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Venezuela News highlights | Attorney General announces panel to investigate deaths in US action
Venezuela News highlights: Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab on Tuesday called for the US judge overseeing a narcoterrorism case against deposed President Nicolas Maduro to recognise what he said was a lack of US jurisdiction and Maduro's immunity from prosecution as a head of state.
- 9:25 PM IST, Jan 6Attorney general calls for US judge to recognize Maduro's immunity
- 9:24 PM IST, Jan 6AG says three prosecutors will investigate deaths which took place during the US military action
- 2:25 PM IST, Jan 6When is the next hearing in the Nicolas Maduro case
- 1:42 PM IST, Jan 6UN official condemns US action in Venezuela
- 1:28 PM IST, Jan 6Who is Delcy Rodriguez, the interim president of Venezuela?
- 1:01 PM IST, Jan 6CPI India protest outside US consulate in Chennai after military action in Caracas
- 12:11 PM IST, Jan 6Venezuelan woman ‘tortured’ by Maduro forces urges judge to give him ‘maximum’ sentence
- 11:10 AM IST, Jan 6Rodriguez a good fit for Trump's oil plans, say experts
- 10:24 AM IST, Jan 6Maduro pleads not guilty
- 10:18 AM IST, Jan 6Over a dozen media workers detained in Venezuela
- 10:05 AM IST, Jan 6‘We are not occupying that country’, US Speaker of the House
- 9:48 AM IST, Jan 6Sri Lanka urges UN to work towards peaceful resolution
- 9:36 AM IST, Jan 6Amid Caracas tensions, Greenland issues stark warning for Trump
- 9:18 AM IST, Jan 6Machado rejects Delcy Rodríguez as president
- 8:31 AM IST, Jan 6Venezuelan opposition leader Machado vows to return home 'as soon as possible'
- 8:10 AM IST, Jan 6Maria Corina Machado says she has not spoken with Trump since October
- 7:40 AM IST, Jan 6Trump briefs top lawmakers, Congress on Venezuela plan after Maduro capture
- 7:14 AM IST, Jan 6After Caracas, Mexico downplays threat of US intervention
- 6:41 AM IST, Jan 6Drones spotted over Miraflores palace as Maduro pleads not guilty in US court
- 6:30 AM IST, Jan 6Gunfire reported near presidential palace after Delcy Rodriguez sworn in
- 6:03 AM IST, Jan 6Trump says US may reimburse firms for rebuilding Venezuela’s oil sector
- 5:31 AM IST, Jan 6US says it does not seek to occupy Venezuela after Maduro raid
- 4:55 AM IST, Jan 5Top Trump officials to brief Congress on Venezuela plans
- 4:15 AM IST, Jan 5Maduro’s son calls capture ‘kidnapping’, appeals for global support
- 3:08 AM IST, Jan 5Switzerland freezes assets linked to Maduro and his allies
- 2:23 AM IST, Jan 5Nearly 200 US troops entered Caracas to seize Maduro, Pentagon chief says
- 2:00 AM IST, Jan 5Maduro pleads not guilty in US court, insists he is Venezuela’s president
- 1:29 AM IST, Jan 5‘In the name of all Venezuelans,’ Delcy Rodriguez vows cooperation with US
- 12:53 AM IST, Jan 5Delcy Rodriguez formally takes oath as Venezuela’s interim president
- 12:40 AM IST, Jan 5Turkish President warns Trump against chaos in Venezuela
- 11:55 PM IST, Jan 5Venezuela parliament chief vows to ‘bring back’ Maduro
- 11:31 PM IST, Jan 5Judge orders Maduro to appear in court on March 17
- 10:53 PM IST, Jan 5Cilia Flores pleads ‘not guilty’
- 10:49 PM IST, Jan 5‘I am still the President’, Maduro says
- 10:46 PM IST, Jan 5Nicolas Maduro pleads 'not guilty'
- 10:36 PM IST, Jan 5Nicolas Maduro makes his court appearance in New York
- 10:15 PM IST, Jan 5National Assembly of Venezuela demands Nicolas Maduro's return
- 9:50 PM IST, Jan 5Lawyers signed on for Nicolas Maduro and his wife
- 9:48 PM IST, Jan 5UN envoy to UN says ‘no war’ against Venezuela
- 8:48 PM IST, Jan 5UN chief raises concerns over Washington's actions
- 8:13 PM IST, Jan 5Mexican President responds to Donald Trump
- 8:10 PM IST, Jan 5Mexican President reiterates stand
- 8:07 PM IST, Jan 5The diplomatic passport charge
- 8:06 PM IST, Jan 5Indictment alleges Nicolas Maduro's ‘logistical support’ for drug cartels
- 8:04 PM IST, Jan 5Charges against Nicolas Maduro
Venezuela News highlights: Venezuela's captured leader, Nicolas Maduro made his first public appearance since his capture from Caracas at a courthouse in New York on Monday. At the hearing, both Maduro and his wife denied the chagres against them, as he further stated that the United States had kidnapped him and his wife....Read More
On the other hand, Maduro's successor, Delcy Rodriguez, has signalled her willingness to cooperate with the US after she was sworn in earlier as the president. Shortly after her oath taking, shots were fired near the Venezuelan presidential palace.
