Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez Assured US of Cooperation before Maduro’s Capture

THE GUARDIAN: Exclusive: sources say powerful figures in the regime secretly pledged US and Qatari officials they would welcome Maduro’s departure

Before the US military snatched Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, earlier this month, Delcy Rodríguez and her powerful brother pledged to cooperate with the Trump administration once the strongman was gone, four sources involved at high levels with the discussions told the Guardian.

Rodríguez, who was sworn in on 5 January as acting president to replace Maduro, and her brother Jorge, the head of the national assembly, secretly assured US and Qatari officials through intermediaries ahead of time that they would welcome Maduro’s departure, according to the sources.

The communications between US officials from Delcy Rodríguez, who was then Maduro’s vice-president, began in the fall and continued after Trump and Maduro spoke in a crucial phone call in late November, the Guardian has learned, in which Trump insisted that Maduro leave Venezuela. Maduro rejected the demand.

By December, one American who was involved told the Guardian that Delcy Rodríguez told the US government she was ready: “Delcy was communicating ‘Maduro needs to go.’ » | Aram Roston | Thursday, January 22, 2026

«Nicolasito» : qui est le fils de Nicolás Maduro qui avait menacé d’occuper militairement la Maison-Blanche

LE FIGARO : VU D’AILLEURS - Le fils du dictateur déchu, surnommé «petit Nicolás», entend jouer un rôle central dans la survie du régime vénézuélien.

Par Sandro Benini (Tribune de Genève)

La voix brisée, le député Nicolás Maduro Guerra, 35 ans, a appelé la semaine dernière, depuis le Parlement, à ramener son père « kidnappé » à la maison. Il s’est également adressé directement à l’ancien président du Venezuela, bien que celui-ci n’ait évidemment pas pu entendre son discours depuis sa cellule du centre de détention métropolitain (MDC) de New York. «Papa, tu as rendu notre famille forte. Ici, nous accomplissons notre devoir jusqu’à ton retour et jusqu’à ce que nous puissions nous embrasser à nouveau au Venezuela.» Par «nous», le fils unique de Maduro faisait également référence à ses trois demi-frères, nés d’un précédent mariage de l’épouse du président, Cilia Flores.

Surnommé Nicolasito (« petit Nicolás ») pour le distinguer de son père homonyme, Nicolás Maduro Guerra occupe, en raison de sa filiation avec le dictateur déchu, une place importante aux yeux de la nouvelle présidente du Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez. Le quotidien espagnol El País le qualifie même de «figure clé» du régime. Au Parlement, les mots adressés par Nicolasito à Delcy Rodríguez ne laissaient aucune place au doute : elle pouvait compter sur son soutien inconditionnel dans la lourde tâche qui l’attendait, «ainsi que sur celui de ma famille». » | Par LENA | samedi 17 janvier 2026

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Le Vatican a négocié avec les États-Unis pour offrir une porte de sortie à Nicolas Maduro avant sa capture, révèle le Washington Post

LE FIGARO : Le cardinal Pietro Parolin avait rencontré l’ambassadeur américain pour lui proposer une exfiltration du président vénézuelien déchu, détaille notamment le journal.

Nicolas Maduro croupit désormais dans une prison américaine. Plusieurs échappatoires avaient pourtant été proposées au président vénézuélien déchu avant sa capture au cours d’un spectaculaire raid des forces spéciales américaines samedi dernier, révèle le Washington Post . Le Saint-Siège - entité juridique qui représente l’Église catholique dans le Concert des Nations, un fait unique - avait tenté une médiation diplomatique auprès des États-Unis autour d’une offre d’exfiltration de Maduro vers la Russie avec son entourage, et une partie de l’argent capté depuis son arrivée au pouvoir en 2013. » | Par Amaury Coutansais-Pervinquière | samedi 10 janvier 2026

Maduro FLIPS the SCRIPT on Trump

More on this here.

‘Dirty’ and ‘Infested* with Drugs’: The New York Jail Holding Maduro and Mangione

THE GUARDIAN: High-profile names have been housed in Brooklyn’s Metropolitan detention center, which is said to be unsafe and inhumane

After US military forces seized Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in Caracas during a controversial pre-dawn raid, they were ultimately spirited to one of this country’s most infamous jails: the Metropolitan detention center (MDC) in Brooklyn, New York.

