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U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez may have to pay a “bigger price than Maduro” if she does not cooperate with the United States
Updated – January 05, 2026 01:44 pm IST
A man wearing a mask of U.S. President Donald Trump holds a mock gun during a rally denouncing the U.S. government and Trump after the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, near the U.S. Embassy in Seoul, South Korea on January 5, 2026 | Photo Credit: Lee Jin-man
Also read: The rise and fall of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro, a Timeline
Mr. Maduro is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in New York at noon on Monday (January 5, 2026), to be formally notified about the charges against him. Mr. Trump insisted the United States is “in charge” of Venezuela after the seizure of Mr. Maduro, but was also dealing with the new interim leadership in Caracas.
Also read: Why Trump bombed Venezuela | Explained
No Venezuela death toll has been announced, but Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said a “large part” of Mr. Maduro’s security team was killed “in cold blood,” as well as military personnel and civilians, after the U.S. strike on Venezuela.
Follow this live blog for updates:
- January 05, 2026 13:38
Watch: Tragedy and farce: On the U.S. and Venezuela | The Hindu Editorial
Watch: Tragedy and farce: On the U.S. and Venezuela | The Hindu Editorial
In 2026, the world is witness to another tragedy that is also a farce: a repeat of the imperial script in Venezuela, orchestrated by a Trump administration that has traded coercive diplomacy for bombing campaigns and naval blockades.
- January 05, 2026 13:27
South African rand steady after Venezuela shock
The South African rand was steady in early trade on Monday (January 5), as investors considered the implications of U.S. military action in Venezuela, escalating geopolitical tensions and lifting safe-haven demand.At 0657 GMT the rand traded at 16.5050 against the dollar , a whisker away from Friday’s (January 2) closing level of 16.5075.
“So far, the ZAR has not responded negatively to this weekend’s news. The oil price has not moved significantly, given Venezuela’s substantial reduction in oil exports and production. If anything, it might slide further if investors believe that the U.S. might oversee a revitalisation of Venezuela’s oil industry,” ETM Analytics said in a research note.
South Africa’s benchmark 2035 government bond was firm in early deals, as the yield fell 2 basis points to 8.22%.
-Reuters
- January 05, 2026 13:21
China urges immediate release of Maduro after U.S. attack on Venezuela
China’s Foreign Ministry on Monday (January 5) reiterated Beijing’s stance on the situation after the U.S. attack on Venezuela and called for the immediate release of President Nicolas Maduro.China is gravely concerned over the U.S. capture of Mr. Maduro and his wife and is closely following the security situation, Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular press briefing.
China has maintained positive communication and cooperation with the Venezuelan government, Mr. Lin said.
-Reuters
- January 05, 2026 13:09
Trump declares U.S. ‘in charge’ of Venezuela and Maduro goes to court
President Donald Trump’s claim that the United States is “in charge” of Venezuela will be underscored on Monday (January 5) when the oil-rich nation’s deposed leader is hauled before a New York court, while his successor offers to cooperate.The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on Monday (January 5) at Venezuela’s request. This will provide a platform for international concern over U.S. intentions in the country of around 30 million people.
Mr. Trump is unlikely fazed, as his plan to dominate Venezuela and its vast oil reserves unfolds.
“We’re in charge,” Mr. Trump announced late on Sunday (January 4).
-AFP
- January 05, 2026 12:50
Venezuela’s acting President seeks U.S. government collaboration
Venezuela’s Acting President Delcy Rodriguez invited the U.S. government to collaborate on an agenda of cooperation, in a statement on social media that struck a conciliatory tone following the U.S. capture of President Nicolas Maduro.She said that Venezuela “aspires to live without external threats” and that she wanted to prioritise moving towards balanced and respectful relations with the United States.
-Reuters
- January 05, 2026 12:30
Gold surges as U.S. capture of Venezuela President spurs safe-haven demand
Gold prices climbed on Monday (January 5), and other precious metals surged, after the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend, escalating geopolitical tensions and lifting safe-haven demand.As of 0508 GMT, spot gold rose 1.8% to $4,406.77 per ounce, a one-week high. U.S. gold futures for February delivery gained 1.9% to $4,413.40.
Read more:
Gold surges as U.S. capture of Venezuela President spurs safe-haven demand
Gold prices soar as U.S. captures Venezuela’s President, fueling safe-haven demand amid rising geopolitical tensions.
