President Donald Trump suggested that Colombia’s president may be a target after a successful U.S. operation resulted in former President Nicolás Maduro’s arrest and extradition from Venezuela.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday evening that Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, “likes making cocaine,” but that he would not be “doing it very long.” On Saturday, Trump had said that Petro should “watch his *ss.”
“Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States, and he’s not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you,” Trump <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-UQhHTfb1o">told</a> reporters. The president seemed unwilling to elaborate until a reporter suggested that another operation may be launched against Petro.
“Sounds good to me,” Trump responded.
The military operation to arrest and extradite Maduro was carried out after federal prosecutors <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/venezuela-strikes/card/maduro-faces-federal-drug-trafficking-charges-in-u-s--hqFy8dcmWFBCuxLJNORl?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqeYgAcBlRh51Uvh3wCJ8020FqkT15IPnz2XYyX5jN1l33I6L9ntmutXssFMg7A%3D&amp;gaa_ts=695b2297&amp;gaa_sig=DjtuJAhTN507BmAwspbTt6oiut0yMxKthj25zY0Om4byOVcOepJFFZciTmv-ZxQrAeWHEe5hiSg-YyiFtvcaFQ%3D%3D">secured</a> an indictment against the Venezuelan dictator in 2020 for drug trafficking. During a five-hour mission early Saturday morning, explosions rocked Caracas as American service members arrested Maduro and put him on board a U.S. warship to be taken to New York for trial.
Trump has continued to ramp up the pressure on Maduro in recent months, amassing warships and thousands of troops in the southern Caribbean. But even as the United States built up forces off the coast of Venezuela, Petro <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/2025/11/gustavo-petro-colombia/684776/">taunted</a> Trump.
In the wake of Maduro’s arrest, Petro has continued to publicly attack the United States, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx1rpxzyx9o">claiming</a> that the operation was an &#8220;assault on the sovereignty&#8221; of South America. Petro has <a href="https://x.com/petrogustavo/status/2007979103090290767">denied</a> the accusations of drug trafficking against himself and also defended Maduro against similar charges made by the United States.
The United States military has targeted drug boats between South America in the United States for months, mostly in the Caribbean, but some boats have been destroyed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Colombia, as well.
U.S. officials have also issued public warnings for Cuba, as well. Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/after-venezuela-rubio-says-cuba-is-in-a-lot-of-trouble">said</a> on Sunday that “the Cuban government is a huge problem.”
“I’m not going to talk to you about what our future steps are going to be and our policies are going to be right now in this regard, but I don’t think it’s any mystery that we are not big fans of the Cuban regime,” he said in an interview on NBC.

Gustavo Petro

Trump: Colombia’s President ‘Likes Making Cocaine,’ Won’t ‘Be Doing It Very Long’

Trump: Colombia's President ‘Likes Making Cocaine,’ Won't 'Be Doing It Very Long’

Colombia

Donald Trump

Venezuela

Former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s public rallies, in which he danced and taunted the United States, in part, motivated President Donald Trump to make good on threats of action.
Members of Trump’s team saw Maduro’s antics as attempts to mock the United States and as signs that he did not take Trump’s threats of action seriously. Maduro believed that Trump’s moves in the Caribbean and pressure to oust Maduro from office were part of a bluff, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/04/world/americas/trump-venezuela-leader-rodriguez-machado.html">The New York Times</a>.
Maduro’s last chance at a possible offramp came in late December, with an offer from the United States to leave Venezuela and enjoy a lavish exile in Turkey, the Times reported. Maduro rejected the offer, and was soon arrested by U.S. Special Forces and extradited to New York to face trial on drug trafficking charges.
Maduro is expected to appear in a federal court in Manhattan on Monday. The former Venezuelan dictator and his wife are currently being held in a Brooklyn jail.
The United States will keep a close grip on Venezuela’s oil industry and exports, as well as sanctions to maintain leverage on the Venezuelan government. Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, has taken over the government as interim president after an order from the Venezuelan supreme court.
Trump administration officials have voiced optimism that Washington can work with Rodríguez after being unimpressed with opposition leader María Corina Machado, according to the Times. U.S. officials held conversations with Machado about being a possible successor prior to Maduro’s arrest, but Machado failed to convince Trump that she had the influence within the regime to stabilize Venezuela after Maduro’s sudden exit.
The operation to take down Maduro was meticulously planned for months, and telegraphed far ahead of time by Trump as the president ordered numerous warships and 15,000 troops deployed off the coast of Venezuela in the lead-up to the operation, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/inside-operation-absolute-resolve-the-u-s-incursion-that-deposed-venezuelas-maduro-fa812617?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqdSVjss7oGrj08HcCngZwTzperHMck5ld-1pbqYLKENjwHdic9qnqF2beB83Ls%3D&amp;gaa_ts=695b0e47&amp;gaa_sig=3euViMkdQ31JGZKml1KUNf0cc23RWTHa5pPYcZZiXCXs9qBR08LL3s75gDpF_eDCmQFN90xEPBv8_5b4kEW6Zg%3D%3D">The Wall Street Journal</a>.
The operation was aborted a couple of times over concerns about the weather. When the operation moved forward early on Saturday morning, Venezuela’s capital of Caracas was rocked by explosions meant to cover the entry and exit of U.S. troops tasked with arresting and extraditing Maduro.
The operation lasted roughly five hours and was completed with no U.S. fatalities. Maduro arrived in New York City late on Saturday.

