Donald Trump says US is ‘going to run’ Venezuela after overnight strikes – live

Cuba came up at the press conference, a country very closely allied with Venezuela and immediately on a lot of people’s minds after the US action in South America overnight, wondering if the US would be audacious enough to attempt to make a similar intervention.

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Donald Trump said it is “an interesting case”.

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“Cuba, as you know, is not doing very well right now. That system has not been a very good one for Cuba. The people there have suffered for many, many years and I think Cuba is going to be something we’ll end up talking about, because Cuba is a failing nation right now, very badly failing, and we want to help the people.”

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He went on: “It’s very similar in the sense that we want to help the people in Cuba, but we also want to help the people who were forced out of Cuba and living in this country. Do you want to say something about that, Marco?”

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Trump ceded the podium to the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the former Republican senator of Florida (and presidential candidate who ran against Trump for the 2016 nomination and lost). Rubio is a Cuban American who was born in Miami to parents who fled Cuba in the 1950s before Fidel Castro came to power but regard themselves as having escaped communism. Rubio is deeply hostile to the Cuban regime.

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The presidential press conference has just ended and Donald Trump and his small senior entourage have exited the stage at his Mar-a-Lago residence and club in Florida, leaving behind a lot of unanswered questions.

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Russia, according to the news wires, has denied that the Venezuelan vice-president and Nicolás Maduro’s presumed successor, Delcy Rodríguez, is in Russia, which was been a rumour all morning.

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Trump said she had just been sworn in as the new president of Venezuela and will be cooperating with the US, statements which are unverified elsewhere.

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The last question of the press conference concerned Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, and the war in Ukraine.

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Trump claimed that progress was being made on negotiations towards peace, without giving further details, and he called the war “a bloodbath” and said “I’m not thrilled with Putin” and that Russia “is killing too many people”.

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Donald Trump just said he and his administration have not talked to Venezuela’s exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado today. He took on a dismissive tone at the question from the reporters gathered at Mar-a-Lago for this ongoing press conference.

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“I think it would be very difficult for her” to return to lead Venezuela, the US president just said, in response to a reporter’s question.

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“She does not have the support in Venezuela; she is a very nice woman but she does not have the support,” he said. The presser now bounces to the next topic. We’ll come back in a moment to what Trump and Rubio just said about Cuba.

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Trump’s now being asked about “boots on the ground” in Venezuela. He said a US military presence will only be in relation to sorting out Venezuela’s oil industry. Again, no further detail. Trump is about to take the last question.

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The presidential press conference in Florida continues, with the chair of the joint chiefs talking about the operation itself overnight, and our live feed continues. But just as Trump was beginning the presser, the United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, had issued a statement via his spokesperson, so now seems a good time to bring that to our readers, via the Reuters news agency.

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The secretary general is deeply alarmed by US military action in Venezuela, his spokesperson has said, and considered the US intervention “a dangerous precedent”.

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A number of nations have called for an emergency meeting of the UN security council, in New York, today, as a result of the US’s unilateral action.

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The UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said:

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n

The secretary general continues to emphasize the importance of full respect – by all – of international law, including the UN charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.

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The UN charter is the founding document of the global body. More on this shortly.

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UN secretary general, António Guterres, on 17 December 2025.”,”caption”:”The UN secretary general, António Guterres, on 17 December 2025.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Bianca Otero/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1767458265000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”11.37 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1767460694000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”12.18 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1767460360000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”12.12 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”12.12″,”title”:”United Nations secretary general condemns US action”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sat 3 Jan 2026 13.17 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sat 3 Jan 2026 02.36 EST”},{“id”:”6959487d8f085ed25e9e3165″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Trump said Maduro’s leadership was “both horrible and breathtaking”.

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“We want peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela, and that includes many from Venezuela that are now living in the United States and want to go back to their country, it’s their homeland,” the US president said.

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“We can’t take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela that doesn’t have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind [after] decades of that. We’re not going to let that happen.”

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He continued: “We’re there now … We’re going to stay until such time as a proper transition can take place.”

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He then added, about Venezuela’s vast oil reserves: “We’re going to have our very large US oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country and we are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so. So we were prepared to do a second wave.” Trump said the US military was prepared to make a second wave of attacks in the latest action overnight into Saturday but that was not needed.

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The details of how or on what authority or with what kind of agreements, if any, that the US intends to “run” Venezuela in transition are unclear at this time.

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The US president has claimed at the press conference now under way in Florida that the United States is going to run Venezuela for the time being, although it’s unclear how that would be done.

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“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said. He has given no details.

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He just called Maduro a dictator and a drug kingpin.

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Donald Trump has begun his press conference by praising the US operation in Venezuela overnight.

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“This was one of the most stunning attacks and effective and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history,” the US president said.