The deposed Venezuelan president and Flores will almost certainly reside in the MDC until their federal trial on drugs and weapons charge – inducting them into a notorious group that counts Sean “Diddy” Combs, Ghislaine Maxwell, Sam Bankman-Fried and Mexican drug kingpin “El Chapo” as either current or former members.

The facility, located in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, holds prisoners with pending cases in the United States district court for the eastern district of New York as well as those serving brief sentences. » | Victoria Bekiempis | Wednesday, January 7, 2026

FOR CLARITY, A NOTE TO NON-NATIVE SPEAKERS OF ENGLISH: The choice of the word “infested’ in connection with drugs is very unusual. The word ‘infested’ is more correctly used in connection with insects, pests, or vermin, etc. I would have probably used the word ‘saturated’. — Mark

Does Keir Starmer Believe Actions in Venezuela Are in Breach of International Law

Starmer fails to impress! Ge is talking out of both sides of his mouth. Weak is as weak speaks! Let me say it for Starmer... It was in breach of international law and it was WRONG. VERY WRONG.

“Imperialist and Fascist”: Cuba Accuses US of Kidnapping Maduro, Waging State Terrorism | AC1G

Jan 5, 2026 | Cuba delivered a blistering response at the UN Security Council after U.S. strikes in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

Havana accused Washington of imperialism, state terrorism, and violating the UN Charter, blaming the attack on a bid to control Venezuela’s resources and warning the assault threatens regional and global peace.

Europe’s Failure to Condemn Trump’s Illegal Aggression in Venezuela Isn’t Just Wrong – It’s Stupid

THE GUARDIAN — OPINION: The more European countries act as colonies, unable and unwilling to stand up to Trump, the more they’ll be treated as such

A screenshot taken from this article. | A protest against the capture of Nicolás Maduro in front of the US embassy in Madrid, Spain, 4 January 2026. Photograph: Olmo Blanco/Getty Images
There is no two without a three, as we say in Italian. After their complicit silence on Israel’s war crimes in Gaza and their tacit acceptance of the US/Israel attack on Iran, Europeans now hesitate to condemn the US’s audacious military operation to bring about regime change in Venezuela. With few notable exceptions – such as Spain, the Netherlands and Norway – most European leaders have fudged their response. Spain, in fact, has acted without its EU partners, condemning the US attack alongside a group of Latin American countries. European governments seem unable to utter in the same breath that, although Nicolás Maduro was an illegitimate dictator, the US attack to topple him is a gross violation of international law.

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, the UK prime minister, Keir Starmer, and the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, at least made reference to international law, while emphasising that they shed no tears for the end of Maduro’s regime. Others, such as the German chancellor, Friedrich Merz, strangely talked about looking into the legality of the US military action, as if there were any doubt about its nature. Worse still, Trump-friendly Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni defined this act of external military intervention as “legitimate” self-defence against narco-trafficking.

These are all European leaders, who head liberal democracies and represent institutions that elevate multilateralism and international law as core principles. Why are they so ambiguous about such a gross violation? Even if we set global legal norms aside, does such ambiguity serve the European interest? » | Nathalie Tocci | Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Margaret Thatcher wasn’t right about everything, but she was right about the weakness of many Europeam politicians. She said they were a weak, feeble lot. Their timidity to condemn Trump for trampling over international law and kidnapping its president points to how right Thatcher was about European leaders’ propensity to be weak and feeble. — © Mark Alexander

Trump Spirals as Invasion Blows Up in His Face

Jan 6, 2026 | MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on Donald Trump’s invasion going wrong as its aftermath is having dire consequences he couldn’t fathom.

Trump and his regime have KIDNAPPED Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. This was an illegal and illegitimate action. The action broke international rules and norms. They should be released from jail forthwith. — © Mark Alexander

Nicolás Maduro vor US-Bundesgericht

Maduros missliche Lage erklärt.

