International
Zimbabwe Set to Conduct General Elections in August 23
A nationwide election is set to take place in Zimbabwe on August 23, the government gazette said Wednesday, ending months of speculation over the date.
The government’s official record, seen by AFP, said President Emmerson Mnangagwa “fixes the 23rd day of August 2023, as the day of the election to the office of President.”
Elections for the National Assembly and local government will also be held that day.
Mnangagwa’s ZANU-PF party, which has been in power since independence in 1980, will face off against the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Chamisa, a 45-year-old lawyer and pastor.
He will be Mnangagwa’s opponent for a second time.
Chamisa on Tuesday called on Mnangagwa to set a date for the poll after prolonged uncertainty and flip-flops.
The CCC also cried foul over the electoral roll, saying many voters, including some senior politicians, had had their names had been removed or misplaced on the register.
Zimbabwe, a country landlocked between Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana and Zambia, has a population of 15 million, according to the latest census.
Mnangagwa replaced strongman ruler Robert Mugabe in 2017 after a military-led coup but faces widespread criticism of authoritaranism and discontent over the economy.
The country has been plagued for years by deepening poverty, chronic power cuts and crippling hyperinflation.
In 2018 Mnangagwa, dubbed “the Crocodile” for his political cunning, narrowly won a violence-stained election with 50.8 percent of the vote, a result which Chamisa denounced as fraud.
Analysts say Chamisa faces an uphill battle this time around, in the face of a clampdown on CCC events and arrests of party officials.
The country is ranked 137th out of 180 countries in Reporters Without Borders’ 2022 World Press Freedom Index, and 157th out of 180 countries by Transparency International for perceived corruption.
AFP
International
Maduro’s Son Calls On Deposed Leader’s Supporters To Stage Protests
They want us to appear weak, but we will not show weakness,” said Maduro Guerra, who is one of six people, along with his father and stepmother Cilia Flores, accused of “narcoterrorism” by US authorities.
• Deputy Nicolas Maduro Guerra, son of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro, attends a National Council for Sovereignty and Peace event at the Hotel Eurobuilding in Caracas on October 8, 2025. Photo by FEDERICO PARRA / AFP
Nicolas Maduro’s congressman son called on Sunday for Venezuelans to take to the streets following his father’s ouster by US forces and transfer to a New York jail.
“You will see us in the streets, you will see us by people’s sides, you will see us fly the flag of dignity,” Nicolas Maduro Guerra, 35, said in a defiant audio message shared on social media.
“They want us to appear weak, but we will not show weakness,” said Maduro Guerra, who is one of six people, along with his father and stepmother Cilia Flores, accused of “narcoterrorism” by US authorities.
The seamless execution of the operation to grab Venezuela’s leader from his hiding place in the capital Caracas and fly him out of the country has led to speculation that the socialist firebrand was betrayed by someone within his inner circle.
Echoing those rumours, his son said, “History will tell who the traitors were, history will reveal it. We will see.”
International
Venezuela: Trump warns new leader as Maduro to appear in court today
The US accuses Maduro, who is charged with drug trafficking and weapons offences, of running a “narco-terrorist” regime, a claim he denies.
Donald Trump has warned Venezuela’s new leader Delcy Rodríguez she could “pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro” if she “doesn’t do what’s right”.
His comments to US magazine The Atlantic came as the country’s deposed president Nicolás Maduro was set to appear in a New York court on Monday.
The US accuses Maduro, who is charged with drug trafficking and weapons offences, of running a “narco-terrorist” regime, a claim he denies.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has insisted the US is not at war with Venezuela, after air strikes in Caracas on Saturday led to Maduro and his wife being taken into custody and transported to the US.
Some Democratic lawmakers said the operation was an “act of war”.
In an interview with The Atlantic on Sunday, Trump said of Rodríguez: “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.”
He added that for Venezuela,”Regime change, anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now. Can’t get any worse”.
International
U.S. bombs Venezuela, arrests President Maduro, wife
The U.S. has long accused Maduro of leading an international drug trafficking organisation, something that Maduro denies.
•President Nicolas Maduro
The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, Cilia Flores captured and flown out of the country to an unknown destination.
U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed the attack in a statement on Truth Social on Saturday, January 3.
This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement.
“There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The U.S. has long accused Maduro of leading an international drug trafficking organisation, something that Maduro denies.
Trump did not give more detail about how Maduro was captured or where he has been taken.
The Venezuelan government has not yet confirmed this.
The U.S. had offered a $50m reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro.
That, along with the huge military build-up in the region over the last few months, were interpreted in the region as encouragement for someone inside the country to turn against him.
Donald Trump adds on Truth Social that there will be a news conference at 11:00 EST (16:00 GMT), at the president’s Florida residence Mar-a-Lago.
Maduro’s Son Calls On Deposed Leader’s Supporters To Stage Protests
Venezuela: Crude prices edge lower following Maduro’s overthrow
Venezuela: Trump warns new leader as Maduro to appear in court today
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