Army recognises Rodríguez presidency. Rubio: illegitimate. EU: let the people decide

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had a telephone conversation with Maria Corina Machado on the prospects for a peaceful and democratic transition in Venezuela. This was stated in a note from Palazzo Chigi. During the phone call 'it was shared how Maduro's exit from the scene opens a new page of hope for the people of Venezuela, who will be able to return to enjoy the basic principles of democracy and the rule of law'.

US President Donald Trump has denied that the military operation against Venezuela is aimed at US control of the Western Hemisphere, in the wake of the so-called Monroe Doctrine, which he made his own (dubbing it the 'Donroe Doctrine'). "It's not about the hemisphere. It's about the country. It's about the individual countries,' he said during a telephone interview with The Atlantic, in which he 'made it clear that the decision to kidnap the Venezuelan president was not taken simply for geographical reasons,' as the paper writes.

The death toll of the US attack in Venezuela rises. The dead number 80, double the previous estimate. This was reported by the New York Times citing sources, according to which the tally could rise further.

Secretary of State, national security advisor, acting head of the federal archives, administrator of the now defunct Usaid. And now also 'viceroy of Venezuela', as the Washington Post christened him for his crucial role in devising the ousting of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and in the country's future transition. A post that could become the most demanding of all, having concentrated in his hands powers greater than those of Henry Kissinger in the 1970s. 'Secretary of everything', the New York Times had joked last May, describing the irresistible rise of the head of US diplomacy, one of the few with great experience and expertise behind him in the Trump presidency, where he is emerging as one of the strongest figures in government.

Maduro's capture not only realises a long-standing goal of Rubio's, but also represents a victory for him within an administration that includes figures sceptical about regime change, notably J.D. Vance, more sensitive to the bellyaches of the Maga base, opposed to US interventionism. The vice-president officially supported the operation in Venezuela. But it is perhaps no coincidence that he has been keeping a low profile: absent at Mar-a-Lago both when the commander in chief followed the blitz live with the loyalists (he was on video link) and at his press conference, where the president was flanked by Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, envoy Steve Witkoff and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

Outgoing US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene criticised President Donald Trump's decision to strike Venezuela and capture its leader, Nicolas Maduro, saying that the military operation conducted yesterday constitutes a betrayal of the "America first" promise and that the Trumpian "Make America Great Again" (Maga) movement is "tired of being ignored". He said this during an interview with Nbc's 'Meet the Press' programme, saying he did not believe it was a move to stop the flow of drugs from the South American country, otherwise the administration would move against the Mexican cartels. Making it clear that she does not support Maduro, Taylor Greene, a Trump loyalist until a few months ago and a leading figure in the Maga movement, said it is the 'same Washington script that we are sick and tired of'. She added that the removal of the Venezuelan leader 'does not serve the American people... but actually serves the big corporations, the banks and the oil executives. And so, my opposition here is to the Trump administration that campaigned on Make America Great Again, which we thought put America first." The movement 'has its list of enemies, and the enemies of the world are not on the list', and Maga members 'are tired of being ignored', he said.

'Reconstruction and regime change, whatever you want to call them, are better than what we have now' in Venezuela. "It couldn't be worse." Donald Trump said this in an interview with The Atlantic.

IfDelcy Rodriguez "doesn't do what is right, he will pay a very high price, probably higher than Maduro." This was said by Donald Trump in an interview with The Atlantic, according to Bloomberg news agency.

"Washington could repeat against Kiev the operation already attempted in Caracas, and in the case of Ukraine the reasons for doing so would be much stronger". This was stated by the deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, Tass writes. "The Yankees, having already set a similar precedent with Maduro, could repeat it with the Bandera bastards," he comments referring to Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera, and in this case pointing to the Kiev regime. "There are certainly many more reasons to do so," Medvedev adds, responding to a question about the possibility of the US taking similar action against Volodymyr Zelensky should he reject a deal with US leader Donald Trump.