Nicolas Maduro

Maduro’s Dancing Was The Final Straw For Donald Trump

Maduro’s Dancing And Taunts At Public Rallies Pushed Trump To Move Forward With Arrest

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Cuba is “a huge problem” and is “in a lot of trouble” after the Trump administration arrested Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela over the weekend.
Rubio appeared on NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday to explain and defend Saturday’s military operation to arrest Venezuela’s former president and extradite him to face trial in New York. The State secretary issued a warning to the Cuban regime, which was close to Maduro, as well.
“The Cuban government is a huge problem,” Rubio said when asked if Cuba is the “next target” after Venezuela. “I&#8217;m not going to talk to you about what our future steps are going to be and our policies are going to be right now in this regard, but I don’t think it’s any mystery that we are not big fans of the Cuban regime.”
Rubio pointed out that the Cuban government played a significant role in “propping up” Maduro as the illegitimate president of Venezuela. President Donald Trump’s first administration <a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/statement-national-security-advisor-ambassador-john-bolton-venezuela/">declared</a> Maduro a “dictator” with an “illegitimate claim to power” in January 2019 following the previous year’s election “viewed internationally as not free, fair or credible.”
&#8220;One of the untold stories here is how, in essence – you talk about colonization because I think you said [Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez] mentioned that – the ones who have sort of colonized, at least inside the regime, are Cubans,” said Rubio. “It was Cubans that guarded Maduro. He was not guarded by Venezuelan bodyguards, he had Cuban bodyguards.”
“In terms of their internal intelligence, who spies on who inside to make sure there are no traitors, those are all Cubans,” he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Welker: Is the Cuban government the next target?
Rubio: The Cuban government is a huge problem
Welker: Is that a yes?
Rubio: I think they are in a lot of trouble. Yes <a href="https://t.co/ywgfKsbGWu">pic.twitter.com/ywgfKsbGWu</a>
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) <a href="https://twitter.com/Osint613/status/2007841895196873065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
Rubio’s comments followed some made on Saturday after the operation in which he said that Cuba had colonized Venezuela “from a security standpoint” because of the Cuban influence in Maduro’s security and intelligence community.
“If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned, at least a little bit,” <a href="https://x.com/visegrad24/status/2007520380903403721">said</a> Rubio on Saturday.
Cuba released a <a href="https://cubaminrex.cu/en/cubas-strong-condemnation-cowardly-us-aggression-against-venezuela-and-its-absolute-support-sister">statement</a> following the U.S. military operation, condemning Maduro’s capture and calling for his immediate release.
“This is a blatant imperialist and fascist aggression with objectives of domination, aimed at reviving U.S. hegemonic ambitions over Our America, rooted in the Monroe Doctrine, and at achieving unrestricted access to and control over the natural wealth of Venezuela and the region,” the statement said. “All nations of the region must remain alert, as the threat hangs over all.”
Trump and some of his top officials have suggested in the wake of the Venezuela operation that the Western hemisphere is the United States’ sphere of influence. In addition to Cuba, specific remarks and threats have been made toward Colombia and Mexico because of the influence of drug cartels on those countries, similar to Venezuela.

Marco Rubio

After Venezuela, Rubio Says Cuba Is ‘In A Lot Of Trouble’

