The Daily Populous Sunday January 4th, 2026 morning edition
Authored by theguardian.com and submitted by lolikroli

From 7h ago 00.59 GMT Maduro lands in New York before helicopter transfer amid high security Hello, this is Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangkok, taking over from my colleagues in London. We’ll be bringing you the latest developments after the capture of Venezuelan leader Maduro by US troops. Images from agencies appear to show the journey made by Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, as they were flown into the US. A plane believed to have been carrying the couple landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York on Saturday evening. Maduro was escorted off the plane surrounded by FBI agents, according to a report by AFP. An airplane carrying Nicolás Maduro and wife Cilia Flores arrives at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters Maduro was then taken by helicopter to the Westside Heliport in Manhattan, arriving just before 7pm according to the New York Times. Nicolás Maduro and wife Cilia Flores arrive in custody from a helicopter before scheduled court appearance at Manhattan federal court, at the Westside Heliport in New York City. Photograph: Jeenah Moon/Reuters Heavy security awaited Maduro in Manhattan, images showed. He was due to be taken to the offices of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, then to the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal facility in Brooklyn, according to US media. Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs was held at the same facility during his trial last year, as were other high profile prisoners including Ghislaine Maxwell. Heavy security during the operation. Photograph: Jeenah Moon/Reuters Share Updated at 04.38 GMT

3h ago 05.01 GMT What we learned – summary It has been a huge day of news and developments after the dramatic US attack on Caracas and the capture of Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife. We’ll be starting a new blog soon to bring you the latest news. Here’s everything you need to know about what happened today. Maduro is now being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, according to US media reports . A plane believed to have been carrying Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, landed in New York on Saturday evening.

The White House’s official rapid response account on X posted a video earlier which appeared to show Maduro handcuffed and escorted by agents at the US Drug Enforcement Administration offices . In the video, Maduro, who is wearing a black hooded top and hat, walks down a hallway with a carpet that says “DEA NYD”. He can be heard saying “Goodnight” and “Happy new year”.

Donald Trump said “We’re going to run the country [Venezuela] until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition” during a press conference about the attack on Venezuela. He has not given further details.

The US is going to be “very strongly involved” in Venezuela’s oil industry after the military operation, Trump said. “We have the greatest oil companies in the world, the biggest, the greatest, and we’re going to be very much involved in it.”

Trump said his administration had not spoken to Venezuela’s exiled opposition leader María Corina Machado . He said he did not think she would be able to return to lead Venezuela, saying: “She does not have the support in Venezuela. She is a very nice woman but she does not have the support.”

Venezuela’s supreme court has ordered vice-president Delcy Rodríguez to assume the role of acting president in Maduro’s absence.

Asked about Trump’s comment that the US will “run” Venezuela temporarily, US defense secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS News : “President Trump sets the terms … But it means the drugs stop flowing. It means the oil that was taken from us is returned, ultimately, and that criminals are not sent to the United States.”

The UN security council was due to hold an emergency meeting on Monday.

The UN secretary general, António Guterres, is deeply alarmed by the US military action in Venezuela , his spokesperson has said, and considered the US intervention “a dangerous precedent”.

The New York Times reported that at least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in Saturday’s attack. The estimate came from a senior Venezuelan official who spoke on the condition of anonymity This blog is now closing, you can follow our continued live coverage here. Share Updated at 05.09 GMT

4h ago 03.57 GMT Florida's Venezuelan community celebrates Maduro's capture Hundreds of people from the Venezuelan community in Doral, South Florida gathered on Saturday to celebrate the capture of Nicolás Maduro by US troops, waving the Venezuelan flag and chanting “liberty”. Associated Press spoke to those who turned out, including some who hope they will be able to return home and reunite with their families. David Nuñez told AP he fled to the US six years ago after being persecuted in Venezuela for his political activism. He has not seen his daughters — ages 8 and 17 — since then. “The most important thing is that we’re going to be able to be with our families soon,” Nuñez said. “At least for me, I haven’t seen my daughters in six years so I have a lot of mixed feelings. I’ve cried a lot. I’m really happy because I know that I’m going to be able to return to Venezuela very soon.”

View image in fullscreen Florida’s Venezuelan community reacts to the news Nicolás Maduro has been removed from office following a US military operation. Photograph: Cristóbal Herrera/EPA Roughly half the population of Doral is of Venezuelan descent, and people began to gather as soon as news broke.

“We’re like everybody — it’s a combination of feelings, of course,” Alejandra Arrieta, who came to the US in 1997, told AP. “There’s fears. There’s excitement. There’s so many years that we’ve been waiting for this. Something had to happen in Venezuela. We all need the freedom.”

Trump said earlier on Saturday that the US will “run” Venezuela until there can be “a safe, proper and judicious transition”, but did not give further details.

About 8 million people have fled Venezuela since 2014, with the majority hosted in Latin American and Caribbean countries, though many have also made treacherous journeys to the US.

