Trump's imperial goals in Venezuela; 114 killed in Darfur; Protests in Iran

Drop Site Daily: January 5th, 2025

U.S. bombs Venezuela, killing at least 80 people, with U.S. Special Forces kidnapping President of Venezuela Nicolás Maduro, along with his wife Cilia Flores, as the two stand trial in New York City. President Donald Trump announced Maduro’s capture on Friday night, with Maduro detained in the U.S. on Saturday. Maduro’s arraignment is set for Monday in New York federal court on drug trafficking and weapons charges. Reports say Trump approved the strikes several days ahead of the operation, and says the U.S. is now “in control of Venezuela.” President Trump issues threats against acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez and says the U.S. requires “total access.” U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio walks back Trump’s claim that the U.S. will “run” Venezuela, and says the U.S. is “quarantining” Venezuela’s oil. Acting Venezuelan President Delcy Rodríguez signals readiness to cooperate under U.S. pressure. Venezuela’s popular communes and grassroots pledge resistance. Venezuelan Interior and Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello says civilian and military leadership are unified behind Maduro. Latin American leaders condemn the attack, as Trump hints at further operations in Colombia, Mexico, and Cuba. Trump again floats a U.S. takeover of Greenland. Three Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks near Khan Younis on Sunday. Israel orders evacuations in Al-Tuffah. Israel is reportedly planning to reopen the Rafah crossing. The UN says tents given to Palestinians in Gaza fail to meet minimum winter standards. Yemeni forces take back Hadramawt from Southern Transitional Council separatists. 114 killed in western Darfur during the past week, as fighting in the Kordofan regions intensifies. Israeli drone strikes kill two people in Lebanon. Unrest and protests in Iran over economic conditions. Indian military kills 14 Naxalites in clashes in its Chhattisgarh state. The Syrian government confers with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. UK and France strike alleged IS weapons storehouse in Syria. Palestine Action’s hunger strikers pass 60 days.

This is Drop Site Daily, our new, free daily news recap. We send it Monday through Friday.

Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are seen in handcuffs after landing at a Manhattan helipad, escorted by heavily armed Federal agents as they make their way into an armored car en route to a Federal courthouse in Manhattan on January 5, 2026 in New York City (Photo by XNY/Star Max/GC Images).

Venezuela

U.S. Attacks and the Abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro

• U.S. abducts Nicolás Maduro: The U.S. carried out an overnight bombing campaign in Caracas and several Venezuelan states on Friday night into Saturday morning, before officials announced the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. A report on the operation from the head of Drop Site’s Latin America Desk José Luis Granados Ceja is available here.

• U.S. attacks on Venezuela result in a minimum of 80 casualties, including civilians: At least 80 people, including civilians, Cuban nationals, and members of the Venezuelan military were killed in the U.S. operation that kidnapped Maduro, a senior Venezuelan official told The New York Times.

• Trump announces Maduro’s capture Friday night; Maduro lands in the U.S. on Saturday, with a court appearance Monday: President Donald Trump announced Friday that the United States “captured” Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, as the U.S. flew them out of the country. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio accused Maduro of leading the “Cartel de los Soles” and labeled the Maduro government a “narco-terror” organization. Maduro and Flores landed at Stewart Air National Guard Base in New York on Saturday and were transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. U.S. authorities transferred Maduro to the federal court in Manhattan, where he is set to appear before U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein at about noon Monday.

• Federal prosecutors accuse Maduro of “drug trafficking”: U.S. federal prosecutors in New York unsealed a superseding 2020 indictment against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro that accuses Maduro, his family, and senior members of his inner circle of running a “narco-terrorism” operation for decades. Federal prosecutors allege that the regime turned the Venezuelan state into a hub for “cocaine trafficking” to the U.S., according to court filings. Prosecutors also claim that the conspiracy—updated with new claims extending through 2025—involved coordination with armed groups and cartels, use of Venezuelan state infrastructure in the sale of drugs, and diplomatic cover. The charges against the Maduros include conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, and illegal possession of firearms.