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“No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved yesterday, or frankly, in such a short period of time. All Venezuelan military capacities were rendered powerless as the men and women of our military, working with US law enforcement, successfully captured Maduro in the dead of night.”

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Trump approaches the podium for his press conference.”,”caption”:”Donald Trump approaches the podium for his press conference.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1767458466000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”11.41 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1767458783000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”11.46 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1767458625000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”11.43 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”11.43″,”title”:”Donald Trump begins press conference by praising US operation in Venezuela”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sat 3 Jan 2026 13.17 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sat 3 Jan 2026 02.36 EST”},{“id”:”6959449b8f087b8b68f608eb”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

As we continue to await the presidential press conference from Florida that was due to begin 30 minutes ago, we can bring you another development.

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Donald Trump has posted a picture on his Truth Social platform that he states is “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima”.

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It appears to show the captured Venezuelan president in handcuffs and with, possibly, sensory-deprivation accessories, including wrap-around sun goggles and headphones. Maduro is expressionless, his right hand gripping a small plastic water bottle and wearing a grey sweatshirt and sweat pants.

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Maduro blindfolded, wearing ear defenders and with what looks like his hands bound, wearing a grey tracksuit”,”caption”:”A handout image shows Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro after the US struck Venezuela and captured him, 3 January 2026. “,”credit”:”Photograph: Donald J Trump (@realDonaldTrump)/Reuters”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1767457947000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”11.32 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1767460019000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”12.06 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1767458171000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”11.36 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”11.36″,”title”:”Donald Trump posts image of Nicolás Maduro on his social media”,”contributors”:[],”primaryDateLine”:”Sat 3 Jan 2026 13.17 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sat 3 Jan 2026 02.36 EST”},{“id”:”69593fbc8f085ed25e9e3113″,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

We have a copy of the fresh indictment against Nicolás Maduro, his wife, son and others, and you can read it here.

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Donald Trump is about to hold a press conference about the events that unfolded in Venezuela overnight.

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The US president will helm the meeting at his resort and residence Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where he has been over the festive period.

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The out-of-town traveling press pool that follows the president around will be present and we will bring you the news. You can also follow the event live in a feed we’ll put at the top of this blog as it gets under way, any minute now.

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Here is a summary of some of the key events from today’s blog on US strikes on Venezuela and the capture of its leader, Nicolás Maduro:

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  Donald Trump has confirmed that the Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are heading to New York. Trump told Fox News on Saturday that Maduro and his wife were taken to a ship after their capture by US forces and are headed to the US city.

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  Earlier, US attorney general Pam Bondi said the deposed Venezuelan leader and his wife would face criminal charges after an indictment in New York. Bondi vowed in a social media post that the couple will “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts”.

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  The United States is going to be “very strongly involved” in Venezuela’s oil industry after the operation to capture Maduro, Trump told Fox News on Saturday. He said: “We have the greatest oil companies in the world, the biggest, the greatest, and we’re going to be very much involved in it.”

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  The US vice-president, JD Vance, hailed what he called a “truly impressive operation” in Venezuela that culminated in the capture of Maduro. Posting on social media as he reshared Trump’s post about the action, Vance wrote: “The president offered multiple off-ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States.”

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  In a statement on X, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Maduro is “under indictment for pushing drugs in the United States”. Republican US Senator Mike Lee said on Saturday that Rubio had told him that he “anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody”.

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  Venezuela’s government urged citizens to rise up against the US assault and said Washington risked plunging Latin America into chaos with “an extremely serious” act of “military aggression”. “The entire country must mobilise to defeat this imperialist aggression,” it added. It accused the US of launching a series of attacks against civilian and military targets in the South American country, after explosions rocked its capital, Caracas, before dawn on Saturday.

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  Explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday. In its statement, Venezuela’s government confirmed that the city had come under attack, as well as three other states: Miranda, La Guaira and Aragua.

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  Venezuela has accused the US of trying to “seize control” of country’s resources, in particular its oil and minerals. Th country has called on the international community to denounce what it called a flagrant violation of international law that put millions of lives at risk.

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  In the early hours of Saturday the president of neighbouring Colombia, Gustavo Petro, called for an immediate emergency session of the UN security council, saying on social media that Venezuela had come under attack.

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  UK prime minister Keir Starmer has reacted to Donald Trump’s military action in Venezuela saying: “The UK was not involved in any way in this operation.” He added that “we should all uphold international law”. France said the US military operation which resulted in the capture of Maduro went against the principles of international law.