- January 05, 2026 12:12
Trump says Cuba ‘ready to fall’
President Donald Trump said on Sunday (January 4) that Cuba was “ready to fall” after U.S. forces seized the leader of its ally Venezuela, while playing down the need for any American military action there.“Cuba is ready to to fall,” Mr. Trump told reporters on Air Force One, saying it would be hard for Havana to “hold out” without receiving heavily subsidised Venezuelan oil.
“I don’t think we need any action. It looks like it’s going down.”
– AFP
- January 05, 2026 12:06
Trump’s plan to seize, revitalize Venezuela’s oil industry faces major hurdles
President Donald Trump’s plan to take control of Venezuela’s oil industry and ask American companies to revitalise it after capturing President Nicolas Maduro in a raid isn’t likely to have a significant immediate impact on oil prices.Venezuela’s oil industry is in disrepair after years of neglect and international sanctions, so it could take years and major investments before production can increase dramatically. But some analysts are optimistic that Venezuela could double or triple its current output of about 1.1 million barrels of oil a day to return to historic levels fairly quickly.
“While many are reporting Venezuela’s oil infrastructure was unharmed by U.S. military actions, it has been decaying for many many years and will take time to rebuild,” said Patrick De Haan, who is the lead petroleum analyst at gasoline price tracker GasBuddy.
American oil companies will want a stable regime in the country before they are willing to invest heavily, and the political picture remained uncertain Saturday (January 3) with Mr. Trump saying that the United States is in charge — while the current Venezuelan Vice President argued, before Venezuela’s high court ordered her to assume the role of interim President, that Mr. Maduro should be restored to power.
-AP
- January 05, 2026 11:56
Watch | Delcy Rodríguez chairs first cabinet meet; Trump warns interim leadership
- January 05, 2026 11:37
Colombian President Gustavo Petro rejects Donald Trump threats, says ‘stop slandering me’
Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro on Sunday (January 4) rejected threats by his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump, who also accused him of being a drug trafficker.U.S. forces attacked Caracas in the early hours of Saturday (January 3), bombing military targets during a shock snatch-and-grab raid to remove Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from power and assert Washington’s control over the oil-rich South American nation.
-AFP
- January 05, 2026 11:07
Markets show mixed reactions after U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader
Oil prices fell back Monday while the prices of precious metals surged as markets registered a mixed reaction to the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a weekend raid.Share prices opened higher, with benchmarks in South Korea and Japan again setting fresh records. U.S. futures were flat after stocks eked out small gains on Friday on Wall Street.
Shortly after trading began, U.S. benchmark crude oil rose slightly. But it later traded 23 cents lower at $57.09 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, gave up 17 cents to $60.58 per barrel.
The price of gold rose 1.9%, while silver jumped 5.7%.
Such assets are often considered safe havens in times of geopolitical turmoil.
-AP
- January 05, 2026 10:58
Venezuela’s oil supply to rise in years ahead and depress prices, say analysts
Crude output in Venezuela is set to increase over a period of time following the dramatic U.S. strike and capture of its President, likely raising global supply and weighing on prices longer-term, oil analysts said.The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) member holds about 17% of global oil reserves, or 303 billion barrels, ahead of OPEC leader Saudi Arabia, according to the London-based Energy Institute.
Venezuela was producing as much as 3.5 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude in the 1970s, which at the time represented over 7% of global oil output. Production fell below 2 million bpd during the 2010s and averaged some 1.1 million bpd last year, or just 1% of global production.
JPMorgan analysts led by Natasha Kaneva said in a note that with a political transition, Venezuela could raise oil production to 1.3-1.4 million bpd within two years and potentially reach 2.5 million bpd over the next decade, up from about 800,000 bpd currently.
Goldman Sachs analysts led by Daan Struyven said in a January 4 note that any recovery in production would likely be gradual and require substantial investment.
-Reuters
- January 05, 2026 10:52
Watch: Maduro supporters in Caracas demand his release
Watch: Maduro supporters in Caracas demand his release
Shorts News:Watch: Maduro supporters in Caracas demand his release
- January 05, 2026 10:00
Venezuela’s interim leader names commission to handle Maduro’s release
Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez on Sunday (January 4) created a commission to seek the release of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who were removed from power by U.S. forces in Caracas.Ms. Rodriguez tapped her brother Jorge, president of the National Assembly, and Foreign Minister Yvan Gil to co-chair the commission.
Information Minister Freddy Nanez will also be on the commission, he said in the announcement.
