Venezuela's Interim President Bends The Knee As Maduro Arraignment In NY Court Imminent
That didn't take long. At a moment Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro and his wife Flores are set to appear before a New York federal judge on various drug-trafficking and gun-running related charges, his VP and now apparently Interim President Delcy Rodriguez is offering a huge olive branch.
This is unsurprising given the staunchly socialist, pro-Maduro number two under the ousted president is herself under immense pressure from Washington, and still facing down the barrel of Uncle Sam's gun – or rather the collective might of the Pentagon's persisting US naval blockade just off Latin America's coast.
She's quickly expressed her willingness to cooperate with the United States on the future of Venezuela, in a significant shift in tone following Maduro's Friday into Saturday morning 'shock' abduction by US special forces.
"We consider it a priority to move towards a balanced and respectful relationship between the US and Venezuela," Rodriguez wrote on Telegram Sunday.
And more than that, her following words convey willingness of Caracas to bend the knee: "We extend an invitation to the US government to work together on a cooperation agenda, aimed at shared development, within the framework of international law, and to strengthen lasting community coexistence," she stated.
This emphases on a "cooperation agenda" is something that Maduro himself had desperately offered Trump, reportedly over the last several weeks, but this appeared too little, too late from the US admin's perspective.
Rodriguez is watching from Caracas as Maduro gets hauled to court in front of media cameras:
Nicolás Maduro, the ousted Venezuelan president, and his wife were expected to appear at noon on Monday in federal court in Manhattan to face charges of drug trafficking and other crimes, two days after they were captured in a U.S. military raid in Caracas.
Mr. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were escorted off a helicopter in Downtown Manhattan on Monday morning and were being brought to the courthouse to face charges including narco-terrorism and conspiracy to import cocaine, according to an unsealed indictment. Their capture on Saturday followed a monthslong campaign by the Trump administration to drive out the autocratic leader.
He has arrived at the New York courthouse at this point, having been transported by amored vehicle after spending the night in a Brooklyn jail.
BREAKING: Nicolás Maduro surrounded by heavy security as he is transported to New York City court ahead of his arraignment. pic.twitter.com/2EqrMrNKxe
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 5, 2026
President Trump has warned that if authorities in Venezuela fail to cooperate, the United States would carry out a second strike on Venezuela, noting that any decision to deploy ground troops there would depend on how the situation develops and how Venezuela responds.
He's also meanwhile said the idea of launching an operation involving Colombia "sounds good" to him in comments Sunday, describing the country as being in serious trouble and claiming it is currently led by "a sick man" – and even suggested he won't remain long in power.
It was actually Colombia which has requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, set also for Monday. The South American country is a non-permanent member of the Council, and was supported by permanent members China and Russia.
Meanwhile the theft of Venezuelan assets has begun, with the Swiss government moving on Monday to freeze any holdings of Maduro and his associates "with immediate effect".
"In doing so, the Federal Council aims to prevent an outflow of assets," a Swiss statement said, stressing that "should future legal proceedings reveal that the funds were illicitly acquired, Switzerland will endeavor to ensure that they benefit the Venezuelan people."
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/05/2026 – 08:25