The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday narrowly rejected a Democratic-led resolution barring President Donald Trump from further using military force in Venezuela without explicit congressional authorization.

Two Republicans joined all 213 Democrats in voting for the resolution, resulting in a 215-215 tie, which is enough to defeat it.

"This is crazy. We can't be asleep at the switch -- no oversight, no hearing, no votes, just blind obedience to the executive. That's not the way this place is supposed to run," House Rules Committee ranking member Jim McGovern, who led the resolution, said on the House floor.

Republicans dismissed the measure as unnecessary, saying the United States is not at war with Venezuela.

The Senate earlier this month rejected a comparable war powers measure after two Republican senators reversed course under pressure from the White House.

The United States has appointed Laura Dogu as charge d'affaires to the Venezuela Affairs Unit in Bogota, according to information published Thursday on the website of the U.S. embassy in Venezuela.

Dogu, a two-time U.S. ambassador to Central American countries, also serves as the foreign policy advisor to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The US embassy in Venezuela was closed in 2019.

Venezuela on Tuesday rejected a map depicted in an altered picture posted on U.S. President Donald Trump's social media accounts that depicted the country as a U.S. territory.

"The National Government reaffirms that the Republic is and will be the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela," the Ministry of the Interior, Justice and Peace said on social media in response.

The image "shows a map of the Americas, altered using artificial intelligence, in which Venezuela, Greenland, and Canada appear as if they were U.S. territories," said the ministry.

Venezuela has received 300 million U.S. dollars from a U.S. sale of Venezuelan crude -- part of an estimated 500 million U.S. dollars in total revenue -- and will use the fund to stabilize the foreign exchange market, Acting President Delcy Rodriguez said on Tuesday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said separately on Tuesday that his country had taken 50 million barrels of oil out of Venezuela and was selling some of it on the open market, although shipping records show that the volume has not yet been exported.

Speaking at an event in Caracas, Rodriguez said the fund will be channeled through public and private banks, in coordination with the Central Bank of Venezuela, to help stabilize the foreign exchange market.

Venezuela sits atop roughly 300 billion barrels of heavy, sour crude -- around a fifth of the world's reserves. The United States on Jan. 3 launched a sudden raid on Venezuela and seized its President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

The U.S. raid has triggered strong international condemnation, with many governments and analysts warning that the action sets a dangerous precedent for the use of force against a sovereign state.

The U.S. forces seized a seventh oil tanker allegedly related to Venezuela in the Caribbean on Tuesday morning, the U.S. Southern Command said on X.

"This morning, U.S. military forces, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, apprehended Motor Vessel Sagitta without incident," the command said in a statement.

The command claimed that the tanker was "operating in defiance of President Trump's established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean."

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said earlier this month that the United States will not only market stored oil in Venezuela but also control the sales of oil output from the country indefinitely.

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered "a total and complete blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers going into and out of Venezuela in mid-December, days after the U.S. forces seized the first oil tanker linked with the oil-rich South American nation.

Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodriguez on Friday announced three changes to her cabinet.

Miguel Perez Pirela was appointed minister of communication and information, replacing Freddy Nanez, who will head the Ministry of Ecosocialism, Rodriguez said on Telegram.

In his new role, Nanez will be responsible for "continuing to promote public policies for the protection of our Pachamama (Mother Earth) and all matters related to environmental protection," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez also appointed Anibal Coronado as minister of transport.

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez said on Thursday that the government is not afraid of engaging in diplomatic dealings with the United States, following an earlier U.S. military attack on the South American country and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

"Let's not be afraid of diplomacy," Rodriguez said during the presentation of the annual state of the nation address.

While highlighting Washington's "historical record" of intervention in Latin America, she asserted that "we are not afraid to confront it diplomatically through political dialogue, as is appropriate."

The government is forging "a new policy," she said, calling on diplomatic corps accredited in Venezuela to convey the reality of the situation to their governments.

Rodriguez also called for unity at home in defending sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodriguez (C) walks ahead of her annual report to the legislature on behalf of the administrative body in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 15, 2026. (Photo by Marco Salgado/Xinhua)

Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodriguez on Thursday called on the legislature to approve an oil industry reform plan to attract foreign investment and promote the country's economic recovery.

In her annual report to the legislature on behalf of the administrative body, Rodriguez said that the relevant reforms would help improve the operating environment of the oil industry and enhance its capacity for external cooperation.

According to the acting president, the South American nation's oil production reached 1.2 million barrels in December last year. The revenue from oil exports will mainly be used to support the construction of the public health system, promote economic development and advance infrastructure projects.

Venezuela is currently at an important turning point, and the government will explore more pragmatic and diversified ways of foreign exchange, said Rodriguez.

The country should handle its relations with all parties, including the United States, on the basis of mutual respect, she added.

The US Senate on Wednesday voted 51-50 to effectively block a bipartisan resolution aimed at curbing President Donald Trump's authority to use military force in Venezuela, after two GOP senators flipped under intense pressure from the White House.

After senators Josh Hawley and Todd Young reversed their position and left the chamber deadlocked 50-50, U.S. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote on a procedural motion, derailing the measure that would have required the president to obtain congressional approval before taking further military action in the oil-rich South American nation.

Young, who had been in talks with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, told CNN on Wednesday that he received "fairly extensive personal assurances" from the Trump administration over the U.S. role in Venezuela.

Young said the White House will "come to Congress" and seek congressional approval before "any major military operation in Venezuela," adding that Rubio would testify before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee later this month, according to a CNN report.

Hawley also said Wednesday that Rubio assured him that there would not be ground troops sent to Venezuela and that the administration would seek congressional approval if that changed.

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez is planning to send an envoy to Washington this week as the Trump administration is weighing the possibility of reopening its embassy in the oil-rich South American nation, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.

Felix Plasencia, Venezuelan ambassador to Britain and former foreign minister, is planning to meet U.S. senior officials in Washington at Rodriguez's behest, said the report, citing people familiar with the plans.

Maria Corina Machado, one of Venezuela's major opposition figures, is expected to visit the White House.

A spokesperson for the U.S. State Department said Friday that personnel from the department's Colombia-based Venezuela Affairs Unit will "conduct an initial assessment for a potential phased resumption of operations" in Venezuela, where the U.S. embassy was closed in 2019 with all embassy staff withdrawn.

On Friday morning, U.S. President Donald Trump praised cooperation from the Venezuelan acting president, announcing that a second U.S. strike against Venezuela "will not be needed."

The US administration of Donald Trump has filed court warrants targeting oil tankers in links with Venezuela, according to media reports on Tuesday.

The U.S. government has filed multiple civil forfeiture actions through federal courts in efforts to seize and confiscate oil cargo and vessels involved in the U.S.-sanctioned Venezuelan trade, Reuters reported.

It remained unclear how many seizure warrants the U.S. is seeking.

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said Monday that Venezuela and Italy have agreed to raise their diplomatic missions to the ambassadorial level following talks with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.

Gil said on Telegram that the agreement was reached during a phone conversation in which both sides also agreed to work on a bilateral agenda. "In the coming days we will make the corresponding announcements and contacts."

During the call, Gil also briefed Tajani on recent U.S. attacks against Venezuela.

He said the bombings at several locations across the country "caused hundreds of deaths among civilians and military personnel, in open violation of international law and the United Nations Charter."

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez met on Monday with members of the diplomatic corps from the European Union, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said.

Describing the talks as "frank," Gil said participants reviewed the state of bilateral relations and agreed on the importance of advancing a productive relationship and seeking deeper dialogue.

Gil said Rodriguez's message was clear, stressing that "within a framework of respect and equality of states, we are willing to advance a new agenda" for the well-being of the peoples.

He said the Venezuelan side also used the occasion to assess the events of Jan. 3, when Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were forcibly taken into custody by the United States.

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Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro claimed he was "doing well" in a US jail as he and his wife Cilia Flores await trial, Maduro's son said in a video released on Saturday, AFP News reported.

"We are doing well. We are fighters," Maduro's son, lawmaker Nicolas Maduro Guerra, quoted him as saying. Maduro Guerra spoke in a video released by the ruling PSUV party, according to the report.

The US launched a military operation against Venezuela on January 3, carrying out a surprise raid on the capital Caracas and forcibly seizing President Nicolas Maduro and his wife before transferring them to the US. On January 5, the couple made their first appearance at a US federal court in New York, where they rejected US charges.

Meanwhile, the Venezuelan government has continued to condemn the US action as an illegal act of aggression, while protests have persisted in multiple parts of the country. 

The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Consular Affairs on Saturday warned that as international flights have resumed, U.S. citizens in Venezuela "should leave the country immediately."

The bureau said in a post on X that the security situation in Venezuela "remains fluid" and there are "reports of groups of armed militias, known as colectivos, setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States."

U.S. citizens are advised to "remain vigilant and exercise caution" when traveling by road and to monitor airlines' communications and websites for updated information.

"Venezuela has the highest Travel Advisory level -- Level 4: Do Not Travel -- due to severe risks to Americans, including wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure," the bureau said.

The United States launched a large-scale military operation against Venezuela in the early hours of Jan. 3, taking by force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. The strikes have drawn worldwide condemnation and concern.

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez on Saturday pledged to realize the return of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were seized by the United States on Jan. 3.

Speaking at a community event in Miranda state, Rodriguez said there was no uncertainty about Venezuela's leadership or governing program.

"There is no uncertainty here. The Venezuelan people are in charge, and there is a government, that of President Nicolas Maduro," she said, calling for unity to guarantee peace, stability and the country's future.

Rodriguez vowed not to rest "for a single minute" until Maduro and Flores return to Venezuela.

She noted that a year ago, she was sworn in alongside Maduro at the start of his third term, adding that "today, one year later, we are swearing for his freedom."