US forces killed 'most' of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's security detail during the raid to capture him. This was stated by Venezuela's Defence Minister, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, speaking on state television. According to Padrino Lopez, the operation had a particularly heavy human toll. A senior Venezuelan official told the New York Times that more than 40 military and civilian personnel died in the attack, adding that the final death toll could be higher.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio believes that interim President Delcy Rodríguez is 'not the legitimate president of Venezuela' because the United States does not consider the regime currently in power to be legitimate. In one of his TV interviews, Rubio explained that he understands that there are people in Venezuela today 'who are the ones who can actually make changes'. But he pointed out that this is different from recognising the legitimacy of the Venezuelan government, which will result from a transition period and an election.

US Vice President JD Vance defended the US operation against Venezuela on Saturday 3 January on X, rejecting criticism that Caracas did not play a central role in drug trafficking and linking the Venezuelan dossier to drug trafficking, Latin American cartels and US energy interests. Vance argued that limiting the debate to fentanyl is misleading. "Fentanyl is not the only drug in the world and fentanyl still arrives from Venezuela, or at least used to arrive," he wrote, adding that cocaine remains the main substance trafficked from the South American country.

According to the Vice President, cocaine is a key profit centre for the Latin American cartels. 'If you cut or even reduce cocaine revenues, you substantially weaken the cartels as a whole,' he said, emphasising that it is still a harmful drug. Vance then reiterated that a significant portion of fentanyl continues to come from Mexico, an issue that remains central to US policy. 'This continues to be a focus of our policy in Mexico and is one of the reasons President Donald Trump closed the border on day one,' he wrote, referring to President Donald Trump.

Venezuela's Minister of Defence Vladimir Padrino Lopez, in an official statement released by the official AVN news agency, today reiterated his condemnation of the US 'brutal military aggression' against Venezuela's sovereignty, denouncing the kidnapping of President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores and announcing security measures throughout the country. He also announced that tomorrow there will be the formal inauguration of Delcy Rodriguez as interim president, reiterating that Maduro remains the 'constitutional president'.

The minister and head of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), said that the army was 'united in the face of the 3 January aggression' and that the country had been hit by 'an unprecedented deployment against the Republic of Venezuela', described as 'grotesque and anti-legal'. According to Padrino Lopez, 'yesterday the person whom the people elected as their president was kidnapped', reiterating that Nicolas Maduro is 'the constitutional president for the period 2025-2031' and 'the legitimate leader of all Venezuelans', elected in consultations defined as 'free, sovereign and secret'. The FANB call for the 'immediate release of the president of the Republic', denouncing that he was kidnapped together with his wife Cilia Flores, described as 'a courageous woman taken away in handcuffs'.

"We reject the cowardly kidnapping of constitutional president and our commander-in-chief Nicolas Maduro. In compliance with the Supreme Court's decision we recognise the appointment of Delcy Rodriguez'. This was said by Vladimir Padrino López, Venezuela's army chief and defence minister.

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth stated that there are no parallels between the US military operation in Venezuela, which led to the capture and arrest of the country's leader Nicolas Maduro, and the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq, which led to the overthrow of dictator Saddam Hussein. "It's the exact opposite," Hegseth commented during an interview with CBS. "We've spent decades and decades and paid in blood, getting nothing in return economically, and President (Donald) Trump flips the script," the defence secretary stressed, adding that Washington can now help both the people of Venezuela and the US following the "most complicated and successful joint special operations raid of all time".

The South American country 'has a long history as a rich and prosperous country', he continued, pointing out that it has been 'taken away from its people by a horrible leadership'. Hegseth also hinted that an overhaul of Venezuela's inefficient oil sector is on the way. 'These oil deposits have been operating at 20 per cent of capacity. The situation will change,' he said in the interview. Yesterday, during a press conference also attended by the Pentagon chief, President Trump said that the US will 'manage' Venezuela until a 'safe, appropriate and judicious transition' can be ensured, adding that the country's vast oil reserves will be exploited. 'We're going to get our very large US oil companies, the largest in the world, to come in, spend billions of dollars, repair badly damaged infrastructure and start making money for the country,' he said.

