Tension Grows Between U.S. And Venezuela

NPR

Published March 4, 2015 at 12:20 PM CST

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Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro delivers a speech during a ceremony commemorating the 26th anniversary of El Caracazo -- a deadly popular revolt -- in Caracas on February 28, 2015. Maduro announced he was implementing a mandatory visa system for all U.S. citizens visiting the country, as a way to 'control' U.S. interference. (Federico Parra/AFP/Getty Images)

If you’re traveling to Venezuela, you’d better get a visa. Although this is not a top travel destination for many Americans, this week Venezuela has announced that Americans will now have to pay for travel visas to enter the country.

This comes after the country’s president Nicolas Maduro announced that he would also like to see the number of employees in the U.S. embassy reduced by 80 percent, to resemble the number of Venezuelan diplomatic staff in the U.S.

What brought about all this tension? Here & Now’s Jeremy Hobson talks to Brian Ellsworth, senior correspondent for Reuters in Caracas, about the changes in the economically unstable country.

Guest

Brian Ellsworth, senior correspondent for Reuters in Caracas. He tweets @brianpablo10.

Tension Grows Between U.S. And Venezuela

Guest

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