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday signed an executive order declaring a national emergency to "safeguard Venezuelan oil revenue held in U.S. Treasury accounts from attachment or judicial process," ensuring the funds are preserved "to advance U.S. foreign policy objectives," according to a release by the White House.

The executive order blocks any attachment, judgment, decree, lien, execution, garnishment, or other judicial process against Foreign Government Deposit Funds, which are defined as the Venezuelan oil revenues and diluent sales held in U.S. Treasury accounts, according to the White House fact sheet.

The order also prohibits transfers or dealings in these funds except as authorized, superseding any prior executive orders that might block or regulate them.

"The possibility of attachment or the imposition of judicial process against the Foreign Government Deposit Funds constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States, which has its source in whole or substantial part outside the United States," said the order.

The Foreign Government Deposit Funds are sovereign property of Venezuela held in U.S. custody for governmental and diplomatic purposes, not subject to private claims, according to the White House.

The U.S. oil embargo against Venezuela threatens the lives, health and well-being of millions of the country's citizens and must be condemned as a violation of international law, Russian Ambassador to Venezuela Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov told RIA Novosti on Friday.

"The unlawful actions of the United States must be condemned. This is not only about oil. Oil is the lifeblood of the Venezuelan economy and draining it means putting the lives and health of millions of Venezuelan citizens at risk," he said.

Furthermore, Melik-Bagdasarov noted that Venezuela is ready to sell oil to all partners, including the United States, but Washington's harsh and neocolonial rhetoric is impeding the normalization of supplies to the global market.

Russia has previously voiced its resolute solidarity with Venezuela and urged the liberation of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, emphasizing that the actions of the United States violate international law.

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez on Friday held phone talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Colombian President Gustavo Petro and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.

On her Telegram channel, Rodriguez said the leaders agreed on the importance of advancing a cooperation agenda, amid what she described as "the grave criminal, illegal and illegitimate aggression perpetrated against" Venezuela.

Rodriguez said she briefed the three leaders on the U.S. armed attacks against the South American country, which caused the killing of civilians and military personnel.

"We agree on the need to advance with a broad bilateral cooperation agenda, based on respect for international law, State sovereignty and dialogue between peoples," Rodriguez said.

The U.S. military seized the fifth oil tanker allegedly linked to Venezuela early Friday morning as a team of U.S. diplomats and security personnel arrived in Caracas, the capital of the oil-rich South American country.

The U.S. team will assess the possibility of reopening the U.S. embassy in Venezuela, according to a U.S. official, after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were seized in a U.S. raid on Jan. 3.

"In a pre-dawn action, Marines and Sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, in support of the Department of Homeland Security, launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford and apprehended Motor/Tanker Olina in the Caribbean Sea without incident," U.S. Southern Command said in a press release.

"Apprehensions like this are backed by the full power of the U.S. Navy's Amphibious Ready Group, including the ready and lethal platforms of the USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, and USS Fort Lauderdale," the command said.

The U.S. official said Friday that personnel from the State Department's Colombia-based Venezuela Affairs Unit, including the unit's chargé d'affaires John McNamara, will "conduct an initial assessment for a potential phased resumption of operations" in Caracas, where the U.S. embassy was closed in 2019 with all embassy staff withdrawn.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday promoted his plan of securing investment of at least 100 billion U.S. dollars to rebuild Venezuela's oil industry in a meeting with U.S. oil company executives at the White House.

Trump urged major U.S. oil companies to participate in the investment deal and promised them quick and good returns. Nevertheless, company CEOs largely did not commit to the deal.

Exxon Mobil CEO Darren Woods said given that the current situation in Venezuela presents an unacceptable risk, his company would not be diving headfirst into Venezuela.

"If we look at the legal and commercial constructs and frameworks in place today, in Venezuela today, it's uninvestible, and so significant changes have to be made to those commercial frameworks, the legal system," Woods said.

ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance said his company lost 12 billion dollars from the previous nationalization of Venezuelan assets.

Venezuela has decided to initiate an "exploratory" diplomatic process with the U.S. government, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said Friday in an official statement.

In the statement posted on his social media account, Gil said the talks are intended to "address the consequences arising from the aggression" and the U.S. seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

The exploratory dialogue will also cover "a working agenda on issues of mutual interest," the ministry said.

The Foreign Ministry added that in this context, a delegation of U.S. State Department officials is currently in Venezuela.

Venezuelan Communication and Information Minister Freddy Nanez said Friday that the country's acting president Delcy Rodriguez has no plan to travel abroad in the near future.

"As a government, we are focused on the domestic agenda to guarantee our people their right to peace and stability," Nanez said on Telegram.

Mao Ning

China attaches great importance to its relationship with Venezuela and has always maintained good communication and cooperation with the Venezuelan government, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday in response to a question about a social media post by Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez saying that she had met with the Chinese ambassador to Venezuela. 
 
China will continue to firmly support Venezuela in safeguarding its sovereignty, dignity, national security and legitimate rights and interests. Regardless of how the political situation in Venezuela may change, China's commitment to deepening practical cooperation across various fields and promoting common development between the two countries will remain unchanged, the spokesperson said. 
 

Venezuela's National Assembly on Thursday approved a resolution honoring about 100 people killed during last weekend's U.S. military attack.

Ruling-party lawmaker Blanca Eekhout, who introduced the measure, called the victims "patriots" and said the tribute seeks to preserve their memory.

The plan includes building a memorial at the site of the attack and creating a commission to support victims' families.

Lawmakers also urged foreign governments and parliaments to reject the use of force and defend international law and national sovereignty.

U.S. forces struck several locations across Venezuela on Saturday, including Caracas, and captured President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.

Brazil and Mexico on Thursday jointly condemned the recent U.S. attacks on Venezuela's sovereignty and dismissed any notion of dividing the world into spheres of influence, the Brazilian presidency said in a statement.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his Mexican counterpart Claudia Sheinbaum held a phone conversation to discuss the situation in Venezuela after the United States launched a raid in Venezuela on Saturday, capturing the country's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife before putting them in custody in New York.

"While repudiating the attacks on Venezuelan sovereignty, both leaders rejected any outdated vision that could imply a division of the world into zones of influence. In this context, they reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism, international law and free trade," the statement said.

Lula and Sheinbaum, heads of the two largest economies in Latin America, voiced readiness to continue cooperating with Venezuela in support of peace, dialogue and stability in the country and the wider region.

Venezuela 's acting president Delcy Rodriguez meets Chinese Ambassador to Venezuela Lan Hu on Jan 9, 2026. Photo: Courtesy of Rodriguez's Instagram

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez on Thursday expressed gratitude to China for condemning the US aggression against Venezuela and the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, according to a post Rodriguez published on Instagram.

Rodriguez said on social media that she met Thursday with Chinese Ambassador to Venezuela Lan Hu, and noted that Caracas values China's firm position in strongly denouncing the grave violations of international law and Venezuelan sovereignty.

Amid the volatile situation following the US forcibly seizing the Venezuelan president and Washington's constant pressure on Bogota to severe ties with other countries including China, the meeting sends an important signal that Venezuela remains firm on developing its relations with China, Sun Yanfeng, a research fellow from the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Friday.

The international community is deeply shocked by the Trump administration's raid on Maduro. Multiple countries have issued statements strongly condemning the US' blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president, which is widely believed to have violated international law.

China attaches importance to its relations with Venezuela and maintains sound communication and cooperation with the Venezuelan government, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday in response to a question about a social media post by Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez saying that she had met with the Chinese ambassador to Venezuela. 

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said Thursday that her country is not "subjugated" to the United States following last weekend's U.S. assault and the ensuing capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

Venezuela remains autonomous and independent despite the military operation and there was no passivity during the attacks, she said.

"No one surrendered here. There was combat, combat for our homeland, for our liberators," Rodriguez said.

She made the remarks during a ceremony at the National Guard Military Academy in Caracas, honoring soldiers and civilians killed or wounded in the Jan. 3 invasion.

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez on Thursday expressed gratitude to China for condemning the U.S. aggression against Venezuela and the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Rodriguez said on social media that she met Thursday with Chinese Ambassador to Venezuela Lan Hu, and noted that Caracas values China's firm position in strongly denouncing the grave violations of international law and Venezuelan sovereignty.

The international community is deeply shocked by the Trump administration's raid on Maduro. Multiple countries have issued statements strongly condemning the U.S.'s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president, which is widely believed to have violated international law.

The U.S. Senate on Thursday advanced a resolution aimed at limiting U.S. President Donald Trump's ability to take further military action against Venezuela.

The vote was 52 to 47, with five Republican senators joining all Democrats in support of the measure.

A Senate floor vote is expected to approve the resolution next week.

Tim Kaine, a Democrat from Virginia, introduced the resolution last month after the Trump administration reportedly killed two people who survived the initial U.S. boat strike in the Caribbean on Sept. 2, 2025.

The legislation was co-sponsored by Republican Senator Rand Paul, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Senator Adam Schiff.

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez announced Thursday the start of a government work agenda focused on assisting and rebuilding the areas affected by the U.S. military strikes carried out on Jan. 3.

"We are assisting with recovery efforts where the bombs fell, so that the loving hands of the Venezuelan government reach those areas," Rodriguez said during a working meeting in Caracas.

"Venezuela is returning to work after the illegal aggression it suffered on January 3," she reiterated.

This photo released on January 7, 2026, by the US European Command's X account shows what US European Command says is the seizure of the Marinera, previously known as Bella 1, oil tanker in the northern Atlantic Ocean. Photo: VCG

The US military seized two Venezuela-linked oil tankers in the Atlantic and the Caribbean, one of them Russian-flagged, on Wednesday, the same day when a senior US official claimed that the US will sell Venezuelan oil "indefinitely" after completing sales of the crude currently accumulating in storage there, according to media reports. 

With a Russian politician calling the US action "outright piracy on the high seas," Chinese experts told the Global Times that Russia's anger could be seen as understandable, and added that the US is also to force Venezuela, as a sovereign state, to fully accept and comply with a US-designed roadmap. 

