- 8 months ago
05/01/2026
FTS 16.30
*Delcy Rodriguez sworn in as Acting President of Venezuela.
*Worldwide demonstrations condemn U.S. attack on Venezuela.
teleSUR
These and many more stories now!
FTS 16.30
*Delcy Rodriguez sworn in as Acting President of Venezuela.
*Worldwide demonstrations condemn U.S. attack on Venezuela.
teleSUR
These and many more stories now!
Category
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NewsTranscript
00:00Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first statement before a New
00:11Year court after his kidnapping amidst the massive military aggression by
00:16the interstate and Venezuelan territory. Venezuela's Vice President Delsi
00:24Rodríguez was sworn in on Monday as acting president of the Bolivarian nation and the
00:32US military attack against Venezuela has sparked worldwide condemnation triggering
00:37mobilizations that demand the release of president Nicolás Maduro. Hello and
00:45welcome to From the South. I'm Alejandra Garcia from Telesur Studios in
00:48Habana, Cuba. We begin with the news.
01:04Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first statement before a New Year court
01:08after his kidnapping amidst the massive military aggression by the United States
01:13and Venezuelan territory. The Venezuelan leader declared, I am the president of Venezuela and
01:18I consider myself a prisoner of war. I was captured at my home in Caracas. I am not
01:24guilty. I am a decent man. I am still the president of my country, he told the judge
01:29rejecting the charges against him.
01:37In the meantime, in New York, United States, citizens are demonstrating in front of the
01:42Brooklyn detention center where Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro arrived after his
01:47kidnapping on January 3rd. The protesters, in an act of solidarity with Venezuela's sovereignty,
01:54carried banners and chanted slogans demanding the immediate release of the Venezuelan president
02:00and first combatant Celia Flores. The protests took place after the Venezuelan head of state
02:06and was transferred to the Brooklyn detention center upon his arrival in the United States.
02:16Also, Venezuela's Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was thrown in on Monday as Acting President
02:22of the Bolivarian Nation. The ceremony took place before the new elected National Assembly,
02:28where Rodriguez was thrown in by the Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez. During the ceremony,
02:34the Bolivarian leader pledged to pledge full respect to the Constitution and to fulfill her
02:40duties in defense and on behalf of the people of Venezuela.
02:44Also, now we are going to move on to other topics also related to Venezuela.
02:51The installation session of the Venezuelan Parliament for the 2026-2031 legislative period took place
02:59on Monday with the incorporation of the deputies chosen in the elections held in May 2025. The National
03:07Assembly sworn in its members and appointed its new Board of Directors, which will be responsible
03:14for conducting legislative work over the next five years. The session was shared by Deputy Fernando Soto-Rojas,
03:23who emphasized the complexity facing the country due to the military aggression perpetrated by the
03:30United States on January 3rd and the kidnapping of Constitutional President Nicolás Maduro. In this regard,
03:37several deputies have rejected the U.S. imperialist attack which, under the products of a false war on drugs,
03:44seeks to undermine national sovereignty and appropriate the nation's resources.
03:49Also in Venezuela, in the context of the inauguration of the National Assembly, Deputy Nicolás Maduro Guerra
04:02denounced the attacks committed by the United States in Venezuela and also the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro.
04:10That is why, with great responsibility, we say that Venezuela is not fighting for its own land or its own resources,
04:18but for the well-being at the existence of humanity itself. International law exists in order to
04:29put a restraint to empires.
04:31And if that is violated, we'll go back to the law of the jungle and no country is safe. Today, it's Venezuela,
04:40but tomorrow it could be any other nation that is not willing to bow down to foreign powers. This is not a regional
04:49problem. This is a threat to humanity and international stability.
04:55On Monday, the United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting requested by Venezuela following
05:06the attack perpetrated by U.S. military forces against the sovereignty of the Bolivarian territory
05:12on January 3rd and the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and the first combatant Celia Flores.