Cuba

CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan attempted to set a trap for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, demanding to know why the United States had only moved against Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro while other wanted narco-terrorists were left in power.
Rubio, who made several Sunday morning appearances across multiple media networks, walked Brennan through the strategy behind taking on one mission at a time — all while also pointing out the fact that the media reaction to a broader mission would have been much more dramatic: &#8220;Imagine the howls!&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Secretary of State Marco Rubio just took CBS’ Margaret Brennan to the woodshed on live TV over the Maduro raid.
“I don’t know why that’s confusing to you.”
Brennan spiraled over the fact that the operation did not seize EVERY narco terrorist in Venezuela, but Rubio hit her with… <a href="https://t.co/6AtPJowG8A">pic.twitter.com/6AtPJowG8A</a>
— Overton (@overton_news) <a href="https://twitter.com/overton_news/status/2007844450509132161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Referencing Maduro&#8217;s arrest on Saturday, Brennan noted that President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration had left a number of others — who had also been designated as narco-terrorists — holding power of some sort in the Venezuelan regime.
&#8220;The defense minister, who has deep ties to Russia, $15 million price on his head. He is still in place,&#8221; Brennan said. &#8220;I’m confused. Are they still wanted by the United States? Why didn’t you arrest them if you are taking out the narco terrorist regime?”
&#8220;You’re confused? I don’t know why that’s confusing to you. I mean, it’s very simple,&#8221; Rubio pushed back, but Brennan interrupted.
&#8220;They’re still in power!” she protested.
“You’re not going to go in and &#8230; you&#8217;re going to go in and suck up five people?” Rubio&#8217;s tone was incredulous. “They are already complaining about the one operation! Imagine the howls we would have from everybody else if we actually had to go and stay there four days to capture four other people.”
“We got the top priority,&#8221; Rubio continued. &#8220;The number one person on the list was the guy who claimed to be the president of the country that he was not, and he was arrested along with his wife who is also indicted.”
“That was a pretty sophisticated and frankly, complicated operation,&#8221; Rubio said, and Brennan voiced her agreement as he explained, &#8220;It is not easy to land helicopters in the middle of the largest military base in the country. The guy lived on a military base. Land within three minutes, kick down his door, grab him, put him in handcuffs, read him his rights, put him in a helicopter and leave the country without losing any American or any American assets.”
“That’s not an easy mission and you’re asking me why didn’t we do that in five other places at the same time?&#8221; Rubio asked. “I mean, that’s absurd!”

CBS News

Rubio Runs Circles Around CBS Anchor On Venezuela: ‘I Don’t Know Why That’s Confusing’

Rubio Runs Circles Around CBS Anchor On Venezuela: 'I Don't Know Why That's Confusing'

Global Politics

Margaret Brennan

narco-terrorism

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday clarified President Donald Trump&#8217;s claim that the United States will &#8220;run&#8221; Venezuela, stressing that it will not involve seizing control of the government or deploying American troops.
Rubio spoke with ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos on &#8220;This Week,&#8221; where he clarified some of the statements Trump made after Saturday&#8217;s capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro — in particular his claim that the United States would &#8220;run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Sec. Rubio on how the U.S. is currently operating in Venezuela: “The armada of boats that are currently positioned allow us to seize any sanctioned boats coming into or out of Venezuela, loaded with oil or on its way in to pick up oil, and we can pick and choose which ones we go… <a href="https://t.co/TSAhCujoi6">pic.twitter.com/TSAhCujoi6</a>
— This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/2007830366388682785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;So is the United States running Venezuela right now?&#8221; Stephanopoulos asked.
&#8220;What we are running is the direction that this is going to move moving forward,&#8221; Rubio replied. &#8220;We have leverage. This leverage we are using — and we intend to use, and we have started using already.&#8221;
&#8220;The armada of boats that are currently positioned allow us to seize any sanctioned boats coming into or out of Venezuela, loaded with oil or on its way in to pick up oil, and we can pick and choose which ones we go after. We have court orders for each one,&#8221; he added.
While Rubio <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/01/04/rubio-explains-how-us-might-run-venezuela-after-maduros-ouster-.html">assured Stephanopoulos</a> that the United States would keep all options on the table — including additional military action, should the Trump administration deem it necessary — he said that the goal was to bring Venezuela around using sanctions and the leverage that came with them.
&#8220;What’s going to happen here is we have a quarantine on their oil. That means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interests of the Venezuelan people are met, and that’s what we intend to do,” Rubio explained. “That leverage remains, that leverage is ongoing and we expect that it’s going to lead to results here.&#8221;
Rubio made a similar statement on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; telling host Kristen Welker that the United States was using leverage to effect policy changes, not taking control of the nation&#8217;s government.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a> on &#8220;running&#8221; Venezuela: &#8220;It&#8217;s running POLICY&#8230; We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction because not only do we think it&#8217;s good for the people of Venezuela, it&#8217;s in our national interest.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Y3oA2YNiar">pic.twitter.com/Y3oA2YNiar</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2007821006161817788?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" async="" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;It&#8217;s running POLICY,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We want Venezuela to move in a certain direction because not only do we think it&#8217;s good for the people of Venezuela, it&#8217;s in our national interest.&#8221;

Secretary of State Marco Rubio testifies on the 2026 Budget In House Hearing

‘It’s About Policy’: Rubio Says Plans To ‘Run’ Venezuela Don’t Include U.S. Government Control

'It's About Policy': Rubio Says Plans To 'Run' Venezuela Don't Include Direct Government Control