On Wednesday, US European Command confirmed on X platform the seizure of the Marinera for alleged violating US sanctions, and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in reply to the X post that "The blockade of sanctioned and illicit Venezuelan oil remains in FULL EFFECT — anywhere in the world." 

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said later at a news briefing that the Russia-flagged Marinera vessel, previously known as the Bella 1, which was seized first on Wednesday morning by US forces in the North Atlantic, is being part of a "Venezuelan shadow fleet" that transported sanctioned oil, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Leavitt said that the Marinera was "deemed stateless" after "flying a false flag." She said the crew would be subject to prosecution under US law and "will be brought to the United States for such prosecution if necessary," per NBC News.

People attend a rally in support of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 6, 2026. (Str/Xinhua)

People attend a rally in support of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 6, 2026. (Str/Xinhua)

People attend a rally in support of President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 6, 2026. (Str/Xinhua)

The U.S. attack against Venezuela has left 100 dead, Venezuela's interior ministry said Wednesday.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, both suffered injuries during the raid, said Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.

People take part in a protest opposing U.S. attack on Venezuela in front of the U.S. embassy in Budapest, Hungary, Jan. 7, 2026. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

People take part in a protest opposing U.S. attack on Venezuela in front of the U.S. embassy in Budapest, Hungary, Jan. 7, 2026. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

People take part in a protest opposing U.S. attack on Venezuela in front of the U.S. embassy in Budapest, Hungary, Jan. 7, 2026. (Photo by Attila Volgyi/Xinhua)

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday expressed the availability of his good offices to support a possible inclusive national dialogue in Venezuela, his spokesperson said.

Speaking to reporters at a daily briefing, spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said the UN chief had just concluded a meeting with Venezuelan UN ambassador Samuel Moncada, which lasted about 45 minutes.

"During the meeting, the secretary-general reiterated his publicly-stated position on the U.S. military action in Venezuela," said Dujarric.

In remarks to the UN Security Council on Monday, delivered on his behalf by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo, Guterres said he was "deeply concerned about the possible intensification of instability in the country, the potential impact on the region, and the precedent it may set for how relations between and among states are conducted."

"I remain deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected with regard to the Jan. 3 military action," said the UN chief, who also called on all Venezuelan actors to engage in an inclusive, democratic dialogue in which all sectors of society can determine their future.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday that the United States will not only market stored oil in Venezuela but also control the sales of oil output from the country indefinitely.

At an industry conference in Miami, Florida, Wright said: "We're going to market the crude coming out of Venezuela, first this backed up, stored oil, and then indefinitely, going forward, we will sell the production that comes out of Venezuela into the marketplace," according to media reports.

The sales will be "done by the U.S. government and deposited into accounts controlled by the U.S. government," Wright said.

Wright added that the proceeds from oil then can flow back into Venezuela to benefit local people while the United States needs to have the leverage and control of oil sales to drive changes that must happen in Venezuela.

The Trump administration is in "active dialogue" with Venezuela's leaders, as well as U.S. oil companies, according to Wright.

A demonstration was held in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas on Wednesday, in which participants advocated the defense of national sovereignty and demanded that the U.S. government release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife.

Moscow on Wednesday condemned the United States for seizing a Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic, following a pursuit that began off the coast of Venezuela.

"In accordance with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, freedom of navigation applies in waters on the high seas, and no state has the right to use force against vessels duly registered under the jurisdiction of other states," Russia's Ministry of Transport said in a statement.

US European Command said on Wednesday it had seized an oil tanker linked with Venezuela and registered as a Russian vessel in the North Altantic in an operation.

U.S. conducting operation to seize Venezuela-linked oil tanker in Atlantic: U.S. media

Panamanian crude oil tanker Balsa waits its turn to be loaded with crude oil at Lake Maracaibo in Maracaibo, Zulia State, Venezuela on May 9, 2025. Photo: VCG

The Trump administration has told Venezuela's interim president Delcy Rodríguez that Caracas must meet the White House's demands before being allowed to increase oil production, according to a media report citing three people familiar with the plan. The report underscores that Washington's earlier framing of its actions as "tackling drugs" largely serves as a pretext, with the seizure of Venezuela's oil resources remaining the core objective — an approach some Chinese experts describe as a form of neo-colonialism and hegemonism.

An ABC News report on Wednesday cited sources as saying that Venezuela must kick out China, Russia, Iran, and Cuba and sever economic ties. Venezuela must also agree to partner exclusively with the US on oil production and favor America when selling heavy crude oil. 

According to one person, Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers in a private briefing on Monday that he believes the US can force Venezuela's hand because its existing oil tankers are full. Rubio also told lawmakers that the US estimates that Caracas has only a couple of weeks before it will become financially insolvent without the sale of its oil reserves, per ABC.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker confirmed that the US plan hinges upon controlling Venezuela's oil. He claimed that he did not believe it will require the deployment of US troops.

No country has the right to dictate whom another may cooperate with. Such demands reflect typical hegemonic thinking and violate Venezuela's sovereignty. For Trump administration, proposing stringent demands is a bargaining tactic designed to apply pressure and extract concessions, much like the US' approach in the tariff war, Sun Chenghao, a research fellow at Tsinghua University's Center for International Security and Strategy, told the Global Times. 

Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, on Tuesday appointed Gustavo Gonzalez Lopez as the new commander of the Presidential Honor Guard and director of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence, replacing Javier Marcano Tabata.

Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, on Tuesday condemned the U.S. military capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, stressing that "there is no foreign agent" governing the South American country.

"We are here governing alongside the people. The Venezuelan government rules our country, no one else," she said at an event in Caracas. "There is no foreign agent governing Venezuela."

Following the U.S. bombardment of Venezuela's capital as part of the military operation to capture Maduro, Venezuelans "remain steadfast" in their bid to defend the nation, said Rodriguez.

In addition to paying tribute to the victims of the U.S. assault, Rodriguez said that demonstrations will be held across the country to demand the release of the presidential couple from U.S. custody.

She added that despite the attack on Venezuela, the country continues to fulfil its production, supply and export cycle.

Russia stands ready to provide the necessary support to Venezuela following U.S. strikes on the South American nation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday in a statement.

"We firmly believe that Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to independently determine its own destiny without any form of destructive external interference," the statement published on the ministry's official website read.

Delcy Rodriguez, previously vice president of Venezuela, was sworn in on Monday as the acting president of the country, after President Nicolas Maduro was seized by force on Jan. 3 during a U.S. military operation against Venezuela.

The Russian Foreign Ministry noted that this step demonstrated the Venezuelan government's determination to ensure unity and uphold the power structure established in compliance with domestic legislation, mitigate the risks of a constitutional crisis, and create the necessary conditions for the continued peaceful and stable development of Venezuela in the face of "blatant neocolonial threats and external armed aggression."

Moscow welcomed the efforts made by the legitimate authorities of Venezuela to defend state sovereignty and national interests, and reaffirmed Russia's unwavering solidarity with the Venezuelan people and government.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Tuesday said that the U.S. forcible seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro risked pushing the world into a dangerous new era and insisted his country would "not remain silent" in the face of violations of international law.

Speaking to the press after the Coalition of the Willing meeting for Ukraine in Paris, Sanchez said "The operation in Caracas sets a terrible and very dangerous precedent that pushes the world toward a future of uncertainty and insecurity, as we already suffered after other invasions driven by the thirst for oil."

He stressed that Spain could not recognize the legitimacy of a military action that violates international law and appears to serve no purpose other than overthrowing a government to seize its natural resources.

The Spanish government has been strongly critical of the attack on Venezuela, with Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares saying on Monday that the attack was "clearly contrary to international law" and that "the use of violent means and force must be completely absent" from foreign policy.

Sanchez also said "We cannot accept it, just as we cannot accept the threat to the territorial integrity of a European state like Denmark," referring U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to annex the Danish territory of Greenland.

A group of South Korea's ruling party lawmakers on Tuesday expressed concern over the recent US use of force in Venezuela.

A total of 68 lawmakers of the Democratic Party said in a statement that they express deep concern that the recent US military operations in Venezuela could seriously threaten international peace and stability.

The military operations contained serious flaws in light of the principles of the UN Charter, such as the prohibition of the use of force and non-interference in internal affairs, which are universal norms of the international community and are required to be observed without exception as the core foundation of the international order, the statement noted.

The statement stressed that the situation was worrying as it could serve as a precedent justifying similar military interventions, adding that if the perception spreads that a specific superpower can violate the sovereignty of another country based on its unilateral assessment, it will lead to overall instability in the international order.

US lawmakers across party lines have voiced opposition or skepticism toward the Trump administration's military strike against Venezuela over the weekend.

The "drastic military operation by President (Donald) Trump on Venezuelan soil is entirely inconsistent with what his cabinet repeatedly briefed to Congress and goes against the expressed wishes of the American people," Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire, ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said in a statement Saturday.

"The Administration consistently misled the American people and their elected representatives by offering three differing and contradictory explanations for its actions," said Shaheen.

In a post on the social platform X, Andy Kim, Democratic Senator from New Jersey, said, "Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth looked every Senator in the eye a few weeks ago and said this wasn't about regime change. I didn't trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress."

"Trump rejected our Constitutionally required approval process for armed conflict because the Administration knows the American people overwhelmingly reject risks pulling our nation into another war," said Kim.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning

In response to question of whether the Chinese side recognizes the interim government of Venezuela led by Delcy Rodriguez and whether China will call for sanctions against the US over its forceful seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday that China respects Venezuela's sovereignty and independence, and respects the arrangements made by the Venezuelan government in accordance with its own constitution and laws.

On the second question, the spokesperson said that the US, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has disregarded the serious concerns of the international community and wantonly trampled on Venezuela's sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights and interests. China firmly opposes this. "We support the Security Council in fulfilling its primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security," the spokesperson added.

