Nicolas Maduro’s recent antics have spurred a decisive response from President Trump’s administration, insiders suggest. The former Venezuelan leader’s casual demeanor and dance routines were perceived as taunting gestures, which some believe finally pushed the U.S. to act.

In the lead-up to his capture by U.S. commandos on January 3, Maduro, along with his wife Cilia, was seen engaging in song and dance at their Caracas residence. This display, interpreted as a challenge, comes in the wake of mounting tensions between the two nations.

According to sources cited by The New York Times, Maduro’s flamboyant behavior was a deliberate attempt to provoke the Trump administration, which he thought was bluffing. However, this miscalculation may have led to the U.S.’s decisive action.

One particular instance of this defiance was during the inauguration of the International School for Women’s Leadership in December. There, Maduro mimicked Trump’s well-known fist-pumping dance moves to an electronic remix of his own speech titled ‘No War, Yes Peace.’

Accompanied by his wife, Maduro’s performance was set against an upbeat tune that called for harmony between the U.S. and Venezuela, creating a stark contrast between his actions and the message.

The dictator had made dancing and singing a staple of his own and had previously sung John Lennon’s classic song ‘Imagine ‘ in November.

‘Do everything for peace, as John Lennon used to say, right?’ Maduro said as he addressed a crowd. ‘It is an inspiration for all times. It is an anthem for all eras and generations, left by John Lennon as a gift to humanity.’

The former president’s nonchalant behavior continued even after he was extradited, with his first public remarks since his capture being ‘Happy New Year’ as he was shackled and perp walked.

Former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro nonchalance and dance moved were believed to be the breaking point that pushed President Trump’s team over the edge 

Sources told the New York Times that Trump’s team felt that Maduro was calling out what he believed to be a bluff

Amid Maduro’s arrest the future of Venezuela remained in flux as the country’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez called for ‘peace and dialogue, not war.’ 

‘We prioritise moving towards balanced and respectful international relations between the United States and Venezuela,’ Rodriguez said.  

‘President Donald Trump, our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war. This has always been President Nicolás Maduro’s message, and it is the message of all of Venezuela right now.’ 

Maduro’s Interior, Justice and Peace Minister Diosdado Cabello still clung tight to the notion that Maduro is the nation’s lawful president.  

A defiant Cabello defended his boss in a statement through the United Socialist Party of Venezuela. 

‘Here, the unity of the revolutionary force is more than guaranteed, and here there is only one president, whose name is Nicolas Maduro Moros. Let no one fall for the enemy’s provocations,’ he said. 

Rodriguez struck a more conciliatory tone in a statement of her own on Sunday.

‘We extend an invitation to the US government to work together on a cooperation agenda, aimed at shared development, within the framework of international law, and to strengthen lasting community coexistence,’ she said in her statement.

Late last night, Trump warned that Colombia could be the next country to face a military operation, while clarifying that the US was ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after ousting its leader Nicolás Maduro. 

President Trump said while travelling on Air Force One Sunday that Colombia’s leftist President Gustavo Petro was a ‘sick man’ who ‘likes making cocaine’ after threatening Petro to ‘watch his a**.’

President of Venezuela Nicolas Maduro dances during a march as part of the ‘Venezuelan Student Day’ at Miraflores on November 21, 2025 in Caracas, Venezuela

Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gather during a demonstration in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 4, 2026

Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gather during a demonstration in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 04, 2026

Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gather during a demonstration in Caracas, Venezuela, on January 4, 2026

Trump’s attacks on the Colombian leader came after Petro described Washington’s attack on Venezuela as an ‘assault on the sovereignty’ of Latin America.

‘Colombia is very sick, too, run by a sick man, who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States, and he’s not going to be doing it very long,’ he said. 

When asked whether the US would pursue a military operation against the country, Trump bluntly replied, ‘It sounds good to me.’ 

Petro hit back at Trump in a fiery social media post, after the US president accused him of being a drug trafficker.  

