Colombia Venezuela's new government approaches the USA
US pressure on Venezuela appears to be having an initial effect following the arrest of authoritarian head of state Nicolás Maduro. Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who had initially shown herself to be unbending after the US attack, signaled a willingness to cooperate with Washington. Maduro's first court hearing is scheduled for today in New York. Also in the East Coast metropolis, the UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the US attack on Venezuela.
05.01.2026, 07:14
SDA
Rodríguez made a conciliatory statement to the government of US President Donald Trump on Instagram. "We invite the government of the United States to work together on an agenda of cooperation aimed at joint development and strengthening lasting coexistence in the community within the framework of international law." It is about "peace and dialog, not war", she continued. "This has always been the attitude of President Nicolás Maduro and is currently the attitude of the whole of Venezuela."
Meanwhile, Trump blatantly threatened Rodríguez. She could face an even "worse situation" than the imprisoned Maduro, he told reporters during a flight to Washington. He had previously told the magazine "The Atlantic": "If she doesn't do the right thing, she will pay a very high price, probably higher than Maduro."
More than 30 Cuban security forces killed
The USA attacked targets in Venezuela on Saturday night, captured Maduro and his wife for alleged drug trafficking and took them out of the country.
The US attack also killed 32 members of the Cuban security forces, according to the ruling Communist Party of Cuba. According to experts, the close ally's security forces have been in Venezuela for years. Agents are supposed to help keep soldiers in line. In addition, Cuban bodyguards in particular are said to have been responsible for Maduro's security.
Spain and a number of Latin American countries condemned the US military deployment in Venezuela. The European Union also insisted on the South American country's right to self-determination. "The right of the Venezuelan people to decide on their future must be respected," wrote EU foreign affairs representative Kaja Kallas on X. The declaration is supported by all EU member states with the exception of Hungary.
Rubio: Will bring about change in Venezuela
Trump had said after the attack that the USA would temporarily lead Venezuela. In an interview with US broadcaster CBS, his Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it clear that Washington would not govern Venezuela, but would bring about political change in the country with the help of an existing oil blockade. The blockade is an "enormous lever" and will remain in place until key demands are met. It is about ensuring that Venezuela's huge oil reserves are no longer under the control of opponents of the USA, Rubio told NBC News.
Washington would not allow Venezuela to become a base for countries such as China, Russia, Iran or the pro-Iranian militia Hezbollah, he said. The exploitation of resources by external actors, as seen in other regions of the world, would not be accepted by Washington in Latin America. "This is where we live, and we will not allow the Western Hemisphere to serve as a base of operations for adversaries, competitors and rivals of the United States," Rubio said.
USA also threatens Colombia and Cuba
Trump also threatened Colombia. The country is "very sick" and is ruled by a "sick man" who "loves to produce cocaine and sell it to the United States", said the US President. He would "not be doing that much longer". Trump has already severely criticized Colombia's head of state Gustavo Petro on several occasions, but did not mention him by name. When asked whether there would also be a military operation against Colombia, Trump said: "That sounds good to me."
Secretary of State Rubio also described the government in Cuba as a "huge problem". He said this to NBC News when asked whether the US attack on Venezuela would now be followed by military action against Cuba. Trump said that Cuba looked like it was on the verge of collapse anyway.
Rodríguez demands respect
Meanwhile, Venezuela's Acting President Rodríguez called for a respectful relationship between the USA and her country. According to her government, Maduro, who is in custody in the USA, remains the legitimate president. "Venezuela has a constitutional president, Nicolás Maduro Moros, who is currently being illegally detained but remains the head of state in full exercise of his mandate," said Foreign Minister Yván Gil, according to the government-affiliated broadcaster Telesur.
"Despite the attack, there is peace and tranquillity in Venezuela today and the institutions are functioning fully," he said at an emergency meeting of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).
The highest court had authorized Vice President Rodríguez, who is loyal to Maduro, to temporarily assume the duties of the head of state. The powerful military publicly backed her. According to the US government, the military is just as involved in drug trafficking as Maduro.
USA expects willingness to cooperate
According to Rubio, the USA now expects a much greater willingness to cooperate in Caracas following Maduro's arrest. The aim is to implement changes in Venezuela that are primarily in the interests of the United States, he told NBC News. Rubio also made it clear that Washington was not currently backing a rapid political transition. Although he praised opposition politician María Corina Machado, he emphasized that large parts of the opposition were no longer present in the country. The priority is therefore short-term stabilization, not an immediate democratic reorganization.
Trump does not currently see new elections in the South American country as a priority. "We will have elections at the right time, but the most important thing is that they solve the problem. The country is broken," he told journalists. "We need to revive it, and for that we need big investments from the oil companies to make the infrastructure work again."
When asked whether the USA will demand that Rodríguez allow opposition members to return or release political prisoners, Trump said: "We're not there yet. Right now, we want to get the oil industry going again, rebuild the country, get it back on its feet and then hold elections."