"The armed forces of Venezuela have guaranteed democratic continuity and will continue to do so: I call the people to peace and order and to resume their economic, work and educational activities. The homeland must get back on the road'. This was said by Vladimir Padrino López, head of the Venezuelan army and Minister of Defence.

Oil 'is the past, the present and the future of Venezuela', a 'gigantic, failed opportunity'. So says the president and founder of Nomisma Energia Davide Tabarelli, speaking of the US military operation as 'a catastrophe for the country, the culmination of a disaster that has seen oil production collapse, as well as per capita income, and a quarter of the population flee the country, 8 million people. And then poverty, hunger... It is the best example in the world of the 'oil curse', what in English is called the 'oil curse', in Europe the 'Dutch disease', i.e. the 'disease' of those countries that have enormous mineral resources and live off their income', income that then ends up 'in corruption, arms, or to consolidate the regime in power, which is what has happened in Venezuela over the last 25-30 years'. Sickness and damnation culminated in the US attack and the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro, "a dramatic event, very bad, from a geopolitical point of view" and "a madness: there is no way in the world to see in the 21st century a dictator or presumed dictator militarily taken from his country", says Tabarelli.

The US launched a cyber attack at the start of the military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores yesterday, causing power outages in several areas of Caracas. This was reported today by The New York Times. According to the US newspaper, which cites anonymous officials with knowledge of the details of the mission, the cyber-attack allowed US planes, drones and helicopters to approach targets without being detected by Venezuelan defence systems.

The US raid on Caracas has unleashed another political storm in Colombia, aggravating the climate of internal confrontation ahead of the elections to be held in the coming months. On the one hand, the right has supported Donald Trump's military action. Opponents of the government of Gustavo Petro approved the attack, calling it an act of 'self-defence', adding that the next on the list would be President Gustavo Petro, a thesis somewhat confirmed by Trump himself in his press conference in Mar-a-Lago.

On the opposite side were the right-wing critics of the US government and supporters of the Colombian executive who interpreted what had happened as a demonstration of Washington's violent interference and its plans to apply the Monroe Doctrine by force. All this in an atmosphere of the end of the holiday season, in a nation that knows how to dance and have fun even in the midst of misfortune, involved for over 60 years in a low-intensity internal war and knows the smell of gunpowder and the trajectory of bullets.

The United States will not accept Venezuela continuing to serve as an operational hub for its enemies. This was stated today by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaking on NBC News's Meet the Press programme, talking about Venezuela after the capture of Nicolas Maduro and pointing the finger at Iran, Russia, Hezbollah, China and the Cuban intelligence apparatus.

"You cannot flood this country with members of criminal gangs. You cannot flood this country with drugs coming from Colombia through Venezuela with the cooperation of elements of the security forces,' saidRubio, insisting: 'You cannot turn Venezuela into the centre of operations for Iran, for Russia, for Hezbollah, for China, for the Cuban intelligence agents who control that country. This cannot continue'.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hinted today that the Cuban government could be the next target of US pressure, but without going into details of Washington's future moves. He said this in response to a question from NBC News. "I'm not going to talk to you about what our next steps or policies are going to be right now on this issue," Rubio said, adding that "it's certainly not a mystery that we're not big fans of the Cuban regime."

'This was not an invasion, but an arrest operation'. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this when describing the US raid in Venezuela. Rubio then clarified that the US has no forces on the ground in the country. A clarification that follows Donald Trump's openness to send troops on the ground if necessary.

Caracas tries to return to normal in the aftermath of the US attack and the capture of Nicolas Maduro. Despite the climate of great political uncertainty in the streets of the Venezuelan capital, businesses reopen and transport resumes. Only baseball games, the national sport, were cancelled, but only as a precautionary measure. National airlines such as Laser Airlines announced the resumption of exclusively domestic flights limited to key airports such as Maiquetía, Porlamar and La Fría. As ANSA verified on site, employees of shopping centres were called to work normally.