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  Russia has demanded “immediate” clarification about the circumstances of the capture of Maduro during an attack ordered by Trump. Earlier, Venezuela’s vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, said the US needed to provide “proof of life” for Maduro.

n

• n

  Venezuelan allies Russia, Cuba and Iran were quick to condemn the strikes as a violation of sovereignty. Tehran urged the UN security council to stop the “unlawful aggression.” Among major Latin American nations, Argentina’s President Javier Milei lauded Venezuela’s new “freedom” while Mexico condemned the intervention and Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said it crossed “an unacceptable line.”

n

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The United States’ military operation which resulted in the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro went against the principles of international law, said French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Saturday.

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Barrot wrote on X:

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n

The military operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro violates the principle of not resorting to force, that underpins international law.

n

France reiterates that no lasting political solution can be imposed from the outside and that only sovereign people themselves can decide their future.

n

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Tiago Rogero is the Guardian’s South America correspondent, based in Brazil.

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The US vice-president, JD Vance, hailed what he called a “truly impressive operation” in Venezuela that culminated in the capture of the dictator Nicolás Maduro.

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Posting on social media as he reshared Donald Trump’s post about the action, Vance wrote:

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n

The president offered multiple off-ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States.

n

Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says. Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation.

n

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The vice-president invoked two of the main arguments the US has used to justify its four-month-long military pressure on Venezuela: a supposed “war on drugs” and the “return” to the US of oil allegedly stolen by the South American country.

n Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, but, after years of mismanagement and corruption under the Chavista regime, and severe economic damage from US sanctions, its production falls far short of its potential.

n While the US for months relied solely on the purported “war on drugs” to justify the military buildup and the attacks on boats that have killed 116 people, the Maduro regime has consistently said Trump was ultimately after Venezuela’s oil.

n The US president acknowledged that this was part of his goals several weeks ago, when the US seized the first oil tanker and Trump announced a “total blockade” of sanctioned vessels, saying it would remain in place until Venezuela “returned” to the US “all of the Oil, Land, and other Assets that they previously stole from us”.

n He later said: “We had a lot of oil there. As you know, they threw our companies out, and we want it back,” a remark widely understood as a reference to the Venezuelan government’s decision to nationalise the oil industry in 1976, which affected US companies such as Exxon and Mobil – which merged in 1999 – and Gulf Oil, now part of Chevron, the only US company still authorised to operate in the country.

n In 2007, Maduro’s predecessor and mentor, Hugo Chávez, took control of the remaining oil operations still run under private arrangements. ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips rejected the new contractual terms and, as a result, had their assets expropriated and were forced to leave the country. Chevron agreed to remain.

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Here is a pdf embed of the indictment for Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro that dates from 2020, with some updates.

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Donald Trump has confirmed that the Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are heading to New York. Trump told Fox News on Saturday that Maduro and his wife were taken to a ship after their capture by US forces and will be transported to New York.

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Earlier, US attorney general Pam Bondi said the deposed Venezuelan leader and his wife would face criminal charges after an indictment in New York.

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Bondi vowed in a social media post that the couple will “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts”.

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The United States is going to be “very strongly involved” in Venezuela’s oil industry after the operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump told Fox News on Saturday.

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He said:

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n

We have the greatest oil companies in the world, the biggest, the greatest, and we’re going to be very much involved in it.

n

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Tiago Rogero is the Guardian’s South America correspondent, based in Brazil.

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Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said the US bombardment of Venezuelan territory and the capture of the dictator Nicolás Maduro “cross an unacceptable line”, amounting to a “grave affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent” for the international community.

n In a post on social media, the leftwing leader added that the action “recalls the darkest moments of [US] interference in Latin America and the Caribbean”, in an apparent reference to the dozens of US military interventions in the region – including Brazil, through its support for the 1964 coup that ushered in a bloody two-decade-long military dictatorship – over the past two centuries.

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Lula said the international community, through the UN, “must respond vigorously to this episode”, adding that “Brazil condemns these actions” but remains available to “promote dialogue and cooperation”.

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president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said the US bombardment of Venezuelan territory and the capture of the dictator Nicolás Maduro ‘cross an unacceptable line’.”,”caption”:”Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said the US bombardment of Venezuelan territory and the capture of the dictator Nicolás Maduro ‘cross an unacceptable line’.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Marina Uezima/Brazil Photo Press/Shutterstock”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

n In recent months, the Brazilian president has repeatedly offered to act as a mediator between Donald Trump and Maduro. A few weeks ago, he called the Venezuelan dictator in the first gesture of rapprochement after their already distant relationship broke down when Brazil refused to recognise the result of the 2024 election, widely believed to have been rigged by Maduro.

n Even so, Lula joined other leftwing leaders in the region, including Colombia’s Gustavo Petro and Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum, in openly criticising the US intervention. He wrote:

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n

Attacking countries, in blatant violation of international law, is the first step towards a world of violence, chaos and instability, where the law of the strongest prevails over multilateralism.

n

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Here is the latest on what we know so far about US attacks on Venezuela and the capture of its leader Nicolás Maduro:

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n
• n

  US attorney general Pam Bondi says deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, will face criminal charges after an indictment in New York. Bondi vowed in a social media post that the couple will “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts”.

n

• n

  In a statement on X, US secretary of state Marco Rubio said Maduro is “under indictment for pushing drugs in the United States”. Republican US Senator Mike Lee said on Saturday that Rubio had told him that he “anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody”.

n

• n

  Earlier, Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that the US had “captured” Venezuela’s dictator, Maduro, and his wife, and flown them out of the South American country after a pre-dawn assault on Caracas and the surrounding region.

n

• n

  Venezuela’s government accused the US of launching a series of attacks against civilian and military targets in the South American country, after explosions rocked its capital, Caracas, before dawn on Saturday.

n

• n

  In a statement, Venezuela’s government urged citizens to rise up against the assault and said Washington risked plunging Latin America into chaos with “an extremely serious” act of “military aggression”. “The entire country must mobilise to defeat this imperialist aggression,” it added.

n

• n

  Explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday. In its statement, Venezuela’s government confirmed that the city had come under attack, as well as three other states: Miranda, La Guaira and Aragua.

n

• n

  Venezuela has accused the US of trying to “seize control” of country’s resources, in particular its oil and minerals. Th country has called on the international community to denounce what it called a flagrant violation of international law that put millions of lives at risk.

n

• n

  In the early hours of Saturday the president of neighbouring Colombia, Gustavo Petro, called for an immediate emergency session of the UN security council, saying on social media that Venezuela had come under attack.

n

• n

  UK prime minister Keir Starmer has reacted to Donald Trump’s military action in Venezuela saying: “The UK was not involved in any way in this operation.” He added that “we should all uphold international law”.

n

• n

  Russia has demanded “immediate” clarification about the circumstances of the capture of Maduro during an attack ordered by Trump. Earlier, Venezuela’s vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, said the US needed to provide “proof of life” for Maduro.

n

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US attorney general Pam Bondi says the deposed Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, will face criminal charges after an indictment in New York.

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Bondi vowed in a social media post that the couple will “soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts”.

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Maduro was indicted in 2020 in New York, but it was not previously known that his wife had been.

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Here is Bondi’s full statement:

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n

Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York.

n

Nicolás Maduro has been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States.

n

They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.

n

On behalf of the entire US DOJ [Department of Justice], I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American people, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers.

n

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UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer has reacted to Donald Trump’s military action in Venezuela saying: “The UK was not involved in any way in this operation.”

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He added: “I want to establish the facts first. I want to speak to President Trump. I want to speak to allies. I can be absolutely clear that we were not involved … and I always say and believe we should all uphold international law.”

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In other reaction from UK politicians, Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Keir Starmer should condemn Trump’s illegal action in Venezuela. Maduro is a brutal and illegitimate dictator, but unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe. Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.”

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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said: “The American actions in Venezuela overnight are unorthodox and contrary to international law – but if they make China and Russia think twice, it may be a good thing. I hope the Venezuelan people can now turn a new leaf without Maduro.”

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Green Party leader Zack Polanski said: “The PM and Foreign Secretary should be condemning this illegal strike and breach of international human rights law. After years of arming a genocide and worshipping the ‘special relationship’, Trump now believes he can act with impunity.”

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US secretary of state Marco Rubio has issued a statement.

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He posted on X:

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n

Maduro is NOT the President of Venezuela and his regime is not the legitimate government. Maduro is the head of the Cartel de Los Soles, a narco-terror organisation that has taken control of the country. And he is under indictment for pushing drugs in the United States.

n

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Republican US Senator Mike Lee said on Saturday that US secretary of state Marco Rubio had told him Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro was arrested by US forces to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States.

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“He [Rubio] anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in US custody,” Lee wrote on X after a call with Washington’s top diplomat.

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Russia has demanded “immediate” clarification about the circumstances of the reported US abduction of Venezuelan President Maduro during an attack ordered by President Donald Trump.

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The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement:

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n

We are extremely alarmed by reports that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were forcibly removed from the country as a result of today’s US aggression. We call for an immediate clarification of the situation.

n

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Earlier, Venezuela’s vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, said the US needed to provide “proof of life” for Maduro.

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Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said his country is seeking a meeting of the UN security council.

Writing on X, Petro said Colombian forces were being deployed to the border, and all available support forces will be deployed in the event of a massive influx of refugees. He wrote:

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n

The Colombian embassy in Venezuela is active and responding to calls for assistance from Colombians in Venezuela. As members of the United Nations security council, we seek to convene the council.

n

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Petro said “the government of Colombia rejects the aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and of Latin America. Internal conflicts between peoples are resolved by those same peoples in peace”.

