Proclaiming the US would “run” Venezuela after abducting its president and his wife, president Trump has now qualified his claim. Amid questions, including from top Republicans, Trump has now called on Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, to accommodate US demands or face the possibility of a fresh military intervention.
Rodríguez, 56, who had on Saturday pledged fealty to ousted president Nicolás Maduro and condemned his capture as an “atrocity”, appears to be adhering to the US line.
The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, spoke to Rodríguez, who told him “‘we’ll do whatever you need’”, Trump told reporters. “She, I think, was quite gracious, but she really doesn’t have a choice.”
Here are the key stories at a glance:
US ‘running’ Venezuela now seems less likely but second intervention possible
The prospect of the United States seizing direct control of Venezuela appeared to recede on Sunday after the shocking seizure of President Nicolás Maduro – but US officials said Washington was keeping a 15,000-strong force in the Caribbean and might make a fresh military intervention if Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, did not accommodate their demands.
Democrats decry Trump’s military raid on Venezuela
Democratic leaders responded with fury on Sunday to Donald Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela, slamming it as an illegal act carried out in the absence of required congressional approval that would lead to disaster for the American people.
“They literally lied to our face,” said Chris Murphy, a US senator from Connecticut, on Sunday, referring to a briefing on Venezuela that the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, gave to his chamber last month. “The message they sent was that this wasn’t about regime change … They said this is just a counter-narcotics operation.”
Protests erupt in US cities over Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela
Protests bubbled up in several US cities over the weekend as people demonstrated against the Trump administration’s unilateral military intervention in Venezuela – even as many in the diaspora publicly celebrated the forced removal of president Nicolás Maduro.
Venezuelans under TPS can apply for refugee status, Kristi Noem says
Kristi Noem, the US homeland security secretary, said on Sunday that the US wants a leader in Venezuela who will be “a partner that understands that we’re going to protect America” to stop drug trafficking and “terrorists from coming into our country”.
US ‘has no right’ to take over Greenland, Danish PM says after renewed Trump threats
Denmark’s prime minister has urged Donald Trump to stop threatening to take over Greenland after the president said the US “absolutely” needs the territory.
Mette Frederiksen said on Sunday: “It makes absolutely no sense to talk about the US needing to take over Greenland. The US has no right to annex any of the three countries in the Danish kingdom.”
Canadian officials: US health institutions no longer dependable
Canadian officials and public health experts are warning that US health and science institutions can no longer be depended upon for accurate information, particularly when it comes to vaccinations, amid fears that misinformation from the Trump administration could further erode Canadians’ confidence in healthcare.
Trump’s US less prepared for natural disasters, experts say
Donald Trump has presided over a dangerous erosion in US capacity to prepare for and respond to natural disasters, according to emergency management experts. The first year of his second term was marked by crackdowns on climate science that produced world-class weather forecasts and the gutting of frontline federal agencies – policies that have left the country, already struggling to keep pace with severe storms, even more at risk.
What else happened today:
A Wisconsin judge convicted of obstruction for helping an immigrant evade federal officers has resigned.
In Doral, Florida, the suburban Miami city where up to 40% of the population is Venezuelan, hundreds of people danced, sang and waved Venezuela’s flag as they celebrated the downfall of the despised president Nicolás Maduro.
Catching up? Here’s what happened on 3 January 2026.