The Caracas metro also operates regularly, as do buses and taxis. No major demonstrations, few people on the streets, also because it is a Sunday in the middle of the Christmas holidays that will last until 7 January, when activities usually resume at full pace. Only the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League (LVBP) is at a standstill: the semi-finals that were supposed to start yesterday, the day of the raid, have been suspended indefinitely. LVBP president Giuseppe Palmisano said the decision not to play was mainly to safeguard the players, technical staff and fans. The league said it will assess the situation 'day by day' to determine whether the security conditions exist to allow the tournament to resume.

The Trump administration has told US oil companies that if they want to recover assets confiscated by the regime in Venezuela they must prepare to return to the country and invest significantly in reviving the local oil industry. This is reported in the American media, pointing out thatTrump's offer to the crude oil biggies has been on the table for 10 days but has so far been met with cold reception. At the moment only Chevron is in Venezuela, a country with larger reserves than Saudi Arabia. Attracting the others is no small challenge. On the one hand, there is the country's instability and the lack of clarity about what will happen: analysts believe that the removal of Nicolas Maduro is the easy part of a difficult process that is not yet clear whether it will bring stability and security. Then there is the issue of oil demand: the world is much less hungry for it than in the past and this makes big companies sceptical about investing heavily.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there are no US military forces deployed on the ground in Venezuela, clarifying the administration's position during an interview on NBC News' Meet the Press programme. Rubio clarified that the presence of US military on Venezuelan soil was limited to a narrow window of time related to the operation to capture President Nicolas Maduro. "We do not have US forces on the ground in Venezuela. No, we do not have US forces on the ground, everyone knows that. They were on the ground for about two hours when they went to capture Maduro,' he said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that he is directly involved in managing the transition in Venezuela and coordinating the American line on the South American country. He said this while speaking on NBC News' Meet the Press programme. Rubio claimed his central role in US policy in the Western Hemisphere, emphasising the level of personal involvement in the Venezuelan dossier. "I'm obviously very involved in all of this. I think everybody knows that I am deeply involved in the politics of this hemisphere,' he said.

According to the Secretary of State, the US strategy on Venezuela is the result of a coordinated effort of the entire national security apparatus. Rubio pointed in particular to the role of the Department of Defence and the Department of Justice, the latter being responsible for the judicial aspects of the operations. 'The Department of Defence plays a very important role, along with the Department of Justice, because they are the ones who have to go to court. It is a team effort of the entire national security apparatus of our country," he said.

Talking about elections in Venezuela is premature. This was said by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a series of interviews with American networks, during which he noted that among the objectives in Venezuela is that it no longer have ties with Iran and Hezbollah. Rubio added that he was 'very involved' in the transition in the country.

In this photo released by the White House, President Donald Trump monitors U.S. military operations in Venezuela, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center, at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026. (Molly Riley/The White House via AP)

From bus driver to three presidential mandates: Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's overlord father, at the head of a cruel repression, and captured by the Pentagon together with his wife Cilia Flores during an air raid on Caracas, was the longest-serving Venezuelan chief executive in the country's political history. Known also for his role as deputy, foreign minister and vice-president during the governments of Hugo Chávez - who nominated him as his successor in 2012 - the leader plunged the South American state into a record economic crisis, with GDP having collapsed by 80% in ten years, inflation at over 500% and an unprecedented wave of migration.

The Head of State began his political career as a child, encouraged by his father, Nicolás Maduro Garcia, an economist and founder of socialist parties. Born in the neighbourhood of Los Chaguaramos in Caracas in 1962 into a Colombian family and an avid fan of the Caracas Leones baseball team, Maduro was already participating in rallies and election campaigns at the age of five. While his mother, seeing him wearing altar boy's clothes, would have wanted him to be a priest.

The US may have a super-witness in the trial against Nicolas Maduro. According to Newsweek, it is Hugo Armando Carvajal Barrios, the former head of Venezuelan military intelligence, who was ousted by Maduro for treason and then arrested by the US for a trial in which he pleaded guilty last June to crimes that carry a life sentence and are similar to those charged against the Venezuelan leader. He is mentioned in the indictment and has not yet been convicted, a sign that prosecutors may want him to testify against Maduro before deciding his fate.