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President Gustavo Petro has said his country is seeking a meeting of the UN security council.”,”caption”:”Colombian President Gustavo Petro has said his country is seeking a meeting of the UN security council.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Carlos Ortega/EPA”}},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

He said that “the principle of the self-determination of peoples” should be respected and invited “the Venezuelan people to find the paths of civil dialogue and their unity”. He added:

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n

Without sovereignty, there is no nation.

n

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Trinidad and Tobago were not involved in any of the ongoing military operations against Venezuela, its prime minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, has confirmed.

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In a post on social media today, Persad-Bissessar wrote:

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n

Earlier this morning, Saturday 3rd January 2026, the United States commenced military operations within the territory of Venezuela.

n

Trinidad and Tobago is NOT a participant in any of these ongoing military operations. Trinidad and Tobago continues to maintain peaceful relations with the people of Venezuela.

n

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Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro has previously accused Persad-Bissessar as having “revealed a hostile agenda against Venezuela since taking office, including the installation of US military radars to target vessels transporting Venezuelan oil”.

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In the past, Persad-Bissessar praised US strikes on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific.

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Speaking on Venezuela TV, the vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, appears to confirm the capture of Nicolás Maduro. She demands immediate “proof of life” of Maduro and the first lady Cilia Flores.

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Speaking to the New York Times (NYT) via a short telephone interview today about the US attack on Venezuela and the mission to capture its president, Donald Trump celebrated what he described as a “brilliant operation”.

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According to the publication, Trump said:

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n

A lot of good planning and lot of great, great troops and great people.

n

It was a brilliant operation, actually.

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Asked if he had sought congressional authority for the operation and what is next for the South American country, the US president told the NYT that he would address those questions during his press conference at Mar-a-Lago.

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If you are coming to the blog now or are after the latest updates in one handy post, here is a summary of everything we know so far about the US attack on Venezuela:

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  Donald Trump has claimed the US has “captured” Venezuela’s dictator, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flown them out of the South American country after a pre-dawn assault on Caracas and the surrounding region.

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  Venezuela’s government accused the US of launching a series of attacks against civilian and military targets in the South American country, after explosions rocked its capital, Caracas, before dawn on Saturday.

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  In a statement, Venezuela’s government urged citizens to rise up against the assault and said Washington risked plunging Latin America into chaos with “an extremely serious” act of “military aggression”. “The entire country must mobilise to defeat this imperialist aggression,” it added.

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  Explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday. In its statement, Venezuela’s government confirmed that the city had come under attack, as well as three other states: Miranda, La Guaira and Aragua.

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  Venezuela has accused the US of trying to “seize control” of country’s resources, in particular its oil and minerals. Th country has called on the international community to denounce what it called a flagrant violation of international law that put millions of lives at risk.

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  In the early hours of Saturday the president of neighbouring Colombia, Gustavo Petro, called for an immediate emergency session of the UN security council, saying on social media that Venezuela had come under attack.

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Venezuela will resist the presence of foreign troops, defence minister Vladimir Padrino said in a video early on Saturday, reports Reuters, as Donald Trump said Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country.

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A US attack on the country in the early morning struck civilian areas, Padrino said, and Venezuela is compiling information about dead and injured people.

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US president Donald Trump claims that the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife have been “captured and flown out of the country”.

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In a Truth Social post shared only moments ago, Trump wrote:

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The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP.

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The Guardian has been unable to independently verify this report.

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Venezuela’s government has urged its citizens to rise up against the apparent US assault after the president Nicolás Maduro declared a nationwide state of emergency.

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“The entire country must mobilize to defeat this imperialist aggression,” it said.

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raises at La Carlota airport after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday.”,”caption”:”Smoke raises at La Carlota airport after explosions and low-flying aircraft were heard in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday.”,”credit”:”Photograph: Matias Delacroix/AP”}}],”attributes”:{“pinned”:false,”keyEvent”:true,”summary”:false},”blockCreatedOn”:1767428507000,”blockCreatedOnDisplay”:”03.21 EST”,”blockLastUpdated”:1767436198000,”blockLastUpdatedDisplay”:”05.29 EST”,”blockFirstPublished”:1767428833000,”blockFirstPublishedDisplay”:”03.27 EST”,”blockFirstPublishedDisplayNoTimezone”:”03.27″,”title”:”Venezuela’s government urges its citizens to rise up against apparent US assault”,”contributors”:[{“name”:”Tom Phillips”,”imageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/static/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/contributor/2015/7/21/1437469140501/Tom-Phillips.jpg?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=64d4710c5e9278bd5d7beaa12d34ca68″,”largeImageUrl”:”https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2017/10/09/Tom-Phillips,-L.png?width=300&quality=85&auto=format&fit=max&s=6daf189d32676df4eccd3f1c18c0bf3a”}],”primaryDateLine”:”Sat 3 Jan 2026 13.17 EST”,”secondaryDateLine”:”First published on Sat 3 Jan 2026 02.36 EST”},{“id”:”6958cf2b8f085ed25e9e2e8a”,”elements”:[{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Here is what we know so far:

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n
• n

  Explosions, loud noises and low-flying aircraft were heard in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas in the early hours of Saturday amid reports that Donald Trump had ordered the attack.

