US-Venezuela: Who’s in charge of Venezuela now?
Newscast
BBC
4.3 • 6.6K Ratings
🗓️ 4 January 2026
⏱️ 35 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today, we look at who’s in power now in Venezuela, after President Donald Trump said the US will ‘run’ the country.
Maduro's Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez has been named interim president, who Trump says is talking to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Chief political correspondent Henry Zeffman is also in the studio to talk through Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s interview with Laura in which he reacted to the news from South America, as well as his future and the UK’s relationship with the EU.
You can now listen to Newscast on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play Newscast”. It works on most smart speakers.
You can join our Newscast online community here: https://bbc.in/newscastdiscord Get in touch with Newscast by emailing newscast@bbc.co.uk or send us a WhatsApp on +44 0330 123 9480.
New episodes released every day. If you're in the UK, for more News and Current Affairs podcasts from the BBC, listen on BBC Sounds: https://bbc.in/4guXgXd
Newscast brings you daily analysis of the latest political news stories from the BBC. The presenters were Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O’Connell. The weekend series producer is Chris Flynn. The social producer was Gabriel Purcell-Davis. The technical producer was James Piper. The assistant editor is Chris Gray. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. |
| 0:07.6 | American politics can sometimes feel like a different language. |
| 0:11.1 | But our podcast can help you translate. |
| 0:13.3 | Make sense of what's happening in the US, |
| 0:15.2 | with new podcast episodes arriving throughout the week. |
| 0:18.1 | AmeriCast, listen on BBC Sounds. |
| 0:21.2 | So it's day two of an era-defining Trump 2 |
| 0:24.6 | muscular gumboat diplomacy news event. |
| 0:28.0 | It is. And while President Trump said, |
| 0:29.7 | it was amazing watching the strikes on Venezuela on the television. |
| 0:32.6 | It was like a TV show. |
| 0:34.0 | This is not a TV show. |
| 0:35.2 | Do not adjust your sets. |
| 0:36.4 | We are on day two of a very important |
| 0:39.6 | significant American action seizing the leader of a foreign country, taking him to America |
| 0:44.8 | where he will stand trial. So Nicholas Maduro is now in New York, in handcuffs, having |
| 0:49.6 | been made to do the perp walk in front of the world. And that's where we begin Sunday's newscast. Newscast from the BBC. Fat boy sliver me in the classroom doing our violin lessons. I was the tattle tail in the class. Can I have an apology, please? I trust almost nobody. That daddy has to sometimes do strong language. Next time in Moscow. I feel delulu with no salulu. |
| 1:11.3 | Take me down to Downey Street. Let's go have a tour. Blimey. Hello, it's Laura in the studio. It's Paddy in the studio. And it's Henry in the studio. IRL, as the kids would say. In real life, it's lovely to have you with us. A New Year's surprise. Especially because we will talk about a bit later, our long interview with Kier Starrmer, that is all there newscasters for you in your feeds as a separate episode. You can listen to the whole thing in its glory or grisly detail, however you feel about it. And we'll talk about that in a few minutes' time. So it's great you're here with us to help unpick the political intrigue. |
| 1:45.3 | First, President Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela was plucked in his pajamas from his bed, |
| 1:51.7 | trying to make it to the safe room in his fortress, as the US president has called it, |
| 1:56.1 | and is now in the United States of America. |
| 1:59.7 | The aircraft flying him was made to go past the Statue of Liberty |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.