 2026-06-26.
  29. "Rig explosion in Venezuela leaves at least 8 workers injured, sources say". Reuters. 2026-06-29. Retrieved 2026-06-29.
  30. "Muere el periodista Walter Martínez, voz emblemática del oficialismo y conductor de "Dossier"". CiberCuba (in Spanish). 2026-01-22. Retrieved 2026-01-23.
  31. "President-in-charge expresses her deep regret for the physical departure of the political leader, Nora Uribe Trujillo". Mazo 4F. 6 February 2026. Retrieved 11 February 2026.
  32. "Venezuela confirma la muerte de 'Niño Guerrero', líder del Tren de Aragua". Crónica del Quindio (in Spanish). 13 June 2026. Retrieved 13 June 2026.
  33. Hopkins, Jessica (26 June 2026). "Soccer player Yimvert Berroterán dies in Venezuelan earthquakes". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  34. "Comisión Delegada de la Asamblea Nacional 2015 anuncia fallecimiento de Milagros Eulate". Diario República (in Spanish). 25 June 2026. Retrieved 26 June 2026.
  35. "Muere en los terremotos Chabela Jara Noda, delegada del Gobierno de Canarias en Venezuela". El Mundo (in Spanish). 2026-06-26. Retrieved 2026-06-27.