Jeffrey Sachs Blasts US Power Grab Over Venezuela, Maduro Capture at Historic UN Meeting

Jan 5, 2026 | Economist and UN adviser Jeffrey Sachs delivered blistering remarks at an emergency UN Security Council meeting, condemning U.S. strikes on Venezuela and the capture of Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Sachs warned of U.S. “hegemonic power grabs,” urging the Council to defend the UN Charter and international law. For more details, watch our story and subscribe to our channel, DRM News.

Jeffrey Sachs Slams US “Power Grab” Over Venezuela at UN Security Council …

Marco Rubio Blows Trump’s Cover on Venezuelan Attack & Kidnapping

Jan 5, 2026 | Jesse discusses Marco Rubio’s appearance on Meet the Press, during which he stumbled and fumbled his way through answering basic questions related to the illegal and constitutionally prohibited invasion of Venezuela and kidnapping of its dictator, Nicolas Maduro.

Marco Rubio doesn't look like the brightest bulb in the pack! Moreover, it’s high time for Downing Street and the Royal Family to stop arse-licking this band of criminals! — © Mark Alexander

Maduro Tells U.S. Judge He Was ‘Kidnapped’

THE NEW YORK TIMES: Nicolás Maduro, the ousted Venezuelan leader, and his wife pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other federal charges. “I am still president of my country,” Maduro said.

Nicolás Maduro, the ousted Venezuelan leader, insisted on Monday that he was still his country’s president and had been “kidnapped” in the U.S. military raid on Caracas that captured him and his wife two days ago. Both pleaded not guilty to charges, including drug trafficking and other crimes, in a federal courtroom in Lower Manhattan.

“I’m innocent. I’m not guilty,” Mr. Maduro said through an interpreter after Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein asked him for his plea. He continued, “I am a decent man. I am still president of my country.”

Mr. Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, who like her husband wore a short-sleeve navy shirt over an orange prison uniform, had a bandage on her forehead and what looked to be bruising near her right eye. She told the court that she was “not guilty, completely innocent.”

At the conclusion of the hearing, a man stood up in the gallery and told Mr. Maduro in Spanish that he would pay for his crimes. Mr. Maduro responded that he would win his freedom and declared himself “a prisoner of war.”

Their arraignment, on charges including narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine, followed a monthslong campaign by the Trump administration to drive Mr. Maduro from power. But it could be well over a year before he and his wife face trial, and Mr. Maduro’s lawyer, Barry Pollack, told the judge there were questions about the legality of his client’s “military abduction.” Venezuela Live Updates » | Benjamin Weiser, Jonah E. Bromwich, Annie Karni and Hurubie Meko | Benjamin Weiser, Jonah E. Bromwich and Hurubie Meko reported from Lower Manhattan. Annie Karni reported from Washington. | Monday, January 5, 2026

En español:

En vivo: Maduro dice ante un tribunal de EE. UU. que fue ‘secuestrado’: Nicolás Maduro, el líder derrocado de Venezuela, y su esposa se declararon no culpables de narcotráfico y otros cargos federales. El hijo de Maduro, quien también está en la acusación, pronunció un discurso desafiante el lunes ante la Asamblea Nacional venezolana. »

Steve Schmidt: Trump Is Gambling with American Lives

Jan 5, 2025 | The Trump regime’s capture of Nicolás Maduro marks a dangerous escalation with dire global and domestic consequences. Steve Schmidt exposes Trump’s selfish motivations and explains why this path leads toward an unwinnable war.

Donald Trump and his henchmen and henchwomen—the Trump regime—have turned America, a country which was once the envy of the world, into a MAFIA STATE. The corruption stinks. Moreover, Americans who aren’t superrich risk being treated like dirt. But more than this: Trump’s mafia state is already morphing into a PARIAH STATE. No wonder many sensible Americans are rushing to get out of the SHITHOLE! Further, nobody in his/her right mind would go to Trump’s America on vacation for fear of being beaten up and arrested by ICE. Even incarcerated. When the Orange One eventually carks it, it’s going to take Americans years to undo the damage he has done to the country, if they ever will be able to repair it. — © Mark Alexander

China fordert Freilassung Maduros und hält an Öl-Geschäften mit Venezuela fest

BERLINER ZEITUNG: China verschärft nach der Festnahme von Maduro den Ton gegenüber den USA. Zugleich signalisiert Peking, dass es seine Interessen in Venezuela nicht preisgeben will.

