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The President's Daily Brief
January 6th, 2026: Maduro’s Successor Signals Cooperation & Russia Targets U.S. Assets
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It's Tuesday the 6th of January. Welcome to the President's Daily Brief. I'm Mike Baker, your eyes and ears on the world stage. All right, let's get briefed. First up, Delsey Rodriguez, the newly named president of Venezuela and a key player in the Maduro regime, strikes a sudden change in tone after her boss's capture, signaling a supposed willingness to possibly cooperate with the US But a closer look at her record and the power structure still in place in Venezuela raises serious questions about whether the country is actually on the path to a real democratic transition or simply a reshuffling of Maduro cronies to lead the country. Later in the show, growing alarm in the Baltics after a sixth undersea cable outage in less than a week. I'm starting to see a pattern here as authorities investigate suspected sabotage. And Western allies warn that the incidents may signal coordinated interference linked to Russia. Plus, Russia targets an American owned facility in Ukraine, triggering a massive oil spill in the city of Dnipro. And in today's Back of the Brief, President Trump pushes back on Kremlin claims, saying US Intelligence shows that Ukraine did not target Vladimir Putin's residence during a recent drone strike. What do you mean that Putin might be guilty of disinformation? Well, color me disappointed. But first, today's PDB spotlight. In the hours following the capture of Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela's new acting leader, Delsey Rodriguez, the former vice president, head of the state's oil industry and now newly named president, struck a defiant tone, accusing the US of illegally kidnapping the country's president. But within 24 hours, that posture appears to have softened. In a statement released on social media, Rodriguez shifted to markedly more diplomatic language, saying Venezuela aspires to live without external threats and extending what she described as an invitation to the US to cooperate on a shared agenda under international law. The change came after President Trump publicly revealed that Rodriguez had spoken directly with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and agreed to cooperate in a transition process. So who is she? The woman Nicolas Maduro handpicked to be A second in command and a name that we're likely to hear often in the coming days. Delsey Rodriguez. Well, she's a longtime fixture of Venezuela's Chavista elite. A trained lawyer, she rose to the ranks of Hugo Chavez's group and later became one of Maduro's most trusted loyalists, serving as foreign minister, head of the regime's constituent assembly, and vice president since 2018. And let's just say, well, she's not a poster person for democracy or transparency or justice or goodness and light. Rodriguez is accused by the U.S. the European Union, and other Western governments of being involved in many of the same abuses as Maduro himself, undermining democratic institutions, enabling political repression, and helping enforce a system that crushed opposition and dissent, not to mention financial enrichment via the regime's cooperation, aiding and abetting of narcotics traffickers. As foreign minister and later vice president, Rodriguez played a central role in defending sham elections, attacking international human rights investigations, and shielding the regime from outside pressure. She was a vocal supporter of the regime's use of security forces and loyalist militias to suppress protests, even as demonstrators were jailed, beaten or killed. When the opposition tried to challenge Maduro's grip on power, Rodriguez was often the one sent out to justify arrests or dismiss evidence of abuse or blame Venezuela's collapse on foreign conspiracies. Western governments have sanctioned her not for rhetoric, but for her role in maintaining an authoritarian system built on intimidation, censorship, and the elimination of political rivals. In practical terms, Rodriguez has functioned less as a vice president and more as a political enforcer, one of the key figures who helped keep Maduro in power long after Venezuela's institutions stopped functioning as real democratic bodies. Now, she hasn't been formally charged with drug trafficking like other members of the ruling elite, but she's widely viewed as part of the same inner circle that oversaw Venezuela's collapse into corruption and authoritarian rule and international isolation, making her a continuation of the Maduro model. And that's the larger issue here. While Maduro may now be in U.S. custody, the regime itself is still very much intact. The country is being run by many of the same figures who helped prop up Maduro and in some cases, who face the very same criminal allegations. That includes Diosado Cabello, the regime's longtime political enforcer, who's been indicted by the US on narco terrorism and drug trafficking charges tied to the Cartel de la Souls. And it includes Vladimir Pedrino Lopez, the powerful defense minister, head of the armed forces, who is also wanted by US Authorities on drug trafficking charges and is the subject of a multi million dollar reward for information leading to his arrest. Add in figures like Jorge Rodriguez, Delsey Rodriguez's brother, and a central political operator, basically head of propaganda, and the picture becomes clear. Maduro may be gone, but the network that ran Venezuela into the ground is still firmly in place, controlling the military, the security services and the machinery of the state. And that's why any talk of an easy transition should be treated with some skepticism. For these figures, a real transfer of power isn't just about losing office. It's about losing protection. Many of them have just as much at stake as Maduro did. Their political survival, their fortunes, and in some cases, their freedom. A genuine change in government would undoubtedly expose years of corruption, human rights abuses and criminal activity that had been shielded by the regime. So the incentive here for them isn't reform, it's resistance. These are people with every reason to cling to power, slow roll any transition