• Trump reportedly approved strikes several days before the operation: President Donald Trump approved U.S. military strikes in Venezuela several days before the operation, according to a report from CBS News. The officials said U.S. planners initially considered carrying out the mission on Christmas Day, but prioritized U.S. airstrikes in northern Nigeria against targets allegedly affiliated with the Islamic State.

• An extensive covert operation, executed with informants: The U.S. special operations raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro followed months of covert buildup inside Venezuela, and included a network of local operatives installing jammers and airstrike beacons in the country, according to investigative journalist Jack Murphy. Additionally, U.S. Joint Special Operations Command’s Task Force Orange—alongside Delta Force, SEAL Team 6, and Army Rangers—was deployed by U.S. Southern Command to prepare the “battlespace.” Murphy writes that more than 150 aircraft were dispatched from over 20 bases, including helicopters sent to relay the Delta assault force to Caracas. FBI Hostage Rescue Team members reportedly placed Maduro under arrest and sent him to the U.S. Murphy’s full report for High Side can be read here.

• Involvement of U.S. Special Forces and the CIA: The abduction was assisted by a CIA source inside Maduro’s inner circle and through cooperation from elements of the Venezuelan military, according to Reuters, citing U.S. officials and people briefed on the matter, with one opposition-linked source describing it as an “inside job.” The Washington Post separately reported that a CIA human source inside the Venezuelan government provided real-time intelligence on Maduro’s movements.

• Trump threatens the Cuban government, a second victim of the attacks on Venezuela: President Donald Trump acknowledged aboard Air Force One that “a lot of Cubans were killed” while “trying to protect” Maduro. The Cuban government reported the deaths of 32 Cuban nationals killed by the U.S. operation. Trump claimed Cuba is “going down for the count” now that Venezuelan oil revenue is cut off, arguing the island “survives because of Venezuela” and suggesting Washington will not need to intervene because “I think it’s just going to fall.”

Response from Venezuela and Latin America

• Acting President Rodríguez addresses Venezuela and the U.S.: Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s executive vice president and head of the National Defense Council, addressed Venezuela, saying that “there is only one president in this country, and his name is Nicolás Maduro,” adding that she is acting as president during his absence. Rodríguez said Venezuela would engage with the U.S. within international and Venezuelan law, saying “That is the only type of relationship I will accept, after they have attacked and militarily assaulted our beloved nation.” President Donald Trump threatened that she would face consequences “probably bigger than Maduro,” if she failed to comply with U.S. demands. Trump told The Atlantic that U.S. officials have considered plans for regime change and investment preferable to the U.S.

• Interior and Justice Minister Cabello says ministries and military remain united around Maduro: Venezuela’s Interior and Justice Minister Diosdado Cabello warned that the United States has entered a “second stage” aimed at fracturing Venezuela’s military following its abduction of President Nicolás Maduro, and he urged Venezuelans not to “play into the hands of imperialism.” Cabello reported that political and military leadership remains “monolithically united” around Maduro, saying Maduro remains the country’s only legitimate president, and argued the operation revealed Washington’s real objective: seizing Venezuela’s oil.

• Statement from Vladimir Padrino López, Venezuela’s minister of defense and commander-in-chief of the Bolivarian National Armed Force: Venezuela’s military leadership declared full operational readiness after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, denouncing the operation as a “cowardly kidnapping” carried out after the “cold-blooded killing of a large part of his security team, soldiers, and innocent civilians.” In a statement issued January 4, Defense Minister and Armed Forces Chief Vladimir Padrino López said the military recognizes Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president under a Supreme Court ruling and backs a nationwide state of external emergency. He announced the activation of a countrywide popular military and police mobilization to confront what the government calls “imperial aggression,” vowing to defend internal order, stability, and Venezuela’s sovereignty.

• A video report from Caracas: Crowds gathered outside Miraflores Palace to express solidarity with the regime after U.S. authorities kidnapped Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Drop Site correspondent Chris Gilbert said demonstrators voiced support for President Nicolás Maduro in a video report from outside Miraflores. Gilbert added that authorities remain in control in the capital and that no government transition appeared likely as of Saturday morning.

