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Acting President Rodríguez Defies U.S. Demands as Prisoner Releases Accelerate

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Rodríguez publicly rejects Washington’s pressure while Maduro remains detained On Sunday Delcy Rodríguez told oil workers in Puerto La Cruz that she has “enough” of U.S. orders, emphasizing Venezuelan sovereignty and urging internal political solutions [1]. Earlier in January, U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a raid and transferred them to the United States for prosecution [1]. Rodríguez balances loyalty to Maduro’s base with the need to avoid further U.S. escalation.

Washington’s package demands oil revival, alliance shifts, and prisoner releases The United States issued a list of conditions that include resuming Venezuelan oil output, severing ties with China, Iran, Russia and Cuba, and granting exclusive partnership to U.S. oil firms [1]. It also insists on the immediate release of political detainees as a prerequisite for any cooperation [1]. These demands aim to secure a reliable energy source for the U.S. while reshaping Venezuela’s geopolitical orientation.

Mass political‑prisoner releases signal a humanitarian overture At least 104 detainees were freed on Sunday, bringing the total since the Jan. 8 “peace” gesture to 266, according to rights group Foro Penal [1]. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello later reported that 808 people have been released since December under Maduro’s orders [1]. The releases are presented as a goodwill gesture to the United States and a bid to ease diplomatic pressure.

Trump pivots from threat to praise and adds secret‑weapon claim After initially threatening to “run” Venezuela, President Donald Trump called Rodríguez a “terrific person” following a phone call and promised a higher rate of prisoner releases [1]. In a separate interview, Trump asserted that a classified “Discombobulator” pulsed‑energy weapon disabled Venezuelan rockets during the raid that captured Maduro [2]. He also claimed the U.S. seized oil from seven Venezuelan tankers, though he provided no details on their whereabouts [2].

Internal fractures and opposition overtures complicate U.S. objectives Venezuela remains split among Maduro loyalists, left‑wing factions opposed to current policies, and “Chavistas No‑Maduristas” rejecting Maduro’s legacy [1]. Opposition leader María Corina Machado met Trump and was floated as a potential future leader, adding another layer to Washington’s strategy [1]. These dynamics make it difficult for the United States to secure a single, stable authority in Caracas.

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Timeline

Dec 2, 2025 – President Trump announces that U.S. strikes on targets inside Venezuela will begin “soon,” expanding the campaign from maritime drug‑boat attacks to land operations, and he says he and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were unaware of a second September boat strike [23].

Dec 17, 2025 – Trump designates the Maduro regime a foreign terrorist organization and orders a total blockade of all sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers, while deploying the USS Gerald Ford carrier strike group to the Caribbean to pressure Caracas’s oil exports [22].

Dec 19, 2025 – Senior officials, including Sen. Marco Rubio, assert that the Caribbean boat strikes do not require congressional approval, arguing the actions are lawful counter‑drug measures and do not constitute a war [21].

Dec 22, 2025 – Maduro posts a defiant Christmas message on Telegram, rejecting U.S. threats; simultaneously, the Trump administration expands a Caribbean military buildup, seizes sanctioned Venezuelan oil vessels, and labels the regime a terrorist organization, prompting China to condemn the tanker seizures [20].

Dec 29, 2025 – In a radio interview, Trump claims the United States “knocked out” a South‑American facility tied to drug‑boat operations, noting that 29 strikes since early September have killed at least 105 people, though the Pentagon offers no official confirmation [19].

Jan 3, 2026 – U.S. special‑operations forces capture President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores in a pre‑dawn raid on their Caracas compound, fly them aboard the USS Iwo Jima to New York, and place them under a federal indictment for narco‑terrorism, drug trafficking and weapons offenses [15][18][26][28].

Jan 3, 2026 – Venezuela’s foreign minister petitions the UN Security Council for an emergency meeting after the raid, while Vice President Diosdado Cabello says the United States achieved only “partial goals” and urges calm [18].

Jan 3, 2026 – Russia condemns the operation as unlawful aggression, with Foreign Minister Lavrov expressing “solidarity” with Venezuela, while President Putin remains publicly silent, highlighting the limits of Moscow’s military ties to Caracas [6].

Jan 4, 2026 – Trump declares the “Donroe Doctrine,” proclaiming that the historic Monroe Doctrine is superseded and that the United States will assert unchallenged dominance throughout the Western Hemisphere, framing the Maduro capture as the first step of this new policy [12].

Jan 4, 2026 – U.S. forces conduct overnight strikes across the hemisphere, involving more than 150 aircraft, to capture Maduro; Trump outlines a U.S.‑run transitional administration for Venezuela and warns the operation serves as a “warning to anyone who would threaten American sovereignty” [13].

Jan 4, 2026 – Caracas residents express mixed reactions to Maduro’s removal, with some celebrating and others protesting; the city experiences a blackout and reports civilian and military casualties during the raid [14].

Jan 5, 2026 – Vice‑president Delcy Rodríguez is sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president, announces a commission to pursue Maduro’s release, and signals a willingness to cooperate with the United States while the U.S. declares it will run Venezuela and tap its oil reserves during the transition [8][10][11][15].

Jan 5, 2026 – At least 16 sanctioned Venezuelan oil tankers depart the country amid the sanctions blockade, underscoring the immediate economic impact of the U.S. pressure campaign [8].

Jan 8, 2026 – Trump renames the Monroe Doctrine the “Donroe Doctrine” at Mar‑a‑Lago, extending the U.S. “backyard” north to Greenland and citing Venezuelan oil and Greenland’s rare‑earth minerals as strategic assets [5].

Jan 8, 2026 – Russian diplomats condemn the raid, but President Putin offers no public statement, revealing Moscow’s reluctance to confront the United States directly after the operation that exposed the limits of Russian‑supplied air‑defense systems in Venezuela [6].

Jan 9, 2026 – CIA officials disclose that a covert team entered a denied area of Venezuela in August, using human intelligence, satellite mapping and low‑altitude flights to locate Maduro; the operation’s success hinges on a single source close to the president and on cyber‑space support that kept Caracas lights off during the raid [4].

Jan 11, 2026 – Trump urges Cuba to strike a deal or face the loss of Venezuelan oil and money, while Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez asserts Cuba’s right to import fuel unimpeded and notes that Cuba has never been compensated for providing security services abroad [3].

Jan 15, 2026 – The remains of 32 Cuban soldiers killed protecting Maduro arrive in Havana for military ceremonies; protests are scheduled outside the U.S. embassy, and the interim Venezuelan government announces it will halt oil shipments to Cuba, threatening a severe blow to the Cuban economy [2].

Jan 16, 2026 – Cuba receives the cremated ashes of the 32 fallen troops in a public funeral attended by Raul Castro and President Miguel Díaz‑Canel; the Cuban government confirms the presence of its intelligence officers in Venezuela’s power corridors, while Trump publicly praises Venezuela’s interim leader as “a terrific person” [1].

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