A woman who believes she was used as part of Jason Kenney's argument not to lock down restaurants in Alberta remembers her encounter with him as less dramatic than he suggested.

After a meeting with Colombian President Ivan Duque on Saturday, the two vowed to deepen ties — including U.S. investment in the country's struggling economy — and Pompeo praised Colombia's tough stance against Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

In a live broadcast on state television, President Maduro said the man was arrested on Thursday in the northwest state of Falcon where he was spying on the Amuay and Cardon oil refineries.

The move comes ahead of congressional elections set for Dec. 6 that the movement led by U.S.-backed opposition leader Juan Guaido says it is boycotting because conditions for the vote are not fair.

A senior U.S. official told The Associated Press that no military force was used in the seizures and that the ships weren't physically confiscated.

Fisherman and locals living around Morrocoy National Park began reporting oil washing ashore last week and it has coated roughly 15 kilometres of beaches.

Lawyers for the former Green Berets, Luke Denman and Airan Berry, said they were barred from the secretive jailhouse proceedings Friday night in what they consider a violation of their constitutional rights to a defence.

China, India and Cuba replaced the U.S. as the top destinations for Venezuela's heavy crude, making up a combined 37 per cent of all voyages from Venezuela in the year following sanctions.

The high court's order is the latest in a series of moves against President Nicolas Maduro's critics before upcoming legislative elections.

Many of the United States' rivals, including China, North Korea and Russia, condemned the use of force against George Floyd protesters.