Venezuela’s vice president calls for ‘immediate release’ of Maduro and his wife

Caracas, January 3, 2026 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez on Saturday demanded the “immediate release” of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who were captured overnight during a U.S. military operation.

The demand came hours after the capture of Maduro and Flores during a U.S. operation in Caracas and other parts of the country. Washington has justified the action by saying the figures are responsible for narco-terrorism, drug trafficking and other crimes — accusations Caracas rejects.

“We demand the immediate release of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores,” Rodriguez said during a session of the National Defense Council broadcast on state television network VTV. She called Maduro “the sole president of Venezuela.”

Alongside other senior officials, Rodriguez described the capture as a “kidnapping,” said violations of international law were committed, and accused U.S. forces of having “savagely attacked” Venezuela’s territorial integrity.

She said the government would issue a decree declaring a “state of external emergency,” which it would submit to the country’s Supreme Court for validation. Rodriguez called on the public to prepare to “defend” the country, without providing details.

“We are calling for the defense of life. Not a single Venezuelan man or woman should remain on the sidelines,” she said, urging other Latin American governments to support Venezuela.

“We call on the peoples of our greater homeland to remain united, because what was done to Venezuela can be done to anyone,” Rodriguez added. “That brutal use of force to bend the will of people can be done to any country.”

Rodriguez’s remarks contrasted with comments made earlier by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said at a press conference in Florida that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken with the vice president and that she had expressed willingness to cooperate in a new phase for the country.

“There is a vice president who was appointed by Maduro; at this moment she is the vice president. I imagine that the president has just assumed power,” Trump said, adding that Rodriguez told Rubio: “We’ll do whatever you need.”

CNN said it had contacted the U.S. State Department and was seeking to contact Venezuela’s vice presidency for comment on the conflicting statements.