‘Stop slandering me, Mr Trump,’ Petro said in a lengthy post on X.

‘That’s not how you threaten a Latin American president who emerged from the armed struggle and then from the people of Colombia’s fight for Peace.’

In a later social media post Sunday, Petro added: ‘Friends do not bomb.’ 

As the US president speculated about the downfall of various countries in the Western Hemisphere, questions remained over who was running the show in Caracas.

‘Don’t ask me who’s in charge because I’ll give you an answer and it’ll be very controversial,’ Trump said on Air Force One.

A reporter responded by asking: ‘What does that mean?’

‘It means we’re in charge,’ Trump replied. 

Maduro continues to throw up peace signs and hold two thumbs up as he arrived in New York City to stand trial on drug and weapons charges.

They landed by helicopter in Manhattan on Saturday evening, after earlier making stops at airfields in upstate New York and Puerto Rico.

Maduro and Flores are now in custody at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center, which is famous for its squalid conditions and has also housed Luigi Mangione and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs.

Trump said the United States would govern Venezuela indefinitely in the meantime, after dismissing the prospect of the country’s popular opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, taking the reins, claiming she ‘does not have the support’.

Trump offered little further detail on the logistics of running Venezuela, which has a population of 30 million, but suggested the country’s vast oil reserves would be used to fund its revival.

Maduro’s arrest came after US forces struck Caracas amid accusations from Trump that Venezuela has been flooding the US with drugs and gang members.

Maduro’s flippant attitude continued after his capture as he continued to throw up  peace signs and thumbs up

Trump alleged that Maduro is the leader of the Cartel de los Soles (Cartel of the Suns) drug trafficking operation.

Trump said Saturday that he had not briefed Congress of his plans to snatch Maduro, claiming that had he done so, the news would have ‘leaked’ and potentially helped the Venezuelan leader to evade capture.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado has been tipped as the country’s next president.

She previously voiced support for Trump’s threats to get rid of Maduro and is hugely popular among the Venezuelan electorate.

Maduro’s capture sparked jubilation from Venezuelan migrants living outside of their home nation on Saturday.

Hundreds took to the streets of cities, including Santiago in Chile, to celebrate the ouster of a leader seen as a corrupt authoritarian accused of destroying the economy of his oil-rich country while silencing dissent.

The dictator and wife Cilia were both seized by a US military unit in the early hours of Caracas. Trump said Saturday afternoon that both will face criminal charges in New York City 

The former Venezuelan President is pictured after his capture in a photo shared by President Trump on his TruthSocial website 

The atmosphere appeared altogether more muted in Caracas.

Locals were photographed lining up outside supermarkets amid fears Maduro’s ousting will lead to even greater economic uncertainty.

Shortly before Saturday’s press conference, the president shared an undignified photo of Maduro in a tracksuit taken after his capture.

He said the Venezuelan president’s wife will also be charged, but did not offer further details.

Maduro was photographed wearing a heavy black plastic eye mask and ear muffs over his ears in an apparent bid to keep his location a secret from him.

He was clad in a gray tracksuit and clutched a plastic water bottle. It is unclear if this is what Maduro was wearing when he was taken or if it was given to him by US forces.

Trump said the United States would govern Venezuela indefinitely in the meantime, after dismissing the prospect of the country’s popular opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, taking the reins, claiming she ‘does not have the support’

The image was a far cry from his usual appearance in sharp suits or military regalia, with CNN commentators speculating it had been chosen to humiliate the corrupt leader.

There was no sign of Cilia.

Addressing a press conference in Mar-a-Lago Saturday, Trump told journalists that the Venezuelan first lady was part of her husband’s alleged schemes and that she too will face criminal charges in Manhattan.

‘Maduro and his wife will soon face the full might of American justice,’ Trump declared.

The Maduros are said to have been frightened of capture by US forces and allegedly took to sleeping in a different place every night.