Spain lashed out Tuesday at Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro for what it called "insulting and unacceptable" comments in which he branded conservative Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy a "hitman".

The Spanish foreign ministry had summoned Venezuela's ambassador in Madrid on Monday to complain after Maduro's comments in a televised address at the weekend.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has gone to New York to meet with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon over his country's escalating border dispute with Guyana, his foreign minister said late Monday.

Maduro will "defend the rights of Venezuela" and "defend the country from aggression by the new government of Guyana," Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez said. 

Guyana's territorial dispute with neighboring Venezuela represents a threat to its very survival, President David Granger warned Friday in Washington.

After a recent offshore oil find, the row between the two countries has escalated, with Venezuela laying claim to a huge swathe of Guyana's territory.

The president of Venezuela said Monday he recalled the country's ambassador to Guyana for consultations, as the border dispute between the two nations escalates after a significant offshore oil find.

President Nicolas Maduro said he decided to also reduce the size of the embassy in Guyana and that he ordered a review of relations with Venezuela's eastern neighbor.

More than a million faithful -- some of whom traveled for hours and spent the night outdoors -- gathered Monday for the first open-air mass of Pope Francis's three-nation trip to South America.

Keeping vigil in tents, sleeping bags and on cardboard, tens of thousands hoping to catch a glimpse of the pontiff spent the night in the rough ahead of the service in Guayaquil, Ecuador's largest city.

The United States announced Tuesday it had indicted 17 alleged leaders and associates of Colombia's powerful Clan Usuga drug gang, who would all risk life in prison if ever convicted.

They are charged with criminal enterprise, international cocaine trafficking conspiracy and firearms charges in New York and Miami.

Jailed Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez announced Tuesday he has ended a month-long hunger strike, a day after the government set a date for legislative elections.

"We lift the hunger strike, but the struggle continues," he said via a handwritten letter read by his wife Lilian Tintori.

Venezuela will hold clutch legislative polls on December 6, officials said Monday, setting a date after weeks of pressure from opposition groups hopeful of dealing President Nicolas Maduro's Socialist party a crippling defeat.

Jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez has been on hunger strike for 30 days, insisting the government set a date for the polls and guarantee that they will be overseen by international observers.

Marchers hit the Caracas streets Saturday to demand elections and the release of jailed Venezuelan opposition activists including figurehead Leopoldo Lopez, who has been on hunger strike since May 24.

The crowd of about 500 was called out by Lopez's wife, Lilian Tintori, for a march that ended in Jose Marti square in the capital.

Former leaders from Spain and Latin America called Monday on Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro to free political prisoners, "respect fundamental rights and liberties" and create a climate for political dialogue.

The statement issued by 27 former leaders, followed Venezuela's refusal on Friday to grant two former presidents access to prisons holding opposition leaders Leopoldo Lopez and Daniel Ceballos.