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Mexican President Speaks About U.S. Seizure of Maduro; Mexican President Condemns U.S. Action in Venezuela; Trump Administration Issues Stark Warnings for Other Countries. Aired 9:15-10a ET

Aired January 05, 2026 - 09:15   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[09:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN HOST, BREAKING NEWS: Well, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is holding her daily news conference. I just want us to listen

into part of this, which is the Q & A section. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CLAUDIA SHEINBAUM, MEXICAN PRESIDENT: -- guaranteeing -- peace, as it says in our constitution and the charter of the U.N. and of course, there is the

Security Council meeting today and tomorrow. And the position of Mexico is what I said today. We are against interventions and we always are in favor

of peaceful solutions in determining problems between nations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The subject of oil, as well as other minerals, is very important for the U.S., quite apart from the accusations about drugs

trading. What do you feel about the whole issue of oil?

SHEINBAUM: Well, first of all, natural resources of any state or nations belongs to the sovereignty of that country, and it is the people and its

governors, its governments that determine it, that has always been our position. On the other hand, as I said in the document that I read, if

there is a positive objective for the entire continent, from Canada to Patagonia.

If that is strengthening the continent as an economic block, then we believe that it is not a question of force being exerted by one particular

country, but by cooperation between all countries. And that's what we tried to do in the trade agreement between the countries of Latin America and

particularly Canada.

I think though, we ought to have a greater cooperation throughout the continent, because it has enormous potential, throughout Latin America, but

also the northern part of America. And this is an idea which was first initiated by Lopez Obrador, the strengthening, the economic strengthening

of the Latin American continent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you thinking about the price of oil and how it could be controlled, and the repercussions on the oil trade?

[09:20:00]

Well, nothing much has changed so far. The peso is stable. The rates for oil have not changed substantially yet. We've determined a price in the --

for oil in the budget, a national price, and we're sticking to that. I spoke to President Petro of Colombia, and also with Mr. Sanchez of Spain, I

spoke with him.

And we came to a joint position, which essentially is the assessment that Mexico gave. I did that on Saturday. And we also participated in the CELAC

meeting. There's going to be a meeting today and tomorrow, and we are all agreed that these solutions should not be done by force.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These states have threatened Denmark over Greenland and then Panama, who can put a limit on Trump's ambitions?

SHEINBAUM: The people. The people, the strength of the people. But I think the main thing is that we must remain united and have a clear vision of

things, because that is all in line with our constitution. The defense of our sovereignty is the position of everybody. There are some, of course,

who are looking for external intervention for strengthening their economy.

But this is mistaken. I don't think that that is something we could contemplate in Mexico, sovereignty is absolutely sacred. It's enshrined in

our constitution. The constitution is of 39 and 40, and it must be our stalwart position always.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What about Trump's statement that something has to be done for Mexico by Trump?

SHEINBAUM: We are concentrated on cooperation and collaboration at the moment, without subordination. There are four principles which are very

important, which we highlighted here, which I can highlight here, that we should establish an understanding with the U.S., with the Secretary of

State collaboration and cooperation and understanding.

Four principles that are enshrined in this document, and this is recognized by both countries, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,

shared and differentiated responsibility. Everybody is responsible on both sides so for what happens in their country. And there is information

available about what the U.S. does with us.

It is the responsibility is ours for our territory, and the same with the U.S. But of course, we have to also look at the causes of the spread of

drugs. And we must also look to this whole question of illegal firearms being imported from the U.S. We are collaborating, and we are convinced

that this is happening over the border, but we are responsible also for what happens about drugs in our own territory.

This is a task for each government within its own territory.

[09:25:00]

That's what I mean by differentiated. Mutual respect is the third principle and cooperation. These are the four principles which we have established in

our document of understanding with them. And on Thursday, we are going to review all that, but we are working on reducing the drug trade and homicide

in relation to 2025.

And we will be publishing a revision of that in November. But there have been 32 homicides less a day, seizures of drugs. A reduction is a very

important aspect of all this. So those are the two main elements of our politics, and we have to now look at the public prosecutor's office and the

way that they can help, and this is certainly something we are continue to work on in the framework of this document.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have Trump and Rubio, have they acknowledged the work that they're doing with Mexico?

