CNN 5 Cosas – January 29, 2026, 6am

Host: CNN en Español
Date: January 29, 2026

Overview

This episode presents five essential news stories from Latin America and the world, providing listeners with concise, up-to-date information to start their day. Key topics include the political transition in Venezuela, a tragic plane crash in Colombia, U.S. foreign policy toward Cuba, the upcoming presidential election in Costa Rica, and potential U.S. military action against Iran.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Venezuelan Opposition and Political Transition

• María Corina Machado, leader of the Venezuelan opposition, declared that her movement has international backing—including U.S. support—for a transition process following the overthrow of President Nicolás Maduro.
  • Quote: "El movimiento político que encabezo tiene el apoyo de Estados Unidos y de otros países para que en Venezuela se concrete una transición luego del derrocamiento del presidente Nicolás Maduro." (00:32)
• Maduro was captured on January 3 in Caracas by U.S. military forces.
• Following a private meeting in Washington with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Machado expressed optimism about the ongoing transition and encouraged Venezuelans to trust the process.
• Machado, who was in hiding throughout 2025 due to fear of arrest, left Venezuela in December to accept the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway. She has not yet confirmed when she will return home.

2. Plane Crash in Colombia

• A government-owned Satena airplane crashed on Wednesday in northeastern Colombia, with 15 people on board—no survivors.
  • Confirmed by Colombia's Civil Aeronautics Office.
  • The flight route was from Cúcuta to Ocaña, Norte de Santander.
• Among the victims:
  • Diógenes Quintero, a congressional representative.
  • Carlos Salcedo, congressional candidate.
• The Aeronáutica Civil released the names of the passengers: nine women and six men.
  • Quote: "No hay sobrevivientes entre los 13 pasajeros y los dos tripulantes..." (01:11)
• The Governor's Office issued condolences, and political parties joined in public mourning.

3. U.S. Policy Toward Cuba

• U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington wants to see a governmental change in Cuba during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing.
  • Democratic Senator Brian Sachs (Hawaii) requested Rubio to publicly commit that the U.S. would not facilitate regime change; Rubio replied:
    • Quote: "Cambio de régimen o no, creo que nos gustaría ver que el régimen allí cambie." (02:01)
• Rubio suggested any such change could result from internal or regional dynamics, not necessarily direct U.S. intervention—unlike the recent Venezuelan case.
  • The comment follows renewed debate in Washington about U.S. policy toward Cuba after Venezuela's change in leadership.

4. Costa Rica’s Presidential Election

• The official party’s candidate, Laura Fernández, holds a strong lead ahead of the election in less than a week:
  • 43.8% voter intention, according to CIEP-UCR poll.
  • 25.9% of the electorate remains undecided.
• For an outright win in the first round, a candidate must secure at least 40% of valid votes; otherwise, a runoff is required.
• Key candidates:
  • Laura Fernández (Pueblo Soberano): 43.8%
  • Álvaro Ramos (Partido Liberación Nacional): 9%
  • Claudia Dobles (Agenda Ciudadana): 8.6%
  • Ariel Robles (Frente Amplio): 3.8%
  • José Aguilar Berrocal (Partido Avanza): 2.8%
• 20 candidates are competing; elections take place February 1, selecting president, two vice presidents, and 57 legislative deputies.

5. Escalation of U.S.-Iran Tensions

• President Donald Trump is contemplating a significant military strike against Iran after stalled preliminary talks over nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
• Protesters in Iran suffered a violent crackdown, resulting in hundreds of deaths.
• U.S. military options include:
  • Air strikes on Iranian leaders and security officials deemed responsible,
  • Bombings targeting nuclear facilities and government institutions.
• Trump has not made a final decision but asserts the U.S. military's options have broadened due to a carrier strike group’s presence in the region.
  • Quote: "Trump aún no ha tomado una decisión definitiva sobre cómo proceder, según las fuentes, pero cree que sus opciones militares se han ampliado desde principios de mes..." (04:11)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• María Corina Machado:

  “El movimiento político que encabezo tiene el apoyo de Estados Unidos y de otros países para que en Venezuela se concrete una transición luego del derrocamiento del presidente Nicolás Maduro.” (00:32)

• Marco Rubio (on Cuba):

  “Cambio de régimen o no, creo que nos gustaría ver que el régimen allí cambie.” (02:01)

• On Colombia’s crash:

  “No hay sobrevivientes entre los 13 pasajeros y los dos tripulantes...” (01:11)

• Commentary on U.S.-Iran strategy:

  “Trump aún no ha tomado una decisión definitiva sobre cómo proceder...” (04:11)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Venezuela political transition / Machado – 00:32–01:10
• Colombia plane crash – 01:11–01:51
• Cuba policy discussion / Marco Rubio – 02:01–02:54
• Costa Rica election polling – 02:55–03:39
• U.S.-Iran escalation – 03:40–end

Summary compiled from the CNN 5 Cosas (01/29/26, 6am) transcript.
Stay tuned for further updates on these developing stories.