Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro warned that his country must “stand like warriors … ready to smash the teeth of the North American empire” Wednesday, a moment that coincided with the US seizure of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast.

With the economy in ruins, and U.S. military forces off the coast, uncertainty and rumors mark life in Venezuela, dampening the yuletide mood.

Who is Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro? Here's what to know about the political figure facing scrutiny by the American government.

Maduro has survived predictions and ridicule, but along the way, Venezuela lost millions of inhabitants, 72% of its economy, democratic legitimacy in the eyes of much of the world, and many of its most important international allies.

President Trump warned in a new interview that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro’s “days are numbered” and refused to rule out sending US ground troops to depose the left-wing leader. The president stressed in the sitdown with Politico released Tuesday that Maduro could not be allowed to stay in power as the administration cracks down on South American drug trafficking,

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro claimed Monday that eight US military vessels "with 1,200 missiles" were targeting his country.

The answer, Machado’s confidantes and allies say, is that Venezuela’s democratic opposition has tried everything else suggested by the international community over more than a decade — competing in elections,