Global Times

 
Four counts were listed on the indictment, including narco-terrorism conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Maduro has pleaded not guilty to all the charges he is faced with, CNN reported. 
 
Cameras are not allowed inside the court room. Maduro has just walked into New York Southern District court wearing a prison uniform with his feet shackled, CBS News reports. His wife is also wearing a prison outfit.
 
"I am not guilty," Maduro said in the court, "I am a decent man, I am president of my country," Maduro added, per NBC.
 
The trial has attracted attention and coverage from international media. Media outlets including the Guardian, BBC News, CBS News, and the CNN News revealed more details in their reports.
 
The Guardian reported that as Maduro entered the courtroom, shackled at the ankles though not at the wrists, he looked toward the jury box. Before sitting down, Maduro told the public gallery "Happy new year!" in English.
 
Maduro was dressed in orange slippers, a blue shirt on top of a neon orange shirt, and beige pants. He scribbled notes on a legal pad throughout the hearing, per the Guardian. 
 
Throughout the 30-minute hearing, Maduro took notes on a yellow legal pad, and he asked the judge to preserve his notes and allow him to access them, The Politico reported.
 
Maduro faces four US federal criminal counts, including "narco-terrorism" conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, per the Guardian.
 
The report also noted that Maduro's wife had large Band-Aids on her temple and forehead. Her lawyer, Mark Donnelly, said she sustained "significant injuries during her abduction" and required medical examination for "severe bruising" on her ribs.
 
Multiple media outlets mentioned that Maduro used Spanish during his trial. He said he was "kidnapped" and "captured" from his home in Caracas, Venezuela, NBC News reported. "I am a prisoner of war," he added in Spanish. 
 
The Global Times also noted that media outlets including CBS News and the Guardian have created cartoons based on the trial proceedings.
 
The trial venue is additionally among the focal points of attention for foreign media outlets.
 
The Guardian reported that the pair were earlier brought to the court under tight security from the notorious Metropolitan detention center in Brooklyn, whose previous residents include Jeffrey Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, Mexican drug kingpin Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, and the singer Diddy.
 
The jail also once held the former Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernández, who was convicted on drug smuggling charges in 2024 - only to be pardoned by Trump last month, per the Guardian.
 
In addition to attracting media attention, netizens have also taken notice of the incident and shared their opinions. A netizen @Patrick Elis has cast doubt on the trial, asking "Why should he plead guilty?" on TikTok, while another netizen @n.z.d8 commented "This is all about OIL"
 
The US is "creating reality TV show," a netizen @Freddie posted on X.
 
Some Chinese netizens have also commented on the trial attendance of Maduro and his wife. 
 
Some commented in the discussion sections of relevant news stories on Sina Weibo on Tuesday, citing the ancient Chinese adage: "He who seeks to condemn will never lack pretexts." As of press time, such comment has generated nearly 700 likes.
 
Others characterized US's forcible seizure of Maduro and his wife as "the law of the jungle in action, where the strong prey on the weak." While some decried the US actions as an outright "kidnapping."
 
Chinese netizens have also raised questions regarding Maduro and his wife's trial, saying that no matter what crimes he and his wife may be accused of, "it is not the place of the US to judge." One Netizen also expressed that US's actions were utterly incomprehensible, adding that it had "cloaked itself in the veneer of legality."
 
Like their foreign netizens, some Chinese netizens hold that Washington's actions are driven by "interest in Venezuela's oil reserves." 
 
Additionally, some netizens commented that "it's far-fetched that such kidnapping acts as those in the US can be seen in the 21st century," appealing for world peace.
 
 
Global Times

Diplomats and foreign representatives gather for a Security Council meeting at the United Nations (UN) concerning the situation in Venezuela on January 05, 2026 in New York City. Photo: VCG

The US forcible seizing of Venezuela's leader has faced strong criticism from both America's partners and other countries at an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday, according to media reports.

At the UN Security Council emergency meeting, President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Annalena Baerbock stressed respect for the UN Charter and international law, and envoys from multiple countries including China, Russia and Columbia voiced their condemnation and concern of the US military action against Venezuela.

Among US allies, France was by far the most outspoken at the meeting, BBC reported. The deputy ambassador, Jay Dharmadhikari, said Maduro's taking by the US runs "counter to the principle of peaceful dispute resolution and runs counter to the principle of the non-use of force".

The deputy UN ambassador for Denmark, Sandra Jensen Landi, voiced her country's "deep concern" at the evolving situation and said: "These developments constitute a dangerous precedent. International law and the UN Charter… must be respected."

Delcy Rodriguez reacts during the swearing-in ceremony at the National Assembly in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 5, 2026. Delcy Rodriguez, previously vice president of Venezuela, was sworn in on Monday as the acting president of the country, after President Nicolas Maduro was taken by force on Jan. 3 during a U.S. military operation against the South American nation. (Presidency of Venezuela/Handout via Xinhua)

Delcy Rodriguez, previously vice president of Venezuela, was sworn in on Monday as the acting president of the country, after President Nicolas Maduro was taken by force on Jan. 3 during a U.S. military operation against the South American nation.

"I come with pain, because of the suffering that has been caused to the Venezuelan people, following an illegitimate military aggression against our homeland," Rodriguez said at a formal ceremony held in the capital Caracas.

"I swear by the people of Venezuela not to rest even a minute to guarantee the peace of the Republic," she added.

The acting president also called for unity to defend the country "in these terrible hours of threat to the stability and peace of the nation."

In the early hours of Jan. 3, U.S. military forces carried out a series of strikes on Venezuela, taking by force Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, before putting them in custody in New York, which sparked widespread condemnation.

Protesters hold signs showing disapproval of American actions in Venezuela in front of the White House Washington on January 3, 2026. Photo: VCG

US foreign policy works through wars, covert regime-change operations, economic sanctions and other hostile actions, all of which are in violation of the spirit of the UN Charter and international law, said renowned US scholar Jeffrey Sachs in a written interview with the Global Times over US latest actions against Venezuela on Tuesday.

The January 3 US attack on Venezuela and the forcible seizure of President Nicolás Maduro have stunned the world, raising questions as to whether the international law still has a binding effect on countries, especially such a superpower as the US.

"The US is a particularly egregious case. It is the country in the world least aligned with the UN Charter," noted Sachs.

In December, the White House unveiled its National Security Strategy, which explicitly referenced the 200-year-old Monroe Doctrine policy: "After years of neglect, the United States will reassert and enforce the Monroe Doctrine to restore American pre-eminence in the Western Hemisphere." "They now call it the 'Donroe Doctrine,'" said US President Donald Trump when describing the US military operation in Venezuela.

Sachs believes that the Monroe Doctrine was not a license for the US to invade other countries in the Americas, yet Donroe Doctrine "is a brazen claim that the US will dominate the Americas, by force if necessary."

A portrait of ousted Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro is seen during a demonstration in Caracas on January 4, 2026, a day after he was forcibly seized in a US strike.Photo: VCG

Venezuela issued a decree ordering police to "immediately begin the national search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the US," according to a text of the decree published on Monday, Reuters reported.

The decree mandates a series of emergency defense measures, including the imposition of military administration over public service infrastructure, the oil industry, and other national strategic industries, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

The enhancement of patrols and security safeguards along land, maritime, and aerial borders, and the deployment of comprehensive defense commands across all states and municipalities nationwide are also listed in the decree, the report said.

The decree also specifies that, in light of the armed attacks launched by US military forces against Venezuela's territory and people — grievous violations of Venezuela's territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence — a national state of emergency is hereby declared throughout the entire country, per Xinhua.

The decree affirms that, pursuant to Article 51 of the Charter of the UN, Venezuela possesses the inherent right to exercise self-defense against the entirely illegal and unjustified armed aggression and shall unwaveringly uphold this right to repel the US' invasion of its territory and people, according to the report.

US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Venezuela will not hold elections in the next 30 days.

"We have to fix the country first. You can't have an election. There's no way the people could even vote," Trump said in an interview with NBC News.

The remarks came two days after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was taken from the capital Caracas by US forces.

Trump also said that his administration may subsidize efforts by US oil companies to invest in and rebuild Venezuela's energy infrastructure, adding that the process could take less than 18 months.

Reports of gunfire in Venezuela's capital Caracas: media

Colombia categorically condemns the U.S. military action against Venezuela, Colombia's permanent representative to the United Nations Leonor Zalabata told the UN Security Council on Monday.

"Colombia condemns categorically the events that occurred in the early morning of the 3rd of January in Venezuela, where we saw multiple explosions and air activity over Caracas and other areas of the country as part of the military attack carried out by the United States ... All of this represents clear violations of the sovereignty, political independence and the territorial integrity of Venezuela," she said at a Security Council emergency meeting on Venezuela.

Zalabata said this was the first time Colombia was taking the floor in the Security Council as a non-permanent member for the period 2026-2027, and "is taking on this responsibility with a deep sense of duty."

"We are going to do this from the first day defending international law and the purposes of principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter," including international peace and security, the peaceful settlement of disputes, the prohibition of the use of force, sovereign equality, respect for the territorial integrity and political independence of all states, she said.

There is no justification whatsoever under any circumstances for the unilateral use of force to commit an act of aggression, Zalabata noted, adding that such actions constitute a serious violation of international law and the UN Charter.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks at a press conference following a cabinet meeting in Ankara, Türkiye, on Jan. 5, 2026. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that he has told U.S. President Donald Trump that "Venezuela should not be dragged into instability." "We do not condone any action that violates political legitimacy and international law, anywhere in the world," Erdogan said at a press conference after a cabinet meeting. (Mustafa Kaya/Handout via Xinhua)

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Monday that he has told U.S. President Donald Trump that "Venezuela should not be dragged into instability."

