US-Venezuela Tensions Live Updates: Calls for release of political prisoners grow after Maduro’s ouster

Senior officials from the Trump administration are set to brief all US senators on Capitol Hill on Wednesday, expanding consultations over the military operation in Venezuela.

The briefing follows a closed-door meeting on Monday, when Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen Dan Caine spoke with a small group of congressional leaders about the operation.

Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen has firmly told US President Donald Trump that the country cannot be taken “because you want to.”

In an online statement, Nielsen said: “In a situation where the American president has again said that the United States is very serious about Greenland, this support from our allies in NATO is very important and unambiguous. Once again, I urge the United States to seek respectful dialogue through the correct diplomatic and political channels and utilising pre-existing forums based on agreements already in place with the United States. The dialogue must take place with respect for the fact that Greenland’s status is rooted in international law and the principle of territorial integrity.”

Nielsen’s remarks echoed a recent statement by European leaders affirming that “Greenland belongs to its people.”

Responding to US President Donald Trump’s remarks about a possible takeover of Greenland, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Trump does not represent a threat to Europe.

At a lobby briefing, the spokesperson added that the prime minister maintains a good working relationship with Trump and emphasised that the UK’s special relationship with Washington has stood strong for decades, with the US remaining one of Britain’s closest allies.

Global commodities major Trafigura has confirmed it is in discussions with the Trump administration over potential opportunities in Venezuela, including a possible return to buying the country’s crude oil.

In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Trafigura’s global head of oil, Ben Luckock, said the talks would focus on how the company could resume crude purchases from Venezuela. The comments appear to back earlier media reports that oil firms were expected to engage with the US government on business prospects in Venezuela following the abduction of Nicolás Maduro.

“It’s the topic everyone’s discussing in the oil industry,” Luckock said, adding that companies are closely examining what opportunities may emerge in Venezuela.

We reject utterly the actions embarked upon by the United States and we stand with the people of Venezuela. pic.twitter.com/3yOGfZpPq0

— Cyril Ramaphosa 🇿🇦 (@CyrilRamaphosa) January 6, 2026

The US military intervention in Venezuela has revived debate over Greenland’s future, after President Donald Trump once again suggested Washington “needs” the Arctic island for national security, even as Greenland’s leaders insist it is not for sale.

Following remarks by senior Trump aide Stephen Miller that “nobody’s going to fight the US over the future of Greenland,” European leaders issued a strong joint statement stressing that only Greenland and Denmark can decide the island’s future. The statement, signed by the leaders of the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and Denmark, said Greenland “belongs to its people” and underlined that European allies are stepping up, with NATO making the Arctic a strategic priority.

The UN’s human rights office (OHCHR) has said the US operation in Venezuela undermined a core principle of international law, stressing that states must not threaten or use force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another country.

Speaking in Geneva, OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani made the remarks after an emergency UN Security Council meeting, where several US allies also criticised President Donald Trump’s military action. France was among the most vocal, with its deputy permanent representative Jay Dharmadhikari saying Maduro’s capture violated the principles of peaceful dispute resolution and non-use of force.

China, meanwhile, reiterated its opposition for the fourth consecutive day, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning calling the US move “reckless” and saying Beijing was ready to work with regional countries to maintain peace and stability. Maduro has long regarded China as a close ally.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s movement has called for the immediate release of all political prisoners following the US abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.

The Vente Venezuela movement said those unjustly detaining civilian and military political prisoners must free them at once, referring to detainees whose number a leading local rights group estimates at 863.

European leaders reject Trump’s remarks on a possible US takeover of Greenland, stressing that the strategic Arctic island belongs to its people.

Leaders from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom backed Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in a joint statement, reaffirming Greenland’s sovereignty after Trump’s comments.

Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.

Former Indian envoy to the UN in Geneva Dilip Sinha has termed the US operation in Venezuela an abduction rather than an arrest, calling it a serious violation of international law.

Reacting to the US attack on Caracas, Sinha told ANI that Washington has no legal jurisdiction in Venezuela. “This is not technically an arrest, but an abduction. The US does not have jurisdiction in Venezuela. A sitting head of state has been taken to the US, which amounts to a violation of international law,” he said.

Sinha also questioned the stated rationale behind the operation, alleging that the real motive was Venezuela’s oil wealth. He said that while narco-terrorism exists across Latin America, with the US also implicated in related networks, Venezuela has not figured prominently in cocaine smuggling reports compared to other countries.

Donald Trump’s latest overnight warning about wanting to take Greenland continues a long-standing interest that dates back to his first term.

Denmark strongly opposes the idea, which would also alarm allies. Experts, quoted by Sky News suggest two main reasons.

1. National security: Greenland’s strategic Arctic location, Nato membership, and US military base.
2. Natural resources: These include rare earth minerals, uranium, oil, and gas, much of which is currently supplied by China, making the island increasingly valuable as Arctic trade and shipping routes expand.