05:18At the Security Council meeting, representatives of the international community denounced the United
05:23States' illegal actions as a direct threat to world peace and security. In this scenario,
05:28several countries have condemned the military operation against Venezuela and describe it as a
05:34blatant use of force that violates the regulations established by international law. The United Nations
05:40meeting took place against a backdrop of international protests demanding the release of President Nicolás
05:48Maduro and first combatant Celia Flores, as well as an end to the escalation of interferential
05:53aggressions that the U.S. government has sustained against Latin America and Caribbean region.
06:04In this context, the representative of Venezuela, Samuel Moncada, reaffirmed that the United States is
06:09moving forward with a violation of international law and the right to sovereignty of peoples.
06:17Venezuela appears before this Council today from a deep conviction that international peace can only
06:23be sustained if international law is respected, without the sections, without double standards,
06:28and without selective interpretations. The events of January 3rd constitute a flagrant violation of the
06:35character of the United Nations by the United States government, in particular. The violation of the
06:44principle of equality of states, the violation of the absolute provision of the use of threats or force
06:50against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, as enshrined in Article 2,
06:56number 4 of the charter, and the violation of the duty to resolve dispute by peaceful means.
07:06These acts also seriously violate the Geneva Conventions and their protocol. As indiscriminated
07:11attacks has been carried out against the civilian population and civilian targets, international human
07:17rights law has also been violated, particularly the right to life, personal integrity and security.
07:27The representative of Brazil reaffirmed the importance of respecting the self-determination of
07:33the peoples within the framework of the constitution and that events, such as the one of January 3rd,
07:39are a direct attack to the sovereignty of the country.
07:42Furthermore, Brazil does not believe that the solution to the situation in Venezuela lies in
07:46the creation of protectorates in the country, but rather in solutions that respect the self-determination
07:52of the Venezuelan people within the framework of its constitution. The events of January 3rd transcend
07:58the regional sphere. The attack on the sovereignty of any country, regardless of the direction of its
08:04government, affects the entire international community. This and other cases of armed intervention
08:11against the sovereignty of a country, its territorial integrity or its institutions must be vehemently
08:19condemned. It is up to this Council to assume its responsibility and react with determination,
08:25clarity and obedience to international law in order to prevent the law of force from prevailing over the force
08:33of law.
08:37Did the United Nations Security Council, the permanent representative of Russia to the United Nations,
08:42Vasilina Benzia, express Russia's rejection to the attacks of the United States against Venezuela
08:48on January 3rd?
08:49Vasilina Benzia We extend our firm solidarity with the people of Venezuela in the face of the external
08:58aggression. We firmly support and completely support the policy of the Bolivarian government,
09:04which is geared towards protection of their national interests and the sovereignty of the country.
09:08Washington's aggressive acts have already been condemned by many states and multilateral associations,
09:13including the non-aligned movement, the African Union, as well as a group of friends in defense
09:19of the Charter of the United Nations. We hope that the international banditry will immediately be met
09:25with objective and comprehensive assessment at the international legal level with United Nations
09:32universal mechanisms and other multilateral formats being brought to bear.
09:36And now we have a short break coming up, but first remember you can join us on TikTok at
09:40Telesur English, where you'll find news in different formats, news updates and more. We'll be right back. Stay with us.
09:58Welcome back to From the South. We go to Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Protesters are gathering on
10:04Sunday in front of the U.S. Consulate to condemn the kidnapping of Venezuelan President
10:09Nicolás Maduro and accused the United States of seeking to plunder Latin America's resources.
10:14The protesters waved the Venezuelan flags on Sunday and carried signs against war and imperialism,
10:19while also demanding justice for the terrorist acts of the United States around the world.
10:25In addition, attendees also warned that U.S. intervention in Venezuela could lead to new
10:31operations against Latin America. Dozens of countries around the world, such as Mexico,
10:37Brazil, Colombia, Russia and China, demanded respect for international law and condemned the crime
10:44against Venezuela. The Argentine Workers Central Union condemned the United States aggression against
10:56Venezuela in the context of the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro. On Monday, the organization
11:02met with international members to express its rejection of the U.S. interferential actions and
11:08violation of international law against Venezuela. The Argentine Union also demanded the safe return of
11:14the Venezuelan President and his wife, the first combatant Celia Flores, to their homeland. They also
11:20affirmed that Washington intends to destabilize the Latin American and Caribbean region in order to
11:26appropriate the oil and natural resources of Bolivarian territory.
