What in the World - Venezuela: What just happened?

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Venezuela’s leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are in custody in the US after President Trump has launched a series of strikes on Venezuela. It was all part of ‘Operation Absolute Resolve’ - a mission the Trump administration had secretly been planning for months.

Both Maduro and his wife have been charged with a list of drugs and weapons offences and are due to appear in court in New York later on Monday. President Trump has said the US will run Venezuela until he can organise a “safe, proper and judicious” transition of power. But how will this work?

In this episode, we explain why the US went ahead with the attack, whether it is legal, and what the future could hold for people living in Venezuela after the operation.

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Presenter: Iqra Farooq
Producers: Emily Horler and Chelsea Coates
Editor: Verity Wilde

Published on Monday, 5th January 2026.

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