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  In the early hours of Saturday the president of neighbouring Colombia, Gustavo Petro, claimed on social media that Venezuela had come under attack. “Right now they are bombing Caracas … bombing it with missiles,” Petro wrote on X, calling for an immediate emergency session of the UN security council.

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• n

  In a statement, Venezuela’s government confirmed that Caracas had come under attack, as well as three other states: Miranda, La Guaira and Aragua.

n

• n

  Venezuela rejects “military aggression” by the US, the government of president Nicolás Maduro said in a statement early Saturday.

n

• n

  Venezuela has accused the US of trying to “seize control” of country’s resources, in particular its oil and minerals. The country has called on the international community to denounce what it called a flagrant violation of international law that put millions of lives at risk.

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• n

  Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro “ordered all national defence plans to be implemented” and declared “a state of external disturbance”, according to a statement on Saturday.

n

• n

  The explosions come after a five-month US pressure campaign against Maduro, which many analysts believe is designed to topple the Venezuelan leader. Since August, Donald Trump has ordered a massive military buildup off Venezuela’s northern coast and conducted a series of deadly airstrikes on supposed “narco boats”. The White House and Pentagon did not immediately respond to request for comment on Saturday morning.

n

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Venezuela’s authoritarian government has accused the US of risking plunging Latin America into chaos with “an extremely serious” act of “imperial aggression” after Donald Trump reportedly ordered strikes against the South American country.

“,”elementId”:”dff4bf3e-524a-4cbc-8fe3-87733db9cb1c”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

Explosions, loud noises and low-flying aircraft were heard in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas in the early hours of Saturday amid reports that Trump had ordered the attack. In a statement, Venezuela’s government confirmed that Caracas had come under attack, as well as three other states: Miranda, La Guaira and Aragua.

“,”elementId”:”5139315e-1746-4388-ac6b-ceb2bb3ddb9a”},{“_type”:”model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.TextBlockElement”,”html”:”

“The only objective of this attack is to seize control of Venezuela’s strategic resources, in particular its oil and minerals,” it said, calling on the international community to denounce what it called a flagrant violation of international law that put millions of lives at risk.

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Venezuela rejects “military aggression” by the United States, the government of president Nicolás Maduro said in a statement early Saturday.

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“People to the streets!” the statement said. “The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and repudiate this imperialist attack.”

n The statement added that President Nicolás Maduro had “ordered all national defence plans to be implemented” and declared “a state of external disturbance”.

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We’ll bring you more on this when we have it…

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The president of neighbouring Colombia is claiming on social media that Venezuela is under attack.

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“Right now they are bombing Caracas … bombing it with missiles,” Gustavo Petro wrote on X, calling for an immediate emergency session of the UN security council.

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He added: “Colombia since yesterday is a member of the United Nations Security Council and must be convened immediately. Establish the international legality of the aggression against Venezuela. The PMU is activated in Cúcuta and the operational plan at the border.”

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Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the developing situation in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.

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Witnesses have reported hearing explosions and aircraft in Caracas in the early hours of Saturday morning.

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A southern area of the city, near a major military base, is reported to be without electricity.

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We’ll bring you updates when we get them.

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‘Cuba is a failing nation and we want to help the people,’ says Trump

Cuba came up at the press conference, a country very closely allied with Venezuela and immediately on a lot of people’s minds after the US action in South America overnight, wondering if the US would be audacious enough to attempt to make a similar intervention.

Donald Trump said it is “an interesting case”.

“Cuba, as you know, is not doing very well right now. That system has not been a very good one for Cuba. The people there have suffered for many, many years and I think Cuba is going to be something we’ll end up talking about, because Cuba is a failing nation right now, very badly failing, and we want to help the people.”

He went on: “It’s very similar in the sense that we want to help the people in Cuba, but we also want to help the people who were forced out of Cuba and living in this country. Do you want to say something about that, Marco?”

Trump ceded the podium to the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the former Republican senator of Florida (and presidential candidate who ran against Trump for the 2016 nomination and lost). Rubio is a Cuban American who was born in Miami to parents who fled Cuba in the 1950s before Fidel Castro came to power but regard themselves as having escaped communism. Rubio is deeply hostile to the Cuban regime.

‘I’m not thrilled with Putin,’ says Donald Trump at end of Venezuela press conference

The presidential press conference has just ended and Donald Trump and his small senior entourage have exited the stage at his Mar-a-Lago residence and club in Florida, leaving behind a lot of unanswered questions.

