Venezuela’s top lawmaker says more than 400 prisoners have been released
The announcement contradicts claims from local rights groups that no more than 70 prisoners have been freed.
![U.S. President Donald Trump holds a press conference following a U.S. strike on Venezuela where President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured, from Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., January 3, 2026. [Jonathan Ernst/Reuters]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-03T165300Z_824548544_RC2STIA7D0LY_RTRMADP_3_USA-VENEZUELA_cropped-1767460525.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
![A screenshot from a US Department of Defense video purporting to show the seizure of a fifth sanctioned oil tanker, the Olina, in the Caribbean Sea on Jan. 9, 2026. [US Department of Defense/AP]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/image-1767982895.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
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From: Counting the Cost
Is the US unlocking Venezuela’s oil wealth or exploiting it?
President Donald Trump aims to control and revive Venezuela’s oil industry. Critics call it modern-day colonialism.
Published On 9 Jan 2026
US seizes fifth oil tanker as Venezuela pressure campaign continues
Operation comes days after US seized Russian-flagged tanker; US pledges to continue blockade following Maduro abduction.
It’s not the oil. It’s Florida
Nicolas Maduro’s kidnapping is about the US state’s politics, not Venezuela’s oil.
Venezuela releases imprisoned political figures in Trump-approved move
Former Venezuelan opposition candidate Enrique Marquez is among ‘large number’ of prisoners released.
EXPLAINER
What is Chavismo – and is it dead after US abduction of Venezuela’s Maduro?
The sociopolitical ideology founded by former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is rooted in anti-imperialism.
EXPLAINER
US says it wants to control Venezuelan oil indefinitely. Can it?
US oil company executives are expected to meet with Trump to discuss investments in Venezuela’s oil sector.
![Analysts argue that oil companies might not benefit from the investments amid the economic and geopolitical uncertainties [Norlys Perez/Reuters]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-08T182735Z_347846966_RC2CWIAQD9A6_RTRMADP_3_USA-VENEZUELA-CUBA-FUEL-1-1767907173.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)
Abduction of Venezuela’s Maduro illegal despite US charges, experts say
A country ‘cannot enforce its law on the territory of another state’ without consent, UN rapporteur tells Al Jazeera.
From: NewsFeed
US says it will control Venezuelan oil indefinitely
Venezuela’s interim leader has hit back at US plans to indefinitely control her country’s oil wealth.
Published On 8 Jan 2026
‘Only time will tell’: Trump says US role in Venezuela could last for years
Venezuela’s interior minister says US operation to abduct Maduro killed 100 people and wounded dozens.
EDITOR'S ANALYSIS
Venezuela’s economy plunged into uncertainty after Maduro abduction
US says it will control Venezuelan oil sales ‘indefinitely’, raising questions about what revenues Caracas might get.