Furthermore, opposition leader Maria Machado, while speaking to FOX news, has vowed to come back home. While speaking on ‘Hannity’, the Venezuelan leader rejected the Rodriguez presidency and called for fresh elections in the South American nation.
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab on Tuesday called for the US judge overseeing a narcoterrorism case against deposed President Nicolas Maduro to recognise what he said was a lack of US jurisdiction and Maduro's immunity from prosecution as a head of state.
US to ‘run’ Venezuela after Maduro capture
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured along with his wife by the US forces on Saturday and was brought to New York City, where he will face criminal charges. US President Donald Trump announced that till a power transition happens in the South American nation, the US will “run” Venezuela.
“We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition," he said.
In the absence of Maduro, Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered the country's Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, to serve as the acting president. The ruling said the court would further deliberate to “determine the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the State, the administration of government, and the defence of sovereignty in the face of the forced absence of the President of the Republic,” reported news agency Reuters.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said Monday he would "take up arms" in the face of threats from Trump. Petro, a former guerrilla who has for months been the target of insults and threats from Trump, said on X: "I swore not to touch a weapon again... but for the homeland I will take up arms again."
US faces heat over operation in Venezuela
Several nations across the world, including China, Russia, and others, condemned the US military operation in Venezuela, which happened on Saturday and expressed support for Venezuela.
China said that it is “deeply shocked and strongly condemns the use of force by the US against a sovereign country and the use of force against the president of a country”
Russia's foreign ministry called US' action “an act of armed aggression against Venezuela" which is “deeply concerning and condemnable”.
“In the current situation, it is important, first and foremost, to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a way out of the situation through dialogue,” said Russia's foreign ministry.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said, "The bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line. These acts represent a grave affront to Venezuela's sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community."
How India reacted
Reacting to the US strikes on Venezuela, India expressed “deep concern” over the action and called on all parties to address issues peacefully through dialogue to ensure stability in the region.
“India reaffirms its support to the well-being and safety of the people of Venezuela. We call upon all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region,” read the statement by India's external affairs ministry.
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Venezuela News LIVE: US action ‘not regime change operation’, Speaker Johnson says
US House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters he doesn't expect the United States to deploy troops to Venezuela, emphasizing that US actions there are “not a regime change” operation.
Venezuela News LIVE: Attorney general calls for US judge to recognize Maduro's immunity
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab on Tuesday called for the U.S. judge overseeing a narcoterrorism case against deposed President Nicolas Maduro to recognise what he said was a lack of US jurisdiction and Maduro's immunity from prosecution as a head of state.
Venezuela News LIVE: AG says three prosecutors will investigate deaths which took place during the US military action
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab said on Tuesday that three prosecutors will investigate deaths which took place during the U.S. military action that removed Nicolas Maduro from office over the weekend, Reuters reported.
Venezuela News LIVE: Tucker Carlson says America behaving ‘like an Empire’
Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson has offered some criticism of Donald Trump’s Venezuela policy without going all-out in condemning it.
Carlson said in a newsletter that Trump appears to be coercing interim Venezuelan President Rodriguez to take “pro-US actions if she wants to avoid a similar fate to Nicolas Maduro”.
“This could be what Donald Trump meant when he said the United States will ‘run’ Venezuela,” Carlson wrote.
“Rather than manage the country on a day-to-day basis, Washington will likely attempt to pull its strings from afar, effectively ruling it with the implied threat of further military action. If that strikes you as the behaviour of an empire, you are correct.”
Venezuela News LIVE: Trump administration setting up meeting with US oil companies
The administration of President Donald Trump is planning to meet with executives from US oil companies later this week to discuss boosting Venezuelan oil production after U.S. forces ousted its leader, Nicolas Maduro, Reuters reported, quoting a source familiar with the matter.