Russia, according to the news wires, has denied that the Venezuelan vice-president and Nicolás Maduro’s presumed successor, Delcy Rodríguez, is in Russia, which was been a rumour all morning.

Trump said she had just been sworn in as the new president of Venezuela and will be cooperating with the US, statements which are unverified elsewhere.

The last question of the press conference concerned Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, and the war in Ukraine.

Trump claimed that progress was being made on negotiations towards peace, without giving further details, and he called the war “a bloodbath” and said “I’m not thrilled with Putin” and that Russia “is killing too many people”.

Trump says administration has not talked to Venezuela’s exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado

Donald Trump just said he and his administration have not talked to Venezuela’s exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado today. He took on a dismissive tone at the question from the reporters gathered at Mar-a-Lago for this ongoing press conference.

“I think it would be very difficult for her” to return to lead Venezuela, the US president just said, in response to a reporter’s question.

“She does not have the support in Venezuela; she is a very nice woman but she does not have the support,” he said. The presser now bounces to the next topic. We’ll come back in a moment to what Trump and Rubio just said about Cuba.

Trump’s now being asked about “boots on the ground” in Venezuela. He said a US military presence will only be in relation to sorting out Venezuela’s oil industry. Again, no further detail. Trump is about to take the last question.

Donald Trump said his secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has talked with the Venezuelan vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, today and mentions that she agreed to work with the US.

The US president said she has already been sworn in as president. A few hours ago there were reports that she was in Russia, so the situation remains unclear at this moment and the press conference question-and-answer session with Trump is now bouncing around various semi-related topics.

As fragments of fact, as opposed to pure rhetoric and vague statements, come through we’ll piece them together.

“She’s, I guess, the president. She had a long conversation with Marco and said we’ll do what you need. She had no choice,” Trump just said of Rodríguez.

Trump is now being asked about US presence in Venezuela and what he means about “running the country”. He hasn’t illuminated this point yet.

“We’re designating people, we are talking to people,” the US president said. He’s now lapsed back into platitudes, as the press pool waits its turn to ask more question as the public seeks specifics.

United Nations secretary general condemns US action

The presidential press conference in Florida continues, with the chair of the joint chiefs talking about the operation itself overnight, and our live feed continues. But just as Trump was beginning the presser, the United Nations secretary general, António Guterres, had issued a statement via his spokesperson, so now seems a good time to bring that to our readers, via the Reuters news agency.

The secretary general is deeply alarmed by US military action in Venezuela, his spokesperson has said, and considered the US intervention “a dangerous precedent”.

A number of nations have called for an emergency meeting of the UN security council, in New York, today, as a result of the US’s unilateral action.

The UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said:

The secretary general continues to emphasize the importance of full respect – by all – of international law, including the UN charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected.

The UN charter is the founding document of the global body. More on this shortly.

Donald Trump is reading from notes on paper in front of him on the podium at the press conference in Florida. He’s flanked on his right by the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, and on his left by the US defense secretary, Pete Hegseth.

The US president just warned those currently in government in Venezuela, in the absence of Nicolás Maduro, that “the US retains all military options” for further action in that South American country.

“All political and military figures in Venezuela must understand: what happened to Maduro will happen to them” if they defy US desires in the country for a leadership that serves the people, Trump said.

He said the “dictator and terrorist” Maduro “is finally gone”.

Standing to Hegseth’s left is the most senior military figure in the US, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff, Dan Caine. He is now addressing the public about the operation to snatch Maduro.

‘US oil companies will fix the badly broken infrastructure’, says Donald Trump

Trump said Maduro’s leadership was “both horrible and breathtaking”.

“We want peace, liberty and justice for the great people of Venezuela, and that includes many from Venezuela that are now living in the United States and want to go back to their country, it’s their homeland,” the US president said.

“We can’t take a chance that somebody else takes over Venezuela that doesn’t have the good of the Venezuelan people in mind [after] decades of that. We’re not going to let that happen.”

He continued: “We’re there now … We’re going to stay until such time as a proper transition can take place.”

He then added, about Venezuela’s vast oil reserves: “We’re going to have our very large US oil companies, the biggest anywhere in the world, go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure, and start making money for the country and we are ready to stage a second and much larger attack if we need to do so. So we were prepared to do a second wave.” Trump said the US military was prepared to make a second wave of attacks in the latest action overnight into Saturday but that was not needed.

The details of how or on what authority or with what kind of agreements, if any, that the US intends to “run” Venezuela in transition are unclear at this time.

Trump: ‘We’re going to run the country’

The US president has claimed at the press conference now under way in Florida that the United States is going to run Venezuela for the time being, although it’s unclear how that would be done.

“We’re going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said. He has given no details.