China hat nach der Festnahme von Nicolás Maduro durch US-Spezialeinheiten seine Kritik an Washington verschärft und zugleich signalisiert, dass Peking an den Beziehungen zu Venezuela festhalten will. Außenamtssprecher Lin Jian erklärte am Montag, China sei „zutiefst besorgt“ über die Festnahme Madurós und dessen Abtransport in die USA.

Das Vorgehen der USA verstoße gegen Völkerrecht, grundlegende Normen internationaler Beziehungen sowie gegen Ziele und Prinzipien der Charta der Vereinten Nationen, heißt es in einer Mitschrift des chinesischen Außenministeriums, über die unter anderem die South China Morning Post berichtet. Peking forderte die USA außerdem auf, die Sicherheit von Maduro und seiner Ehefrau zu gewährleisten und beide sofort freizulassen. » | Alexander Schmalz | Montag, 5. Januar 2026

Au Venezuela, les chavistes organisent l’après-Maduro

LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - La succession a respecté l’ordre constitutionnel après la capture du président vénézuélien. Et les chavistes tentent désormais d’encadrer leur coopération avec l’Administration Trump.

Après la capture du président vénézuélien en pleine nuit le 3 janvier dernier, le pays se remet du choc, et les autorités chavistes toujours aux manettes organisent la succession, pour maintenir la continuité du pouvoir, surveillées de près par Washington. Des jours clefs pour le Venezuela.

« Rendez-nous notre président », criait Maritza lors d’un rassemblement de partisans du pouvoir dimanche, « nous voulons récupérer notre président, notre révolution » lançait-elle, un drapeau vénézuélien à la main. Pour elle, comme pour tous ses camarades présents, Nicolas Maduro est toujours le président du Venezuela et sa place et au Palais de Miraflores. Mais l’homme est désormais dans une prison de New York, et se prépare à affronter la justice américaine pour des accusations de narcoterrorisme. Ses supporteurs se sentent orphelins, beaucoup ont les larmes aux yeux en évoquant leur dirigeant, « humilié » par « l’empire nord-américain ». » | Par Alice Campaignolle, Caracas | lundi 5 janvier 2026

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Navidi: "Trump hätte Maduro auch umbringen lassen können" | ntv

Jan 4, 2026 | Viele Beobachter wie die US-Expertin Sandra Navidi sind alarmiert von dem Vorgehen Trumps in Venezuela. Nicht nur könnten sich andere ein Vorbild an der rabiaten und völkerrechtswidrigen Aktion nehmen; durch die geplante Interimsregierung würden die Vereinigten Staaten auch ihre Vormachtstellung beim Öl ausbauen.

Report from Caracas on US Attack & Maduro Abduction

U.S. forces attacked Venezuela and abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a Saturday night raid. About 80 people were reportedly killed, including 32 Cubans. Democracy Now! speaks with Andreína Chávez, a Venezuelan reporter based in Caracas, who calls the strikes an “imperialist attack.”

Democracy Now! can be supported here.

Maduro and His Wife Arrive at Manhattan Courthouse for First Appearance

Jan 5, 2026 | An armored vehicle carrying ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores has just arrived at a New York courthouse, where Maduro is set to appear later on today on drugs and weapons charges.

What Might the US Do Next after Venezuela? | Inside Story

Jan 4, 2026 | The US capture of Venezuela's president Nicolás Maduro has been sharply criticised by his allies - but not by Western nations, despite questions about its legality. So, does the operation signal a new aggressive US strategy - and what might the global impact be?

Presenter: Adrian Finighan

Guests:

Charles Shapiro - a former US Ambassador to Venezuela under President George W. Bush.

Stefan Wolff - Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham, UK.

Ernesto Castaneda - Director of the Center for Latin American and Latino Studies at the American University in Washington DC.