Former Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo González has fled into exile after being granted asylum in Spain, delivering a major blow to millions who placed their hopes in his upstart campaign to end two decades of single-party rule.

Rescue workers using drones and trained dogs are searching for survivors following a massive landslide in central Venezuela, as the death toll rose to 34 and residents described harrowing tales of escape from the water and mud.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez gives an interview at Congress in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 15, 2021. It’s unclear if the Biden administration will accept the overture or continue with the hardline policy of regime change it inherits. Past attempts at government dialogue with the opposition have failed to end the country’s stalemate and Maduro has tightened his grip on power. As National Assembly president, Rodriguez is second in the line of presidential succession, behind his younger sister, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. Analysts say Biden has limited options to undo crippling oil sanctions imposed as part of Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez gives an interview at Congress in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Jan. 15, 2021. It’s unclear if the Biden administration will accept the overture or continue with the hardline policy of regime change it inherits. Past attempts at government dialogue with the opposition have failed to end the country’s stalemate and Maduro has tightened his grip on power. As National Assembly president, Rodriguez is second in the line of presidential succession, behind his younger sister, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. Analysts say Biden has limited options to undo crippling oil sanctions imposed as part of Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign.

The purpose: to lure Exxon back to Venezuela after a decade's absence and inject much-needed dynamism into the OPEC nation's collapsing oil industry. But Sessions did engage in other mediation efforts in Venezuela over the next 15 months. The earlier email regarding Exxon and his connection to Rivera was not known at the time. The five-sentence message sent to Sessions' personal email address, which starts with the word eagle," is short on specifics. The U.S. Department of State would be your best resource for any information regarding contacts made with Venezuela, a spokesman said.

TOP OF THE HOUR: India reports 5,242 new cases, largest single-day surge, and 157 deaths. ___SEOUL, South Korea South Korea has reported 15 new coronavirus cases and one more death, bringing its totals to 11,065 cases and 263 fatalities. ___PORTLAND, Ore. Oregon health officials say hospitals will be provided with an experimental drug that has shown some promise treating the coronavirus. Health officials say the first outbreak of the coronavirus at a nursing home in Wyoming has infected at least nine people. He told CBS Face the Nation: I believe the CDC serves an important public health role.___Follow AP news coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at https://apnews.com/VirusOutbreak and https://apnews.com/UnderstandingtheOutbreak

Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez confirmed Friday the first two cases of the new coronavirus in the South American country. The announcement prompted President Iván Duque of neighboring Colombia to order his nation’s border with Venezuela closed as a coronavirus containment measure. “God help us,” hospital patient Carlos Chacón said after hearing the news that the pandemic had arrived in his native Venezuela. The virus further raised tensions between Venezuela and Colombia, whose government backs Guaidó. Experts in Colombia are concerned that the migration crisis could exacerbate the spread of coronavirus throughout the region.