Venezuela’s Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, assured early Saturday morning that the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores are unknown, after U.S. President Donald Trump publicly stated that both were captured following a large-scale military attack against the South American country.
In response to this statement, the official demanded that the U.S. government provide proof of life for both of them.
Venezuelan Vice President asks for proof of Maduro’s life
📺TV LIVE | Delcy Rodríguez, vice president of Venezuela: “In the face of this brutal attack, we do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and the first lady. We demand immediate proof of life from Trump.” https://t.co/fDshHa7nd2 pic.twitter.com/IFdc2AxA5p
– EL PAÍS (@el_pais) January 3, 2026
Delcy Rodríguez made these statements during a telephone contact with the state-run Venezolana de Televisión (VTV), hours after Trump published a message on his social network Truth Social, in which he assured that the United States “successfully” carried out a military operation in Venezuela and that Maduro and his wife had been captured and airlifted out of the country.
“We demand from the U.S. government proof of life of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores,” stated Rodríguez, who also serves as Minister of Hydrocarbons.
As of this writing, there is no independent confirmation from international agencies, the U.S. Department of Defense or the Venezuelan government itself as to the whereabouts of the president.
Reporting of attacks and victims
During her speech, the vice-president denounced that the attacks -attributed by the Venezuelan government to the United States- were reportedly registered in Caracas and in the nearby states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, in the north of the country.
Delcy Rodríguez reported the deaths of military personnel and civilians who were at different points where, according to the Executive, the armed actions had an impact.
“We condemn this brutal and savage form of aggression against our people, which has claimed the lives of military officers, who have become martyrs of our homeland, and which has also claimed the lives of innocent Venezuelan civilians,” said the Venezuelan vice president, without specifying numbers or identities of the victims.
So far, no verifiable official balance sheets have been presented on the number of deaths or injuries, nor images confirmed by international organizations to independently back up the Venezuelan government’s allegations.
Trump’s statements and the context
In his message on Truth Social, Trump assured that the operation was conducted “in conjunction with U.S. law enforcement” and announced that he would provide more details at a press conference scheduled for 11:00 a.m. (EST) from Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
The U.S. president did not present public evidence confirming the alleged capture.
The announcement came a few hours after explosions and the overflight of military aircraft in Caracas were reported, events that were widely reported on social networks and Venezuelan state media, although with limited information and without technical confirmation as to their origin.
Why is it relevant to U.S. Hispanics?
For the Hispanic community living in the United States, especially for the millions of Venezuelans living in the country, the situation is of great concern.
Any escalation between Washington and Caracas could have an impact on immigration policies, asylum, TPS, economic sanctions, as well as the safety of family members who remain in Venezuela.
QuéOnnda will continue to follow up on this issue as verifiable official statements are made by both the United States and Venezuela.