Video showing Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro being escorted to a US court has gone viral online. In the footage, Maduro is seen wearing a khaki jacket, handcuffs on his wrists, and limping as he is led by authorities. The clip has led to widespread discussion on social media.

Maduro's wife has 'SEVERE BRUISING on her rib' — lawyer says in court

'Will need appropriate attention'

Not stated if injuries sustained during kidnapping by US pic.twitter.com/KcNFRv6w23

— RT (@RT_com) January 5, 2026

Nicolás Maduro’s son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, publicly declared his “unconditional support” for Delcy Rodríguez, who has been named acting president of Venezuela following his father’s capture by US forces and removal from the country.

Speaking at the installation of Venezuela’s National Assembly in Caracas on Monday, Maduro Guerra offered his backing for the first time. “To you, Delcy, my unconditional support. Count on me and my family,” he said, tearfully reflecting on what he described as difficult hours for his family. President Donald Trump has said Rodríguez would work with Washington to “make Venezuela great again.”

The United Nations human rights office has expressed serious concern over the dramatic US operation in Venezuela, cautioning 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, the office’s spokeswoman, told reporters in Geneva.

The Trump administration publicly thanked parts of the US news media for keeping details of its secret Venezuela raid under wraps before it was carried out, in an interview with ABC News. Secretary of State Marco Rubio praised outlets that learnt about the operation ahead of time but chose not to publish to protect operational security. Rubio said, “Frankly, a number of media outlets had gotten leaks that this was coming and held it for that very reason… and we thank them for doing that or lives could have been lost. American lives.”

Rubio: "Frankly, a number of media outlets had gotten leaks that this was coming and held it for that very reason. And we thank them for doing that or lives could've been lost." pic.twitter.com/CRrnB0FMi3

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) January 4, 2026

The New York Times and Washington Post were among those reported to have delayed reporting.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said January 3 “will go down in history as the day justice defeated tyranny,” as she reflected on recent developments in her country.

Speaking to Fox News, Machado said that when she learned she had won the Nobel Peace Prize, “I dedicated it to Donald Trump because I believed he deserved it”. She added that the award belonged to Venezuelans themselves, saying, “Because this is the prize of the Venezuelan people, certainly we want to give it to him and share it with him”.

Denmark is treating Donald Trump’s threats to annex Greenland as a serious matter, Danish MP Lars-Christian Brask told Sky News.

Brask made it clear that Copenhagen is not expecting a US invasion. “It’s not as if we fear Greenland or Denmark is going to be invaded by the US,” he said. Still, he stressed that such remarks cannot be brushed aside.

Asked whether he believes the threats are real, Brask said they must be taken seriously, even if they seem hard to comprehend. “He is a bully, but to start taking over a country of an ally, an ally that has helped you in the war on terror, in Afghanistan, in Iraq and has had a relationship, a close relationship for the last 80 years… it’s so hard to imagine that a partner, a friend would do that to you,” he said.

Brask added that Denmark needs to understand what really matters to Trump. “We have to find out what is it that is important for Trump,” he said.

He also noted that while UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer may be among the last European leaders to publicly back Denmark, support from other allies remains firm. “There is strong, clear support from our other allies,” Brask said.

From the so-called “police actions” of the 1950s to today’s “law-enforcement operations” in Venezuela, the US has long softened the language of war. By calling invasions “rescue missions” or “kinetic actions,” Washington avoids tougher constitutional questions and carefully shapes public opinion through clever wordplay.

Read the full story here.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has said she plans to return to the country “as soon as possible”, according to an interview with Fox News aired yesterday.

Machado, who faces a ten-year travel ban, had been in hiding for over a year before travelling to Oslo in December to accept the Nobel Peace Prize. She left the Norwegian capital last month.

Following the capture of ousted leader Nicolas Maduro, Trump said Machado lacks the support and respect needed to lead Venezuela, and reiterated his claim that the US is effectively in charge of the country.

Protests erupted at several places across Tamil Nadu in support of Venezuela and against the US military operation that captured Nicolás Maduro. At rallies and street-corner gatherings, protesters denounced what they described as US “imperialist aggression,” with some even burning effigies of Donald Trump. The CPI(M) expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people, calling the US action an act of “thuggery.”

Protests are taking place across Tamil Nadu in solidarity with #Venezuela and against the imperialist US attacks on the country. In street corner meetings and rallies, the US thuggery is being denounced and effigies of Donald Trump are being burnt. The CPI(M) stands with the… pic.twitter.com/n3uTzMSSHa

— CPI (M) (@cpimspeak) January 6, 2026

Just weeks before Maduro was captured, Trump was telling US oil companies to “get ready,” hinting that big changes were coming in Venezuela. Could political uncertainty and safety concerns still pose major challenges for Chevron’s investments in Venezuela?

Opposition leader María Corina Machado—who spent months in hiding last year—expressed her gratitude for Donald Trump’s intervention in Venezuela, calling it a “huge step for humanity, for freedom.”

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate told Fox News that interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president, “can’t be trusted.”