• Reporting on the ground from Drop Site: Venezuela’s grassroots communes and popular organizations have vowed to defend the country’s sovereignty. Communal leaders told Drop Site that years of sanctions and blockades have pushed Venezuela toward near self-sufficiency in food and basic goods, leaving popular power better prepared to withstand renewed U.S. military and economic pressure. Read the latest report from Drop Site correspondent Andreína Chávez here.

• Polling suggests that Trump’s military intervention is unpopular inside the country and more popular in the Venezuelan diaspora: A December 2025 poll by Datanálisis found 55 percent of Venezuelans inside the country opposed foreign military intervention, with just 23 percent in favor and 22 percent unsure, even though most respondents were politically unaffiliated. By contrast, an October 2025 AtlasIntel survey published by Bloomberg showed 64 percent support for U.S. military intervention among Venezuelans abroad, compared with 34 percent among those living inside Venezuela. Similarly, 55 percent of migrants said U.S. intervention was the most viable path to removing Maduro, versus 25 percent at home. AtlasIntel’s broader regional data shows support for intervention rises sharply with other indices of right-wing ideology, including higher income, older age, male gender, and diaspora status, and was weakest on the political left.

• Chile’s Boric and Mexico’s AMLO condemn the attacks: Chilean President Gabriel Boric warned that “today it’s Venezuela, tomorrow it could be any other,” as former Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) condemned the U.S. abduction as an “arrogant assault on sovereignty” that neither Simón Bolívar nor Abraham Lincoln would accept. López Obrador urged Trump to reject “the siren song” of hawks and warned that “today’s ephemeral victory can be tomorrow’s resounding defeat.” He invoked Benito Juárez’s maxim that “respect for the rights of others is peace.” AMLO also voiced unconditional support for Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who Trump also threatened in an aside.

• Latin American countries issue joint condemnation: Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay, and Spain issued a joint statement on January 4 condemning the unilateral military actions in Venezuela as violations of international law and the UN Charter, warning that the attack set a dangerous precedent, threatens regional peace, and endangers civilians. The governments called for peaceful dialogue and negotiations without external interference, reaffirming that Latin America and the Caribbean are a “zone of peace.” The coalition urged multilateral bodies to de-escalate tensions, while rejecting any external control or appropriation of Venezuela’s natural or strategic resources.

U.S. Plans in the Region

• Trump says the U.S. is now “in control of Venezuela”: At a press conference Saturday, President Donald Trump claimed the United States is now “in control” of Venezuela, saying “we’re going to run the country” and that U.S. forces will remain “until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition.” He also announced plans for “very large oil companies” to enter Venezuela to “fix the infrastructure and start making money for the country.” Trump framed the reported kidnapping and bombings as a show of force, saying that “American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again,” while warning that “all political and military figures in Venezuela need to understand that what happened to Maduro can happen to them.”

• Marco Rubio retracts Trump’s declaration that the U.S. will “run” Venezuela: Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the United States will not formally “run” Venezuela but will impose a military “quarantine” on oil exports to force concessions. Rubio told ABC News on Sunday morning that the economy “will not be able to move forward” until changes are made that serve “the national interest of the United States.”Rubio added that U.S. forces will be able to “pick and choose” which tankers to seize, while pushing Venezuela to open its oil sector to U.S. firms. Rubio added that China, Russia, and Iran must be shut out of Venezuelan oil.

• Oil prices fall, Venezuelan tankers go dark: Oil prices have fallen, while the prices of precious metals have surged, as markets reacted to the U.S. abduction of Maduro. “While the capture of Venezuelan president Maduro by American forces has dominated headlines, financial markets seem unperturbed,” Thomas Mathews of Capital Economics said in a report cited by the Reuters news agency. “We agree with the implicit view that the near-term economic and financial implications are minor.” Shortly after trading began today, US benchmark crude oil rose slightly, but it later was trading 36 cents lower at $56.96 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, gave up 34 cents to trade at $60.41 per barrel. Meanwhile, about a ‍dozen ‍tankers loaded with Venezuelan crude oil and fuel departed ⁠in recent days ​from the country’s waters ‍in dark mode, breaking a strict blockade imposed ‍by ⁠the U.S. ‌

• Trump says that Venezuelan opposition leader Machado “does not have the respect of her country”: President Donald Trump dismissed opposition leader María Corina Machado, saying “it would be very tough for her to be the leader” because “she doesn’t have the respect of her country.” Trump reported that Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, is “essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again, very simple.”