Sanctions

Secretary of State Marco Rubio laid into the &#8220;experts&#8221; who&#8217;ve criticized President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration for forcibly removing Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, saying that they were &#8220;clowns&#8221; who had little knowledge of what was really going on in the South American nation.
Rubio explained the situation to NBC News anchor Kristen Welker during a Sunday morning appearance on &#8220;Meet the Press,&#8221; arguing that to leave Maduro in place would be to risk American interests and even national security.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>: The &#8220;experts&#8221; are clowns. Venezuela looks nothing like Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, or the Middle East — other than the Iranian agents running through there plotting against America. These are Western countries. People need to stop ascribing apples to oranges. <a href="https://t.co/QeotP0YPwq">pic.twitter.com/QeotP0YPwq</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2007830531136704558?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Number one, most of the experts that people have on television —  I watch these experts, and it&#8217;s clown hour,&#8221; Rubio said. &#8220;These are people that have focused their entire career on the Middle East, or some other part of the world because that&#8217;s where all the action was.&#8221;
&#8220;Very few of them know anything about Venezuela or the western hemisphere,&#8221; he continued, noting that the political dynamics in western cultures were very different than in the Middle East. &#8220;Venezuela looks nothing like Libya, it looks nothing like Iraq, it looks nothing like Afghanistan. It looks nothing like the Middle East — other than the Iranian agents running through there plotting against America. These are western countries with long traditions among their — at a people to people and cultural level, and ties to the United States, so it&#8217;s nothing like that.&#8221;
Rubio said that it was no different than comparing apples and oranges — and that it was foolish to think that experts who had focused on the Middle East would have much insight into the current situation. He went on to say that the moves the Trump administration had made — and was still making — with regard to Venezuela were in pursuit of protecting national interests.
&#8220;What I&#8217;m confident of is we are in a safer and better place because we&#8217;re taking it seriously,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;The alternative would have been to leave Maduro there as an indicted drug trafficker, an illegitimate president, running the country — an open invitation for all of our adversaries to do whatever they want against the United States from Venezuela. That was not going to continue.&#8221;
&#8220;Read the indictment,&#8221; he concluded. &#8220;This guy used the levers of their security apparatus not to arrest drug traffickers, but to cooperate and facilitate the trafficking of drugs for the purpose of getting them into the United States.&#8221;

Secretary Marco Rubio Meets With Ecuadoran Foreign Affairs Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld

Marco Rubio Trashes ‘Experts’ Who Know Nothing About Venezuela: ‘It’s Clown Hour’

Marco Rubio Trashes 'Experts' Who Know Nothing About Venezuela: 'It's Clown Hour'

Politics

For those who accuse the Trump administration of expansionist ambitions because of the attack on Venezuela that achieved the extradition of the tyrannical dictator and faux president Nicolás Maduro, it would be instructive to remember who the real expansionist was: Maduro.
Maduro had designs on the <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/essequibo-pressure-cooker-runaway-nationalism-and-maduros-compellence-strategy">Essequibo region</a> — an oil-resource-rich territory in Guyana — which comprises two-thirds of Guyana’s territory. Despite a long-standing status quo, Maduro had laid claim to the region following the discovery of massive offshore oil deposits by an ExxonMobil-led consortium.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Trump&#39;s capture of Maduro is IMPERIALISM! How dare he!&quot;
Maduro tried to annex something like 3/4s of the neighboring country of Guyana just last year because oil was discovered offshore. But please tell me more about the horrors of imperialism <a href="https://t.co/aGSkOscmc9">pic.twitter.com/aGSkOscmc9</a>
&mdash; Will Chamberlain (@willchamberlain) <a href="https://twitter.com/willchamberlain/status/2007664156686651397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In 2023, Maduro accused Guyana’s president Irfaan Ali of “hypocrisy and false victimization,” adding, “President Irfaan Ali, enough of lies and of trying to hide the historical truth that weighs on the dispute over the Essequibo territory, whose only means of resolution, as you well know, is the Geneva Agreement of 1966. The steps your government is taking violate international legality and jeopardize peace in the region.”
That was a lie; the 1966 Geneva Agreement <a href="https://treaties.un.org/doc/Publication/UNTS/Volume%20561/volume-561-I-8192-English.pdf">stated</a> that if Venezuela and Guyana did not resolve the issue, “they shall refer the decision as to the means of settlement to an appropriate international organ upon which they both agree or, failing agreement on this point, to the secretary-general of the United Nations.”
Guyana did exactly that, as the Voice of America <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/fact-check-venezuelan-maduro-baselessly-accuses-guyana-s-ali-of-violating-treaty-of-geneva/7290690.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com">reported</a>.
Maduro’s strategy included referendums and legislative moves aimed at the &#8220;defense&#8221; of Essequibo, which international bodies like the OAS and CARICOM labeled illegal and a &#8220;crime of aggression.&#8221; In addition, Venezuelan naval vessels entered disputed waters near ExxonMobil’s operations.
In response to these expansionist moves, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.wsls.com/business/2025/03/27/rubio-visits-guyana-as-part-of-his-caribbean-tour-to-promote-energy-independence-and-curb-migration">issued</a> explicit, high-stakes warnings to the Venezuelan &#8220;narco-trafficking regime.&#8221; In March 2025, on a Caribbean tour to strengthen ties and promote energy independence, he stated that aggressive action by Venezuela “would be a very bad day for Venezuela,” emphasizing consequences for “adventurism” and aggression.
Rubio’s strategy included:
<ul style="font-weight: 400;">
<li>Military Cooperation: Signing security agreements to enhance intelligence sharing and conducting joint naval exercises between the U.S. Navy and Guyana.</li>
<li>Economic Pressure: Implementing severe sanctions and tariffs on countries that imported Venezuelan oil, aiming to dismantle the regime’s financial lifeblood.</li>
<li>Strategic Alliances: Promoting Guyana as a key partner to wean the Caribbean off Venezuelan energy, effectively neutralizing Maduro’s regional influence.</li>
</ul>
Meanwhile, Maduro’s then-vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, maintained that Venezuela would never cede its claim.