He just called Maduro a dictator and a drug kingpin.

Donald Trump begins press conference by praising US operation in Venezuela

Donald Trump has begun his press conference by praising the US operation in Venezuela overnight.

“This was one of the most stunning attacks and effective and powerful displays of American military might and competence in American history,” the US president said.

“No nation in the world could achieve what America achieved yesterday, or frankly, in such a short period of time. All Venezuelan military capacities were rendered powerless as the men and women of our military, working with US law enforcement, successfully captured Maduro in the dead of night.”

Here’s the US president to begin the press conference. Tune in.

Donald Trump posts image of Nicolás Maduro on his social media

As we continue to await the presidential press conference from Florida that was due to begin 30 minutes ago, we can bring you another development.

Donald Trump has posted a picture on his Truth Social platform that he states is “Nicolas Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima”.

It appears to show the captured Venezuelan president in handcuffs and with, possibly, sensory-deprivation accessories, including wrap-around sun goggles and headphones. Maduro is expressionless, his right hand gripping a small plastic water bottle and wearing a grey sweatshirt and sweat pants.

Tiago Rogero

According to María Corina Machado’s statement, Edmundo González Urrutia, who is in exile in Spain, “must immediately assume his constitutional mandate and be recognised as commander-in-chief of the national armed forces by all its officers and soldiers”.

“Today we are ready to assert our mandate and take power. Let us remain vigilant, active and organised until the democratic transition is achieved – a transition that needs all of us,” she wrote. “To Venezuelans inside our country: be ready to carry out what we will soon communicate through our official channels.”

It remains unclear what will happen next in Venezuela, when – or if – González Urrutia will return to the country, or whether he will take office as president-elect.

Machado ended her statement by declaring: “Venezuela will be free. We walk hand in hand with God, until the end,” wrote the former congresswoman, who, like other rightwing leaders in the region, frequently invokes God in her speeches and posts.

Tiago Rogero

Here is more of that statement from Venezuela’s main opposition leader, María Corina Machado, who is not in the country, having gone into exile for her own safety after the last election.

She said: “From today, Nicolás Maduro faces international justice for the atrocious crimes committed against Venezuelans and against citizens of many other nations. Faced with his refusal to accept a negotiated exit, the United States government has fulfilled its promise to enforce the law,” wrote the former congresswoman, who has long publicly supported US intervention to remove Maduro from power.

“We are going to restore order, free political prisoners, build an exceptional country and bring our children back home. We have fought for years, we have given everything, and it has been worth it. What had to happen is happening,” she added.

The conservative Machado enjoys broad popular support in Venezuela and was barred by the Maduro regime from running in the 2024 election, instead backing the retired diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia. The opposition later gathered voting records showing González Urrutia had won the election, but Maduro refused to concede defeat and remained in power. More to follow.

Tiago Rogero

As we await the presidential press conference, which is now behind the originally signaled schedule, we can bring you a statement issued by Machado.

Venezuela’s main opposition leader, María Corina Machado, celebrated the capture of the dictator Maduro by the US and said the opposition was “ready to assert our mandate and take power”.

Machado has been outside Venezuela since undertaking a clandestine 5,500-mile journey that involved passing through multiple land checkpoints, being rescued after 12 hours in rough Caribbean waters aboard a flimsy boat by a team led by a former US special forces soldier, and then flying on a private jet to Oslo, Norway, to receive the Nobel peace prize.

Posting from an undisclosed location, Machado wrote to Venezuelans that “the time for freedom has arrived”. More to follow.

Department of Justice releases new indictment against Nicolás Maduro and others

We have a copy of the fresh indictment against Nicolás Maduro, his wife, son and others, and you can read it here.

Donald Trump to hold press conference after Venezuelan president captured during strike

Donald Trump is about to hold a press conference about the events that unfolded in Venezuela overnight.

The US president will helm the meeting at his resort and residence Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, where he has been over the festive period.

The out-of-town traveling press pool that follows the president around will be present and we will bring you the news. You can also follow the event live in a feed we’ll put at the top of this blog as it gets under way, any minute now.

The US has filed a fresh indictment against captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, now including his wife, Cilia Flores, and others.

Filed in federal court in New York, it begins: “For over 25 years, leaders of Venezuela have abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States. NICOLAS MADURO MOROS, the defendant, is at the forefront of that corruption and has partnered with his co-conspirators to use his illegally obtained authority and the institutions he corroded to transport thousands of tons of cocaine to the United States.”

It continues: “ … the defendant, now sits atop a corrupt, illegitimate government that, for decades, has leveraged government power to protect and promote illegal activity, including drug trafficking.”

It also lists among the defendants Maduro’s son, naming him as Nicolas Ernesto Maduro Guerra, “aka Nicolasito, aka The Prince”.