• Trump suggests intervention in Colombia, Mexico, and Cuba: President Donald Trump described Venezuela as the U.S.’s “very sick neighbor” and added that “Colombia is very sick, too.” When asked whether the United States would carry out an operation in Colombia, Trump responded “sounds good to me.” Over the weekend, he made similar threats toward Mexico and Cuba, suggesting both governments in the region were linked with drug trafficking and signaling a broader willingness to use force under the pretext of American security.

The Genocide in Gaza

• Casualty counts in the last 24 hours: Over the past 24 hours, the bodies of two Palestinian arrived at a hospital, while five Palestinians were injured, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is now 71,388 killed, with 171,269 injured.

• Total casualty counts since ceasefire: Since October 11, the first full day of the ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 422 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 1,189, while 684 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble, according to the Ministry of Health.

• Three Palestinians killed by Israeli attacks near Khan Younis: Heavy Israeli fire killed at least three Palestinians near Israeli-occupied areas south of Khan Younis as Israeli attacks continued across Gaza on Sunday., Artillery shelling, airstrikes, and demolitions were reported across southern, central, and eastern Gaza according to Al Jazeera. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem accused Israel of escalating ceasefire violations by expanding its zones of occupation, accelerating home demolitions, and restricting aid through the Rafah crossing.Qassem urged mediators to pressure Israel to comply with the ceasefire agreement.

• Israel orders evacuations in Al-Tuffah: The Israeli army ordered an immediate evacuation of the Al-Tuffah area in eastern Gaza City on Saturday, triggering yet another mass displacement, as families already living in tents were forced to flee new Israeli hostilities.

• Israel is reportedly planning to reopen the Rafah crossing: Israel is preparing to reopen the Rafah crossing after a year-long unilateral blockade, which would allow Palestinians to leave and return to Gaza, Haaretz reported Sunday. The plan would subject exits to strict Israeli control, including remote screening, and entrances would be subject to physical examinations at a new Israel Defense Forces checkpoint inside the enclave. EU monitors are expected to be present at the crossing, with Palestinian Authority staff operating on the Palestinian side under EU supervision.The plan is pending approval from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

• Tents do not meet minimum winter standards, the UN reports: Thousands of tents supplied to displaced Palestinians in Gaza fail to meet minimum UN winter standards, according to an assessment by the Palestine Shelter Cluster coordinated by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Shelter specialists found that many tents donated by China, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia were not waterproof or structurally sound and will likely need replacement, while only 20,000 of the 90,000 tents that entered Gaza since the October ceasefire met UN specifications.

• Palestinian medical students celebrate a graduation in Gaza City: About 230 male and female medical students from Gaza’s colleges held a graduation ceremony Saturday in front of the ruins of the Al‑Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza City. The ceremony was organized by the Gaza Ministry of Health, underscoring the continuation of medical training amid the devastation of the enclave’s largest hospital.

Israel, West Bank, and Lebanon

• Volker Türk pushes back against Israeli death penalty legislation: UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk urged Israeli authorities to drop proposed legislation that would impose mandatory death sentences exclusively on Palestinians, warning that the plan violates international law, including the right to life, due process protections, and Israel’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Türk said the proposals—now before the Israeli Knesset—are discriminatory, rely on vague terrorism provisions, could be applied retroactively, and breach international humanitarian law.

• Palestinian journalist Inah Ikhlawi abducted: Israeli occupation forces abducted Palestinian journalist Inas Ikhlawi after storming her home in Ithna, west of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank.

• Israeli attacks kill two in Lebanon: An Israeli drone strike hit a vehicle Sunday on the Safad al-Batikh-al-Jumayjimah road near Tebnine in southern Lebanon, killing two civilians, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health. One of the dead was a paramedic, Ali Rizq, from Houla.