In South Florida, deep-seated concerns among the Venezuelan community about Trump’s immigration crackdowns gave way to celebrations after Maduro was deposed, AP reported. Share Updated at 04.54 GMT

4h ago 03.12 GMT Maduro 'perp walked' The White House’s official rapid response account on X has posted a video of what appears to be ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro handcuffed and escorted by DEA agents. In the video, Maduro, who is wearing a black hooded top and hat, walks down a hallway with a carpet that says “DEA NYD”. He can be heard saying “Goodnight” and “Happy new year”. The video was posted on X alongside the text “Perp walked” – where an individual who has been arrested is escorted in front of media so they can be photographed. View image in fullscreen This screengrab taken from the X account of Rapid Response 47, the official White House rapid response account, shows Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro escorted by DEA agents inside the headquarters of the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in lower Manhattan, New York, on January 3. Photograph: X account of Rapid Response 47/AFP/Getty Images Share Updated at 04.07 GMT

5h ago 02.43 GMT Venezuela court orders Delcy Rodriguez to temporarily assume presidency Venezuela’s Supreme Court late on Saturday ordered the vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, to become the country’s interim leader, after the US seized president Nicolás Maduro and whisked him out of the country. According to multiple reports, the high court ruled that Rodriguez “assume and exercise, in an acting capacity, all the attributes, duties and powers inherent to the office of President ... to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the nation.” The judges stopped short of declaring Maduro permanently absent from office, a ruling that requires holding elections within 30 days. View image in fullscreen Venezuela's vice president Delcy Rodriguez. Photograph: Pavel Golovkin/AP Share

5h ago 02.21 GMT ‘Blast smashed the entire roof of my house’ Twelve hours after the US attack on Caracas, locals are reflecting on what happened in the capital. Agence France-Presse has spoken to people about their experience early on Saturday morning, when many were awoken by the traumatic sound of explosions and aircraft flying overhead. Alpidio Lovera, a 47-year-old resident, who ran to a hill with his pregnant wife and other residents to escape the strikes said: “Psssh, first we saw the flash and then the explosion.” His sister Linda Unamuno, 39, burst into sobs as she recalled a nightmarish night. “The blast smashed the entire roof of my house,” she said. Unamuno’s first thoughts were that La Guaira was experiencing another natural disaster, 26 years ago after a landslide of biblical proportions swept away 10,000 people, many of them washed out to sea. “I went out, that’s when I saw what was happening. I saw the fire from the airstrikes. It was traumatising,” she sobbed, adding she “wished it on no-one.” Alirio Elista, a pensioner whose water tank was damaged in the strikes, said those who cheered the US intervention for bringing down the unpopular Maduro “don’t know what they’re talking about.” He said he believed news of Maduro’s capture was “fake” – despite Donald Trump having posted a picture of him blindfolded and handcuffed on a US warship. View image in fullscreen Photograph taken on 3 January shows damage caused by an airstrike at the port of La Guaira, Venezuela. Photograph: Xinhua/Shutterstock Share

6h ago 02.00 GMT Maduro operation disrupts hundreds of flights across Caribbean The US military operation that captured Nicolás Maduro and flew him out of the country early on Saturday has disrupted Caribbean travel at a busy travel time for the region. No airline flights were crossing over Venezuela on Saturday, according to FlightRadar24.com. And major airlines cancelled hundreds of flights across the eastern Caribbean region and warned passengers that the disruptions could continue for days after the Federal Aviation Administration imposed restrictions. Flights were cancelled to and from Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Aruba and more than a dozen other destinations in the Lesser Antilles island group that lies north of Venezuela. The airlines are waiving change fees for passengers who have to reschedule their flights this weekend. Share

6h ago 01.22 GMT 'President Trump sets the terms': Hegseth speaks about next steps The US defense secretary Pete Hegseth has spoken to CBS News about the US operation in Venezuela and what happens next. Trump earlier said the US was going to “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition”. Asked about Trump’s comments, and whether this would mean US troops on the ground, Hegseth responded: Well, it means we set the terms. President Trump sets the terms. And ultimately, he’ll decide what the iterations are of that. But it means the drugs stop flowing. It means the oil that was taken from us is returned, ultimately, and that criminals are not sent to the United States. Hegseth told CBS the capture of Maduro was “the most sophisticated, most complicated, most successful joint special operations raid of all time”.

Hegseth, who was among the Trump officials who oversaw the operation, also appeared alongside the president at a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida, earlier on Saturday. During the press conference, Trump said the US would run Venezuela “with a group” and would be “designating various people” in charge while pointing to Hegseth, as well as the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio; and the joint chiefs of staff chair, Gen Dan “Razin” Caine, behind him.

