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Trump praises tactically ‘brilliant’ operation against Nicolas Maduro

Trump praises tactically ‘brilliant’ operation against Nicolas Maduro
By Nils Adler, Stephen Quillen, Brian Osgood and Farah Najjar
Published On 7 Jan 2026

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7 Jan 2026 - 22:59
 (22:59 GMT)

Thanks for joining us

For more on the US’s seizure of a Venezuela-linked oil tanker, read here.

For a breakdown on the state of Venezuela’s oil sector and the sanctions hindering its development, read here.

And for the latest on US threats of military action elsewhere – the Danish territory of Greenland – read here.

7 Jan 2026 - 22:50
 (22:50 GMT)

Here’s what happened today

This live page will close soon. Here’s a look at the day’s main developments:

  • The White House said Venezuela’s interim government must take orders from the US, despite Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, insisting no foreign power is in charge.
  • Top US officials detailed plans to control the proceeds of Venezuelan oil sales, saying proceeds will benefit the Venezuelan and American people, as determined by the US government.
  • Venezuela’s state-run oil company PDVSA said it is in talks with the US to arrange international petroleum sales “within the framework of existing commercial relations”.
  • China slammed the US’s demand for an “exclusive partnership” in Venezuela’s oil sector as a “typical bullying” act.
  • The US military said it seized a Russian-flagged, Venezuela-linked oil tanker – the Marinera – in the North Atlantic. The White House said the vessel had been transporting sanctioned oil and warned its crew could face prosecution in the US.
  • Russia accused the US of violating international maritime law and urged it to return all Russian nationals aboard and treat them humanely.
  • The White House said its “too early” to discuss a timetable for future elections in Venezuela.
7 Jan 2026 - 22:45
 (22:45 GMT)

Colombia fears regional ‘catastrophe’ after US strike on Venezuela: Deputy foreign minister

The US military strike on Venezuela that unseated its leader, Nicolas Maduro, could ripple out into a “catastrophe” for the whole of Latin America, Colombia’s deputy foreign minister says.     

“If there is a major humanitarian crisis, the impact, the devastation will be unstoppable … We are talking about a catastrophe that Latin America has never seen,” Mauricio Jaramillo told the AFP news agency in an interview in Bogota.

Deputy Minister of Multilateral Affairs of Colombia Mauricio Jaramillo speaks during a news conference in Bogota, Colombia, on January 6 [Carlos Ortega/EPA]
7 Jan 2026 - 22:40
 (22:40 GMT)

Vice President Vance says Venezuela can only sell oil if it serves US interests

US Vice President JD Vance has told Fox News’ “Jesse Waters Primetime” show that the United ⁠States – which carried out strikes against the South American country and captured its president over the week – controls Venezuela’s purse strings.

“We control ‌the energy resources, and we tell the regime, you’re allowed to sell the ‌oil so long as you ‌serve America’s national interest, ⁠you’re not allowed to sell it if you can’t serve America’s national ‌interest,” Vance said.

Excerpts of the interview were released before it aired.

US Vice President JD Vance [File: Caylo Seals/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP]
7 Jan 2026 - 22:35
 (22:35 GMT)

Trump says Venezuela will buy only US products with oil proceeds

President Donald Trump says Venezuela has ⁠agreed to use the proceeds from the sale of its oil to ⁠purchase only US-made goods.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump ‌said the purchases would include US agricultural products, medicines, ‌and medical devices, as ‌well as ⁠equipment to improve its electricity grid ‌and energy facilities.

7 Jan 2026 - 22:30
 (22:30 GMT)

Photos: People rally in support of Maduro in Caracas

Demonstrators attend a rally in support of abducted President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, January 7 [Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP]
[Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP]
[Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP]
[Ronaldo Schemidt/AFP]

7 Jan 2026 - 22:20
 (22:20 GMT)
Houthi

Trump signs proclamation withdrawing from international organisations

US President Donald Trump has ⁠signed a proclamation withdrawing the United States from 35 non-United Nations ⁠organisations and 31 UN entities that “operate contrary to US ‌national interests”, the White House says ‌in a ‌statement.

It did not list the ‌organisations.

7 Jan 2026 - 22:15
 (22:15 GMT)

Venezuela arrests farmers who feted Maduro’s ouster with alcohol, gunfire

Venezuelan authorities have arrested two farmers, brothers in their 60s, who celebrated the removal of leader Nicolas Maduro by getting drunk and firing shots into the air, an NGO says.

The men from Rio Negro in Venezuela’s western Merida state celebrated by firing “a few shots into the air” and taunting their loyalist neighbours, who reported them, lawyer Gonzalo Himiob of the rights group Foro Penal told the AFP news agency. Himiob described the brothers, aged 64 and 65, as “humble farmers”.

