International News Briefs for Monday, January 5, 2026
HAVANA TIMES – We bring you some of the top international news stories compiled by Democracy Now on Monday, January 5, 2026.
U.S. Launches Attack on Venezuela, Captures Maduro and His Wife
Jan 05, 2026
Image Credit: Truth Social
The U.S. military launched a large-scale attack on Venezuela Saturday to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. Missiles rained down on army bases, airfields and key infrastructure across the capital Caracas and the surrounding region. By 2 a.m., U.S. special forces reached Maduro’s residence and abducted him along with his wife. They were then boarded onto a U.S. warship and flown to the U.S. President Trump posted an image of Maduro bound and blindfolded aboard the USS Iwo Jima. Maduro and his wife were later held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, to face criminal charges of narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offenses. They are now being flown by helicopter to Lower Manhattan to appear in federal court today. Shortly after the operation, President Trump praised U.S. forces for abducting Maduro and his wife, and promised to run Venezuela and seize the country’s oil. Venezuela has the world’s largest reserves of crude oil.
President Donald Trump: “The oil companies are going to go in. They’re going to spend money. They’re going to — we’re going to take back the oil that, frankly, we should have taken back a long time ago. A lot of money is coming out of the ground.”
After the operation, Venezuela’s Supreme Court officially designated the country’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, as interim president. On Saturday, Rodríguez denounced the abduction of Maduro and his wife and vowed that Venezuela was ready to defend itself against the United States.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez: “We demand the immediate liberation of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores — the only president of Venezuela, President Nicolás Maduro. … Everything within the Constitution, we learned it from Commander Chávez in the face of adversities, in the face of coup d’état, in the face of oil sabotages. We are ready to defend Venezuela. We are ready to defend our natural resources that must be for national development.”
Soon after her comments, President Trump issued a warning to Rodríguez, telling The Atlantic, “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.” By Sunday, Rodríguez posted a more conciliatory message on Instagram saying that her government is ready to work with the U.S. She wrote, “We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence.”
Meanwhile, Semafor is reporting that The New York Times and The Washington Post knew of the secret U.S. raid on Venezuela before it was scheduled to begin Friday night, but held off on publishing the story to avoid endangering U.S. troops. A senior Venezuelan official speaking to The New York Times said that at least 80 people, including civilians and soldiers, were killed in the U.S. attack on Saturday. The Cuban government said 32 of its citizens had been killed, including military and intelligence personnel. This is Jonatan Mallora, whose home was damaged by U.S. airstrikes.
Jonatan Mallora: “I don’t agree with this, no matter what happened, whatever it was. Look at everything that happened there, inside, over on that side, too, and in the back, as well, all of that. We have to be aware. We have to have principles. Now I’m hoping for a quick response from the government to help my family, my children, because they nearly killed my kids here. You know, my kids were almost killed. Up there, there were families, too. Two elderly women died because of these acts that never should have happened, because we aren’t to blame for what happens in this world. They have their problems, and we have ours. Now look at all this chaos. I don’t agree with this, gentlemen.”
Trump Threatens Colombia, Cuba, Greenland, Iran and Mexico After Attack on Venezuela
Jan 05, 2026
President Trump has also threatened military action against Colombia, Cuba, Greenland, Iran and Mexico, following the U.S. attack on Venezuela. Speaking to reporters Sunday aboard Air Force One, Trump specifically targeted Colombian President Gustavo Petro and claimed without evidence that Petro was trafficking cocaine into the U.S.
President Donald Trump: “We have a very sick neighbor. It’s not a neighbor, but it’s close to a neighbor. And that’s Venezuela. It’s very sick. Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States. And he’s not going to be doing it very long, let me tell you.”
Reporter 1: “What does that mean? He’s not going to be doing it very long?”
President Donald Trump: “He’s not doing it very long. He has cocaine mills and cocaine factories. He’s not going to be doing it very long.”
Reporter 1: “So, there will be an operation by the U.S. in Colombia?”
President Donald Trump: “It sounds good to me. Yeah.”
Reporter 2: “Secretary Rubio mentioned Cuba yesterday.”
President Donald Trump: “You know why? Because they kill a lot of people. Yeah.”
In a series of lengthy posts on X, Colombian President Petro blasted President Trump, saying, “Stop slandering me, Mr. Trump.” Petro called on Latin America to unite against the U.S., saying that the region risks being “treated as a servant and slave.”
Secretary of State Rubio Warns Cuban Government After U.S. Attack on Venezuela
Jan 05, 2026
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio put the Cuban government on notice following the U.S. attack on Venezuela. Rubio spoke to NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday.
Kristen Welker: “Is the Cuban government the Trump administration’s next target, Mr. Secretary? Very quickly.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “Well, the Cuban government is a — is a huge problem, yeah. The Cuban government is a huge problem, first of all” —
Kristen Welker: “So, is that a yes?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio: — “for the people of Cuba. But I don’t think people fully appreciate — I think they’re in a lot of trouble, yes. I’m not going to talk to you about what our future steps are going to be and our policies are going to be right now in this regard, but I don’t think it’s any mystery that we are not big fans of the Cuban regime.”
