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Venezuela's Maduro retains key Chavez ministers

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro launched a "government of the streets" Monday with new finance and interior ministers, even as his election to replace the late Hugo Chavez remained in dispute. Other key ministers who had been appointed by Chavez were confirmed in their posts, including the foreign, defense and energy portfolios in a line-up that also ratified Chavez's son-in-law Jorge Arreaza as vice president.

Venezuela's Maduro retains key Chavez ministers

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro launched a "government of the streets" Monday with new finance and interior ministers, even as his election to replace the late Hugo Chavez remained in dispute. Other key ministers who had been appointed by Chavez were confirmed in their posts, including the foreign, defense and energy portfolios in a line-up that also ratified Chavez's son-in-law Jorge Arreaza as vice president.

Venezuela's Maduro retains key Chavez ministers

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro confirmed key cabinet ministers first appointed under the late Hugo Chavez in office late Sunday, in a sign there would be little change from the former leader's policies. Two days after his controversial inauguration, Maduro announced that 15 of 32 cabinet ministers -- including those in the key posts of foreign affairs, petroleum, defense and information -- would stay in office. He also ratified Chavez's son-in-law Jorge Arreaza as vice president.

Central bank's Merentes named new Venezuela finance minister

By Daniel Wallis and Mario Naranjo CARACAS (Reuters) - President Nicolas Maduro replaced Venezuelan Finance Minister Jorge Giordani on Sunday, appointing central bank chief Nelson Merentes in his place two days after being sworn in as the late Hugo Chavez's successor. It will be the third stint as finance minister for Merentes, a mathematician by training who is seen as a more pragmatic economist than his ideologically driven counterpart Giordani, a Marxist academic who was nicknamed "the Monk."

Vatican calls for dialogue in crisis-hit Venezuela

The Catholic Church weighed in Sunday on Venezuela's political crisis, with Pope Francis expressing deep concern and calling for dialogue in the wake of a disputed presidential election. The head of the Venezuela church meanwhile offered to help arrange talks between President Nicolas Maduro, the political heir of the late leftist leader Hugo Chavez, and opposition leader Henrique Capriles. "It's necessary to resolve this crisis. The tone has to be lowered," Cardinal Jorge Urosa said in an interview with Ultimas Noticias, a daily newspaper.

Maduro victory will stand despite audit: election official

A top election official warned the opposition Saturday against raising "false expectations" over an audit of Venezuela's presidential election, saying it cannot overturn President Nicolas Maduro's win. Opposition candidate Henrique Capriles accepted the expanded audit in lieu of a vote-by-vote recount on the eve of Maduro's swearing-in Friday, helping to ease tensions that had led to eight deaths in post-election protests.

Venezuela opposition denounces arrests of protesters

Venezuela's opposition Saturday accused the government of President Nicolas Maduro of engaging in mass arrests of protesters and harassing government workers suspected of voting against him. In a contentious start of the new administration, opposition candidate Henrique Capriles dismissed Maduro's call for a dialogue, and said he was preparing for a protracted challenge to the results of April 14 elections.

Venezuela opposition denounces arrests of protesters

Venezuela's opposition Saturday accused the government of President Nicolas Maduro of engaging in mass arrests of protesters, in a contentious start to his new administration. Maduro, who was sworn in to office on Friday to replace the late Hugo Chavez, said in his inaugural address he was ready for dialogue with the opposition but coupled that with warnings he would take a "hard fist" against those promoting a coup d'etat.

Venezuela opposition denounces arrests of protesters

Venezuela's opposition Saturday accused the government of President Nicolas Maduro of engaging in mass arrests of protesters, in a contentious start to his new administration. Maduro, who was sworn in to office on Friday to replace the late Hugo Chavez, said in his inaugural address he was ready for dialogue with the opposition but coupled that with warnings he would take a "hard fist" against those promoting a coup d'etat.

High drama as new Venezuelan president sworn in

Nicolas Maduro was sworn in as president of Venezuela on Friday, in a ceremony replete with drama as he replaced the late Hugo Chavez and urged dialogue with the opposition to build a better country. To cheers in the National Assembly, Maduro dedicated his oath of office to "the eternal memory of the supreme commander" Chavez, who dominated this oil-rich South American country for 14 years until dying from cancer in March.
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