The first 100 hours and the first 100 days. These are the two crucial factors. The evolution of the Venezuelan crisis depends on the capacity for articulation and resilience of the government in Caracas (as well as its military apparatus), as opposed to the effectiveness with which the opposition led by Maria Corina Machado will be able to propose a transition idea. This is the only point of convergence between pro-Washington and pro-Caracas political analysts.

Machado, opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, said: 'We are ready to take power'. In a statement published in X, he says: 'What was supposed to happen is happening, we will restore order, free political prisoners, build an exceptional country and bring our children home'. He does not specify to whom the 'we' refers. Machado left Venezuela in December to collect the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo and has never returned to Caracas. Machado then explains that Edmundo González, winner of the July elections, 'must immediately assume his constitutional mandate and be recognised as commander-in-chief of the Army'. Finally, he calls on everyone to remain 'vigilant, active and organised until the democratic transition is complete', inviting both those inside the country and those abroad to take on this task. However, Trump curbs the Machado hypothesis: 'He does not have the support to govern'.

There are four counts against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This is revealed in the indictment of the Southern District of New York, published today by the Washington Post, which says that essentially Maduro enriched himself and his entourage through the proceeds of illicit drug trafficking.

The document reiterates the same charges brought by the Trump administration in 2020, including conspiracy to commit narcoterrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and possession of automatic weapons and destructive devices.If convicted, Maduro faces decades of imprisonment in the United States.

US President Donald Trump's administration is working on a plan for dealing with Venezuela after the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by US forces. This was reported by the Wall Street Journal, citing senior US officials, according to whom the dossier is being followed directly by the White House national security team.

According to the newspaper, at work on the plan are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Stephen Miller, and Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth.

In Venezuela 'we are following the evolution of the situation minute by minute. We have urged our compatriots to exercise the utmost caution and we are also working to see what can be done to free the detained Italians, including the cooperator Trentini'. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told Tg2. "We hope that with the change of regime and with Maduro leaving we can manage to bring them home," he added.

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said today that Japan will engage diplomatically to facilitate the restoration of democracy in Venezuela and help stabilise the situation in the South American country. In a message posted on social media, Takaichi recalled that Japan has "long respected fundamental values and principles such as freedom, democracy and the rule of law," adding that Tokyo will "work closely with other G7 countries and interested states" on the Venezuelan crisis.

The Prime Minister did not comment on the legality of the US-led operation against Venezuela, an action that took place without authorisation from the US Congress and that raised legal questions both in the US and internationally.

India expressed deep concern over developments in Venezuela andcalled for a peaceful solution to the crisis. In a note, the Foreign Ministry in New Delhi called on "all parties concerned to resolve the issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability in the region", while pledging support "for the welfare and security of the Venezuelan people".

The Indian stance comes in the aftermath of US President Donald Trump's announcement that he has confirmed a large-scale military strike against Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, who has been transferred with his wife Cilia Flores to New York to stand trial for drug trafficking offences. Trump also stated that after Maduro's arrest, Washington intends to 'administer Venezuela until a safe and sensible transition is possible' and did not rule out the possibility of 'deploying troops' on Venezuelan territory if deemed necessary.

"With a heart full of concern I follow the developments of the situation in Venezuela," the Pope said at the Angelus. The good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail above all other considerations and lead to overcoming violence and embarking on paths of justice and peace, guaranteeing the sovereignty of the country, assuring the rule of law enshrined in the Constitution, respecting the human and civil rights of each and all, and working together to build a serene future of collaboration, stability and concord, with special attention to the poorest who suffer because of the difficult economic situation".

