Americanswers... On 5 Live! Could Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro be found not guilty in a US court?

Americast

BBC

News, Government, Politics

4.2 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 5 January 2026

⏱️ 30 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Venezuela's Nicolás Maduro proclaimed "I am still president" and pleaded not guilty to drug trafficking and other charges as he appeared in court in New York for the first time. In this episode, we answer your questions, which include looking at the evidence against Maduro, and whether it’s possible a court could find him not guilty. We also answer your questions on who is really running Venezuela now? President Trump and his Secretary of State Marco Rubio seem to have differing answers to that question. Plus, will Trump now be emboldened to take over Greenland, after his latest comments on to reporters last night - how seriously should we be taking his threats? Justin, Anthony and Marianna answer your questions, alongside Matt Chorley from 5 Live.

HOSTS: • Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter • Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent • Marianna Spring, Social Media Investigations Correspondent

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This episode was made by Alix Pickles and Purvee Pattni. The technical producer was Johnny Hall. The series producer is Purvee Pattni. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.
0:06.0	It just gets more and more extraordinary.
0:08.1	The pictures, the facts of what's happening in Venezuela,
0:12.7	but also what's happening outside Venezuela,
0:14.7	with Nicolas Maduro, the president, should we perhaps call him former president,
0:19.3	seized by the US military, of course,
0:21.5	along with his wife, handcuffed, taken now to court in New York, surrounded by armed guards,
0:28.7	his in prison clothing, China demanding that the US free him. It is all a hugely, hugely
0:35.5	interesting subject, to put it mildly. We've got a load of questions about it on Five Live.
0:40.1	Before we get to our Five Live session, though, in the questions that we answered, let's get to a central one that an awful lot of people are asking.
0:49.8	It's asked for us this time round by Mary in Kentucky.
0:53.5	Given the recent developments of Venezuela, I wanted to ask what the team think Trump means
0:59.4	when he says the U.S. will run Venezuela. Does he mean that in more of an overseer position
1:07.5	while dangling the threat of military involvement? Or might it be a more hands-on approach,
1:13.0	such as actually using the military to force out Maduro's remaining government and putting in
1:18.8	someone of the U.S. is choosing? Is it realistic to expect Maduro's government to just roll over
1:25.4	and accept the necessary changes or as a stronger
1:29.1	hand by the U.S. involved to keep things from spiraling into further chaos.
1:34.0	That's a really good question, Mary, and both Donald Trump and Marco Rubio have addressed it.
1:38.7	This is what Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday when he spoke to NBC's Meet the Press
1:43.9	on Sunday morning.
1:45.7	President Trump said, we're going to run the country. So is it you? Is it Secretary Hegset?
	...

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