An explosion caused by US military strikes bombing the outskirts of Caracas on Saturday, January 3, 2026. Photo: UPSC.
Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello has announced that the death toll from the US empire’s military attack against Venezuela on Saturday has risen to 100 people, including civilians and military personnel.
Cabello explained during a special broadcast of his program Con el Mazo Dando this Wednesday, January 7, that although it was not scheduled to start his program this week, “the current circumstances force it,” following the illegal attack perpetrated by the US targeting four states in the country that concluded with the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
The interior minister paid tribute to the victims who gave their lives in defense of the homeland and called for the safety of the presidential couple.
“In these situations of attack, the first casualty is the truth because manipulations and campaigns to misinform and make people believe things that are not happening and never happened come into play,” he said, in reference to the media trends claiming alleged treason, negotiations, or a coup as the supposed cause for the abduction of President Maduro.
Evidence clearly shows a violent and bloody US military campaign against Venezuela and the forced kidnapping of its president. Analysts note that trends on mainstream social media suggesting internal collaboration between Venezuela and the US empire are imperialist fabrications to divide the Chavista movement and international support for the Bolivarian Revolution.
“Venezuela was the victim of a barbaric attack,” he continued. ‘Nobody is going to cover it up because there is no way to hide this, and today the world is discovering the truth in full.”
Cabello highlighted the courage, fortitude, and bravery that the presidential couple displayed until and beyond the moment they were kidnapped. He recalled that upon learning that they intended to take only President Maduro, his wife, Cilia Flores, demanded to be taken with him, emphasizing her gesture of profound love and bravery.
Minister Cabello also reiterated his full support “for our comrade Delcy Rodríguez, appointed acting president in the face of the kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro.”
“I’m not just talking from my own point of view, the whole country… political and business sectors, the Bolivarian National Armed Force, and the entire country,” said the Chavista leader, asking the people to accompany and deepen the revolution in this difficult stage.
“She didn’t ask for this,” he added, referring to Acting President Rodríguez, “but she is working to boost the prosperity of the homeland and to bring back brother Nicolás Maduro and comrade Cilia Flores.”
Cabello commended the people of the nation for maintaining their composure, calm, and awareness. “The people stood firm, peaceful, with great awareness and strength,” the political leader noted.
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President Maduro’s liberation
Later on Wednesday, Acting President Rodríguez led the formation of a high-level committee to seek the release of President Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores. The announcement was made by Jorge Rodríguez, president of the National Assembly, who heads the committee, which includes close family members and high-ranking government officials.
The team includes Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, the president’s son, as well as Yosser Daniel and Yoswal Gavidia Flores, the first lady’s sons.
The structure of this commission is completed with key figures from the cabinet: Yván Gil, minister of foreign affairs; Alfred Nazaret Ñáñez, sectoral vice president of communication and culture; Reinaldo Muñoz, attorney general; Camilla Fabri de Saab, vice minister of international communication at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Congressman Juan Escalona; and Larry Devoe, human rights expert and legal advisor.
Jorge Rodríguez reported that the delegation will invest all its resources in the pursuit of justice and emphasized that the ultimate goal is the consolidation of peace in the country and the return of its leaders to the nation. “They will be with us again,” he affirmed.
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