11:35Also, the expressions of solidarity with the people and governments of Venezuela continue across the
11:40world. The Nicaragua Solidarity Coalition strongly condemns the illegal attacks by the United States
11:45government. In a statement, the organization expressed, we reject all foreign intervention in the
11:51internal affairs of sovereign states, recognizing that no foreign intervention has ever brought peace,
11:57democracy or well-being, but only suffering, division and dependency to the affected peoples.
12:05In this sentence, it stated, we reaffirm that every sovereign nation has full control over the
12:10national resources found within its territory. The right of the Venezuelan people to self-determination
12:16is not reliable and only the people of Venezuela have the right to decide. It concludes by stressing,
12:22we know that the people of Venezuela are well organized, are already showing their support for
12:27the Bolivarian revolution in the streets and are willing and able to defend the sovereignty of their
12:32country with their lives, if necessary.
12:35At the same time, Mexicans took to the streets to reiterate the rejection of US President Donald
12:47Trump's military actions in Venezuela. Citizens gathered across the nation to condemn the January
12:523rd attack on Caracas that left several dead and injured. In addition, protesters denounced the
12:59kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and first combatant Celia Flores, asserting the act constitutes
13:06a clear violation of international law and the United Nations Charter.
13:16In the Philippines, on Monday, people gathered in the capital Manila to protest the United States
13:21military aggression against Venezuela. Students and youth groups, together with social and political
13:27movements, march along Calois Avenue near the United States Embassy to condemn the recent attacks and
13:33destabilization efforts of Washington. Demonstrators denounced the US operation undermines the South
13:39American countries' sovereignty and endangers the lives and welfare of the Venezuelan people.
13:46Carrying banners and also shunting slogans condemn US imperialism, the mobilized people urge
13:52respect for Venezuela's rights to self-determination. Also, in an exclusive interview with Telesur about the
14:03situation in Venezuela, former Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa assured that the United States has
14:09revealed its interest in appropriating Venezuelan oil.
14:12It is obvious what this is about and Trump has
14:22said it clearly. We want Venezuela's oil. Give us back the oil that was taken from us. Oil was
14:28nationalized in Venezuela in 1976, as in many parts of Latin America, and that is called confiscation,
14:36which is permitted by all countries in the interest of the common good. But if that is called theft,
14:42another recent attempt to recover what was supposedly stolen tomorrow, Ecuador is invaded the day after
14:48tomorrow, Bolivia, then Chile, and that is extremely serious.
14:52And China's foreign minister Wang Yi accused the United States on Sunday of acting as the world's police
15:02and condemn military attacks against sovereign nations as a serious violation of international law.
15:06We never believe that any country should act as the world's police, nor do we approve of any country
15:17regarding itself as the international judge. The sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully
15:23protected under international law. In this international scenario, the Chinese government called on the
15:31United States to release Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in first combatant Celia Flores.
15:41China has expressed its position regarding the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Maduro and his
15:46wife by the United States. China expresses serious concerns over the U.S. actions to abduct President Maduro
15:52and his wife and transfer them out of the country. These actions by the U.S. clearly violate international
15:57law and the basic norms of international relations and contravening the purposes and principles of the
16:02United Nations Charter. China calls on the United States to ensure the personal safety of President
16:07Maduro and his wife, to immediately release them, to stop undermining Venezuela's government,
16:12and to resolve issues through legal and diplomatic negotiations.
16:18And the Venezuelan Consortium of Aeronautical Industries and Air Services, Conviasa,
16:23announced that it will resume its international air operations this Monday under the scheduled
16:29itinerary. In a statement, the consortium clarified that flights suspended on Saturday will resume at
16:35no additional cost to affected passengers. In addition to Conviasa, Laser and Avior Airlines also
16:43officially announced the resumption of their domestic flights from January 4. This Sunday,
16:50U.S. Transportation Secretary Saint-Chan Duffy reported that the arbitrary and illegal
16:56restrictions imposed by them on Caribbean airspace to perpetuate the criminal attack against Venezuela
17:03were lifted on Sunday afternoon.
