U.S. President Donald Trump has posted a photo of himself on his social media site Truth Social with his designation listed as “Acting President of Venezuela.” The post on Truth Social on Sunday (January 11, 2026) has Mr. Trump’s official portrait and then the designation “Acting President of Venezuela, “Incumbent January 2026.” It also has his designation as the 45th and 47th President of the United States, who assumed office on January 20, 2025.

On January 3, 2026, United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and took him out of the country after an extraordinary nighttime operation that was accompanied by a flurry of strikes following months of escalating pressure on the oil-rich South American nation.

Claiming that U.S. presence was already in place in Venezuela, President Donald Trump said hours after the attack that his government would run Caracas, at least temporarily, and would tap its vast oil reserves to sell “large amounts” to other countries. “We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” Mr. Trump said at a news conference.

Hours after the capture of Nicolas Maduro, U.S. President Donald Trump said that the United States will “run” Venezuela and tap its huge oil reserves. He was speaking at a press conference at ‌his Mar-a-Lago ‌club in Florida after what he claimed was “one of the most stunning, effective and powerful displays of American might and confidence”.

On January 3, 2026, in Venezuela, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court ordered that Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez assume the role of Acting President in the absence of Mr. Maduro.

While the court ruling said Ms. Rodríguez would assume “the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defence of the Nation”, the acting leader demanded that the U.S. free Mr. Maduro and called him the country’s rightful leader.

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(With inputs from agencies)

North Korea denounced on Sunday (January 4, 2026) the United States’ capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a “serious encroachment of sovereignty”, state media said.

Pyongyang’s Foreign Ministry “strongly denounces the U.S. hegemony-seeking act committed in Venezuela”, said a ministry spokesperson in a statement carried by the official KCNA.

U.S. military strikes on Venezuela LIVE updates

“The incident is another example that clearly confirms once again the rogue and brutal nature of the U.S.,” they added.

Following their capture and transport to the United States, Mr. Maduro and his wife were flown by helicopter to New York City, where they face drug-trafficking and weapons charges.

They were seized by U.S. special forces during a pre-dawn attack Saturday in which air strikes pounded sites in and around the Venezuelan capital Caracas.

The raid represents a nightmare scenario for North Korea’s leadership, which has long accused Washington of seeking to remove it from power.

Pyongyang has for decades justified its nuclear and missile programmes as a deterrent against alleged regime change efforts by Washington.

And it was a vocal backer of Mr. Maduro’s socialist regime in Caracas.

Pyongyang described his removal as a “wanton violation of the U.N. Charter and international laws with respect for sovereignty, non-interference and territorial integrity as their main purpose”.

It called for “voices of due protest and denunciation against the U.S. habituated violation of sovereignty of other countries”.

The United States lifted airspace restrictions over the Caribbean late on Saturday (January 3, 2026) after barring commercial flights during a U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

Mr. Maduro and his wife were flown by helicopter to New York City, where they face drug-trafficking and weapons charges.

Venezuela-US conflict LIVE updates

They were seized by U.S. special forces during a pre-dawn attack in which air strikes pounded sites in and around the Venezuelan capital Caracas late on Saturday.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a post on social media platform X that the initial restrictions expired at 12:00 a.m. (0500 GMT), when flights could resume as scheduled.

“Airlines are informed, and will update their schedules quickly,” Mr. Duffy said.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration notified commercial airlines on Saturday (January 3, 2026) to avoid Caribbean airspace, citing a “potentially hazardous situation.”

The notice said the closure was issued due to “safety-of-flight risks associated with ongoing military activity.”