Transcript
Welcome to the "Bilingual News in Spanish" podcast.
The situation in Venezuela remains the focal point of global attention following a weekend of high-stakes political maneuvers. Three weeks after the capture of Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, the country is caught in a delicate balance between the acting government in Caracas and heavy oversight from Washington.
Caracas, Venezuela – 26 de enero de 2026 – Venezuela vive dÃas de mucha tensión y cambios. Este fin de semana, el grupo Foro Penal confirmó que el gobierno liberó a 104 prisioneros polÃticos. Muchas familias están felices, pero la polÃtica sigue siendo un gran problema. La presidenta interina, Delcy RodrÃguez, dice que quiere paz, pero también quiere independencia.
The release of these political detainees is seen as a strategic move by Delcy RodrÃguez to gain domestic legitimacy. However, the "dual authority" crisis deepened this weekend as she publicly pushed back against U.S. influence during a speech to oil workers in Anzoátegui.
RodrÃguez dijo: "¡Basta de órdenes de Washington!". Ella quiere que los polÃticos venezolanos resuelvan sus propios problemas. Ella dice que Venezuela no es una colonia. Pero, al mismo tiempo, el presidente Donald Trump anunció un gran acuerdo sobre el petróleo.
Despite this rhetoric, the Trump administration is moving forward with plans to manage Venezuela’s oil industry. Washington announced that the U.S. will control the sale of millions of barrels of crude oil to ensure the money is used "correctly," a move that many critics call a form of total economic control.
En Nueva York, hay noticias sobre el juicio de Nicolás Maduro. Él y su esposa, Cilia Flores, hablaron en una corte federal. Los dos dijeron: "Somos inocentes". Ellos tienen acusaciones muy graves de narcotráfico. Maduro dice que él todavÃa es el presidente de Venezuela y que su captura fue un "secuestro".
In a Manhattan federal court, the legal reality for the deposed leader became clearer as both Maduro and Cilia Flores formally pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism and conspiracy charges. Their defense team is now trying to claim "head-of-state immunity," but the U.S. judge has not accepted this argument.
Mientras tanto, la oposición democrática espera su momento. MarÃa Corina Machado y Edmundo González dicen que ellos ganaron las elecciones de 2024. Pero, por ahora, Estados Unidos está trabajando con el gabinete de Delcy RodrÃguez para evitar el caos. La gente en las calles tiene esperanza, pero también tiene muchas dudas sobre el futuro.
The democratic opposition remains in a complicated strategic limbo. While they are happy Maduro is gone, they are not currently in control of the transition. The U.S. has opted to maintain the existing administrative structure in Caracas for now to keep the country stable and the oil flowing.
Thank you for joining us on the "Bilingual News in Spanish" podcast. The full transcript is available at bilingualnews.net. Until next time, keep listening.