The meetings are crucial to the administration's hopes of persuading top US oil companies to return to the South American nation, nearly two decades after its government took control of US-led energy operations there.
Venezuela News LIVE: Marco Rubio thanks news outlets
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio credited news organisations that had learned in advance about Saturday’s strike that led to the ‘capture’ of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro with not putting the mission in jeopardy by publicly reporting on it before it happened.
Venezuela News LIVE: Why Delcy Rodriguez is good for oil industry?
As an oil minister herself, Delcy Rodríguez has long been the go-to contact for senior executives, whom she has impressed by navigating Venezuela’s industry through international sanctions, economic pressures, and internal mismanagement. Her loyalty to the Maduro regime notwithstanding, she’d be best positioned to shepherd through the US plan to restore Venezuela to its glory days as an oil gusher, argued executives and lobbyists.
(Bloomberg)
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Maria Corina Machado's organisation demands release of political prisoners
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s movement has demanded the release of all political prisoners after the US ‘capture’ of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
“Those who unjustly hold the civilian and military political prisoners should free them immediately,” the Vente Venezuela movement said of political detainees, whom a leading local rights group puts at 863.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: What happens next?
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that Washington is not at war with Venezuela, while on the same day, President Donald Trump told reporters that he might order a second strike if Venezuela does not cooperate with the US to clamp down on drug trafficking and open up its oil industry.
In the meantime, Nicolas Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, who was sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president on Monday, has expressed eagerness to collaborate with the US.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Democrats criticise administration briefing
The Donald Trump administration's action in Venezuela has faced criticism from Democratic leadership, with New York Senator Chuck Schumer saying that, while extensive, the briefing from the government left him with more questions than answers.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: A recap of what has happened since Maduro's court appearance
Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado promised to return home “as soon as possible” and slammed the interim president in Caracas. She also said she had not spoken to President Donald Trump since October.
The National Union of Press Workers of Venezuela (SNTP) said more than a dozen journalists and media workers were arrested on Monday while covering events in the Venezuelan capital, including a march in support of Nicolas Maduro.
Americans are evenly split in their support for the US military operation that led to the ‘capture’ of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, an opinion poll suggested.
China’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its stance on US action in Venezuela, saying it is willing to work with other countries to safeguard the authority of international law.
The United Nations rights office voiced deep concern over the brazen US operation in Venezuela, warning that it clearly “undermined a fundamental principle of international law”.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: ‘Simply treason’, Colombian President tells X user; accuses Washington of ‘colonial ambitions’
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said that ‘believing’ innocent Colombian people should die if Donald Trump's threats to the country become reality was ‘simply treason against the Homeland’.
“If you believe that an innocent Colombian woman, elderly Venezuelan women and young soldiers who were fulfilling their duty should have died, then you will think the same about the Colombian people if Trump's threat becomes a reality. That is simply treason against the Homeland,” Petro said on X, while accusing the US of colonialist ambitions.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: House speaker Mike Johnson defends Maduro ouster
US House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the legality of the operation in Venezuela and the lack of prior notice to Congress, which constitutionally has the authority to declare war.
“We are not at war. We do not have US armed forces in Venezuela, and we are not occupying that country,” Johnson said.
“We don’t expect troops on the ground. We don’t expect direct involvement in any other way, beyond just coercing the new – the interim – government.”
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Maduro capture 'undermined international law’, UN rights office says
The United Nations rights office has voiced deep concern over the dramatic US operation in Venezuela, warning that it clearly “undermined a fundamental principle of international law”.
“States must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,” Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman for the office, told reporters in Geneva.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Mike Johnson backs elections in Venezuela
US House Speaker Mike Johnson said on Monday that Venezuela should hold elections soon, after Secretary of State Marco Rubio called voting premature following the abduction of President Nicolas Maduro.
Speaking to reporters after a briefing with lawmakers from Rubio and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, Johnson added that he did not expect the United States to send troops to Venezuela, a possibility that Trump had refused to rule out publicly.
“I expect that there will be an election called in Venezuela,” said Johnson, the top member of Trump’s Republican Party in Congress.
“Some of these things are still being determined, of course, but it should happen in short order. And I think it will need to be, so that their economy can remain stabilised and the country can remain stabilised,” he said.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Nicolas Maduro's son backs Delcy Rodriguez
Nicolás Maduro’s son said he would “unconditionally support” Delcy Rodríguez, who has been declared acting president of Venezuela after his father was captured by the US and flown out of the country.
