Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has ordered the nationalization of oil projects run by foreign companies in Venezuela's Orinoco River region.

In late January, Venezuela's national assembly voted to allow President Hugo Chavez to rule by decree for an 18-month period. Since then, Mr. Chavez has moved quickly to nationalize the country's electricity and telecommunications sectors, confirmed plans to strip foreign companies of majority stakes in oil projects, and threatened to seize control of supermarkets and other retail outlets.

The government of Venezuela says it has signed an agreement to buy an American company's interest in Venezuela's largest telecommunications company.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday the policies of Venezuela's populist leader Hugo Chavez are "destroying" the South American country. In congressional testimony, Rice said the ongoing U.S. feud with Mr. Chavez is deflecting attention from the good relationship the Bush administration has established with other leftist governments in the region.

A top Venezuelan official says his country will fight drug trafficking without the help of the United States.

Thousands of Venezuelans took to the streets Sunday to mark the 15th anniversary of a failed 1992 coup led by Hugo Chavez, who was then an army colonel.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has lashed out against President Bush, calling him a war criminal who should be imprisoned.

Russia is in talks with Venezuela to supply it with sophisticated air defense missiles, a Russian news agency reported Tuesday.

Venezuela and Cuba have signed 16 new cooperation agreements, including accords on telecommunications, tourism and the economy.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez has defended his plan to pass legislation by decree, calling U.S. reservations about his actions unacceptable meddling in Venezuela's affairs.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Friday accused his nation's main telecommunications company of spying on him, apparently at the bidding of the United States.

Venezuela's oil minister says his country will end talks with foreign oil companies concerning the country's takeover of oil projects financed by the private companies.