Protest In Caracas In Support Of Nicolas Maduro After Being Labelled By The US Government As The Leader Of “Cartel De Los Soles”

Maduro Was The Real Expansionist Threat — Not The Trump Administration

Guyana

Oil and Gas

Though former Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro is in custody in New York following President Donald Trump’s operation to detain him, his loyal cronies remain in Venezuela where they are plotting their next move to ensure the regime’s continuity. 
Trump has threatened to conduct a second “much larger attack if we need to do so,” but it hasn&#8217;t stopped Maduro’s inner circle from issuing defiant statements.
These are the cronies the world’s attention will be on as the future of Venezuela is determined.
Vice President Delcy Rodriguez
<div id="attachment_1022973" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1022973" class="size-large wp-image-1022973" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2233810048-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2233810048-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2233810048-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2233810048-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2233810048.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Venezuela&#8217;s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez speaks during a press conference in Caracas on September 8, 2025. (Photo by FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Venezuelan vice president Delcy Rodriguez condemned the capture of Maduro on Saturday and called for his release. She pushed back on Trump’s assertion that the United States would “run the country,” claiming that “the Venezuelan people and the country know very clearly, we will never return to being slaves.” Though she responded in a televised address on state television, her location is unknown.
According to Trump, when she spoke to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, she took a different tone. &#8220;We’ll do whatever you need,” Trump says she told Rubio. 
Trump also said that Rodriguez was sworn in as president, though the Venezuelan government has not said so publicly.
Rodriguez, 56, has been such a staunch ally of Maduro and supporter of his socialist government, that the former dictator has <a href="https://archive.is/o/7vljo/https://www.reuters.com/article/world/venezuelas-tiger-foreign-minister-rodriguez-quits-idUSKBN19D037/">called her</a> a “tiger.” She is the daughter of the left-wing guerrilla fighter Jorge Antonio Rodriguez who founded the Liga Socialista party in the 1970s. An attorney by trade, she is also the Minister of Petroleum and has had several roles in the Venezuelan government including President of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Constituent_Assembly_of_Venezuela">Constituent Assembly</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ministers_of_Foreign_Affairs_of_Venezuela">Minister of Foreign Affairs</a> and Minister of Popular Power for Communication and Information.
In 2018, she was sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the European Union for being a member of Maduro’s inner circle and undermining democracy. She responded by saying sanctions against her were driven by “racist” and “warmongering” policies of the “old imperial world,” the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/general-news-b9dacdedc04c462b8966e756bbb7ff66">reported at the time.</a> 
She was named vice president in 2018 by Maduro, who <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/who-is-delcy-rodriguez-vice-president-who-could-replace-venezuelas-maduro-2026-01-03/">described</a> her as “a young woman, brave, seasoned, daughter of a martyr, revolutionary and tested in a thousand battles.&#8221;
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello
<div id="attachment_1022979" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1022979" class="size-large wp-image-1022979" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2250152843-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2250152843-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2250152843-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2250152843-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2250152843.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Venezuela&#8217;s Minister of Interior Relations, Justice, and Peace, Diosdado Cabello, gestures as he speaks during a press conference of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) in Caracas, on December 8, 2025. (Photo by Federico PARRA / AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello is considered one of the most powerful men in Venezuela and one of the most feared members of Maduro’s inner circle. He appeared on television following the U.S. attack in a bulletproof vest and tactical helmet to urge citizens to remain calm in the wake of the attack that he said was carried out by the “criminal and terrorist” United States.
&#8220;Remain calm, let no one fall into despair, let no one make things easier for the invading enemy, the terrorist enemy that cowardly attacked us; let no one facilitate their actions,&#8221; <a href="https://guce.yahoo.com/consent?brandType=nonEu&amp;gcrumb=LC5kQE4&amp;lang=es-US&amp;done=https%3A%2F%2Fes-us.noticias.yahoo.com%2Fdiosdado-cabello-llama-venezolanos-calma-104927247.html%3Fguccounter%3D1%26guce_referrer%3DaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8%26guce_referrer_sig%3DAQAAAHJTWwxD75oTMG8FQ_CHEIjAm7r7jxuzDsL3zsJcIJvCezZRzl3Khy5aaps5ppiNtDjNd3YicARdYGV2OnbfAzDc2IZhePfetBgFN3_21sFQ4Mb2ARt6w9EPBiPMI-k4MNsGDYU9C-yLQYuhTyJRhhsZO8ZAg4tX16bK8qa3qoEt">Cabello said.</a>
He also called upon international organizations to condemn the attack and said that the United States only achieved part of its objective, crediting the Venezuelan people for not respond “recklessly.”
“You, the world organizations, the international bodies, are you going to publicly acknowledge your complicity in the invading attack, in the murder of civilians, with bombs falling on buildings, in places inhabited by civilians? Are the international organizations going to be complicit in this massacre?&#8221; he said.
He was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury in 2018 for exploiting his various powerful government positions over the years to engage in extensive corruption, including narcotics trafficking, money laundering, embezzlement of state funds, and other illicit activities that enriched him at the expense of the Venezuelan people.
Cabello, 63, is a former army lieutenant who had close ties to former Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, the socialist leader who centralized power and laid the groundwork for Venezuela’s authoritarian rule and economic collapse.
He has previously served as Minister of Public Works and Housing, Minister of the Interior and Justice, Minister of Infrastructure, Director of the Venezuelan National Telecommunications Commission, and Governor of the state of Miranda.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez
<div id="attachment_1022975" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1022975" class="size-large wp-image-1022975" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2238840387-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2238840387-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2238840387-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2238840387-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2238840387.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Venezuela&#8217;s Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez speaks during a training session of the Bolivarian National Militia in Caracas on October 4, 2025. (Photo by PEDRO MATTEY/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez responded to the attack by declaring in a recorded video that Venezuela will resist the presence of foreign troops. 
“This invasion represents the greatest outrage the country has ever suffered,&#8221; Padrino Lopez <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/03/explosions-reported-venezuela-caracas">said</a>. “They have attacked us but they will not vanquish us … we will form an indestructible wall of resistance. Our vocation is peace, but our heritage is the fight for freedom.”
Padrino Lopez, 43, labeled the attack “criminal military aggression by the government of the United States of North America.”
A four-star general, Padrino Lopez wields enormous power. He has had a long career in Venezuela&#8217;s military serving in a multitude of military posts, including strategic commander and chief of the general staff of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces.
Padrino Lopez was also hit by the 2018 U.S. Treasury sanctions for his ties to Maduro.
Jorge Rodriguez, president of the National Assembly
<div id="attachment_1022977" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1022977" class="size-large wp-image-1022977" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2252652730-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2252652730-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2252652730-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2252652730-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/01/GettyImages-2252652730.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Venezuela&#8217;s National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez speaks during an extraordinary session at the National Assembly in Caracas on December 23, 2025. (Photo by Federico PARRA / AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Jorge Rodriguez, who is the brother of Delcy and the president of the National Assembly, has yet to make public statements or appearances since Maduro was removed from power. He is reportedly in Caracas.
As one of Maduro’s closest political operators, 61-year-old Rodriguez has been a key strategist and figure in ensuring Maduro remained in power. Both he and his sister have strong ties to the economic elite who they helped build up.
He was also sanctioned in 2018 for his ties to Maduro and role in undermining democracy. His previous positions include minister of popular power for communication and information and vice president of Venezuela

