Where were you when Maduro was arrested?

In an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson during a key session held at the 2026 World Government Summit, Venezuela’s Vice President, Calixto Ortega, revealed a mixture of personal experiences and economic challenges that his country recently faced, after the arrest of former President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in the capital, Caracas, and their transfer to the United States on January 3.
In response to a question about where he was when the arrest was carried out, Ortega said that it was an important day in the history of Venezuela and he spent it with his family, his mother, father, sister, nieces, and young children, stressing that what happened, despite its difficulty, did not prevent the family from holding on to a quiet social moment before facing the economic and political reality.
The Vice President spoke about the strict US sanctions and their impact on the Venezuelan economy, from hyperinflation to depriving the country of access to its basic resources. He explained that the media image did not reflect the extent of internal resilience, nor the efforts of the state and society to adapt to the harsh conditions, or create alternative paths to the economy despite the restrictions.
Ortega explained that the government is working to attract international investors, pointing to the new hydrocarbon resources law, which allows the private sector to invest in oil and gas, with legal guarantees, and the possibility of distributing revenues between infrastructure projects and social welfare programs, to enhance the well-being of citizens and improve infrastructure such as electricity.
He noted that Venezuela, despite the restrictions, has a natural market that is attractive to all countries, including the United States, and that the Venezuelan government is working to facilitate international investment in a transparent and responsible spirit, while keeping the interest of the Venezuelan people as a priority.
Ortega concluded by emphasizing that lifting US sanctions and restrictions will be key to maintaining Venezuela’s stability and improving the economy, noting that allowing the country to operate as a normal country will enable it to achieve a qualitative leap in production and growth, and that the Venezuelan experience can become a model to be emulated in the region.