and protect the system that has kept them insulated for years. One final point worth flagging here, and that's Cuba. A country that has been heavily dependent on the Maduro regime. In the days following the raid that captured Maduro, Havana quietly acknowledged that 32 members of Cuba's military and intelligence services were killed in the operation that captured Maduro and his wife. That admission is, well, revealing. It shows just how deeply Maduro relied on Cuba for personal security, intelligence support and regime survival. And just as importantly, how invested Cuba remains in keeping the current power structure in place. For Havana, Venezuela isn't just an ally, it's a strategic lifeline. And that means any transition in Caracas won't face resistance just from inside Venezuela, but scrutiny and pressure and likely interference from outside as well. Of course, not to mention Russian and Chinese interests that exist in the country. The point being, unless there was some backroom deal done with the existing Venezuelan leadership, a deal that would theoretically protect their interests and freedom, this will not be a simple transition to the democratic opposition that legitimately won the last election. All right, coming up next, growing alarm in the Baltics after a sixth undersea cable outage in less than a week. And a Russian strike on an American owned oil facility in Ukraine sparks a massive spill in the city of Dnipro. I'll be right back. Hey, Mike Baker here. Now, I have been known in my time to enjoy an ice cold gin martini or two on a somewhat regular basis, but almost never three. Come on. But here's the thing, and it is a hard truth for me to admit. The older I get, well, the more I might regret my martinis the next morning. And that's why I'm a big fan of ZBiotics pre alcohol probiotic Drink. Zebiotics Pre Alcohol Probiotic Drink is the world's first genetically engineered probiotic. 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Welcome back to the pdb. Another undersea cable has been damaged in the Baltic, this time in Latvian waters. And it's the frequency of these incidents that has the continent on edge. With roughly half a dozen outages across the region in about a week, governments are obviously on alert even as they resist jumping to conclusions. In the latest incident, authorities opened a criminal investigation into what they describe as possible and intentional damage to an optic cable. Latvian police inspected a vessel at a port in the country's west and questioned its crew, but said they had not found a clear link to the incident. In other words, another damaged cable. Another investigation, and still no clear attribution. And that lack of clarity keeps repeating. Just days earlier, you'll remember our coverage of Finnish authorities taking a far more assertive step, boarding and seizing the cargo vessel Fitberg after it was seen near damaged communications cables between Finland and Estonia with its anchor lowered. That response was proactive. Helicopters, patrol vessels, crew detentions. But the language surrounding the incident remained cautious. Finnish officials emphasized Evidence gathering over accusations, aware of how easily these cases slip into conclusions of Russian sabotage before the facts are obtained. Looming behind these cases is the longer shadow of Eagle s. That's the Russian linked vessel seized in 2024 and later tied to deliberate anchor dragging that severed undersea power and communications lines. Charges followed in that case, sharpening regional sensitivities and changing how every new undersea cable failure is interpreted. Still, there is a counter argument to suspected sabotage. The Baltic Sea is shallow and crowded. Many of those vessels are poorly maintained, and crew experience varies widely, conditions that make accidents, well, far more plausible. And if you mix in winter weather, then an anchor scraping the seabed starts to look less like espionage, perhaps, and more like negligence. The Financial Times reports that several serving and former intelligence officers argue that this cluster of incidents may be the product of bad seab manship colliding with heightened scrutiny. Yet the pattern is worrisome. Estonia reported multiple cable faults of its own in recent days, including two communications cables linking the country to its NATO neighbor Sweden and another cable connecting to an Estonian island. The frequency of disruptions across different national waters has put NATO partners on sustained alert. Even if some breaks are accidental, the effect is the same disruption and pressure on governments to respond, as if something hostile might be afoot. That's why the response is focused less on public accusations and more on posture patrols under NATO's Operation Baltic Sentry, the maritime effort to monitor critical infrastructure have increased. So for now, the message is deterrence without declaration, showing that ships operating in sensitive areas will be watched closely and seized if necessary. So you ask, where does that leave us for now? Well, there's no smoking gun tying the latest cable cuts directly to Russian interference. There's also no escaping the reality that these incidents are happening too frequently and too closely together to be dismissed outright. Okay. Shifting to Ukraine. The war came back to Kyiv early in this new year as Russian strikes roll on, killing two in and around the capital, marking the first reported civilian deaths of 2026. Ukraine's state emergency service said one of the strikes at a medical facility in Kyiv's northern sector. Firefighters managed to put out the blaze, but once they did, first responders found a body inside the building. Another individual was reportedly injured, and at least 25 people had to be evacuated. Russian strikes also hit towns and villages across the wider Kyiv region, damaging homes and critical infrastructure and killing another civilian southwest of the capital. That's according to the regional governor. Moscow, as usual, denies targeting civilians and associated infrastructure, insisting its attacks are aimed at military objectives. But Ukrainian officials point to scenes like these, burned medical facilities, civilian deaths, and argue that the pattern tells a different story, one that