"We do not condone any action that violates political legitimacy and international law, anywhere in the world," Erdogan said at a press conference after a cabinet meeting.

He stressed that "breaching countries' sovereign rights and international law are risky steps that could lead to serious global complications."

"In our telephone conversation with U.S. President Mr. Trump, we also conveyed our country's concerns to him. We underlined that Venezuela should not be dragged into instability," Erdogan added, referring to a phone call he had with Trump earlier in the day.

"Regarding Venezuela, we are striving to do what is best and right, both for Türkiye and for the friendly Venezuelan people," he said, adding that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and the Venezuelan people have always been friends of Türkiye.

Russian UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Monday that his country condemns the U.S. military action against Venezuela over the weekend.

"We firmly condemn the act of armed aggression by the United States against Venezuela in breach of all norms of international law," Nebenzia told an emergency meeting of the Security Council following the U.S. assault on Venezuela.

He called on the U.S. leadership to immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, both currently being held in New York.

Nebenzia said Russia is particularly appalled by the unprecedented cynicism on the part of Washington, which does not even attempt to conceal the true objectives of its criminal operation, namely the establishment of unlimited control over Venezuela's natural resources and assertion of its hegemonic ambitions in Latin America.

"In this way, Washington is generating fresh momentum for neocolonialism and imperialism, which have been repeatedly and decisively repudiated by the peoples of this region and the Global South as a whole," he said.

Venezuelan UN ambassador Samuel Moncada on Monday requested action from the Security Council following U.S. strikes against his country over the weekend.

Venezuela urges the Security Council to fully assume its responsibility and act in accordance with the mandate conferred on it by the UN Charter, Moncada told an emergency meeting of the council.

"In that regard, we request that the government of the United States of America be demanded to fully respect the immunities of (Venezuelan) President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, as well as their immediate release and safe return to Venezuela," said the ambassador.

Maduro and his wife were forcibly removed from Venezuela and brought to the United States.

Moncada demanded that the use of force against Venezuela be clearly and unequivocally condemned by the Security Council, and that the principle of non-acquisition of territory or resources by force be reaffirmed.

A Chinese envoy on Monday strongly condemned the U.S. military action against Venezuela at a UN Security Council emergency meeting.

"China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the unilateral, illegal, and bullying acts by the United States," said Sun Lei, the charge d'affaires of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations.

Sun made the remarks at an emergency meeting of the Security Council following the U.S. assault on Venezuela.

"On Jan. 3, the United States blatantly launched large-scale military strikes against Venezuela, seized by force Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, and took them out of the country. It claimed that it would 'run' Venezuela and even did not rule out launching a second round of military operations on an even larger scale," said Sun.

For some time now, the international community has repeatedly expressed grave concerns over the U.S. sanctions, blockade, and threats of force against Venezuela. However, as a permanent member of the Security Council, the United States has disregarded the grave concerns of the international community, wantonly trampled on Venezuela's sovereignty, security, and legitimate rights and interests, and seriously violated the principles of sovereign equality, non-interference in internal affairs, the peaceful settlement of international disputes, and the prohibition of the use of force in international relations, he said.

Respect for the UN Charter and international law is the foundation of the international order, President of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Annalena Baerbock said in a statement on the situation regarding Venezuela.

In the statement sent to reporters on Monday, the UNGA president stressed: "The UN Charter is not optional -- it is our guiding framework, in moments of calm and in times of crisis, like in Venezuela today, culminating with the United States military action."

The statement noted that Article 2 of the UN Charter clearly stipulates that all members of the United Nations shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations.

The statement added that "a peaceful, safe and just world for everyone is only possible if the rule of law prevails instead of might makes right."

In the early hours of Jan. 3, U.S. military forces carried out a series of strikes on Venezuela, taking by force President Nicolas Maduro and his wife before putting them in custody in New York, which sparked widespread condemnation.

About 1,500 people demonstrated on Monday evening in front of the Simon Bolivar statue in the Portuguese capital to protest what they described as an illegal attack by the United States on Venezuela.

According to Lusa News Agency, the rally was organized by the Portuguese Council for Peace and Cooperation. Demonstrators strongly condemned what they called "U.S. military aggression," chanting slogans such as "For peace! No to U.S. aggression against Venezuela" and "Latin America is not the United States' backyard."

Rejecting the U.S. action in an independent country, the protesters directed chants at U.S. President Donald Trump and called on him to refrain from interfering in Latin American affairs.

In its official response, the Portuguese government expressed serious concern over the situation in Venezuela on Sunday. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for de-escalation, respect for international law, and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro made his first court appearance Monday morning in New York after he was forcefully seized by US forces in his country, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Maduro has pleaded not guilty to all the charges he is faced with, US media reported. Four counts were listed on the indictment, including narco-terrorism conspiracy and possession of machine guns and destructive devices, BBC reported.

Cameras are not allowed inside the court room. Maduro has just walked into New York Southern District court wearing a prison uniform with his feet shackled, CBS News reports. His wife, Cilia Flores, is also wearing a prison outfit.

"I am not guilty," Maduro said in the court, "I am a decent man, I am president of my country," Maduro added, per NBC.

UN Security Council holds an emergency meeting on Venezuela

Venezuela's Maduro arrives at federal courthouse in New York

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday night urged Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodriguez to grant the United States "total access," especially to Venezuela's oil resources.

"We need total access. We need access to the oil and to other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Trump said that he had not spoken directly with Rodriguez, but would do so "at the right time." Rodriguez, vice president under Nicolas Maduro, assumed the role of acting president after Maduro was flown out of Venezuela following U.S. military attacks.

Meanwhile, Trump claimed that the United States was "in charge" of Venezuela and "dealing with the people that just got sworn in."

"Don't ask me who's in charge, because I'll give you an answer, and it'll be very controversial," Trump said. "It means we're in charge. We're in charge."

Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodríguez (center) speaks alongside Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López (second from left) and Minister of Interior, Justice and Peace Diosdado Cabello (second from right) during a meeting of the Council of Ministers at the headquarters of the Vice Presidency in Caracas on January 4, 2026. Photo: AFP

On Sunday, Venezuelan Interim President Delcy Rodríguez sent a message via social media to the US government, and in particular to President Donald Trump, inviting the two countries to develop relations based on balance and mutual respect, according to multiple media reports. 

"Venezuela reaffirms its commitment to peace and peaceful coexistence. Our country aspires to live without external threats, in an environment of respect and international cooperation. We believe that global peace is built by first guaranteeing peace within each nation," according to a post Rodríguez wrote in Instagram on Sunday. 

"We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence," read the post. 

"President Donald Trump, our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war. This has always been President Nicolás Maduro's message, and it is the message of all of Venezuela right now. This is the Venezuela I believe in and have dedicated my life to. I dream of a Venezuela where all good Venezuelans can come together. Venezuela has the right to peace, development, sovereignty and a future," according to the post.

Some media outlets, including the Associated Press and the Bloomberg also reported about Rodríguez's latest statement. The Bloomberg report noted that Rodríguez, the acting president of Venezuela, asked the US to work with her country, "striking a more conciliatory tone toward the Trump administration after her initial outrage at the capture of President Nicolás Maduro."

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel said on Sunday that 32 Cubans were killed when defending Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during US. attack on Venezuela.

The Cuban president also declared a period of national mourning, noting that the fallen compatriots honorably fulfilled their duty and, through fierce resistance and heroic actions, embodied the spirit of solidarity shared by millions of Cubans.

Photo: a screenshot of Colombian Foreign Ministry website

The governments of Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay have issued a joint statement on Sunday, expressing "deep concern and rejection of the military actions carried out unilaterally on Venezuelan territory," as "these actions constitute an extremely dangerous precedent for peace and regional security and endanger the civilian population," according to the joint statement in English on the website of Colombian Foreign Ministry website.

"We reiterate that the situation in Venezuela must be resolved exclusively through peaceful means, through dialogue, negotiation, and respect for the will of the Venezuelan people in all its expressions, without external interference and in accordance with international law. We reaffirm that only an inclusive political process, led by Venezuelans, can lead to a democratic, sustainable solution that respects human dignity," read the joint statement.

The six countries also "urge the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Member States of the relevant multilateral mechanisms to use their good offices to contribute to the de-escalation of tensions and the preservation of regional peace." 

The six countries, in the joint statement, also expressed their concern "regarding any attempt at government control, administration or external appropriation of natural or strategic resources, which is incompatible with international law and threatens the political, economic and social stability of the region." 

The joint statement came after the US military forces carried out attacks and bombings in Venezuela's capital Caracas in the early hours of Saturday and other parts of the country and forcibly took Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. 

Trump warns of second strike on Venezuela if current gov't doesn't behave

Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez held on Sunday her first cabinet meeting since the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by the United States, state TV reported.

A day earlier, the country's top court has ordered Rodriguez, Maduro's vice president, to assume role of acting president.

Venezuela's Bolivarian National Armed Forces on Sunday strongly condemned the "cowardly kidnapping" of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the United States.

In a statement read out on national radio and television, Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez also denounced that U.S. troops sent to Venezuela early Saturday murdered "in cold blood" a large part of Maduro's security detail, soldiers and innocent civilians.

Venezuela's military expressed its full support for the state of external emergency declared by the Venezuelan government following the U.S. strikes on several locations within Venezuela.

"Our institution will continue to employ all its available capabilities for military defense, the maintenance of internal order, and the preservation of peace," the armed forces statement said.

Padrino said the armed forces activated "the Full Operational Readiness Plan throughout the entire national territory and in perfect civilian-military-police coordination."

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday threatened that Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodríguez could "pay a very big price, probably bigger than" that of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, if she continued to refuse cooperation with the United States.

"If she doesn't do what's right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro," Trump said in a phone interview with The Atlantic. Maduro was taken by U.S. force away from his country on Saturday and is now in custody in New York to stand trial on alleged drug charges.