Maduro Cronies

Meet The Maduro Cronies Scheming To Keep Power In Venezuela

Ousted Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife arrived in New York Saturday to face narcoterrorism charges in the United States.
Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores landed at Stewart Air National Guard base in Windsor, New York, just after 4:45 p.m. Saturday afternoon, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/01/03/us-news/nicolas-maduro-and-cilia-flores-land-on-us-soil-to-face-trial-after-capture-in-venezuela/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the New York Post. It was just 14 hours after the United States military arrested the pair at their compound in Caracas,Venezuela, overnight Friday.
Authorities brought the couple down the plane&#8217;s stairs as they were surrounded by dozens of law enforcement officers before they were taken into a building on the airbase, according to video of their arrival.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro arrived in New York after he and his wife were captured during a U.S. strike on Venezuela.
Live updates: <a href="https://t.co/5mIIO1Hgjo">https://t.co/5mIIO1Hgjo</a> <a href="https://t.co/g4RIqMBGYS">pic.twitter.com/g4RIqMBGYS</a>
— ABC News (@ABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC/status/2007582742024802315?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
Following Maduro&#8217;s capture, he was pictured in dramatic photos blindfolded and handcuffed, donning a Nike tracksuit while aboard the USS Iwo Jima.
Maduro and his wife face narco-terrorism conspiracy-related charges in the Southern District of New York, according to an unsealed federal indictment. The defunct Venezuelan dictator also faces charges for cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States.
One of the most shocking allegations made in the indictment is that Maduro trafficked cocaine under the guise of &#8220;diplomatic&#8221; missions abroad and provided diplomatic passports to drug traffickers moving the proceeds of their enterprise.
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During a news conference Saturday morning, President Donald Trump revealed that Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will work as a team with the people of Venezuela to &#8220;make sure&#8221; that the country is headed toward a peaceful transition. He said that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado is unlikely to be the next president of the country because she lacks the &#8220;respect&#8221; in the South American country.
&#8220;There is nobody to take over,&#8221; Trump explained. &#8220;You have a vice-president appointed by Maduro, right now she’s the vice-president and she’s, I guess, the president, sworn in as president just a little while ago and she had a long conversation with Marco and said we’ll do whatever you need.&#8221;
&#8220;I think she was quite gracious, but she really doesn’t have a choice,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;We’re going to have this done right. We’re not going to just do this with Maduro and leave like everybody else, leave and say let it go to hell. If we just left, it has zero chance of ever coming back.&#8221;
&#8220;We’ll run it properly, we’ll run it professionally. We’ll have the greatest oil companies in the world go in and invest billions and billions of dollars, and use that money in Venezuela and the biggest beneficiary are going to be the people of Venezuela,&#8221; he said.