has repeated itself consistently through nearly four years of Putin's war. Turning southeast of the capital region in Dnipro, a Russian drone strike damaged an oil processing facility owned by a US Based agribusiness that's headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. The Dnipro city officials say the strike caused a spill of roughly 300 tons of oil onto major roadways, bringing traffic in the area to a standstill for an estimated two days. The Dnipro mayor made clear with the strike it hit in the post on telegram. He wrote, quote, russians bombed American property. That framing was echoed at the national level. Ukraine's foreign minister said the latest strikes underscore Moscow's disregard for ongoing diplomatic efforts. In a post on X, he said attacks on American owned assets show a complete disregard for peace efforts led by President Trump and argued that the strikes only reinforce the urgency of strengthening Ukraine's air defenses and increasing sanctions pressure on Moscow. According to the regional Military Administration, the attack also sparked a fire at the site, damaged vehicles and destroyed a nearby power line. Officials say no casualties were reported at the facility itself. For some quick background, the US Agribusiness Bunge is one of several international companies operating in Ukraine, and its presence plays a significant role in the country's agricultural export economy. The strike adds to a growing list of incidents in which Russian attacks have directly affected US Business interests. It's a pattern that Ukrainian officials have been eager to highlight. Back in August, a Russian missile attack damaged a Flex factory in western Ukraine, one of the largest US Investments in the region. The American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine described that strike as a direct hit on American business interests. Flex later confirmed several employees were injured and stressed that the facility produces only civilian goods. And in June, another Russian attack damaged an office building used by US Based aerospace giant Boeing in Kiev, one of several commercial sites hit during aerial barrages on the capital at the time. The latest strikes come as Ukraine pushes for continued international focus not only on the civilian death toll and the war effort, but on the economic damage as diplomacy sputters along. All right, coming up in today's Back of the Brief, President Trump calls out Moscow, rejecting Kremlin claims that Ukraine targeted Vladimir Putin's residents during a recent drone attack. We'll have those details. Hey, Mike Baker here. Let me take just a moment of your time to talk about the new year and financial goals. Look, if you're a homeowner, there is no better time than now to call American Financing and to wipe out that debt that you've been worried about, it'll set you up for a strong 2026. The Fed dropped rates for the fourth time in December of this past year. Maybe you heard about it. American Financing can now help you access the equity in your home at an interest rate in the low fives. And that is much lower rate than the average 20% or more on your credit car. Come on, think about that. American Financing is saving their customers an average of $800 a month. Now, I'm not a mathematician, but I believe that's like a $10,000 raise to start the new year. There are no upfront fees. That's important. And no obligation. Just to see how much you can save. And some folks are even delaying two mortgage payments. American Financing is America's home for home loans. Call today 866-885-1881. Again, that's 866-888. Visit american financing.net PDB in today's back of the Brief, an important follow up to a story we brought you just a few weeks ago. You may remember this incident. In the middle of already fragile peace discussions, the Kremlin suddenly claimed that Ukraine had carried out a drone strike targeting a residence belonging to Russian President Putin. Moscow framed it as an attempted assassination, an allegation that immediately hardened Russia's negotiating posture and injected new volatility into an tense diplomatic moment. At the time, Ukraine flatly denied the claim. But the accusation had its effect. Talks stalled, rhetoric escalated, and once again, a single dramatic assertion from the Kremlin shifted the entire tone of the conversation. Now comes a significant clarification from Washington. President Trump says US Intelligence assessments show that Ukraine did not target Putin's residents in that drone strike. In other words, according to American intelligence, the Kremlin's claim simply wasn't true. I know. Shocking. That's a direct contradiction, of course, of Moscow's narrative, and an important one because this wasn't just about a drone or a building. The allegations surfaced at a moment when Russia was under pressure to engage seriously in talks. And the claim of a personal threat to Putin served to recast Ukraine not as a negotiating partner, but as an escalatory actor justifying Moscow's decision to pull back, harden its stance and reset the narrative. Trump's statement suggests that intelligence professionals never bought the Kremlin's version of events, and it reinforces a pattern that we've seen repeatedly throughout this war. Dramatic claims from Moscow that are later walked back quietly contradicted or undercut by actual intelligence assessments, often after they've already served their political purpose, at least from the Kremlin's perspective. To be clear, Trump didn't accuse Russia outright of fabricating the story. But by stating plainly that US Intelligence found no evidence that Ukraine targeted Putin's residents, he effectively stripped the original claim of its credibility. And that, my friends, is the President's Daily brief for Tuesday 6th January. Now if you have any questions or comments, please reach out to me at pdb@the firsttv.com and finally, if you get a free minute or two during your busy day, I hope you'll check out our YouTube channel. Oddly enough, you can find that on YouTube just search @ President's Daily Brief. Now if you like what you see and and how could you not, please go ahead and hit that subscribe button. I'm Mike Baker and I'll be back later today with the PDB afternoon bulletin. Until then, stay informed, stay safe.