Venezuela - President Nicolas Maduro & his wife "captured and flown out of country" by U.S. Army Delta Force during "large scale attack" - Jan 3, 2026

[PrairieWind]

Who should be the President of Venezuela right now?

 

[SouthAussie]

"Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado met with a group of US lawmakers on Capitol Hill today.

After speaking with GOP representatives Mario Díaz-Balart and Carlos Giménez, Machado told reporters that she intends to meet with members of the Venezuelan diaspora in the US.

“But my main objective is to return to Venezuela as soon as possible,” she said."

https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-administration-news-01-20-26?post-id=cmkn3vc4h00053b6prpn4mfpd

 

[sunspun]

Interesting that Machado, Nobel Prize recipient, is totally supportive of our President's actions and admires him for taking action when no one else would.

Trump has “proven to the world what he means,” Machado continued, because “January 3rd will go down in history as the day justice defeated tyranny,” as a “milestone” that was “a huge step” for the Venezuelan people, and for “humanity, freedom, and human dignity.”

God bless her, a true champion of the people and for freedom around the world.

It all just makes me see clearly that they gave the prize to the wrong person.

 

[sunspun]

Who should be the President of Venezuela right now?

The person who was elected by the people of the country?

Crazy idea, I know.

 

[PrairieWind]

The person who was elected by the people of the country?

Crazy idea, I know.

I agree. But that isn't happening. Instead the illegit Vice President took over.

 

[SouthAussie]

I agree. But that isn't happening. Instead the illegit Vice President took over.

Probably the US doesn't want any internal turmoil in Venezuela. That may inhibit their extracting of oil and shipping it out.

imo

 

[PrairieWind]

Probably the US doesn't want any internal turmoil in Venezuela. That may inhibit their extracting of oil and shipping it out.

imo

That may well be true. Is that wrong?

 

[SouthAussie]

That may well be true. Is that wrong?

I am not the one questioning why the VP is running the country.

 

[SouthAussie]

"The US military said it seized another oil tanker with links to Venezuela on Tuesday, in the Caribbean Sea.

The report marks the seventh such apprehension since the start of Donald Trump’s month-long campaign to control Venezuela’s oil flows."

US military says it seized another Venezuela-linked oil tanker

Seizing of vessel in Caribbean Sea is seventh apprehension in Trump’s campaign to control Venezuela’s oil flows

www.theguardian.com

 

[SouthAussie]

"Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's interim president will soon visit the United States, a senior US official has said, further signalling President Donald Trump's willingness to embrace the oil-rich country's new leader.

She would be the first sitting Venezuelan president to visit the United States in more than a quarter century — aside from presidents attending United Nations meetings in New York.

She is still the subject of US sanctions, including an asset freeze."

TRT World - Delcy Rodriguez to visit US, a first for Venezuelan leader in 25 years — report

Rodriguez will visit soon, but no date has been set, AFP reports, quoting a senior White House official.

www.trtworld.com

 

[SouthAussie]

"Hundreds of millions of dollars that the United States is raising from the sale of Venezuelan oil is being sequestered in Qatar. It’s an indirect path that could speed the flow of much-needed money to Venezuela, but it also raises questions about the transparency surrounding those funds."

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/15/business/qatar-venezuela-oil-sale-account

 

[Stunned]

That may well be true. Is that wrong?

No.
Why is an illegally elected official allowed to remain in power while another is removed with military force?

 

[SouthAussie]

US-Venezuela Tensions: US Oil Plans Raise Environmental Fears​

The reporter is saying that there have been over 200 oil spills in Venezuela in the last 5 years or so. They also think that some have gone unreported.
The infrastructure is so poor that it will take billions of dollars to revive.
The forest denuding is widespread. As is the spread of methane gas.

 

[SouthAussie]

"Before the US military snatched Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, earlier this month, Delcy Rodríguez and her powerful brother pledged to cooperate with the Trump administration once the strongman was gone, four sources involved at high levels with the discussions told the Guardian.

Rodríguez, who was sworn in on 5 January as acting president to replace Maduro, and her brother Jorge, the head of the national assembly, secretly assured US and Qatari officials through intermediaries ahead of time that they would welcome Maduro’s departure, according to the sources.

“Delcy is the most committed to working with US oil,” an ally of hers said."

Venezuela’s Delcy Rodríguez assured US of cooperation before Maduro’s capture

Exclusive: sources say powerful figures in the regime secretly told US and Qatari officials they would welcome Maduro’s departure

www.theguardian.com

 

[PrairieWind]

No.
Why is an illegally elected official allowed to remain in power while another is removed with military force?

Maduro was arrested because their was a warrant for his arrest. Why is the UN not facilitating the removal of Delcy?

 

[SouthAussie]

Maduro was arrested because their was a warrant for his arrest. Why is the UN not facilitating the removal of Delcy?

The Trump administration kidnaps and arrests Maduro - without notifying any authority it was doing so, or getting any agreement to do so. And the UN is supposed to clean up the ensuing mess of leaving Maduro's corrupt govt in power?

Not sure that I understand that line of thinking.

imo

 

[PrairieWind]

The Trump administration kidnaps and arrests Maduro - without notifying any authority it was doing so, or getting any agreement to do so. And the UN is supposed to clean up the ensuing mess of leaving Maduro's corrupt govt in power?

Not sure that I understand that line of thinking.

imo

Who was the US required to notify before doing so? The Venezuelan government?

 

[SouthAussie]

Who was the US required to notify before doing so? The Venezuelan government?

Surely Congress (at the least) should have been involved?

And if you want the UN to clean up the mess, I would suggest that the UN should have been consulted first. Perhaps asked if they would help clean up the mess that would remain.

imo

 

[303gmf]

Surely Congress (at the least) should have been involved?

And if you want the UN to clean up the mess, I would suggest that the UN should have been consulted first. Perhaps asked if they would help clean up the mess that would remain.

imo

Congress should be in control of the funds, not trump and not in Qatar!!

 

[Betty P]

Probably the US doesn't want any internal turmoil in Venezuela. That may inhibit their extracting of oil and shipping it out.

imo

Yes, the Trump Administration (not the U.S.) wants the oil. They seem willing to subvert the democratic process in order to make that happen. Now that Venezuela has been destabilized, it should be up to the UN to help in the process of restoring their government and holding new elections. There’s been a system in place for decades to help. Venezuela continues to be a sovereign nation, as should all the other countries in the region.

Sad to say, but some parts of the western hemisphere are struggling. Cuba is a good example. They need humanitarian assistance and the U.S. needs to end its blockade against them.