-AFP
- January 05, 2026 09:40
What we know about U.S. raid on Caracas
The U.S. campaign against Venezuela is the product of two distinct policy impulses within the Donald Trump administration. The first is the long-held desire of many Republican hawks, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to force regime change in Caracas. They detest Venezuela’s socialist government and see overturning it as an opportunity to appeal to conservative Hispanic voters in the U.S.Read more:
U.S. snatches Maduro in raid on Caracas: what we know so far
The U.S. apprehends Nicolás Maduro to face charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism, following months of pressure on Venezuela
- January 05, 2026 08:54
Trump bets on intimidation to force Venezuelan leaders into line
After removing President Nicolas Maduro from power, the Trump administration is gambling that it can intimidate the Venezuelan leader’s inner circle into toeing the U.S. line with threats of further military action that could put them at risk of a similar fate, according to sources familiar with the matter.The United States would consider another military operation in Venezuela if the interim government in the South American nation did not cooperate, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday (January 4).
Mr. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One travelling from Florida to Washington that more military intervention was on the table. “If they don’t behave, we will do a second strike,” he said.
-Reuters
- January 05, 2026 08:39
Rubio says U.S. won’t govern Venezuela but will press for changes through oil blockade
Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Sunday (January 4, 2026) that the United States would not take a day-to-day role in governing Venezuela other than enforcing an existing “oil quarantine” on the country, a turnaround after President Donald Trump announced a day earlier that the U.S. would be running Venezuela following its ouster of leader Nicolas Maduro.Read more:
Rubio says U.S. won’t govern Venezuela but will press for changes through oil blockade
Rubio clarifies U.S. stance on Venezuela, asserting focus on oil blockade instead of direct governance after Maduro’s removal.
- January 05, 2026 08:37
Trump threatens military operation against Colombia, after Venezuela raid
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday (January 4) threatened military action against Colombia’s government, telling reporters that such an operation “sounds good to me.”“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,” Mr. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, in an apparent reference to Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro.
Asked directly whether the U.S. would pursue a military operation against the country, Mr. Trump answered, “It sounds good to me.”
-Reuters
- January 05, 2026 08:08
Cuba says 32 Cuban officers were killed in U.S. action in Venezuela
American military operation in Venezuela killed 32 Cuban officers over the weekend, the Cuban government said on Sunday (January 4) in the first official acknowledgement of the deaths.The Cuban military and police officers were on a mission the Caribbean country’s military was carrying out at the request of Venezuela’s government, according to a statement read on Cuban state TV on Sunday (January 4) night.
Read more:
32 Cuban officers were killed in U.S. operation in Venezuela
Cuba reports 32 officers killed in a U.S. operation in Venezuela, marking a significant escalation in U.S.-Cuba tensions.
- January 05, 2026 07:26
Trump says ‘a lot of Cubans’ killed in U.S. operation against Maduro
U.S. President Donald Trump said Sunday (January 4) that a large number of Nicolas Maduro’s Cuban security personnel were killed in the U.S. operation to seize the Venezuelan leader.“You know, a lot of Cubans were killed yesterday,” Mr. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, saying that there was “a lot of death on the other side, unfortunately.”
-AFP
- January 05, 2026 07:21
‘Free our President’, Maduro supporters demand at rally
Around 2,000 supporters of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro demonstrated Sunday (January 4) in Caracas to demand that he and his wife, who were nabbed by U.S. forces and taken to a New York jail, be released.A group of pro-Maduro paramilitaries and bikers accompanied the demonstrators, who waved red, blue and yellow Venezuelan flags.
“Free our President,” read a placard held by a man with a red flannel shirt which bore the image of Mr. Maduro’s predecessor and mentor, late socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez.
-AFP
- January 05, 2026 07:15
Russian politicians say Trump strike on Venezuela unlawful, destabilising
Russia’s Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev and a senior lawmaker said over the weekend that U.S. President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela were unlawful and destabilising, while portraying them as a blunt assertion of U.S. interests.-Reuters
- January 05, 2026 07:15
Maduro to appear before judge Monday in New York
Venezuela’s deposed President Nicolas Maduro is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in New York at noon Monday (January 5), to be formally notified about the charges against him, the court said.Mr. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized by U.S. forces during a pre-dawn raid Saturday (January 3) in Caracas and brought to New York to face charges of “narcoterrorism” tied to the alleged trafficking of tons of cocaine into the United States.
-AFP
Published – January 05, 2026 07:15 am IST
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