“They were intoxicated and came out of their home to celebrate that Mr Maduro had been captured,” he said. “They fired a few shots into the air with firearms that are commonly kept on farms and rural properties, teasing their neighbours who are government supporters.”

The arrests were made under a state of emergency that imposes penalties on anyone supporting the US military operation that saw Maduro captured and whisked away in handcuffs to stand trial in New York on drug trafficking and other charges.

“We’re waiting to see if they’re brought before the courts,” Himiob said of the farmers.

7 Jan 2026 - 22:00
 (22:00 GMT)

First priority of Venezuelan oil revenue is economic stabilisation, says US energy secretary

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has said Venezuelan oil revenue will first be used to stabilise the country’s economy, before compensating US firms that invested in the sector prior to its nationalisation.

Exxon ‌Mobil and ConocoPhillips were key producers in the country ‌before their ‌projects were ⁠nationalised by former President Hugo Chavez nearly ‌20 years ago.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright [File: Carlos Barria/Reuters]
7 Jan 2026 - 21:50
 (21:50 GMT)

Trump backs $500bn boost in 2027 military budget

The US president has said he believes the 2027 military budget should be set at $1.5 trillion, an increase of more than $500bn from the amount authorised for 2026.

“I have determined that, for the Good of our Country, especially in these very troubled and dangerous times, our Military Budget for the year 2027 should not be $1 Trillion Dollars, but rather $1.5 Trillion Dollars,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account. “This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe.”

The US already has the world’s largest military budget by far, spending triple that of its closest competitor, China, last year.

7 Jan 2026 - 21:45
 (21:45 GMT)

Democratic senator expresses support for Trump’s claim on Greenland

John Fetterman, a Democratic US senator from Pennsylvania, has expressed support for Trump’s efforts to seize Greenland, but says he does not support the use of force to do so.

“I believe Greenland has massive strategic benefits for the United States. I do not support taking it by force,” Fetterman said in a social media post.

“America is not a bully. Ideally, we purchase it — similar to our purchases of Alaska or the Louisiana Purchase. Acquiring Greenland is a many decades old conversation.”

A centrist, Fetterman has baffled some members of his own party by aligning himself with some of the Trump administration’s most hawkish foreign policy positions.

7 Jan 2026 - 21:30
 (21:30 GMT)

Photos: Venezuela holds funerals for soldiers killed in US attack

The total death toll from Saturday’s attack on Venezuela remains unclear, with one Venezuelan official telling The New York Times the tally could be about 80.

While the US government reported no deaths among its service members, two US soldiers were injured.

Cuba said 32 of its military officers were killed in the attack: The Caribbean island has long provided security services to Venezuela, its close ally.

Venezuela, meanwhile, announced that nearly 24 members of its military personnel were killed in the strike.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez has called for a seven-day period of mourning to honour the dead. On Wednesday, a funeral was held to bury some of the late soldiers.

An honour guard arrives at a cemetery in Caracas, Venezuela, for the funeral of Venezuelan military personnel killed in the US raid [Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo]
Military personnel carry the coffins of soldiers killed as the US abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro [Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo]
Military personnel remove their caps as the funeral procession passes [Ariana Cubillos/AP Photo]
Ramona Palma, the mother of Venezuelan soldier Cesar Garcia, mourns her late son [Matias Delacroix/AP Photo]

7 Jan 2026 - 21:25
 (21:25 GMT)

White House working to reopen embassy in Caracas: Report

Bloomberg reports that the Trump administration is seeking to quickly reopen its embassy in Caracas and send diplomats back into the country.

Citing unnamed officials involved in the process, the media network reports the US plans to return diplomats to the embassy, shuttered since 2019, as early as this week, though no exact date has been given for its reopening.

The US closed its embassy in Venezuela in 2019 after dismissing Maduro’s 2018 re-election as president.

The entrance of the US embassy in Caracas, Venezuela [Reuters]
7 Jan 2026 - 21:15
 (21:15 GMT)
Analysis

Army could be decisive factor in Venezuela’s transition

Renata Segura, programme director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the International Crisis Group, says a major factor in Venezuela’s future will be how the army reacts to US involvement in the country.

“Military forces in Venezuela control enormous amounts of power, both economic as well as on the streets,” Segura told Al Jazeera.

“And there might be a moment in which they think they’re not going to be on board with this particular arrangement that the US is presenting.”

7 Jan 2026 - 21:00
 (21:00 GMT)

Bondi says pursuing criminal charges for crew of seized tanker

In a post on the social media platform X, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said crew members from the seized Russian-flagged tanker are under “under full investigation” for not complying with her country’s Coast Guard orders.