Trump made clear that he would not stand what he described as Rodríguez's defiant rejection of the armed U.S. intervention, according to the magazine.

Trump also stressed that the United States needs Greenland "absolutely," reaffirming that Venezuela may not be the last country subject to U.S. intervention, according to The Atlantic.

"We do need Greenland, absolutely," Trump said.

The European Union (EU) on Sunday urged all parties to show "calm and restraint" to prevent further escalation and to seek a peaceful solution to the crisis in Venezuela, following the U.S. military action against Venezuela.

In a statement issued by the EU's High Representative, the bloc said the principles of international law and the UN Charter "must be upheld" under all circumstances, adding that members of the UN Security Council have a particular responsibility to defend those principles.

The EU said in the statement that it supports a Venezuelan-led, sovereign transition to democracy, stressing that "the right of the Venezuelan people to determine their future must be respected."

While acknowledging the priority of combating transnational organized crime and drug trafficking, the EU stressed that these challenges must be addressed through sustained cooperation "in full respect of international law" and the principles of territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The bloc said it was in close contact with the United States and with regional and international partners to support dialogue among all parties aimed at a negotiated, democratic, inclusive and peaceful solution led by Venezuelans.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday the Trump administration will continue striking alleged drug boats and seizing sanctioned oil tankers to and from Venezuela.

"We will continue to target drug boats if they try to run towards the United States," Rubio said on NBC News, adding that "we will continue to seize the boats that are sanctioned with court orders."

"We will continue to do that, and potentially other things, until the things we need to see addressed are addressed," he said.

For months, the United States has deployed large-scale air and naval forces in Caribbean waters near Venezuela as part of its so-called campaign against narco-terrorism. The Pentagon has sunk more than 30 alleged drug boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific since September, claiming about 110 lives.

At least 40 people were reportedly killed in U.S. airstrikes on the South American nation in the early hours of Saturday as U.S. forces carried out an operation to take by force Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were flown out of their country by the U.S. military and are now in custody in New York.

Chadian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Sabre Fadoul spoke with his Venezuelan counterpart by telephone on Saturday, expressing "deep concerns" following the U.S. military action against Venezuela, according to a statement.

Fadoul voiced his deep concern over the situation and reiterated Chad's firm commitment to respect for international law, on which the existence of a just and peaceful world order depends, the statement said.

The United States launched a military strike on Venezuela on Saturday, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country.

"Chad recalls the importance of preserving peace, stability and the territorial integrity of Venezuela in a bid to avoid unnecessary suffering of the brotherly people of Venezuela," the statement said.

China always opposes the use or threat of force, as well as any imposition of one country's will on another, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday when speaking of the situation in Venezuela.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when holding the Seventh Round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing.

Wang said the current international situation is more volatile and intertwined, with unilateral bullying becoming increasingly severe.

The sudden change of situation in Venezuela has drawn high attention from the international community, Wang said.

"We never believe that any country can play the role of world policeman, nor do we agree that any country can claim itself to be an international judge," Wang said, adding that the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected by international law.

On the first day after the US' attack on Venezuela, most of the local people stayed at home, preparing for a possible second attack. Photo provided by the interviewees

Editor's Note:

In a shocking move, the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, flying them out of the South American country during an assault on Caracas and surrounding areas.

Several nations have strongly condemned the US for its attack on Venezuela. As the world watches how the situation in Venezuela unfolds and what local residents are experiencing, Global Times reporters spoke with several Venezuelans to bring readers this scene from the local perspective. 

Breaking

China expresses serious concern over the US' forcible control of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and their transfer out of the country. The US' move is in clear violation of international law and the basic norms in international relations and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Sunday in response to reports that on January 3, the US sent forces to seize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and took them out of the country and the governments of multiple countries have voiced opposition.

China calls on the US to ensure the personal safety of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, release them at once, stop toppling the government of Venezuela, and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation, the spokesperson said.

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the US carried out a "large scale strike against Venezuela" and claimed that President Nicolas Maduro and his wife had been captured and removed from the country. Trump also posted on social media a photo of Maduro on board USS Iwo Jima after captured as the latest development of the US military operation. 

The US military action against the South American nation has shocked the international community. Several countries have issued strong condemnations over the US for its attack on Venezuela. 

On Saturday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry has voiced the deep shock and strong condemnation against the US blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president.

Photo: a screenshot of NBC News helicopter video showing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arriving at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, New York, on local time January 3, 2026.

More details about the US military's capture of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro have been revealed, disclosing how CIA source inside Venezuelan government helped track Maduro. 

According to a New York Times (NYT) report on Saturday local time, a CIA source within the Venezuelan government monitored the location of Nicolás Maduro in both the days and moments before his capture by American special operation forces, citing people briefed on the operation.

AFP also reported on Saturday evening local time that US intelligence agents had been secretly monitoring Maduro's every movement since August 2025, despite his widely reported efforts to regularly change locations as tensions mounted with Washington.

"How he moved, where he lived, where he traveled, what he ate, what he wore -- what were his pets," Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine said Saturday, AFP reported.

Photo: a screenshot CCTV News video showing local residents in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, line up outside a store on January 3, 2026.

On-site visits by reporters with Chinese media in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, on Saturday found that most shops were closed, long queues formed in front of some pharmacies and supermarkets, and some metro lines were not operating normally, after US large-scale attack on the South American country and captured Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro on early Saturday. 

"It is now 8:30 in the morning. As you can see, there are not many pedestrians on the streets, and there are few vehicles on the main roads. Most shops remain closed. I just passed a 24-hour pharmacy and noticed a long queue in front of it. After asking around, people said they were lining up to buy necessary medicines and some daily essentials," Liao Kaidi, one of the China Media Group (CMG) reporters in Caracas, observed. 

Lei Xiangping, another CMG reporter said that "I am now at a square in downtown Caracas. Normally, this place is bustling with many people coming here to take photos, drink coffee, and shop. But today, as you can see, the metro station behind me has hardly any pedestrians, and the metro is not operating normally."


Lei added that as he just drove toward the presidential palace and noticed a supermarket that was still open. "There is now a long queue of people in front of it. We tried to interview some local residents, but many of them were unwilling to be interviewed, and their expressions were very tense and solemn."


Venezuelan vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, called Maduro's capture "barbaric," an "illegal and illegitimate kidnapping" and an attack on Venezuela's sovereignty, CBS News reported on Sunday.

Brazil's interim Foreign Minister Maria Laura da Rocha on Saturday said Brazil recognizes Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as the head of state in the absence of President Nicolas Maduro.

She added Brazil will continue to support international law, and all countries in safeguarding their sovereignty, and oppose any form of territorial aggression.

On the same day, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reiterated his previous position and condemned the U.S. attack on Venezuela as well as the capture of Maduro and his wife.

Defense Minister Jose Mucio said the situation in Roraima state, which borders Venezuela, remains stable.

He added that Brazil has deployed 10,000 military personnel in the Amazon region, with 2,300 stationed in Roraima.

Protests break out in multiple cities across the US following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026 local time. In Los Angeles, California, demonstrators took to the streets to protest US President Donald Trump's military actions in Venezuela and the detention of President Maduro and his wife. Photo: IC

US Democratic lawmakers on Saturday showed their anger and distress in the aftermath of the US raid and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro early Saturday morning, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday. 

They said that Congress had not been notified in advance and that US President Donald Trump's administration had previously lied to Congress about its goal in the oil-rich South American nation. Meanwhile, they demanded an immediate briefing on the operation and on the White House's next move, according to Xinhua. 

"Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth looked every Senator in the eye a few weeks ago and said this wasn't about regime change. I didn't trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress," US Senator Andy Kim wrote in a post on X. Last year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told members of Congress that regime change in Venezuela was not their goal, Xinhua reported. 

Jason Crow, a Democrat on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees, agreed: "The Trump Administration repeatedly lied to Congress and the American people about Venezuela. Over and over, officials testified that this was not about regime change."

Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said that the Trump administration has "consistently misled" lawmakers, leaving Congress in the dark on any US "long-term strategy" concerning Venezuela.

Venezuela's Supreme Court has ordered Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to assume role of acting president after President Nicolas Maduro's capture, according to media reports on Saturday.

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were captured in a large-scale U.S. military strike on Venezuela early Saturday morning, will be sent to the Metropolitan Detention Center in New York, according to a report by CNN.

The military aircraft carrying the couple landed at the Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York State around 5 p.m. (2200 GMT) on Saturday afternoon, according to multiple reports and video footage.

Maduro and a few others will face charges of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices next week in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, according to an unsealed indictment released by the U.S. Department of Justice on Saturday.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said he called U.S. President Donald Trump directly on Saturday to express his opposition to "a pursuit of regime change to the violation of federal, international law." Some people demonstrated against the U.S. military action in Venezuela outside the Newburgh air base.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez demanded the "immediate release" of the Maduro couple at a session of the National Defense Council broadcast by a state television channel on Saturday.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Sunday that his government is monitoring developments in Venezuela, calling for diplomacy to prevent escalation.

In a post on social media site X on Sunday morning, hours after the U.S. military launched strikes on Venezuela and reportedly captured President Nicolas Maduro, Albanese said that Australia urges all parties to support "dialogue and diplomacy in order to secure regional stability and prevent escalation."

He said that Australia has long held "concerns about the situation in Venezuela" and supports international law and a peaceful, democratic transition in the South American nation.

Updated advice for Australians issued on Sunday by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's Smartraveller service advised citizens against traveling to Venezuela.

It said that the security situation is unpredictable and may worsen.

Photo: a screenshot of NBC News helicopter video showing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arriving at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, New York, on local time January 3, 2026.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have reportedly landed at Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, New York, on Saturday afternoon, per the US media NBC News. Video from an NBC News helicopter appeared to show Maduro walking off a jet around 5:25 pm at an airfield around 50 miles north of Manhattan. He appeared to wear a gray sweatshirt and shackles as he walked down the stairs of the plane and into a hangar, surrounded by federal agents, NBC reported. 

