Colombia said Tuesday it is seeking an exemption from US sanctions to invest in Venezuelan electricity projects and natural gas ventures that could include the reopening of a gas pipeline between the neighbouring South American countries.

More than 200 political prisoners at Rodeo I prison near Caracas have launched a hunger strike, demanding inclusion under a newly approved amnesty law that excludes several categories of detainees. Families said around 214 inmates, including foreigners, began refusing food after learning that cases involving the military and terrorism charges