The interim government of Venezuela will hand over between 30 and 50 million barrels of “high quality, sanctioned oil” to the United States following the military operation in the country and the capture of leader Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday. Oil currently sells for around US$56 a barrel, meaning the deal announced by Trump could be worth up to US$2.8 billion. See more 🚨 President Donald J. Trump announces Interim Authorities in Venezuela will be turning over between 30 and 50 MILLION Barrels of High Quality, Sanctioned Oil, to the United States of America. Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy informed on Wednesday that it has seized a Russian-flagged tanker linked to Venezuelan oil in the North Atlantic. Several ships that were going to Venezuela have reportedly had to change course after the military intervention intensified in recent weeks.

Argentina’s Central Bank (BCRA) announced on Wednesday it had negotiated a repurchase agreement (known as a repo) with international banks for US$3 billion. This will allow the country to face debt maturities close to US$4.2 billion due on Friday, January 9. This is the third repo with international banks carried out by Economy Minister Luis Caputo since taking office in December 2023. The first two, signed in January and June 2025, used BOPREAL dollar-denominated securities as collateral, for a total of US$3 billion. The decision is part of a government-announced move that it will begin a reserve-accumulation process in 2026, something markets and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had been calling for.

The decree was published in Venezuela’s Official Gazette on Monday but dated January 3, the day of the U.S. attack. This is the first time the government has used this disposition since it was created in 1999. The document also details measures to repel the foreign military incursion, including the deployment of the national armed forces across the country and the reinforcement of border security. Human rights concernsHuman rights organizations expressed concern over the decree, especially the article explicitly ordering the capture of those who backed the U.S. operation. One of them is military police officer Nahuel Gallo, who was arrested in December 2024 after being accused of being part of an alleged plot against Venezuela.

Argentine President Javier Milei was one of the few Latin American leaders to unquestionably celebrate the U.S. military intervention that captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Saturday. In 2024, Venezuela broke ties with Argentina. Five members of the Venezuelan opposition sought refuge in the Argentine embassy in Caracas after General Prosecutor Tarek William Saab ordered their arrest. A second incident took place in late 2024, when the Venezuelan government arrested Argentine military police officer Nahuel Agustín Gallo on charges of espionage. “He must be bursting with that monster face of his, because he’s an ugly guy, too, and stupid,” the Venezuelan leader said.

The UN Security Council held an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the ongoing situation in Venezuela, after the United States security forces launched a large-scale strike on the country on Saturday and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. “There is no war against Venezuela or its people. The strongest criticism for the U.S. came from Russia and China, who characterized the US action as armed aggression. The UN Security Council is formed by 5 permanent members —China, France, Russia, the UK, and the US—and 10 non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms, focusing on peace, security, and equitable geographic distribution, with specific regional quotas. The five permanent members also have the right to veto any resolution taken by the council.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado announced she is planning to return to her country “as soon as possible” and said she wants to give her recently-awarded Nobel Peace Prize to United States President Donald Trump to thank him for his government’s military operation in Venezuela to capture Nicolás Maduro. Trump has publicly said that Machado “doesn’t have the respect within the country,” to run it. Instead, the U.S. government is working with former Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in as interim president on Monday. Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 10. In the interview, she said the two spoke on the day the prize was announced, but that they haven’t spoken since.

Ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro pleaded not guilty in a New York court on Monday, his first hearing after being captured by the United States military last Saturday in Caracas. “I am not guilty,” Maduro said after being read a summary of the charges against him, U.S. media outlets reported. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has filed charges of narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, and firearms offenses against Maduro, Flores, and others. The U.S. military intervention in VenezuelaOn Saturday morning, the United States staged a military intervention in Venezuela in which they captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. Delcy Rodríguez, who until now was the Venezuelan vice president, was sworn in as “acting president” on Monday.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has stated 32 Cuban soldiers who were part of Maduro’s security team were killed during the operation, and declared two days of national mourning. “There is only one president in Venezuela, and his name is Nicolás Maduro Moros,” she said. The U.S. government has also shifted its tone regarding Rodríguez and the rest of the current administration, which until Saturday was under Maduro’s orders. A few hours after capturing the Venezuelan leader, U.S. President Donald Trump said that his country would be “running” Venezuela from now on, although they were working with Rodríguez. “She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again,” Trump had told the press, something Rodríguez seemingly rejected in her Saturday statement.

