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

[SouthAussie]

"The communications minister holds a phone up to a microphone before a gathering of regime-friendly influencers.

On speakerphone is Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, who claims that when US forces captured the dictator Nicolás Maduro, she and other members of his cabinet were given 15 minutes to decide whether to comply with Washington’s demands – “or they would kill us”.

Rodríguez, the former vice-president who assumed power after the US attack – and has since been praised by Donald Trump for playing along with his demands – says she was doing so only because the “threats and blackmail are constant”. She also concedes that her priority was “to preserve political power”.

Her remarks appear in a leaked recording of the nearly two-hour meeting that was held in Venezuela seven days after the US attack."

Leaked video shows Venezuela regime’s desperate struggle to control message

Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez told influencers of US threat to kill leaders if they did not cooperate after capture of Maduro

www.theguardian.com

 

[sunspun]

"The communications minister holds a phone up to a microphone before a gathering of regime-friendly influencers.

On speakerphone is Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, who claims that when US forces captured the dictator Nicolás Maduro, she and other members of his cabinet were given 15 minutes to decide whether to comply with Washington’s demands – “or they would kill us”.

Rodríguez, the former vice-president who assumed power after the US attack – and has since been praised by Donald Trump for playing along with his demands – says she was doing so only because the “threats and blackmail are constant”. She also concedes that her priority was “to preserve political power”.

Her remarks appear in a leaked recording of the nearly two-hour meeting that was held in Venezuela seven days after the US attack."

Leaked video shows Venezuela regime’s desperate struggle to control message

Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez told influencers of US threat to kill leaders if they did not cooperate after capture of Maduro

www.theguardian.com

I thought we were told that she was apprised of the impending attack before it happened.

Maybe she wasn't saying this happened during the attack. I mean when she mentioned being given 15 minutes to decide what they would do. Did she mean that happened while the military was there to capture Maduro?

 

[SouthAussie]

I thought we were told that she was apprised of the impending attack before it happened.

Maybe she wasn't saying this happened during the attack. I mean when she mentioned being given 15 minutes to decide what they would do. Did she mean that happened while the military was there to capture Maduro?

The article says ..... She then referred to the US military operation: “The threats began from the very first minute they kidnapped the president. They gave Diosdado [Cabello, the interior minister], Jorge [Rodríguez, the acting president’s brother and congressional president,] and me 15 minutes to respond, or they would kill us.”

 

[sunspun]

The article says ..... She then referred to the US military operation: “The threats began from the very first minute they kidnapped the president. They gave Diosdado [Cabello, the interior minister], Jorge [Rodríguez, the acting president’s brother and congressional president,] and me 15 minutes to respond, or they would kill us.”

Thank you, that's interesting. Because I thought I've read that the Trump admin claims that they warned her that they were coming. Maybe I have that wrong.

 

[SouthAussie]

Thank you, that's interesting. Because I thought I've read that the Trump admin claims that they warned her that they were coming. Maybe I have that wrong.

Yes, that is also mentioned in the article.

Leaked video shows Venezuela regime’s desperate struggle to control message

Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez told influencers of US threat to kill leaders if they did not cooperate after capture of Maduro

www.theguardian.com

 

[Ruminations]

I have no more words.

I am so ashamed of my war-criming country.

This should not be normal. The president may not unilaterally do a war.

BTW, "alleged" is important here. There has been no evidence any of these extra judicial killings have been on actual "drug boats." And if they are drug boats, attacking them in a war act is still illegal.

U.S. forces carry out first known strike on alleged drug boat since Maduro's capture

The U.S. military said Friday that it has carried out a deadly strike on a vessel accused of trafficking drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the first known attack since the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.

www.pbs.org

MOO

 

[sunspun]

Yes, that is also mentioned in the article.

Leaked video shows Venezuela regime’s desperate struggle to control message

Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez told influencers of US threat to kill leaders if they did not cooperate after capture of Maduro

www.theguardian.com

OK I finally read the Guardian article.

But it's still somewhat confusing, because the article also said this:

"When the US attack helicopters flew into Caracas in early January, Delcy Rodríguez was nowhere to be found. Rumors spread that she had fled to Moscow, but two sources say she was on Margarita Island, a Venezuelan vacation spot."

So when and where did the supposed lethal threats from the US to her and other cabinet members happen? Does she mean they were threatening to kill her... over the phone? It's possible.

 

[SouthAussie]

OK I finally read the Guardian article.

But it's still somewhat confusing, because the article also said this:

"When the US attack helicopters flew into Caracas in early January, Delcy Rodríguez was nowhere to be found. Rumors spread that she had fled to Moscow, but two sources say she was on Margarita Island, a Venezuelan vacation spot."

So when and where did the supposed lethal threats from the US to her and other cabinet members happen? Does she mean they were threatening to kill her... over the phone? It's possible.

Maybe Rodriguez was playing both sides against the middle. Cooperating with the US prior to Maduro's kidnap and arrest, and then telling her cabinet that she had to make a choice for her own life within 15 minutes of Maduro's capture.

I think that her cabinet members would know where she (and the other two) was at the time.

I think that article mentions that her focus was on keeping her party in govt.

imo

 

[Betty P]

"The communications minister holds a phone up to a microphone before a gathering of regime-friendly influencers.

On speakerphone is Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, who claims that when US forces captured the dictator Nicolás Maduro, she and other members of his cabinet were given 15 minutes to decide whether to comply with Washington’s demands – “or they would kill us”.

Rodríguez, the former vice-president who assumed power after the US attack – and has since been praised by Donald Trump for playing along with his demands – says she was doing so only because the “threats and blackmail are constant”. She also concedes that her priority was “to preserve political power”.

Her remarks appear in a leaked recording of the nearly two-hour meeting that was held in Venezuela seven days after the US attack."

Leaked video shows Venezuela regime’s desperate struggle to control message

Interim leader Delcy Rodríguez told influencers of US threat to kill leaders if they did not cooperate after capture of Maduro

www.theguardian.com

That’s illegal. I hope to see him in The Hague in the near future.