Untitled design – 2026-01-03T172857.667

Venezuela’s Maduro Lands In New York To Face Justice In Narcoterrorism Case

New York

World

Secretary of State Marco Rubio made clear on Saturday that world leaders and bad actors should pay attention to President Donald Trump&#8217;s words, because when he says something, he means it.
&#8220;I hope people now understand,&#8221; Rubio posted to X. &#8220;The President of the United States is not a game player. When he tells you he&#8217;s going to do something and address a problem, he means it.&#8221;
After the administration successfully pulled off <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/general-razin-caine-breaks-down-incredible-details-of-operation-to-capture-maduro?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=General+‘Razin’+Caine+Breaks+Down+Incredible+Details+Of+Operation+To+Capture+Maduro">Operation Absolute Resolve</a> and captured Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro, Rubio said during a press conference that Trump isn&#8217;t just bluster &#8212; which should be abundantly clear.
&#8220;This is a president of action,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t understand how they haven&#8217;t figured this out. And, now, if you don&#8217;t know, now you know.&#8221;
&#8220;This is the way it&#8217;s going to play out, and I think people need to understand this is not a president that just talks and does letters and press conferences &#8212; if he says he&#8217;s serious about something, he means it.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I hope people now understand. The President of the United States is not a game player. When he tells you he&#8217;s going to do something and address a problem, he means it. <a href="https://t.co/bVhtqcoPWP">pic.twitter.com/bVhtqcoPWP</a>
— Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio/status/2007528891288826023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
The official White House X account had some fun with Rubio&#8217;s message, posting a spliced video mocking the now-captured Maduro. The footage shows Maduro calling a former political opponent a &#8220;coward,&#8221; before cutting to Rubio&#8217;s &#8220;now you know&#8221; line while showing an image of Maduro in cuffs.
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The Trump administration said Maduro was offered numerous &#8220;off ramps&#8221; but refused to surrender, prompting the operation for the dictator&#8217;s arrest.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
If you don’t know, now you know 🦅 <a href="https://t.co/XrIps1OzY4">pic.twitter.com/XrIps1OzY4</a>
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/2007557671705293009?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made a similar point, saying that Trump, with this recent capture, was fulfilling campaign promises &#8212; something the president has been doing since he was sworn into office.
&#8220;President Trump is a decisive and strong leader who does EXACTLY what he says he’s going to do,&#8221; she posted. &#8220;During his historic campaign in 2024, President Trump explicitly promised that he would work to &#8216;demolish foreign drug cartels&#8217; to keep our citizens safe and that’s exactly what he did today through an unprecedented display of speed, precision, and power.&#8221;
Leavitt noted that former President Joe Biden &#8220;pathetically sat by and allowed our country to become a dumping ground for corrupt regimes in countries like Venezuela.&#8221;
The press secretary added that Trump&#8217;s latest moves are what &#8220;America First is all about.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President Trump is a decisive and strong leader who does EXACTLY what he says he’s going to do.
During his historic campaign in 2024, President Trump explicitly promised that he would work to “demolish foreign drug cartels” to keep our citizens safe and that’s exactly what he… <a href="https://t.co/2oz4rEwLfn">pic.twitter.com/2oz4rEwLfn</a>
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) <a href="https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/2007544513590636769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/general-razin-caine-breaks-down-incredible-details-of-operation-to-capture-maduro?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=General+‘Razin’+Caine+Breaks+Down+Incredible+Details+Of+Operation+To+Capture+Maduro">General ‘Razin’ Caine Breaks Down Incredible Details Of Operation To Capture Maduro</a>

President Trump Meets With NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte In The Oval Office

Rubio’s Message To World After Venezuela Strike: ‘If You Don’t Know, Now You Know’