Bondi added that “criminal charges will be pursued against all culpable actors”. She also hinted that other tanker seizures could be on the horizon.

“The Department of Justice is monitoring several other vessels for similar enforcement action,” Bondi added.

“Anyone on any vessel who fails to obey instructions of the Coast Guard or other federal officials will be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the US seized the Russian-flagged tanker Marinera, formerly known as the Bella 1, as well as a stateless vessel called the Sophia.

7 Jan 2026 - 20:45
 (20:45 GMT)

Rubio to meet officials from Denmark, Greenland

Danish Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt has confirmed a statement from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who announced earlier today that he planned to visit officials in Denmark next week.

“Of course, we will take part,” Motzfeldt said in an interview with the Danish public broadcaster DR. “We’re the ones who requested a meeting.”

The meeting comes amid tensions between the two allies, as the US has renewed its threats of seizing the island of Greenland, a self-administered territory in Denmark, for “national security” purposes.

Officials in both Greenland and Denmark have denounced the US plans as a violation of their sovereignty.

7 Jan 2026 - 20:30
 (20:30 GMT)
Analysis

‘Not a stable situation at all’ for Venezuela’s leaders

Renata Segura, programme director for Latin America and Caribbean at the International Crisis Group, says there is likely “a lot of debate” within Venezuela’s government about how to react to Trump’s claims that he will “run” the country.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Segura noted that Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez and others around her came to power opposing what they saw as US imperialism. They are unlikely to accept such a scenario “willingly”.

“I wouldn’t call it a stable situation at all,” said Segura.

She added that the US should “carefully contemplate” how much Rodriguez can satisfy its demands without alienating others in her government.

Segura believes there are others in the Venezuelan government who “might rise up and say, ‘No, we are not going along with this plan,’ and we might see more instability in the country.”

7 Jan 2026 - 20:15
 (20:15 GMT)

Colombia’s Petro calls for demonstrations against US threats

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has long enjoyed a testy relationship with his US counterpart, Trump. The two have exchanged barbs over immigration policy, US military actions and Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza.

But since Saturday’s military offensive in Venezuela, Trump has upped his threats against Petro, Colombia’s first left-wing leader.

When asked if the US would lead a military operation to remove Petro, Trump replied over the weekend, “Sounds good to me.”

Petro has denounced those comments as a threat against Colombia’s sovereignty. On social media, he has called on Colombian citizens to take to the streets on Wednesday to show their outrage.

“I expect you all at four o’clock in the afternoon [21:00 GMT] in all the public squares of the country,” Petro wrote on social media. “Let’s join the president to defend national sovereignty.”

7 Jan 2026 - 20:00
 (20:00 GMT)

Here’s what has happened so far

If you’re just joining us, here are the latest developments:

  • The Trump administration has said that it will control the sale of Venezuelan oil on the world market and that the proceeds of those sales will be deposited in a US-controlled bank account.
  • Speaking of the interim Venezuelan leaders, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “ Their decisions are going to continue to be dictated by the United States of America.”
  • The US has seized two oil tankers, the unflagged Sophia and the Russian-flagged Marinera, as it seeks to crack down on alleged violations of Venezuelan oil sanctions.
  • Russia slammed the seizure of the vessel, calling it a violation of the freedom of the seas: “No state has the right ‌to use force against vessels duly registered in the jurisdictions of ‌other states.”
  • The Kremlin has called for the crew of the Russian-flagged vessel to be returned home, though the Trump administration has signalled it may prosecute the sailors.
  • The White House has continued to insist that it will take control of Greenland, refusing to rule out the use of military force despite growing alarm from Denmark and its European allies.
  • The UN Human Rights Office has released a statement from experts condemning US actions against Venezuela as a “grave, manifest and deliberate violation of the most fundamental principles of international law”.
7 Jan 2026 - 19:45
 (19:45 GMT)

Venezuelan minister says research centres damaged, destroyed by US strikes

Venezuela’s Science and Technology Minister Gabriela Jimenez has said the US strikes on Saturday destroyed a building housing a public mathematics centre near the capital Caracas.

Jimenez shared footage of the wrecked building on the social media app Telegram, along with the remains of what she claimed was an AGM-154 US glide bomb.

“The attack was total,” Jimenez said, adding that four other buildings housing academic research centres were also damaged.

“This is an unprecedented act of imperial aggression against the people of Venezuela, in which the civil and scientific infrastructure of our nation has been attacked,” she continued. “There is no justification whatsoever for attacking a sanctuary of science, a place that has provided historic answers to the country and the world.”