17:10And now we have a second sobri coming up. Before we invite you to visit our Facebook page
17:15at Telesur English, there you'll be able to watch our top stories, special live coverage, and much more.
17:21Follow our page and activate the notification button to stay up to date on the world's most recent events.
17:26Fana Showbreak will be right back.
17:28Welcome back to From the South. In Bolivia, the Workers' Central Union continues its march towards La Paz
17:49after 14 days of conflict to the Supreme Decree 5503. Trade unions maintain their protest against the imposition
17:57of the decree, which establishes a series of neoliberal measures that violate national sovereignty and the
18:03labor and economic rights of the working class. The Bolivia is not for sale march, which set off from
18:10Calamarca on January 3rd, is expected to arrive at the government headquarters in La Paz on Monday.
18:16The demonstrators, who include miners, peasants, teachers, neighborhood associations from El Alto,
18:22and indigenous women from the Bartolina Cisa Confederation, remain firm in their demand to the decree to be repelled.
18:36Now we go to Haiti. Its economy registered a further decline in 2025, marking seven consecutive years
18:42of recession. Central Bank Governor Ronald Gabriel reported that the cumulative contraction during
18:49this period reached 16 percent. The report highlights that agriculture, the historical driving force of
18:56the nation, has been the most affected sector. It went from representing 40 percent of the economy
19:04to less than 17 percent today. The Governor explained that the political crisis prevents the implementation of
19:10effective financial measures, as there are no secure conditions for business development or investment.
19:17Despite the negative scenario, Haitian authorities remain hopeful of a recovery by 2030, based on historical
19:25precedents such as the period following the embargo of the 1990s, when the economy managed to bounce back strongly.
19:40Also on Monday, Israeli occupation forces carried out a large-scale incursion campaign in various areas of
20:03the occupied West Bank, resulting in the arrest of dozens of Palestinians, including a child and a journalist.
20:09The campaign included intensive raids and Palestinian homes in a number of governorates accompanied
20:15by a large-scale military deployment. In Awarta, south of the city of Nablus, 21 Palestinians were detained,
20:23in addition to the arrest of one citizen from the city of Nablus itself. Israeli forces arrested 20
20:30Palestinians from Aida camp north of Bethlehem. It is important to highlight that occupation forces carried out
20:37these arbitrarily arrested without announcing the reasons for the arrest or bringing official charges.
20:44The occupation's actions were accompanied by the deliberate destruction of Palestinian property,
20:50in addition to subjecting residents to field investigations amid an atmosphere of tension and fear,
20:57especially among women and children.
20:58Also in this scenario, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, ONRA, stated that over
21:1012,000 Palestinian children are living in a state of forced displacement in the occupied West Bank as a result of
21:17the ongoing Israeli military military operation in the northern governorates. Since January 21, 2025, the Israeli army has been conducting a military operation dubbed Operation Iron Wall,
21:30which began in Jenin refugee camp and also later expanded to the Nur Shams and Tulkaram refugee camps.
21:37In this regard, ONRA also stated that in February 2025, it launched an emergency education program for displaced
21:47children in the northern West Bank to ensure the continuation of their education.
21:57And the education sector in the Gaza Strip is suffering from great difficulties in light of the widespread destruction of
22:04educational facilities and the worsening of the displacement crisis. According to Palestinian education authorities,
22:11children are studying in precarious conditions inside tents that offer no protection from Israeli occupation forces.
22:19Despite the ceasefire established in October 2025, the reconstruction of the education system in Gaza has been
22:26limited by the continuation of Zionist aggressions and restrictions imposed on the entry of humanitarian aid.
22:34And after this information, we have come to the end of this news brief. Remember,
22:41you can find this and many other stories on our website at www.telesureenglish.net.
22:46Also join us on social media. We are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram and TikTok as well.
22:52My name is Alejandra Garcia. Thank you for watching.
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