Venezuela's Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez has reportedly impressed Donald Trump's officials with her handling of Venezuela's crucial oil industry and this has convinced them that she could be an acceptable replacement for Nicolas Maduro. The New York Times writes this, citing people involved in the discussions. According to the article, the intermediaries convinced the US administration that Rodriguez would protect and support future US energy investments in the country. "I've been following his career for a long time, so I have an idea of who he is and what he does," said a senior US official, referring to Rodríguez. "I'm not claiming he's the ultimate solution to the country's problems, but he's certainly someone we think we can work with on a much more professional level than we were able to work with him," the official added, referring to Maduro. Trump, explains the Nyt, had never shown sympathy for Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. The president yesterday made overtures to Rodríguez, stating that Machado lacks the 'support' needed to govern Venezuela. Despite Rodríguez's public condemnation of the attack, a senior US official said it is too early to draw conclusions about her approach and that the administration remains optimistic about working with her. Rodríguez, the US media recalls, has managed to stabilise the Venezuelan economy after years of crisis and to slowly but steadily increase the country's oil production, despite the tightening of US sanctions, a feat that has even earned her the respect, albeit reluctant, of some US officials.

Delcy Rodríguez, presidente ad interim del Venezuela (Photo by JUAN BARRETO / AFP)

A three-stage military operation, conducted directly by US special forces with the extensive support of the entire US army and difficult to frame in terms of international law: while the precise course of the attack on Venezuela culminating in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores is still shrouded in numerous questions, some military analysts and legal experts try to outline the contours for Il Sole 24Ore, based on their experience and what we know so far.

According to several American and Venezuelan sources told the New York Times, in late December Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro rejected US President Donald Trump's ultimatum to leave the country's leadership, which included a golden exile in Turkey.

His subsequent public appearances, with his demonstrations of nonchalance in the face of US threats, 'helped convince some members of Trump's team that the Venezuelan president was playing them and trying to call what he thought was a bluff', according to two people involved in the talks. So the White House decided to follow up on the military threats, launching yesterday the attack that led to the capture and transfer to the United States of the Venezuelan leader, accused of drug trafficking.

Delcy Rodríguez, former executive vice-president and minister of finance and oil, took over the leadership of Venezuela after the capture of Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores by an American commando. This was ruled by the Supreme Court in Caracas based on the provisions of the Venezuelan Constitution, in particular Articles 233 and 234. 'We call on the peoples of the great country to remain united, because what was done to Venezuela can be done to anyone. That brutal use of force to bend the will of the people can be perpetrated against any country,' he said in a speech broadcast on state television Vtv. Rodríguez, 56, is originally from Caracas and studied law at the Central University of Venezuela.

For more than 20 years she was one of the leading figures of chavismo, the political movement founded by President Hugo Chávez and led by Maduro after the death of his predecessor in 2013. Together with her brother Jorge Rodríguez, current president of the National Assembly, she has held various positions of power since the Chavez era. She was Minister of Communication and Information from 2013 to 2014 and later became Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2014 to 2017. As head of Venezuela's diplomacy she defended the Maduro government against international criticism, including accusations of democratic backwardness and human rights violations in the country.

Starlink announced on X that it will provide 'free broadband services to Venezuelan citizens until 3 February', following the US attack that led to the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. Elon Musk's company emphasised that it wants to ensure 'continuous connectivity' in the country. Musk himself commented on X about the announcement, writing: 'In support of the people of Venezuela'. Yesterday, the website that monitors global internet connectivity, Netblocks, reported 'a sudden loss of internet connectivity in parts of Caracas', in conjunction with 'power outages during the US military operation'.

"The military action conducted yesterday in Venezuela by the Trump administration, which led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, raises serious concerns for the human rights of the Venezuelan people. In all likelihood it is a violation of international law, including the UN Charter, as is the declared intention of the United States to run the country and control its oil resources'. This is what Amnesty International says in a note, saying it is also 'particularly concerned about the risk of further escalation of human rights violations in the country, which could result from both new US operations and the Venezuelan government's response to the US attacks'.

Amnesty International urges the US government to "respect international humanitarian law and international human rights law, to prioritise the protection of the civilian population and to guarantee the human rights of all persons deprived of their liberty, including due process guarantees and the right to humane treatment".

