Venezuela

Iranian officials warned on Sunday that any renewed war with the United States could last longer than the previous round of fighting, which began on 28 Feb with US-Israeli strikes on Iran. Army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia said Washington would not be able to dictate the timing or conditions of an end, according to Iranian state television. President Donald Trump said the US still had to deal with one or two sites in Iran and could do so within ten minutes. Gulf states are preparing for a possible new escalation, with politicians and experts discussing the risk at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.

A report based on the Amazon Underworld research finds illicit actors present in 768 of 1,310 municipalities across six Amazon countries: Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Colombia shows the highest share, with 98 percent of its municipalities affected, followed by Venezuela at 82 percent. Brazil's Comando Vermelho is reported in almost 500 municipalities, including in Bolivia and Peru. According to the same research, gold has overtaken cocaine as the region's most lucrative criminal industry.

María Corina Machado landed in Caracas on Sunday, 25 Oct, after nearly a year in exile, and was greeted by thousands of supporters along highways and streets. She wore a white T-shirt and blue jeans and said she is ready to meet interim president Delcy Rodríguez. Her spokesperson said she is willing to sit down with Rodríguez and others with full transparency and an agenda. The European Union said her return contributes to a wider opening of political space in Venezuela. She had tried to return at least seven times since early September.