Trump plans to ‘run’ Venezuela. What now?
FT News Briefing
Forhecz Topher
4.4 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 5 January 2026
⏱️ 13 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
US President Donald Trump has warned Venezuela’s defacto leader she must meet America’s demands following Nicolas Maduro’s capture. We explore what Trump hopes to achieve in the Latin American country, and the challenges ahead for its people and resource-rich oil industry.
Mentioned in this podcast:
Trump topples Maduro and vows to ‘run’ Venezuela in stark display of US power
Donald Trump warns Venezuelan rulers as Washington prepares to dictate policy
Washington plans to put oil at the heart of Venezuela’s future
Note: The FT does not use generative AI to voice its podcasts
Today’s FT News Briefing was hosted by Victoria Craig and produced by Julia Webster and Marc Filippino. Our show was mixed by Alex Higgins. Additional help from Emily Goldberg. The FT’s acting co-head of audio is Topher Forhecz. The show’s theme music is by Metaphor Music.
Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com
Source: White House, NBC, CNN Espanol
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Good morning from the Financial Times. Today is Monday, January 5th, and this is your FT News briefing. |
| 0:10.9 | President Trump has issued a stark warning to Venezuela's de facto leader after capturing strongman |
| 0:16.7 | Nicholas Maduro over the weekend. Today, we have a special edition of the podcast for you |
| 0:21.9 | covering the political and economic fallout of America's push for regime change. |
| 0:27.4 | I'm Victoria Craig, and here's the news you need to start your day. |
| 0:43.9 | Venezuela's top old leader, Nicholas Mad Maduro will make his first appearance before a Manhattan federal court today. He faces a string of federal charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracies, after U.S. President Donald Trump directed America's military early Saturday to capture the authoritarian leader and bring an end to his 13-year rule. |
| 0:58.9 | Meanwhile, Trump warned de facto leader, Vice President Delci Rodriguez, that she could pay a price, bigger than Maduro's, if she does not meet U.S. demands to avoid a new attack. |
| 1:09.7 | Our reporter Anna Rodriguez-Brazone explains that it's been eerily quiet on the streets |
| 1:14.7 | of the capital Caracas this weekend, because even though Maduro is gone, his leaders |
| 1:19.7 | remain in power. |
| 1:21.4 | People are very afraid to call out on the streets because nothing has changed in Venezuela. |
| 1:28.3 | But it's continued to lobby orders from the chavistas. |
| 1:32.3 | People who support Nicolas Maduro. |
| 1:36.3 | Supermarkets and pharmacies have long lines. |
| 1:39.3 | Not because there is a short-aid food, but our fear was to come. |
| 1:48.0 | Venezuela wants to respect the results of the 2024 presidential election when the opposition won with more than 7 million votes, the big question is whether this will |
| 2:06.5 | happen. |
| 2:07.5 | Well, with President Maduro in U.S. custody and his second in command officially at the controls |
| 2:12.7 | in Venezuela for now, what happens next? |
| 2:16.5 | During an interview with NBC on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State |
| 2:20.0 | Marco Rubio outlined the reasons this administration wants to see change in Venezuela. |
| 2:26.1 | You can't flood this country with gang members. You can't flood this country with drugs that are |
... |
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