The veal and the shrimp dish (Credit: courtesy of Silvino). The inside of Silvino (Credit: courtesy of Silvino). The paté (Credit: courtesy of Silvino). The inside of Mambo (Credit: courtesy of Mambo). The cabbage dish (Credit: courtesy of Mambo).

However, in Argentina, today’s political capital could become tomorrow’s liability if the president fails to acknowledge that macroeconomic consolidation is a political endeavor as well as an economic one. Calm was only restored after the political risk subsided, aided by a victory that strengthened Milei’s government in both houses of Congress. The financial outlook for 2026 remains demanding, with Argentina facing maturities exceeding US$19 billion. Economic activity: less heterogeneity and more employmentFollowing a recovery in 2025, with analysts estimating growth of 4.4%, the IMF expects 4% growth in 2026. The government aims to pass economic reforms in Congress early in 2026, particularly labor reform.

Buenos Aires Herald editorial (versión en español a continuación)In the early hours of Saturday, January 3, 2026, the United States once again claimed to be “defending democracy” as it captured Nicolás Maduro in a military intervention in Venezuela. U.S. military intervention in Latin America has always spelled disaster. Democracy can only be defended at the ballot box by guaranteeing citizens can freely decide who their leaders will be. The disputed election results, the persecution of political opponents, and the dire economic crisis undoubtedly required a political solution. Trump dijo el sábado en una conferencia de prensa sobre la operación que su país gobernará Venezuela para garantizar una transición ordenada.

Chief of Staff Manuel Adorni announced new immigration restrictions targeting Venezuelan nationals associated with Maduro’s regime in the aftermath of the United States military intervention in Venezuela and capture of President Nicolás Maduro. La República Argentina ha adoptado nuevas restricciones migratorias en virtud de la captura del dictador Nicolás Maduro. Argentina’s stancePresident Javier Milei was one of the few world leaders who expressed support for the actions the United States carried out Saturday morning in Venezuela. Shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that the military operation had been completed, the Argentine president posted “FREEDOM ADVANCES. LONG LIVE FREEDOM, DAMN IT!”Argentina’s Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno also welcomed the U.S. strike and the capture of Maduro.

“Venezuela unilaterally seized and sold American oil, American assets and American platforms, costing us billions and billions of dollars.”“They took all of our property… it was our property. We’re going to make sure the people that were forced out of Venezuela by this thug are also taken care of,” he said. It was stolen from you, but you’re going to have peace, and you’re going to have safety, you’re going to have justice. You’re going to have a country. You’re going to have a real country.

United States security forces have launched a “large-scale strike against Venezuela” in which they captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and removed them from the country, U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his TruthSocial social media platform on Saturday morning. The U.S. strikes targeted military bases, and at the time of writing the Venezuelan government had not provided specific information about how the attacks had affected civilians or the military. In an interview with Fox News, Trump stated that Maduro had been taken to the U.S.S. “The government of Colombia rejects the attack on the sovereignty of Venezuela and Latin America,” he wrote. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said that the attack “crossed an unacceptable limit” and called on the United Nations to respond.

Intelligence agents will be allowed to arrest people on the spot — something that till now was reserved for police officers and military police only — and all their activities will be considered “covert.”In addition, the State Intelligence Secretariat (SIDE) will have the power to ask the armed forces to perform interior intelligence tasks. Opposition members expressed concern over the reform, saying that with these changes, intelligence services could be used for political espionage. “He doesn’t like governing according to the Constitution, because it is an obstacle for him, and he will always prefer a shortcut.”This is the second major reform of Argentina’s intelligence system since Milei became president. The government’s order also states that all intelligence activities will now be undercover on the grounds of their sensitive nature and with the goal of protecting national security. You may also be interested in: Journalist reports intelligence services could target critics, sparking official denial — and alleged hack attempts