SHEINBAUM: Yes, we've had lots of meetings. The senior council has met. And they've sent other people to visit. There are cooperation and collaboration

and real dialog, and over and above differences. I think it's important that our position should be firm and clear with regard to our sovereignty,

and that applies to the sovereignty of all nations.

But at the same time, we need to cooperate, collaborate on the basis of our principles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much Madam President.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Iona Flores (ph) continuing with this subject, after what we saw on Saturday. We have seen a lot of differences between people

who are in favor of the intervention for the kidnapping of Maduro and others. What do you think about that?

SHEINBAUM: Well, you know, the demonstrations were peaceful. Mexico is a free country which guarantees the right of assembly and free speech.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On the question of the welfare programs. Is there a program which actually helps young people more?

SHEINBAUM: -- Lopez Obrador in 1996 started all this, and we are increasing institutional programs for welfare.

[09:30:00]

It's in the constitution, and we are going to implement that, particularly for women, they're going to get an increase of 300, 350 pesos. And we're

also looking at disability people with disabilities.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And after the earthquake, have you actually got a report, or received a report about what happened in Guerrero, in the State

of Guerrero?

SHEINBAUM: Yes, we do have reports both for the State of Guerrero and for the Mexico City.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is the welfare secretary involved in that?

SHEINBAUM: Yes --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: All right. Well, let's bring in my colleagues, Valeria Leon and Nic Robertson. We've been listening to Claudia Sheinbaum, the President of

Mexico, following the sensing of Venezuela's President Maduro, of course, and after Donald Trump sent a warning to Mexico, along with Cuba and

Colombia, that they could be next.

Folks, Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico's sovereignty is sacred, enshrined in our constitution must be our stalwart position always. And she repeated her

line in the importance of collaboration, coordination, but no subordination to the United States. And she says that she has spoken to both the leaders

of Colombia and Spain, and they share a joint position.

Valeria, let me bring you in there from Mexico City. And what do you make of what we have just heard from the Mexican President and her position as

it stands today?

VALERIA LEON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, what we're seeing is Mexico pushing back firmly, but carefully. And this happened after President Trump

said that something needs to be done with Mexico, accusing the country of being run by the cartels.

And as we hear just a few minutes ago, President Sheinbaum started today's morning press conference by saying that the Mexican government is committed

to stopping the illegal trafficking of fentanyl into the U.S., and has taken concrete actions to do so. However, Becky she stressed that this is a

shared responsibility, and points to the U.S. government's role blaming the illegal flow of weapons from the United States into Mexico.

She read a statement this morning reaffirming Mexico's position against U.S. intervention. President Sheinbaum made it clear that Mexico disagrees

with the U.S. stepping into another country's politics, calling what happened in Venezuela a one-sided move and emphasizing that this kind of

intervention does not entrance democracy and often makes things worse.

President Trump has said he has urged Mexico to take stronger action against drug cartels, and has even offered help to do it, including

potentially more direct security support. But Sheinbaum confirmed that that suggestion was made directly to her, and she rejected. She's been very

clear that Mexico and the United States can collaborate, but each country has to operate within its own territory, no foreign trips, no intervention.

And she repeated that this morning in several location and how she's responded publicly tells you a lot about Mexico's current strategy. Rather

than escalating the confrontation, Sheinbaum has chosen to defuse these comments stressing collaboration on shared security issues, while

explicitly rejecting any notion of U.S. military intervention in Mexico.

ANDERSON: Right. Standby I want to bring in Nic, how seriously should Mexico and indeed, Cuba and Colombia take these threats by Donald Trump and

his administration, that these countries could be next?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: They should take it very seriously, because there's every indication that when Donald Trump,

and this is something that plays well with his audience, his voters, that when he says something of a political nature, his creating an ever-greater

expectation that hill follow through.

[09:35:00]

So, they should take it seriously. It doesn't mean that he will, but and I think this is why we're seeing the reaction that we're seeing here in

Mexico is very interesting. What the Mexican President has said just a couple of weeks ago, when she sorts of foreshadowed this type of

intervention.

