DIRECT FROM CARACAS: Venezuela Attacked, Maduro Captured

US Military Launches Offensive Lacking Congressional Authority, Captures Sitting President of Venezuela

By: Melissa Corrigan

TLDR: Friend of BAM, Elizabeth Raven, Venezuelan University professor and architect, lives in Caracas and has shared some video and reporting from the region after the US attacked the capital city of Venezuela and allegedly captured President Maduro and his wife. We are amplifying her reporting.

In pre-dawn hours, explosions rocked the city of Caracas as the United States has apparently launched a full offensive assault against the capital city of Venezuela as well as allegedly capturing the sitting President, Nicolás Maduro Moros.¹

This attack is an escalation of the ongoing threats to Venezuela by U.S. President Donald Trump, and, if true, the capture of a sitting President from his own capital city would prove to be an escalation of political aggression that would rock diplomatic efforts internationally.

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez has issued a demand for proof of life of Maduro from the United States via a broadcast message.²

Two weeks ago, Melissa Corrigan here at Blue Amp Media convened with Elizabeth Raven and Arturo Dominguez to discuss getting some first-hand and expert voices on Latin America, and specifically Venezuela, to enlighten and educate our readers on the global sociopolitical history, current events, and ramifications of our government’s involvement in the region.

So when the news alert woke us this morning, we flew directly to Substack to check on Elizabeth. Her feed is astonishing. Elizabeth is an educator, and clearly so, as her home city is under assault and she coolly reports and provides information, direct video, and shares other resources for context. If you have not subscribed to her, you’re going to want to do that ASAP to get a direct visual on the ground in Caracas.

As you can imagine, we are fearful for our friend’s safety, but we are so impressed with her documentation of this morning’s events and want to make sure her coverage is widely seen.

It appears that strategic drone strikes were carried out throughout the city, including on the final resting place of Hugo Chavez, Cuartel de la Montaña.

Elizabeth conveys the following official message (translation below) from the Venezuelan government:

Translation:

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and population in the civilian and military localities of the city of Caracas, capital of the Republic, and the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. This act constitutes a flagrant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, especially Articles 1 and 2, which enshrine respect for sovereignty, the legal equality of States, and the prohibition of the use of force. Such aggression threatens international peace and stability, specifically in Latin America and the Caribbean, and puts the lives of millions of people at serious risk. The objective of this attack is none other than to seize Venezuela's strategic resources, particularly its oil and minerals, in an attempt to forcibly break the nation's political independence. They will not succeed. After more than 200 years of independence, the people and their legitimate government remain steadfast in defending their sovereignty and their inalienable right to decide their own destiny. The attempt to impose a colonial war to destroy the republican form of government and force a “regime change,” in alliance with the fascist oligarchy, will fail like all previous attempts. Since 1811, Venezuela has faced and defeated empires. When foreign powers bombarded our coasts in 1902, President Cipriano Castro proclaimed: “The insolent foot of the foreigner has desecrated the sacred soil of the Fatherland.” Today, with the spirit of Bolívar, Miranda, and our liberators, the Venezuelan people rise again to defend their independence against imperial aggression. People to the streets The Bolivarian Government calls on all social and political forces in the country to activate mobilization plans and repudiate this imperialist attack. The people of Venezuela and their Bolivarian National Armed Forces, in perfect popular-military-police fusion, are deployed to guarantee sovereignty and peace. Simultaneously, Bolivarian Peace Diplomacy will file the corresponding complaints with the UN Security Council, the Secretary-General of that organization, CELAC, and NAM, demanding condemnation and accountability from the US government. President Nicolás Maduro has ordered all national defense plans to be implemented at the appropriate time and under the appropriate circumstances, in strict accordance with the provisions of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the Organic Law on States of Exception, and the Organic Law on National Security. In this regard, President Nicolás Maduro has signed and ordered the implementation of the Decree declaring a state of external commotion throughout the national territory, in order to protect the rights of the population, the full functioning of republican institutions and immediately move to armed struggle. The entire country must take action to defeat this imperialist aggression. Similarly, he has ordered the immediate deployment of the Command for the Integral Defense of the Nation and the Organs of Direction for Integral Defense in all states and municipalities of the country. In strict accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations, Venezuela reserves the right to exercise legitimate defense to protect its people, its territory, and its independence. We call on the peoples and governments of Latin America, the Caribbean, and the world to mobilize in active solidarity against this imperial aggression. As Supreme Commander Hugo Chávez Frías pointed out, “in the face of any new difficulties, whatever their magnitude, the response of all patriots... is unity, struggle, battle, and victory.”

We will continue to keep you updated on what is unfolding in Venezuela.

Make sure to subscribe to both Blue Amp Media and Elizabeth Raven to continue to get the most up-to-date information, directly from the source.

1. https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/loud-noises-heard-venezuela-capital-southern-area-without-electricity-2026-01-03/

2. https://www.barrons.com/news/venezuela-demands-us-provide-proof-of-life-of-maduro-7e49e130