Trump Administration

Concerns about a potential &#8220;tip off&#8221; and general heightened security threats kept Vice President JD Vance away from the Situation Room during the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and a post-capture presser. 
A spokesperson for the vice president told Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan that Vance was &#8220;deeply integrated in the process and planning of the Venezuela strikes and Maduro’s arrest.&#8221; 
Notably, the vice president also voiced his support for the operation and hit critics claiming Trump&#8217;s actions were &#8220;illegal.&#8221;
“Vice President Vance was deeply integrated in the process and planning of the Venezuela strikes and Maduro’s arrest,&#8221; the spokesperson said. &#8220;He joined several late-night meetings via secure video conference with National Security principals leading up to the operation. The Vice President briefly met with President Trump at the Trump golf club in West Palm Beach during the day Friday to discuss the strikes.&#8221;
&#8220;The Vice President was not at Mar-a-Lago on Friday night, as the National Security team was concerned a late-night motorcade movement by the Vice President while the operation was getting underway may tip off the Venezuelans,&#8221; the statement continued. &#8220;The Vice President joined by secure video conference throughout the night to monitor the operation.&#8221;
&#8220;Due to increased security concerns, the Administration has aimed to limit the frequency and duration of the Vice President and President being co-located away from the White House,&#8221; the spokesperson added. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On Vice President Vance’s role in last night’s midnight raid in Venezuela, per a VP spox to <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a>:
“Vice President Vance was deeply integrated in the process and planning of the Venezuela strikes and Maduro’s arrest.
He joined several late night meetings via secure…
— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan/status/2007528410172592533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
Vance on Saturday posted on X that Maduro was offered &#8220;multiple off ramps,&#8221; but chose to ignore them. &#8220;Maduro is the newest person to find out that President Trump means what he says,&#8221; Vance said. &#8220;Kudos to our brave special operators who pulled off a truly impressive operation.&#8221;
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&#8220;And PSA for everyone saying this was &#8216;illegal&#8217;: Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism,&#8221; he added. &#8220;You don&#8217;t get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
And PSA for everyone saying this was &#8220;illegal&#8221;:
Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don&#8217;t get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas.
— JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/2007447388697268441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
On Saturday morning, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were indicted in the Southern District of New York. 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 United States, the AG said.
&#8220;On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers,&#8221; Bondi added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess…
— Attorney General Pamela Bondi (@AGPamBondi) <a href="https://twitter.com/AGPamBondi/status/2007428087143686611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/general-razin-caine-breaks-down-incredible-details-of-operation-to-capture-maduro?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=General+‘Razin’+Caine+Breaks+Down+Incredible+Details+Of+Operation+To+Capture+Maduro">General ‘Razin’ Caine Breaks Down Incredible Details Of Operation To Capture Maduro</a>

Vice President JD Vance Speaks In Allentown, Pennsylvania

JD Vance Was ‘Deeply Integrated’ In Planning For Venezuela Strike

JD Vance

U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan &#8220;Razin&#8221; Caine said on Saturday that the United States&#8217; execution of the operation to capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro was &#8220;months in the making.&#8221;
&#8220;This operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, was discreet, precise and conducted during the darkest hours of January 2, and was the culmination of months of planning and rehearsal &#8212; an operation that, frankly, only the United States military could undertake,&#8221; he said during a press conference.
Maduro, his wife, and four others have been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy-related charges, according to an unsealed federal indictment posted online by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
&#8220;While the past two decades have honed the skills of our special operations forces, this particular mission required every component of our joint force with soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines, and Guardians working in unison with our intelligence agency partners and law enforcement teammates in an unprecedented operation,&#8221; Gen. Caine explained.
&#8220;We leveraged our unmatched intelligence capabilities and our years of experience in hunting terrorists, and we could not have done this mission without the incredible work by various intelligence agencies, including the CIA, NSA, and NGA.&#8221;
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&#8220;This was an audacious operation that only the United States could do,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;It required the utmost of precision and integration within our joint force &#8212; and the word integration does not explain the sheer complexity of such a mission.&#8221;
The operation involved &#8220;150 aircraft launching across the Western Hemisphere in close coordination, all coming together in time and place to layer effects for a single purpose: to get an interdiction force into downtown Caracas while maintaining the element of tactical surprise,&#8221; Caine said.
&#8220;Failure of one component of this well-oiled machine would have endangered the entire mission, and failure is never an option for America&#8217;s joint force,&#8221; he added.
&#8220;Those in the air over Caracas last night were willing to give their lives for those on the ground and in the helicopters,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Gen. Dan &#8220;Razin&#8221; Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: &#8220;This operation, known as Operation Absolute Resolve, was discreet, precise, and&#8230; the culmination of months of planning and rehearsal — an operation that, frankly, only the United States military could undertake.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/VdcL5kbu7j">pic.twitter.com/VdcL5kbu7j</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2007500681394200855?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hour-of-liberty-has-arrived-venezuelan-opposition-leader-machado-takes-spotlight?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=‘Hour+Of+Liberty+Has+Arrived’%3A+Venezuelan+Opposition+Leader+Machado+Takes+Spotlight">‘Hour Of Liberty Has Arrived’: Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado Takes Spotlight</a>

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