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu Congratulates Trump on “Perfect Operation” in Venezuela
Jan 05, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has congratulated President Trump on what he called a “perfect operation” in Venezuela. He spoke Sunday from an Israeli Cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: “Regarding Venezuela, I want to express the entire government’s support for the determined decision and action of the United States to restore freedom and justice to that part of the world, as well. I must say that across Latin America right now we are seeing a transformation in several countries that are returning to the American axis and, not surprisingly, also to a connection with the state of Israel. We welcome this. We congratulate President Trump on his decision. We also salute the American military forces who carried out a perfect operation.”
Netanyahu’s praise for the U.S. assault on Venezuela came as Israeli forces occupying the Gaza Strip shot and killed at least three Palestinians in separate attacks over the weekend. Among the dead were a fisherman and a 15-year-old boy. Their deaths bring the number of Palestinians killed by Israel in Gaza since the October 10 ceasefire was declared to 414, with more than 1,100 injured.
Meanwhile, in occupied East Jerusalem, over 130 Palestinians from 26 families face imminent eviction from their homes in the neighborhood of Silwan, after Israel’s Supreme Court denied their final chance to appeal their evictions.
Russia Affirms Support for Venezuelan Gov’t After Attacking Ukraine’s Second-Largest City Kharkiv
Jan 05, 2026
Russia has reaffirmed its support for the Venezuelan government, calling the U.S. attacks “extremely concerning and deserving of condemnation.” On Saturday, Russia’s Foreign Ministry wrote in a statement, “Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own future without destructive external interference, particularly of a military nature.” The statement came a day after a Russian missile attack on Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv leveled a multistory residential apartment block, killing two people, including a 3-year-old child, while injuring 28 others.
Greenland’s Prime Minister Nielsen Fires Back Against Trump’s Threats
Jan 05, 2026
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen fired back against President Trump’s threats to take over the autonomous Danish territory Sunday, saying on social media, “Threats, pressure, and talk of annexation have no place between friends. Enough is enough. No more fantasies about annexation.” On Saturday, Katie Miller, the wife of Trump aide Stephen Miller, posted a social media picture of Greenland painted in the colors of the United States flag hours after the U.S. military operation against Venezuela. Last month, President Trump appointed Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry as special envoy to Greenland. Soon after, Landry vowed to incorporate Greenland into the U.S.
Top Democrats Say Trump Admin Still Has Not Briefed Congress About Venezuela Attack
Jan 05, 2026
On Capitol Hill, as lawmakers return from their winter recess, top Democrats say the Trump administration has still not briefed members of Congress about the U.S. attack on Venezuela. In a statement, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called Maduro a “criminal and authoritarian dictator,” but condemned President Trump for using military force without congressional authorization. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer issued a similar statement, calling Maduro an “illegitimate dictator,” while Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who serves as deputy chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, condemned Trump’s invasion of Venezuela as “blatantly illegal and unconstitutional.” She added, “We must vote on a War Powers Resolution, so that the people’s elected representatives can have an open debate and vote on the merits of a war against Venezuela — before Trump’s regime-change efforts cause further chaos and harm.”
Protesters Worldwide Condemn U.S. Assault on Venezuela
Jan 05, 2026
Protests against the Trump administration’s unilateral, undeclared war on Venezuela erupted across the U.S. and around the world over the weekend. Antiwar demonstrators took to the streets of Ankara, Brussels, Havana, London, Madrid, Mexico City and cities throughout Venezuela and across Latin America. Here in the U.S., protesters rallied in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and dozens of smaller communities from coast to coast. This is Seth Galinsky, who joined protesters outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where President Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are being held.
Seth Galinsky: “You know, I’m here because I think it’s outrageous what the U.S. government did in Venezuela. Whatever you may think of the Maduro government, that’s not the issue, but the U.S. government has no right to go into a sovereign country and basically openly say, ’We’re going to take the oil. We’re going to take the gold. We’re going to exploit the resources.’”
Trump Threatens to Strike Iran on Behalf of Protesters
Jan 05, 2026
In Iran, human rights groups say at least 16 people have been killed during a week of protests. Speaking to reporters Sunday, President Trump threatened to intervene on behalf of the protesters, saying, “We are locked and loaded and ready to go.” Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded by saying Iran “will not yield to the enemy.” Human rights groups say at least 582 people have been arrested in protests over soaring inflation and the collapse of Iran’s currency.
Milwaukee Judge Hannah Dugan Resigns While Appealing Felony Conviction for Aiding Immigrant
Jan 05, 2026
In Wisconsin, Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan has resigned, while she appeals her conviction by a federal court on charges she obstructed federal agents from arresting an undocumented immigrant. She was accused of helping the immigrant leave her courtroom in April to avoid arrest by agents waiting in the hallway. Dugan faced calls to resign from state Republicans who threatened to impeach her unless she stepped down.