She had said that there shouldn't be a military intervention of this type. And that again, showed the rising concern about the U.S., military

posturing, the rhetoric coming from the White House. But she also laid the blame, then at the doors of the U.N., saying that the U.N. had a

responsibility to be doing more to sort of diffuse and head off the growing tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela.

And she spoke at that time, in the middle of December, about the need for all countries to play a role here. So, you know, she is trying to, sort of

has done. He had sort of put forward a very coherent reason why not to interfere in Mexico while in the background, as well as trying to sort of

broaden it out to an international position.

But you know, it's being reported that the President of Colombia is taking a sort of a more robust attitude, having once been a guerrilla fighter for

swearing the use of weapons, saying that now he would be prepared to use weapons in defense of his country. So, the instability that the United

States has triggered in this region by this action of snatching Maduro and taking him back to appear in U.S. court in a few hours' time.

Really, you know, it plays out in different countries in different ways. Nevertheless, it is clear that there is posturing and people are taking it

seriously enough to put forward a reason why it is ricocheting around Europe as well. Let's not forget, President Trump overnight, last night,

again, reiterated that he has national security interests in taking over Greenland, the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen has been very

clear, absolutely not.

There's no need to do this. No reason to do this. It shouldn't be raised, but it's causing serious diplomats and politicians to have serious

reactions.

ANDERSON: I mean if the United States is determined to flout, Nic, disregard completely international law, they frankly sideline an erstwhile,

any erstwhile effect that the U.N. might once have had, of course. Nic, I'm not suggesting for a moment that that is what is happening that will come

out in the wash, whether indeed the U.S. is completely flouting international law.

But it does certainly put the U.N. in a very sort of minor position at this point, whether Sheinbaum likes that or not effectively. Valeria, let me

bring you back in. What's the sort of received wisdom about the president, her position, her stance towards the U.S. Administration at this point?

Does she have overwhelming support in this position, which sort of, on the one hand, sort of trying to collaborate work with not sort of worry the

U.S. too much in her position, while at the same time pushing back, particularly when it comes to this intervention. Standby, let me go back to

her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHEINBAUM: Expresses himself really. I don't believe that they're going to intervene. I don't think it's really serious, but he said so. He said that

on various occasions, 14 calls, in fact, on various occasions, he insisted that the U.S. could actually make incursions into Mexico to help, and I

said no on each time, because that would be breaching our sovereignty.

Secondly, it is not necessary. The problem of lack of safety and violence in Mexico stemming from organized delinquency cannot be resolved by one

single intervention. We have an overall strategy for that. We are looking at the underlying causes and the four axes which I mentioned before.

[09:40:00]

And we are trying to make sure that there is more financial support for teenagers, education, sport, and that we have spread throughout various

municipalities, so that our young people are not going to be at risk of being sucked into the drug trade. So, we're paying overall attention to the

causes, the underlying causes of the problem, and we're going to continue along that line.

And it is the task of the governors to deepen that policy. We have devoted a lot of resources to that, and I think the role of the public prosecutor

is going to be much greater now. So, there is rare coordination between the federal forces and the institutions of the state to strengthen all that.

So, we are pushing ahead with that, and that is what we are going to do in the future. We are going to concentrate on the various states of Mexico,

work more closely with the governors to look at the whole question of not only homicides but crime. But of course, we need resources and time to

eradicate completely this problem.

We are working with the states, with the United States in communication, information. And I think this type of coordination is very useful.

Intervention is not useful. There are lots of people in Mexico who maintain that you need a strong hand to deal with all this. But this is not

necessary.

We have to be honest amongst all, because we are living in Mexico and there is a lot of hypocrisy with regard to resources and the whole business of

killing delinquents without trial. We don't agree with that. Respect of the law and the constitution is absolutely fundamental to build peace.

We are living through this, and we are faced with a lot of hypocrisy, as I said on the drug question. We need honesty and a lot of responsibility.

This is something which we are experiencing to implement this strategy to combat this question of insecurity and cooperate with the U.S. to reduce

drugs to the maximum degree.