The Reuters news agency reported that Maduro is expected to make his first appearance in a Manhattan court on Monday to face allegations of narcotics conspiracy.

Maduro and his wife have been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offenses, said the NBC report.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has demanded the "immediate release" of the couple at a session of the National Defense Council broadcast by a state television channel. Maduro is "the only president" of Venezuela, she said, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

US President Donald Trump posts photos to social media showing him monitoring the US military operation in Venezuela overnight on January 3, 2026. Photo: Screenshot of NBC News report

US President Donald Trump posted photos to social media showing him monitoring the US military operation in Venezuela overnight alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine, among others, NBC reported on Saturday. 

At 4:21 on Saturday morning, Trump sent a message on his Truth Social platform: the US had carried out a daring mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Reuters reported. 

The action came as a surprise, but according to sources familiar with the matter, planning for one of the most complex US operations in recent memory had been in the works for months and included detailed rehearsals, per Reuters. 

Trump said in a press conference on Saturday that the US would "run" Venezuela on a temporary basis during the transition, and "get the oil flowing," CBS News reported. 

People demonstrate near the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, on Jan. 3, 2026. The U.S. military launched a series of attacks against Venezuela early Saturday morning, reportedly capturing President Nicolas Maduro and flying him out of the country. (Photo: Xinhua)

A person demonstrates near the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, on Jan. 3, 2026. The U.S. military launched a series of attacks against Venezuela early Saturday morning, reportedly capturing President Nicolas Maduro and flying him out of the country. (Photo: Xinhua)

A person demonstrates near the Miraflores Palace in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, on Jan. 3, 2026. The U.S. military launched a series of attacks against Venezuela early Saturday morning, reportedly capturing President Nicolas Maduro and flying him out of the country. (Photo: Xinhua)

This photo taken on Jan. 3, 2026 shows damage caused by an airstrike at the port of La Guaira, Venezuela. The U.S. military launched a series of attacks against Venezuela early Saturday morning, reportedly capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and flying him out of the country. (Photo: Xinhua)

Venezuelan Ambassador to South Africa Carlos Feo Acevedo on Saturday strongly condemned U.S. military aggression against Venezuela, describing it as a "clear kidnapping" of President Nicolas Maduro and a serious violation of international law.

Acevedo made the remarks during an interview with Russia Today, a Russian media group. "It is a clear violation and a clear criminal terrorist act perpetrated by the U.S. administration against Venezuela," he said, accusing Washington of breaching international norms, including the UN Charter, as well as its own domestic laws.

The United States conducted "criminal strikes against the people of Venezuela," the ambassador said, noting that the objective was to exert control over the country's natural resources.

The U.S. military launched a series of attacks against Venezuela early Saturday morning, during which Maduro was captured and flown out of the country along with his wife. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro will face trial in the United States.

At least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in a large-scale U.S. military strike on Venezuela early Saturday morning, U.S. media reported, citing a senior Venezuelan official.

U.S. Democratic lawmakers on Saturday showed their anger and distress in the aftermath of the U.S. raid on Venezuela and capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro early Saturday morning.

They said that Congress had not been notified in advance and that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration had previously lied to Congress about its goal in the oil-rich South American nation. Meanwhile, they demanded an immediate briefing on the operation and on the White House's next move.

"Secretaries Rubio and Hegseth looked every Senator in the eye a few weeks ago and said this wasn't about regime change. I didn't trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress," U.S. Senator Andy Kim wrote in a post on X. Last year, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told members of Congress that regime change in Venezuela was not their goal.

Jason Crow, a Democrat on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees, agreed: "The Trump Administration repeatedly lied to Congress and the American people about Venezuela. Over and over, officials testified that this was not about regime change."

Jeanne Shaheen, a Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the Trump administration has "consistently misled" lawmakers, leaving Congress in the dark on any U.S. "long-term strategy" concerning Venezuela.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Saturday that Nicolas Maduro is "the only president" of the South American nation.

Rodriguez made the statement during a live speech on a state-run television station Saturday afternoon, adding that Venezuela will never become a colony of any country.

Accompanied by the ministers of the interior, foreign affairs and other officials, the vice president demanded that the United States release Maduro and his wife, and urged the Venezuelan people to remain calm, face the challenges together and defend national sovereignty.

Noting that the attack on Venezuela may happen in any other country in the region in the future, Rodriguez said Venezuela is ready to defend its natural resources and will never become a colony of any country or a slave of any empire.

The United States launched a large-scale military operation against Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday, seizing Maduro and his wife.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday on the U.S. operation against Venezuela, the council presidency told Xinhua on Saturday.

"The presidency intends to hold the emergency meeting on Monday morning at 10 a.m. (1500 GMT)," said Khadija Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Somali Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Somalia holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of January.

The United States launched an operation on Saturday and captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in Caracas.

A plane carrying Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were captured in a large-scale U.S. military strike on Venezuela early Saturday morning, has arrived at a New York military base, according to local media.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has demanded the "immediate release" of the couple at a session of the National Defense Council broadcast by a state television channel. Maduro is "the only president" of Venezuela, she said.

The latest U.S. strikes on Venezuela and its capture of Maduro have drawn worldwide condemnation and concern.

The UN Security Council announced Saturday that it will hold an emergency meeting on Monday on the U.S. operation against Venezuela.

Russian and Belarusian foreign ministers strongly condemned U.S. aggression against Venezuela during a phone call, the Russian foreign ministry said on Saturday.

During the call, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov exchanged views on the situation surrounding Venezuela, stressing that Moscow and Minsk are united in condemning actions in violation of international legal norms.

They also stressed the unconditional necessity of the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, their return to the country's capital, and the restoration of Maduro to the post of head of state.

The two sides further noted the importance of swiftly creating conditions for resolving the situation around Venezuela through dialogue in accordance with international law, the ministry said.

This combination of pictures created on August 07, 2025 shows US President Donald Trump (L) in Grand Rapids, Michigan on November 5, 2024, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (R) in Caracas on July 31, 2024. Photo: VCG

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the US carried out a "large scale strike against Venezuela" and claimed that President Nicolas Maduro and his wife had been captured and removed from the country. Trump also posted on social media a photo of Maduro on board USS Iwo Jima after captured as the latest development of the US military operation. 

The US military action against the South American nation has shocked the international community.

China on Saturday night said it is "deeply shocked" and strongly condemns the US' blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president, warning that Washington's actions seriously violate international law and threaten regional peace and security.

"Such hegemonic acts of the US seriously violate international law and Venezuela's sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region. China firmly opposes it," a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry made the remarks on the US military strikes on Venezuela on Saturday night. 

"We call on the US to abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and stop violating other countries' sovereignty and security," said the spokesperson.

Trump says US oil companies would fix Venezuela's infrastructure, "and start making money for the country"

Trump says "we are going to run the country" until there is a transition

Trump posted a photo of Maduro on board USS Iwo Jima

US President Donald Trump said Saturday that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken to a ship after being captured by US forces and will be transported to New York.

Trump told Fox News that the pair have been indicted in New York and will be transferred to the state.

He said he watched the overnight operation that led to their capture, which was "literally like I was watching a television show."

Maduro was "in a house that was more like a fortress than a house" with "solid steel all around" when captured, said Trump.

Trump did not rule out the possibility of a second strike against Venezuela following Maduro's capture.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Saturday morning that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro will "soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts" after he was captured and flown out of the oil-rich South American nation.

"Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York," Bondi wrote on social media X. She said 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.

US Republican Senator Mike Lee said on X early Saturday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had told him by phone that Maduro was arrested and will "stand trial on criminal charges in the United States."

"This action likely falls within the president's inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect US personnel from an actual or imminent attack," Lee said.

US President Donald Trump announced early Saturday morning that Maduro and his wife had been captured and flown out of Venezuela amid the US military's large-scale strike against the country.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Britain was "not involved in any way" in the US operation in Venezuela, according to British media reports on Saturday.

In remarks recorded for British broadcasters, Starmer said he had not spoken to US President Donald Trump about Washington's capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

"It is obviously a fast-moving situation and we need to establish all the facts," he said, adding that he is seeking more information before making further comment.

Starmer said there were about 500 British nationals in Venezuela, and that the government was working with the embassy to ensure they were well looked after, safeguarded and given appropriate advice.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, who was flown out of the country along with his wife.

Picture of fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026. Loud explosions, accompanied by sounds resembling aircraft flyovers, were heard in Caracas around 2:00 am (0600 GMT) on January 3, an AFP journalist reported. Photo: VCG

After the US military strikes on Venezuela on Saturday, which reportedly led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Chinese military affairs experts analyzed how the US Delta Force carried out the mission, while stressing the illegality of the US invasion of a sovereign state.

US President Donald Trump claimed Saturday in a Truth Social post that Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of Venezuela, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that "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." He said the operation was conducted "in conjunction with US Law Enforcement," adding that further details would follow. Trump also announced that a news conference would be held at 11 am local time at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

According to CBS News, the Venezuelan president was captured early Saturday morning by members of the US Army's elite Delta Force, the US military's top special mission unit, citing US officials. The report also noted that the unit previously carried out the 2019 mission that killed former Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

The Permanent Mission of Venezuela to the United Nations on Saturday sent a letter to Abukar Dahir Osman, president of the Security Council for January, condemning "brutal, unjustified and unilateral" US armed attacks against the South American nation.

The letter also put forward four demands: an urgent Security Council meeting to discuss the US aggression, a strong condemnation of the aggression against Venezuela, an immediate halt to US military attacks, and measures to hold Washington accountable for its "crime of aggression."

US military forces bombed civilian and military sites in the capital of Caracas and other cities in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira earlier Saturday, and carried out attacks across the country with helicopters and airplanes, it said.