Hegseth was also asked whether the Trump administration would seek approval for a full-scale US intervention to stabilise Venezuela – and whether he believed, legally, that was necessary. He responded: Well, we’re postured. As the president said, the blockade continues: no oil going in and out, no drug boats allowed to traffic in the Caribbean or the Eastpac. We’re still poised there. This was a law enforcement exercise. It was the Department of War in support of the Department of Justice pulling out an indicted person who ultimately will face justice. And [US secretary of state] Marco [Rubio] was clear that this is not something you notify Congress about beforehand, but were there to be more extensions to this, of course, we’ll keep Congress involved. They’re our partners, and we would do. View image in fullscreen Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump watch the raid that captured Nicolás Maduro. Photograph: White House Press Office Handout/EPA Share Updated at 02.00 GMT

7h ago 00.59 GMT Maduro lands in New York before helicopter transfer amid high security Hello, this is Rebecca Ratcliffe in Bangkok, taking over from my colleagues in London. We’ll be bringing you the latest developments after the capture of Venezuelan leader Maduro by US troops. Images from agencies appear to show the journey made by Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, as they were flown into the US. A plane believed to have been carrying the couple landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York on Saturday evening. Maduro was escorted off the plane surrounded by FBI agents, according to a report by AFP. View image in fullscreen An airplane carrying Nicolás Maduro and wife Cilia Flores arrives at Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters Maduro was then taken by helicopter to the Westside Heliport in Manhattan, arriving just before 7pm according to the New York Times. View image in fullscreen Nicolás Maduro and wife Cilia Flores arrive in custody from a helicopter before scheduled court appearance at Manhattan federal court, at the Westside Heliport in New York City. Photograph: Jeenah Moon/Reuters Heavy security awaited Maduro in Manhattan, images showed. He was due to be taken to the offices of the US Drug Enforcement Administration, then to the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal facility in Brooklyn, according to US media. Rapper Sean “Diddy” Combs was held at the same facility during his trial last year, as were other high profile prisoners including Ghislaine Maxwell. View image in fullscreen Heavy security during the operation. Photograph: Jeenah Moon/Reuters Share Updated at 04.38 GMT

8h ago 23.36 GMT View image in fullscreen One of three helicopters believed to be carrying Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores leaves before their scheduled court appearance at Manhattan federal court. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters Share

8h ago 23.15 GMT At least 40 killed in attack on Caracas: report Tom Phillips The New York Times has reported that at least 40 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in Saturday’s US attack on Venezuela. The estimate comes from a senior Venezuelan official who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The victims reportedly include a woman called Rosa González, who was killed when her three-story apartment complex was hit by a strike. Another resident was reportedly severely injured. Share Updated at 01.33 GMT

8h ago 23.10 GMT Callum Jones US oil giants have so far remained silent on Donald Trump’s claim that they are primed to spend “billions and billions of dollars” rebuilding the Venezuelan oil industry following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro​. Chevron, the only US oil company still operating in Venezuela, committed only to following “relevant laws and regulations” after the US president suggested American energy multinationals would be central to his plans for the country. Venezuela’s vast oil reserves – reputedly the world’s largest – will be modernized and exploited, Trump claimed in interviews and a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate. US oil firms will invest heavily to reconstruct “rotted” infrastructure, ramp up production and sell “large amounts … to other countries”, he told reporters, adding: “We’re in the oil business.” “We’re going to have our very large United States oil companies – the biggest anywhere in the world – go in, spend billions of dollars, fix the badly broken infrastructure and start making money for the country,” the president said. The firms would be “reimbursed”, he added, without providing more detail. ExxonMobil, the biggest US oil company, and ConocoPhillips, another major player, did not respond to requests for comment. A spokesperson for Chevron said: “Chevron remains focused on the safety and wellbeing of our employees, as well as the integrity of our assets. We continue to operate in full compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.” US oil giants silent on Trump claim they will spend billions on Venezuelan oil industry Read more Share

FrontPreference6623 on January 3rd, 2026 at 15:38 UTC »

Was there not a ongoing global move towards green energy?

I thought the Middle East was getting de-prioritised due to this reason.

So, why the urgency to secure Venezuela's oil? Of course, its to secure its own oil supplies and keep the war machines running, but I don't think there was any major threat to America's oil supplies (as far as we know) from elsewhere in the world anyway.

This makes me wonder if this really is preparation and precursor to a larger conflict. Whatever the case, I think this shows that they were serious about the "Western Hemisphere" in that NSS.

Normal_Imagination54 on January 3rd, 2026 at 15:12 UTC »

At least this time, there is no veneer of installing democracy and delivering freedom.

Kudos, there is progress.

lolikroli on January 3rd, 2026 at 15:03 UTC »

SS: In the latest comments regarding invasion of Venezuela Trump stated that that the United States is going to be “very strongly involved” in Venezuela’s oil industry. In a tweet JD Vance stated that the stolen oil must be returned to the United States. Could this be the real reason for the invasion?