U.S. News

• Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ends bid for reelection: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in a statement Monday that he is ending his reelection bid and will not seek a third term, saying of the surprise announcement that he “decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election.” Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee, cited heightened attention on fraud allegations in Minnesota. Late last month, right-wing influencer Nick Shirley posted a viral video alleging fraud at child care facilities in Minnesota. Walz referenced years of alleged fraud in his press release, saying that “an organized group of criminals have sought to take advantage of our state’s generosity,” adding that Republican “opportunists” are “willing to hurt our people to score a few cheap points.”

• NYT and WaPo withheld news about the attack on Venezuela at the behest of the administration: The New York Times and The Washington Post had advance knowledge of the secret U.S. raid on Venezuela before it began, but delayed publication at the request of the U.S. administration, citing risks to U.S. troops, according to Semafor.

• Chuck Schumer says Senate will vote this week on Venezuelan military action: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the Senate will vote this week on a War Powers resolution to block further strikes after U.S. forces carried out attacks to capture President Nicolás Maduro without notifying Congress. Schumer said the operation violated the War Powers Act,and the favored resolution is co-sponsored by Sens. Tim Kaine and Rand Paul. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also called for legislative action to prevent further attacks without congressional approval.

• Trump once again threatens to annex Greenland: President Donald Trump said the United States “need[s] Greenland from the standpoint of national security,” claiming it is now “covered with Russian and Chinese ships,” while saying Denmark “is not going to be able to do it” and that the European Union “needs us to have it.” Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen rejected the remarks, telling Reuters it “makes absolutely no sense” to suggest a U.S. takeover, insisting Washington has no right to annex any part of the Danish Kingdom, while Frederiksen said the U.S. should respect Greenland’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

• Mamdani begins term with action in favor of beleaguered tenants: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said the city will intervene in the bankruptcy of the Pinnacle Group after touring a Flatbush building plagued by disrepair, according to a report from the New York Times. The building he visited has more than 5,000 rent-stabilized units that Pinnacle’s bankruptcy threatens to destabilize. City officials said they will seek to protect tenants’ rights and ensure repairs in the building are prioritized, with residents describing years of neglect, unsafe conditions, and fear that a new owner could worsen already dire living situations. Meanwhile, Mamdani said he called President Donald Trump to directly oppose the U.S. capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

International News

• Yemeni forces take back Hadramawt from STC separatists: Yemeni forces, aligned with the Saudi-backed internationally recognized government, reportedly secured full control over the Hadramawt region on Sunday, while overseeing the withdrawal of UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council forces from neighboring Al-Mahra, according to Al Jazeera. Officials said the pullback included a negotiated handover of heavy weapons and that government units entered Al-Rayyan International Airport and deployed across the city of Mukalla. Hadramawt Governor Salem al-Khanbashi declared the operation a success, as flights resumed at Aden International Airport, while Yemen’s presidency accused STC-connected forces of unlawful detentions and restrictions on movement in Aden.

• 114 killed in western Darfur during the past week, other updates: Attacks by Sudan’s army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) over the past week killed at least 114 people in western Darfur, medical sources told Agence France-Presse. 63 people were killed in RSF attacks around Kernoi, and the remaining 51 were killed in drone strikes by the Sudanese Army on the RSF-held town of Al-Zuruq. Meanwhile, fighting intensified around the South Kordofan city of Dilling as Sudanese Army units reportedly moved to break a prolonged RSF siege on the city, according to TRT Afrika.Drone strikes hit the North Kordofan city of El Obeid on Saturday, setting the city’s main electricity station ablaze and triggering a complete power outage across the region, according to TRT Afrika. The attack comes as the RSF escalates its Kordofan offensive,while Sudan Tribune reported additional RSF strikes in White Nile State overnight.

• Protests continue across Iran, Trump threatens more intervention: Sporadic protests continued across Iran for an eighth straight day, with at least 14 people, including security personnel, reportedly killed since the unrest began. The protests began as shopkeeper strikes motivated by economic grievances, according to Al Jazeera. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said officials “must talk” to protesters, while warning that those using force “must be put in their place.” Fars News Agency described limited protests in Tehran but deadlier clashes in western Iran. President Donald Trump said the U.S.is “watching it very closely” and threatened action against Iran if authorities “start killing people.”

