Have Trump's Venezuela promises come true since Maduro's removal? | Global News Podcast

The BBC's South America correspondent Ione Wells tells us whether Venezuelans have seen the promised economic and political benefits of Nicolas Maduro's removal as president. Wednesday marks five months since US forces raided Maduro's compound in Caracas. At the time, President Donald Trump said the US would run Venezuela until a "safe, proper and judicious transition" could be ensured, vowing that American oil companies would fix the local infrastructure and start making money for the country. This week, trade unions and student groups have planned anti-government protests to call for better wages, the release of political prisoners and a democratic transition. Delcy Rodríguez, who served as Maduro's vice-president, was sworn in as the country's leader last month, with the support of the US government. But there are long-time opposition leaders waiting in the wings. Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado - who has been living in effective exile in Norway - has said she plans to run for president again, and will to return to Venezuela before the end of 2026. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to face questions about the American involvement in Venezuela this week, as he testifies before Congress on the State Department's budget. New episodes of the Global News Podcast are published twice a day. You can listen here: https://link.mgln.ai/GNP-YT And you can find more of our YouTube episodes here: https://bbc.in/GlobalNewsPodcast Subscribe to our channel here: https://bbc.in/bbcnews For the latest news download the BBC News app or visit BBC.com/news #BBCNews #trump #venezuela #news #politics #donaldtrump #worldnews 00:00 Introduction 00:23 New freedoms 01:58 Is Venezuela's economy stronger? 03:47 Will Venezuela have elections? 06:15 How strong is Venezuela's political opposition? 07:24 Will María Corina Machado run for president? 08:23 America's influence on Venezuelan politics