Nicolás Maduro Guerra’s comments mark his first public backing of Rodríguez, whom President Donald Trump has said would work with Washington to “make Venezuela great again.” Maduro Guerra spoke during the installation of Venezuela’s National Assembly in Caracas on Monday.
“To you, Delcy, my unconditional support. Count on me and my family,” Maduro Guerra said, after tearfully describing what he called difficult hours for his family.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Colombia braces for Venezuelan refugees
Colombia is bracing for a potential refugee crisis following US strikes in Venezuela and the political turmoil resulting in the removal of Nicolas Maduro.
Colombian Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Sunday that he was deploying 30,000 soldiers to the border with Venezuela to bolster security, and the country has also implemented emergency measures to support refugees.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: China ‘ready to defend peace’ in Latin America
China’s Foreign Ministry has reiterated its stance on US action in Venezuela, saying it is willing to work with other countries to safeguard the authority of international law.
“We stand ready to work with regional countries to defend the status of peace in Latin America and the Caribbean,” the ministry said.
(Al Jazeera)
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Why was the gunfire heard in Caracas on Monday night?
According to a CNN report, discussions between paramilitary groups linked to Nicolas Maduro indicate the gunfire was related to confusion between different security groups operating near the Miraflores presidential palace. A member of one of these groups can be heard calling for backup and that “several shots were heard.” Later, the speaker said that a drone flying in the area was fired upon by members of the Miraflores Police and palace security.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: When is the next hearing in the Nicolas Maduro case
The next hearing is scheduled for March 17, CNN reported. Neither Nicolas Maduro nor his wife Cilia Flores are immediately seeking bail or release.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: UN official condemns US action in Venezuela
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has condemned US action in Venezuela. Taking to X on Tuesday, the UN official wrote - “The U.S. military operation in Venezuela undermines a fundamental principle of international law: States must not use force to pursue their territorial claims or political demands.”
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Who is Delcy Rodriguez, the interim president of Venezuela?
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Venezuela’s parliament swore in Delcy Rodriguez as interim president on Monday, two days after US forces detained her predecessor Nicolas Maduro to face trial in New York.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court had on Saturday directed Delcy Rodriguez to take over the presidency “in an acting capacity”.
Rodriguez served as Venezuela’s minister of communication and information from 2013 to 2014. She later held the post of foreign minister from 2014 to 2017.
In August 2024, Maduro assigned the oil ministry to Rodriguez, placing her in charge of handling increasing US sanctions on Venezuela’s key industry, Reuters reported. She has also served as the country’s chief economic authority. Read more here.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: CPI India protest outside US consulate in Chennai after military action in Caracas
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Former Tamil Nadu CPI State Secretary Muthuarasan led the protest, which was held near Kamarajar Arangam on Anna Salai, where CPI staging a protest near the US Consulate General in Chennai against the United States over its actions on Venezuela.
The protesters raised slogans accusing the US government of violating international law and undermining the sovereignty of Venezuela. They also condemned what they described as attempts to arrest the President of Venezuela.
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Venezuelan woman ‘tortured’ by Maduro forces urges judge to give him ‘maximum’ sentence
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: A woman left disfigured when Venezuelan military forces tossed boiling water on her at an anti-government protest in Caracas in 2021 has urged a Manhattan federal judge Monday to lock up dictator Nicolás Maduro for as long as possible.
The woman, who said she immigrated to the US from Caracas shortly after she was injured, was among scores of demonstrators who gathered outside court as Maduro pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges.
“I’m here today asking for his sentence to be as long as possible — the maximum,” said the woman, who now works at a community center in New Rochelle, told The New York Post. Read more here
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: Rodriguez a good fit for Trump's oil plans, say experts
US-Venezuela tension LIVE: As US threatened Maduro’s grip on power in recent months, a cadre of executives, lawyers and investors tied to the oil industry made their case to anyone who would listen — the Trump administration, congressional aides: His familiar No. 2 Delcy Rodríguez should fill his shoes in Venezuela.
An oil minister herself, Rodríguez has long been the go-to contact for senior executives, whom she impressed by navigating Venezuela‘s industry through international sanctions, economic pressures and internal mismanagement.
As per reported by Bloomberg, President Donald Trump’s inner circle came to the conclusion that Rodriguez would be best positioned to shepherd through the US plan to restore Venezuela to its glory days as an oil gusher, argued executives and lobbyists.
Bloomberg further added that both groups believed that the vice president, long seen as a bridge between the government and private sector, could stabilize Venezuela’s oil-based economy and facilitate American business faster than leading dissident María Corina Machado could, said the people.
