US sets its sights on Venezuela’s oil
• Former Venezuelan ruler due in New York court today on narco-trafficking charges
• Ex-VP strikes defiant tone after being sworn in as interim leader
• Trump boasts US will take the country’s riches; casts doubt on Nobel laureate opposition leader’s ability to lead
• Rubio says oil embargo to be enforced by US Navy ships
• Pakistan calls for restraint, end to crisis
NEW YORK / CARACAS: Venezuela’s toppled leader was in a New York detention centre on Sunday, as Washington signaled it was work with the existing Venezuelan leadership, after an unprecedented military operation to snatch Nicolas Maduro left the region teetering on the edge of chaos.
The image of the 63-year-old Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed en route to the US has stunned Venezuelans and was Washington’s most controversial intervention in Latin America since the invasion of Panama 37 years ago.
The Venezuelan strongman is due to appear in a Manhattan court on Monday.
At home, Maduro allies were still in charge and have denounced his “kidnapping” as part of an imperialist oil grab.
Streets were far quieter than usual as Venezuelans anxiously discussed what would come next. Some stocked up on essentials but many simply hunkered indoors.
“There is fear and uncertainty.” Trump said the US would for now manage the South American nation of about 30 million people, plus its oil reserves — the largest in the world.
“We’re going to be taking a tremendous amount of wealth from the ground,” Trump said.
“We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” he told a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort.
Uncertainty in Caracas
Venezuelans faced deep uncertainty regarding their country’s leadership after Maduro’s snatching sparked a chaotic scramble for power.
Although the nation’s top court swore in Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as the interim leader, President Donald Trump insisted the US would effectively run the country.
He suggested a collaboration with Rodríguez, claiming she expressed willingness to cooperate with American demands, a narrative she publicly contradicted while surrounded by high-ranking officials in Caracas.
Trump asserted that Rodríguez, a 56-year-old attorney and Maduro loyalist, was sworn in per the constitution but would operate under US terms to facilitate a transition.
“She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again,” Trump told reporters. He added that Rodríguez spoke at length with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reportedly telling him, ‘We’ll do whatever you need”.
However, appearing on state television, Rodríguez struck a defiant tone. She did not broadcast an inauguration ceremony but stood flanked by military commanders and civilian officials to condemn the US operation as a flagrant violation of the United Nations charter.
“There is only one president in this country, and his name is Nicolás Maduro,” Rodríguez said, demanding the release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. “History and justice will make the extremists who promoted this armed aggression pay.”
‘Second wave’
While Trump cited cooperation, Rubio offered a stricter assessment during Sunday news show appearances. Speaking to ABC, Rubio stated that while the US acknowledges Rodríguez’s current role, it does not view the ruling socialist party as legitimate.
Rubio’s comments indicated that Washington is not seeking complete regime change and sought to clarify President Donald Trump’s earlier statement that the United States will “run” the Latin American country of about 30 million people.
While Trump had threatened “a second wave” of military action if needed, Rubio said US pressure would remain on Venezuela in the form of an oil export embargo enforced by Navy ships in the Caribbean.
“Ultimately, legitimacy for their system of government will come about through a period of transition and real elections,” Rubio said. In separate remarks to CBS, Rubio warned that Washington retains leverage if officials fail to make the “right decisions”, noting that judgement would be based on actions rather than public statements.
The geopolitical manoeuvre also sidelined Venezuela’s opposition. Opposition leader and Nobel Prize winner María Corina Machado called on ally Edmundo González — widely viewed as the true winner of the 2024 presidential election — to assume power.
However, Trump bluntly dismissed Machado’s ability to govern.
“I think it would be very tough for [Machado] to be the leader,” Trump said. “She doesn’t have the support or respect within the country.”
In Caracas, government officials decried the move as an imperialist seizure. Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, urging calm among party loyalists, said the events revealed Washington’s true intent was always the nation’s oil.
Maduro’s extraction
The deposed Venezuelan leader was in a detention centre ahead of an expected Manhattan court hearing on narco-trafficking charges on Monday.
Handcuffed and in sandals, Maduro was escorted by federal agents through a Manhattan US Drug Enforcement Administration facility late Saturday, a video posted by the White House on social media showed.
“Good night, happy new year,” the 63-year-old leftist was heard saying in English.
Earlier, he was photographed on board a US naval ship blindfolded and handcuffed, with noise-cancelling ear protectors.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Defence Minister Gen Vladimir Padrino López, appearing in fatigues, signalled that the armed forces remained loyal to the ruling party.
A large part of erstwhile President Nicolas Maduro’s security team was killed in the US raid that led to the leader’s Saturday capture, Padrino said in a televised statement on Sunday morning.
Padrino did not give an exact figure of causalties, but backed the declaration of Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim president and said the armed forces have been activated across the country to guarantee sovereignty.
Pakistan concerned
Meanwhile, on Sunday, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said it attached great importance to the well being of the people of Venezuela and viewed the evolving situation in the country with concern.
In a statement, FO spoksperson Tahir Andrabi said, “We urge the need for restraint and de-escalation to end the crisis, and underscore the necessity for adherence to the principles of the UN Charter as well as international law to resolve all outstanding issues.”
“We are closely monitoring the developments and remain engaged in ensuring the safety and security of members of the Pakistani community in Venezuela,” he added.
Published in Dawn, January 5th, 2026