'Machado will not be the one to govern Venezuela, even if he has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and thanks Trump: the American president is not primarily interested in restoring democracy'. This was stated in an interview with Corriere della Sera, political scientist and founder of Eurasia, Ian Bremmer. 'He wasn't interested in Brazil, nor much in the United States,' he adds. 'For now he will try to govern with the military and, perhaps, with pieces of the deposed Maduro regime willing to follow his directives on what matters to him: oil and drugs. 'The military', Bremmer continues, 'did not do the coup but collaborated: in the last two months Washington has developed very intense relations with the army chiefs and, it seems, also with personalities in Maduro's political circle. Great work by the CIA but also by the military intelligence services. I believe that the dictator and his wife were arrested before the arrival of the American helicopters: the Delta Force merely took over the two prisoners. I do not think a second offensive will be necessary. The military will rule as directed by Washington. They also talked about Vice President Delcy Rodriguez. If indeed, as Marco Rubio claims, Rodriguez is ready to cooperate, she could stay on board'. 'The main target,' the Eurasia founder goes on to say, 'was Venezuela with its huge energy reserves, drug trafficking, massive emigration to the US. It will take a long time and a lot of work to stabilise the country, rebuild the energy infrastructure, give American companies a central role again. The majority of Republicans were in favour of overthrowing Maduro's illegal regime. Of course, the Magas are against wars, but American boots on the ground were few and far between: a surgical operation with no casualties. That should suit the Magas too,' Bremmer concludes.

The Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered Saturday that Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez assume the role ‍of interim president of the country in the absence of Nicolás Maduro, who was arrested early Saturday morning during an operation by US forces.

The court ruling ‍ stated that Rodríguez would assume 'the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to ensure administrative continuity and the overall defence of the nation'

Zohran Mamdani, the new mayor of New York, phoned President Donald Trump on Saturday to personally express his opposition to the US-led attacks on Venezuela and the capture of its leader, Nicolás Maduro. "I called the president and spoke directly with him to express my opposition to this action," Mamdani said during a press conference on an unrelated topic, adding that he told Trump he was "opposed to an attempt at regime change and the violation of federal and international law." The mayor refused to comment on the president's response, despite journalists' insistence. His aides said that Mamdani had made the call early Saturday afternoon and that the conversation had been 'brief'.

At least 40 people were killed in the US attack on Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday, including military personnel and civilians, according to a senior Venezuelan official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The New York Times reports. Donald Trump, speaking on Fox News on Saturday, said that no US soldiers were killed. He did, however, suggest that some military personnel were injured. General Dan Caine, chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said later, during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago with President Trump, that one of the US helicopters involved in the operation to capture President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had been hit but 'remained airworthy' and that all US aircraft 'returned to base'.

The US military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has disrupted flights to the Caribbean. On Saturday, no flights crossed into Venezuela, according to FlightRadar24.com. Major airlines cancelled hundreds of flights in the eastern Caribbean after the FAA imposed restrictions. Flights to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Aruba were cancelled. Airlines are waiving rerouting penalties on rescheduled flights. The FAA imposed a temporary airspace restriction at Puerto Rico International Airport. JetBlue cancelled about 215 flights, while United and Southwest changed their schedules.

Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are expected to be transferred to the Metropolitan detention centre, a federal prison in Brooklyn, to appear before a judge on Monday to answer charges of, among others, 'narcoterrorism'. Axios writes this, recalling that the facility is home to some excellent inmates, from Mexican drug trafficker Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman to Luigi Mangione, the young man accused of killing the CEO of UnitedHealthcare, from rapper P Diddy to Ghislaine Maxwell, the girlfriend of paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The couple, analyst John Miller told CNN, 'will not have a honeymoon suite at the Metropolitan Detention Center', which, as Axios recalls, is known to be 'inhumane, unsafe and unsanitary'.

Brazil recognises Venezuelan Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez as interim president of Venezuela after the US capture of Nicolás Maduro. This was confirmed by the secretary general of Itamaraty, the Brazilian Foreign Ministry, Maria Laura da Rocha, during a press conference in Brasilia, according to reports in the South American country's main media. "In the absence of President Maduro, the leadership of the country falls to the vice-president. Delcy Rodríguez therefore assumes the functions of interim president,' she said at the end of a meeting dedicated to the Venezuelan crisis.