The country has signed several agreements with Iran on expanding their cooperation in the fields of oil and gas, specifically for the reconstruction and renovation of the Venezuelan oil refineries with the aim of maximising the capacity of these complexes

Oil sanctions on Venezuela have been reinstated by the US, criticizing President Nicolás Maduro's attempts to solidify his rule just 6 months after the US had relaxed restrictions in an effort to support “now-faded hopes” for democracy in the nation

The Venezuelan NGO Acceso a la Justicia denounced the reduction of voter registration centers in Venezuela, claiming that this is aiming to discourage citizen participation in the upcoming presidential elections on 28 July

Venezuela has approved the creation of a state in the disputed, oil-rich Essequibo region across the border in Guyana, sparking a "violation" of Guyana's sovereignty, with tensions escalated as the area has been administered by Guyana for over a century