• Indian government kills 14 Naxalites in clashes in its Chhattisgarh state: Indian security forces killed 14 Maoist rebels in two clashes Saturday in Chhattisgarh, with police saying the encounters took place in the Sukma and Bijapur districts, according to the AFP. The government vowed to eliminate the Maoist Naxalite rebellion—named after the village of Naxalbari—by the end of March, saying it has been sharply weakened in recent years, after decades of conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people.

• Indian Muslim activists to remain jailed after five years without trial: India’s Supreme Court denied bail to Muslim activists Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam, keeping them jailed for more than five years without trial in the 2020 Delhi riots case after they were charged under India’s anti-terror law for leading protests against the Modi government’s citizenship legislation. Rights groups say the decision underscores politically motivated repression and prolonged detention without due process, with Khalid held for about 1,940 days and Imam for 2,169 days.

• Syrian government confers with the Kurdish-led SDF: Syrian government officials held talks with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Damascus on Sunday. They discussed plans to integrate the force into the national army, according to the AFP, but Syrian state media said the meeting produced no “tangible results.” Disagreements remain over whether the SDF would remain intact or be dissolved and individually absorbed. The talks follow a March agreement under President Ahmad al-Sharaa to merge the U.S.-backed SDF—led by commander Mazloum Abdi—into the army by the end of 2025, a process complicated by Turkish opposition and ongoing security tensions.

• UK and French air forces carried out an attack on an alleged IS facility in Syria: Britain’s Ministry of Defence said the Royal Air Force carried out joint strikes with France on Saturday night against an underground facility in Syria believed to have been used by the Islamic State to store weapons, according to France 24. The Ministry says the site was north of Palmyra and that the attack posed no risk to civilians.

• Palestine Action activists continue hunger strike: Four imprisoned activists from the UK’s Palestine Action are entering a critical phase of a hunger strike, after more than a year on remand without trial under Britain’s terrorism laws. 28-year-old Kamran Ahmed is now in his eighth week without food, and supporters of the organization have begun rallying outside Pentonville Prison. Ahmed described the protest as resistance to what he called “punishment by process,” saying the strike aims to show that detainees “won’t sit idle while Israel is still ethnically cleansing Gaza.” Prime Minister Keir Starmer continues to refuse talks with the activists, despite mounting medical and legal opposition to their starvation. Read more on this from Jacobin.

• Starlink cuts off satellite access to Uganda: Elon Musk’s Starlink cut off satellite internet access in Uganda ahead of the January 15 general election, complying with a government request tied to its license.Critics of the present Ugandan government say the move mirrors the state-ordered internet blackout imposed during the 2021 election amid widespread political repression and voter suppression. President Yoweri Museveni, in power since 1986, is again seeking reelection against opposition challenger Bobi Wine, who questioned why authorities fear public internet access during elections if fraud is not planned. Starlink separately announced it will provide free broadband access in Venezuela through February 3, citing the need to maintain connectivity during the current crisis.

More From Drop Site

• José Luis Granados Ceja joins Breaking Points to discuss the U.S. attacks on Venezuela: Drop Site News Latin America desk head José Luis Granados Ceja joined Breaking Points to discuss the flimsy pretexts for U.S. intervention in Venezuela. Granados Ceja warned that Maduro’s abduction sets a dangerous precedent for Latin America, raising risks of escalation in Venezuela and elsewhere with far-reaching geopolitical fallout. Watch his full appearance here.

• Drop Site contributor Andreína Chávez joined Democracy Now!: In her appearance, Chávez said that President Nicolás Maduro was “kidnapped,” not lawfully seized, and called the U.S. operation a clear violation of international law and Venezuelan sovereignty, while claims that the U.S. is negotiating with Caracas. Chávez said she heard explosions and military aircraft around 2 a.m. and confirmed attacks on at least seven locations across Caracas. Watch her appearance here.

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