Trump’s Venezuela takeover... everything you need to know

Americast

BBC

News, Government, Politics

4.2 • 2.8K Ratings

🗓️ 4 January 2026

⏱️ 32 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

How did the US capture the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and how exactly will the US “run the country” until there is a “proper transition of power”? In this episode, Anthony and Justin unpack an extraordinary weekend, with more details on exactly how the US military were able to storm Maduro’s home, and what kind of intelligence the CIA had. They also look at what could happen next in Venezuela. Donald Trump says his Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth will help run the country. What can we learn by looking at historical precedence in Iraq? Trump also said Rubio was in talks with the Venezuelan vice president and is "essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again." There is also a promise that American oil companies would move into the country and invest billions. How do these ambitions fit in with his wider plans for the country?

HOSTS:

- Justin Webb, Radio 4 presenter - Anthony Zurcher, North America Correspondent -

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This episode was made by Purvee Pattni. The technical producer was James Piper. 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.
0:05.0	One incredible 48 hours, the president of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro, in American captivity,
0:13.0	captured by American special forces being held now in Brooklyn, New York, and Donald Trump saying of Venezuela this. We're going to run the country until such
0:23.6	time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition. So we don't want to be involved
0:32.0	with having somebody else get in and we have the same situation that we had for the last long period of years.
0:40.0	So many questions raised by what he said at that news conference.
0:43.7	Number one, of course, what happens in Venezuela itself and of the Venezuelan people.
0:47.8	But number two, what does it mean for law?
0:51.0	What does it mean for international law?
0:52.6	What does it mean for the United States position in the world? And what does it mean for international law? What does it mean for the United States position
0:54.5	in the world? And what does it mean for Donald Trump's coalition, this coalition of people
0:59.3	who elected him thinking that he would not involve the United States in foreign wars? Welcome to
1:06.0	AmeriCast. Americaast from BBC News.
1:12.4	When Donald Trump calls, they say, yes, sir, right away, sir.
1:15.9	Happy to lick your boot, sir.
1:17.7	We are the sickest country in the world.
1:20.2	Oh, dear.
1:20.9	Are you worried that billionaires are going to go hungry?
1:23.8	Of course the president supports peaceful protest.
1:25.7	What a stupid question.
1:26.8	Are you still talking about
1:27.9	Jeffrey Epstein?
	...

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