Machado’s comments came just hours after Maduro pleaded not guilty in a New York court to drug trafficking and weapons charges. During the 30-minute hearing, he described himself as a “kidnapped president” and a “prisoner of war,” insisting that he remains “still president” of Venezuela.

Six reasons why Trump’s attack on Venezuela was very wrong: pic.twitter.com/DhGQrjEdt6

— Sen. Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) January 5, 2026

Former US national security advicer John Bolton has slammed the Trump administration for what he called a “major mistake” in ignoring Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado after President Nicolás Maduro’s capture. Speaking to CNN, Bolton said Washington had “thrown Machado under the bus” by dealing instead with Maduro-aligned figures, including acting President Delcy Rodríguez.

Bolton added that Venezuelans who supported opposition surrogate Edmundo González Urrutia are now questioning whether the US truly backs the opposition. Calling the decision “a major turning point,” he argued the administration should have coordinated with opposition groups before the military operation—similar to how the US worked with Juan Guaidó in 2018–19—to encourage defections within the regime and offer amnesty to military leaders.

Barry Pollack is a seasoned US criminal defence attorney now representing Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro in his Manhattan federal court case, where Maduro has pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism and related charges. Pollack is a partner at the Washington law firm Harris St. Laurent & Wechsler and is best known for representing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, securing a plea deal that led to Assange’s release.

Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in yesterday as Venezuela’s interim president. The oath was administered by her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, who had earlier in the day taken office as president of the National Assembly.

In her remarks, Rodríguez extended an invitation to the United States to work with Venezuela, while stressing that the nation would continue to defend its “peace, development, sovereignty, and a future.”

Image courtesy: Reuters

A classified assessment by the US Central Intelligence Agency concluded that senior figures loyal to Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro—notably Vice President Delcy Rodríguez—would be best positioned to maintain stability if Maduro were to lose power, according to people familiar with the matter. The report, shared with President Donald Trump and key national security officials, influenced Trump’s decision to favour Rodríguez over opposition leader María Corina Machado, despite her international recognition and calls for democratic transition, as reported by Reuters.

The White House declined to confirm the details, but said the president receives regular briefings on global political developments and aims to support US interests and Venezuelan well-being. The CIA analysis suggested that opposition figures might struggle to exert control and legitimacy, given the entrenched influence of Maduro’s regime within the military and state institutions.

The United States military launched ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’ on January 3 to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Donald Trump later declared that the US will now ‘run’ Venezuela. However, he has not stopped at that.

The US president has renewed threats against Cuba and Panama, and has reiterated his ambition for Greenland. Experts worry that this could encourage superpowers to assert power over their own spheres. The spheres of influence are back, they say.

A Department of Homeland Security memo reveals that Diosdado Cabello Rondon, a top Venezuelan politician, believed to control the country’s security forces, discussed a plot to assassinate US Senator Marco Rubio last month.

The memo suggests Cabello Rondon may have considered using Mexican nationals for the operation, though the threats were not fully substantiated. In response to the potential danger, Capitol Police and Miami-Dade law enforcement have increased Rubio’s security.

President Donald Trump does not plan to occupy or nation-build in Venezuela, Republican US lawmakers said on Monday after attending a briefing by top officials on the administration’s policy toward the South American nation.

“We do not have US armed forces in Venezuela, and we are not occupying that country,” Republican House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana told reporters after the classified session with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and other senior officials.

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado said that she will return home “very soon,” as she hailed US President Donald Trump’s operation to capture Nicolas Maduro.

In an interview with NBC News, Machado thanked Trump for “the historical actions he has taken against the narco-terrorist regime.”

Most Asian markets rose on Tuesday, tracking the year’s first record on Wall Street as investors racked up AI-linked tech bets, while oil prices steadied after whipsawing following the ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Traders essentially ignored the noise of the surprise US raid on Caracas on Saturday that saw Maduro and his wife spirited away to New York to face drug charges.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has said that she will share her Nobel Peace Prize with US President Donald Trump. The exiled leader has, however, not been in Trump’s good books after she failed to surrender her award last year.

Talking to Fox News, Machado said that while she has not offered her Nobel Prize to Trump yet, “I certainly would love to be able to personally tell him that we believe, the Venezuelan people, because this is a prize of the Venezuelan people, certainly want to give it to him, and share it with him.”

US House Speaker Mike Johnson has insisted that Washington is not eyeing a “regime change” in Venezuela after toppling the Nicolas Maduro-led country.

“With regard to the War Powers, we are not at war. We do not have US armed forces in Venezuela and we are not occupying that country,” Johnson said.

In an interview with NBC News, Donald Trump suggested that US taxpayers could help finance the rebuilding of Venezuela’s oil extraction and shipping infrastructure.

He acknowledged that boosting oil production in Venezuela would require “a lot of money,” but said the U.S. government could fund American oil companies to carry out the work.

“A tremendous amount of money will have to be spent and the oil companies will spend it, and then they’ll get reimbursed by us or through revenue”, the president said.