The letter noted that the attacks constituted a flagrant act of aggression that is premeditated, acknowledged and publicized by Washington, and that they "flagrantly" violated the UN Charter.

The US attack was carried out against a country in full peace, it said, noting that it aims at toppling the current Venezuelan regime and imposing a "puppet government" to plunder the country's oil resources.

Picture of fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026. Loud explosions, accompanied by sounds resembling aircraft flyovers, were heard in Caracas around 2:00 am (0600 GMT) on January 3, an AFP journalist reported. Photo: VCG

US President Donald Trump announced early Saturday that the US had carried out a "large-scale strike against Venezuela," claiming that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had been captured and taken out of the country. The announcement quickly drew international attention and was also widely reported by Taiwan regional media.

"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Many media outlets in Taiwan closely followed the development. For instance, the China Times created a dedicated keyword tag for "US air raid on Venezuela" to aggregate related reports and updates. Meanwhile, the latest coverage on the Economic Daily News was dominated by reports on Venezuela and the escalating disputes between the US and Venezuela.

A report by Now News titled "Who Is Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Who Was Taken Away by Trump?" noted that on Saturday, the US military launched a large-scale surprise attack on Venezuela. After carrying out a series of pre-dawn airstrikes on multiple locations across the country, US President Donald Trump announced that Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife had been arrested and escorted out of the country, describing the move as a swift "decapitation" operation.

Fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026. The US military was behind a series of strikes against the Venezuelan capital Caracas on Saturday, which reportedly led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, US media reported. Photo: AFP

China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the US' blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president. Such hegemonic acts of the US seriously violate international law and Venezuela's sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region. China firmly opposes it, Chinese FM spokesperson made the remarks on the US Military Strikes on Venezuela.

"We call on the US to abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and stop violating other countries' sovereignty and security," said the spokesperson.

Global Times 

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Venezuela accused the US forces of hitting residential areas in a wave of strikes early Saturday, and announced a major deployment of military resources. The "invading" US forces "have desecrated our soil, going so far as to strike, using missiles and rockets fired from their combat helicopters, residential areas populated by civilians," said Venezuela's Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez in a video statement shared on social media, according to media reports.

According to reports of the Sputnik News on Saturday, US strikes on Venezuelan territory have affected the capital, the states of Miranda and Aragua, and several other locations across the country, Lopez said.

With Venezuelans nervously wondering what would come next, Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello appeared on state TV on a street and wearing a helmet and flak jacket, urging people not to cooperate with the "terrorist enemy," Reuters reported.

Cabello said Venezuelans should not fall into "despair" and avoid making it easier "for the enemy invader, the enemy terrorist that cowardly attacked us," according to the NBC News.

According to the report, Venezuela has requested an urgent meeting of the UN Security Council in response to the US attack on the country, Foreign Minister Yván Gil Pinto said. "No cowardly attack will prevail against the strength of this people, who will emerge victorious," he said on Telegram, sharing the letter sent to the UN.

A flag installation ceremony was held outside the United Nations Security Council chamber at UN Headquarters in New York, marking the start of the terms of Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Latvia and Liberia as non-permanent members of the Security Council. The event was attended by Abukar Dahir Osman (center), Somalia's envoy to the UN and the Council's president for January, who delivered remarks welcoming the new members. Photo: VCG

Venezuela has demanded UN Security Council hold an emergency meeting, the Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday.

The request follows a series of US military actions in the country and Washington's claims that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of Venezuela.

According to Xinhua, Venezuela's Permanent Mission to the United Nations sent a letter on Saturday to the rotating president of the UN Security Council, Abukar Dahir Osman, Somalia's envoy to the UN, strongly condemning what it described as a brutal, unjustified and unilateral armed aggression launched by the US against Venezuela. The letter put forward four demands.

The four demands include convening an urgent Security Council meeting to discuss the US acts of aggression; strongly condemning the US armed aggression against the Venezuelan people and government; demanding that US forces immediately cease armed attacks against Venezuela; and taking necessary measures to hold the US government accountable for its acts of aggression, the letter said, Xinhua reported.

According to Xinhua, the letter stated that in the early hours of Saturday, US forces bombed civilian and military targets in Venezuela's capital Caracas as well as in Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira states. It said US special forces carried out attacks at multiple locations across Venezuela using helicopters and aircraft, 

US President Donald Trump and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro Photo: VCG

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York, US Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed in a X post on Saturday.

Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the US, the US Attorney General asserted.

Maduro has been captured and flown out of Venezuela after the US carried out a large-scale strike on the capital city of Caracas, US President Donald Trump announced earlier on Saturday.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed in a call with a US Republican senator that Maduro will stand trial in the US and that he anticipates no further action, CNN reported. 

European Council President Antonio Costa said on Saturday the European Union (EU) was following the situation in Venezuela "with great concern" and urged de-escalation.

"The European Union calls for de-escalation and a resolution in full respect of international law and the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations," he wrote on X.

He said the bloc would continue to support a peaceful, democratic and inclusive solution in Venezuela, and backed efforts by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, working with member states, to ensure the safety of European citizens in the country.

Earlier on Saturday, Kallas said the EU was closely monitoring developments and called for restraint, stressing that the principles of international law and the United Nations Charter must be respected.

Kallas said she had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the EU ambassador in Caracas, adding that the safety of EU citizens in Venezuela was the bloc's top priority.

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The Xinhua News Agency reporters learned from several Chinese companies in Venezuela on Saturday that there have been no casualties among Chinese employees in Venezuela following the US bombing of the country, the agency reported on Saturday night.

Global Times

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Multiple countries have reacted to the ongoing situation in Venezuela as US President Donald Trump ordered strikes on sites inside Venezuela and claimed Saturday in a Truth Social post that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of Venezuela, according to multiple media reports. 

Senator Mike Lee of Utah said on social media that Secretary of State Marco Rubio told him in a phone call that Nicolás Maduro was "arrested by US personnel to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States," according to The New York Times.

Lee said Rubio does not anticipate further action in Venezuela now that Maduro was in custody, according to the report by The New York Times.

According to the Xinhua News Agency, Venezuela's vice president says government does not know whereabouts of Maduro and his wife.

Multiple countries and regions are reacting to the incident.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, who was flown out of the country along with his wife.

"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," Trump said in a Truth Social post, adding that the operation "was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement."

He also announced a news conference scheduled for 11 a.m. local time (1600 GMT) on Saturday at Mar-a-Lago, Florida.

Low-flying aircraft were spotted, and clouds of smoke were seen following loud explosion sounds at around 2:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) Saturday in Caracas, sending people rushing into the streets and causing brief power outages in parts of the capital, including at a military base.

Shortly after the strike started, the Venezuelan government denounced the "military aggression" by the United States, adding that the strike targeted civilian and military sites in at least four states of the country.

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Saturday strongly condemned the US military attack on Venezuela, calling it a "flagrant violation" of the country's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

In a statement, the ministry described the attack as an "act of aggression" and a clear breach of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and international law prohibiting the use of force against sovereign states.

Earlier on Saturday, the United States launched a large-scale strike on Venezuela, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were "captured and flown out of Venezuela," according to a post by US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account.

Iran reaffirmed Venezuela's right to defend its national sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to self-determination, and urged the international community to fulfill its legal and moral responsibility by immediately halting what it described as a US "invasion" of the country.

The remarks come amid rising tensions between Iran and the United States. On Friday, Tehran said it would "forcefully reject" any interference in its internal affairs after Trump warned that Washington would act if Iran "kills peaceful protesters."

US senator says Rubio told him "no further action" now that Maduro is in US custody: media

The Russian Foreign Ministry said Saturday that the United States committed "an act of armed aggression" against Venezuela, which causes deep concern and condemnation.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel on Saturday condemned what he described as the "criminal US attack" against Venezuela, demanding an urgent response from the international community.

In a social media post, the president said that the region of peace (Latin America) is being brutally assaulted, and "this is state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America."

Photo: CFP

US President Donald Trump said Saturday in a Truth Social post that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of Venezuela, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote that "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." He said the operation was conducted "in conjunction with US Law Enforcement," adding that further details would follow. Trump also announced that a news conference would be held at 11 am at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

According to CBS News, the Venezuelan President was captured early Saturday morning by members of the US Army's elite Delta Force, citing US officials. The report said Delta Force, the US military's top special mission unit, was responsible for the operation. CBS also noted that the unit previously carried out the 2019 mission that killed former Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

Venezuela's vice president said the Venezuelan government does not know whereabouts of Maduro and his wife, the Xinhua reported, citing the state TV.

As of press time, the Global Times has not seen official response from the Venezuelan government on Trump's claims.

Trump says US successfully carried out large-scale strikes against Venezuela -- media

Trump says Maduro captured: media

Venezuela on Saturday denounced a "military aggression" by the United States, after large explosions were heard and aircraft were seen over the capital Caracas earlier in the day.

The Venezuelan government said that the military strike targeted civilian and military sites in at least four states of the country, including Caracas, as well as the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, adding that the U.S. action blatantly violated the UN Charter.

Low-flying aircraft were spotted, and clouds of smoke were seen following loud explosion sounds at around 2:00 a.m. (0600 GMT) Saturday in Caracas.

Reports said brief power outages occurred in some areas, including a military base in Caracas.

In the statement, the Venezuelan government said that President Nicolas Maduro had "ordered all national defense plans to be implemented" and declared "a state of external disturbance."

Venezuelan President Maduro has declared national emergency -- media

Trump ordered strikes on number of targets, including military ones, in Venezuela -- media

Low-flying aircraft were spotted, and clouds of smoke were seen following loud explosion sounds early Saturday in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.

Photos and videos circulating on social media showed smoke rising from multiple locations in the capital, with residents seen fleeing in the streets. The authenticity of this information could not be immediately verified.

Reports said brief power outages occurred in some areas, including a military base in Caracas.

Two loud noises heard in Caracas, capital of Venezuela