The drugs we're talking about are ones which have very serious consequences. And we say this at all the occasions where we speak to the

Americans. The Americans also have responsibility in terms of their own drug distribution. But in Mexico, we're talking about building peace on the

broadest possible basis --

[09:45:00]

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Right. Let's bring back in CNN's Valeria Leon from Mexico City, and CNN's Diplomatic Editor Nic Robertson in London. Valeria, let me start

with you. I was fascinated there to hear the Mexican President insisting that despite multiple calls, and she said 14 calls from the Trump

Administration offering to help fight the cartels on Mexico soil.

In Mexico, she said those would be incursions, U.S. incursions, and insisted it would be a breach of sovereignty, and has rejected those

offers. Can you just give us a bit more detail about what is going on with regard the drug operations in Mexico? As far as we understand it, the sort

of cooperation and collaboration between the U.S. and Mexico at this point to try and enforce some sort of order.

And I have to say, and it's worth getting your sort of sense of this when Donald Trump says Mexico is run by cartels, that isn't the first time we

have heard that said by any stretch. In fact, I have spoken to many people in Mexico who say the same thing. So, can you just give us a sense of the

strength of the cartels in the country at this point?

LEON: Yes, Becky, well, the cartels are operating in six different states out of the 32 states in Mexico. So, we're saying this, the violence that is

generating in this state is very concentrated. So, we have this cartel run violence in very specific points of the country, and this is part of the

how the Mexican government is defending its strategy.

No, not only, as we just heard from President Sheinbaum, the homicide rate has been low in the last three, four months. But these issues are very

focused in just a few states in the country. Of course, Sinaloa, where the Sinaloa Cartel runs, and it's a deadly war there, after El Mayo was

captured more than a year ago.

But Becky, the issue is in whether the two countries can work together. They already do through shared intelligence, joint operations and border

security efforts. The real issue for the Mexican government is where cooperation ends and interference begins. And this moment didn't come out

of nowhere.

Over the past months, the United States government has escalated its approach toward Mexico. First six major Mexican cartels were designated as

terrorist organizations. A move that raised concerns about how Washington now frames criminal groups legally.

Then fentanyl was labeling a weapon of mass destruction in the U.S. policy, a highly unusual classification that Mexico publicly criticized as extreme.

And those concerns, Becky, depend even more after the dramatic U.S. military operation in Venezuela and Trump's comments afterwards.

Although Trump later insisted that the operation wasn't meant as a warning to Mexico's President. Critics say that kind of rhetoric can feed fear of

direct action and analysis see this part as a broader shift in U.S. foreign policy under Trump. Some argue that what's happening in Venezuela on what

Trump appears to be signaling to where Mexico reflects a willingness to use military force in the region when he believes U.S. interests are

threatened, especially when it comes to drugs, Becky.

ANDERSON: Donald Trump's -- Thank you, Valeria. Nic, Donald Trump's tactics decried by his critics, both in the states and in parts of Latin America,

as he's having a goal to dominate South America, Latin America, South America. And can you just sort of fill us in on what we believe the Trump

Administration's thinking is at this point, short, medium and long term, and what you make of the response across the continent?

[09:50:00]

ROBERTSON: I think what we've heard from the Trump Administration, U.S. officials at the moment, they say that Trump want the focus on stabilizing

Venezuela and rekindling, if you will, getting its oil industry back up to snuff, and that's what is setting as a priority.

And they're saying that it's even above a return to democracy, which is why it appears we see the Trump Administration on a track to work with Maduro's

Vice President, as opposed to, as opposed to trying to embrace and see come into power through a democratic process, more popular politicians.

The White House interpretation seems to be, at the moment that those other politicians, the opposition politicians, Machado, for example, who won the

Nobel Peace Prize, not in a position to deliver on what Trump wants to see happen in Venezuela. So, this is stability to get the oil flowing from

Venezuela, is how it is framed.

Now, I think there's a huge amount of lack of detail there that's been made public. Is that detail being closely held, or is this being worked out as a

sort of a process as it goes along, writ large Latin America, I think what Trump doesn't want to see, as he sees it, is drug cartels and countries

that become basis for enemies of the United States.

There's been talk about Hezbollah being able to have a base in Venezuela. Situations like that, that the enemies of the United States find compliant

and friendly criminal adjacent leaderships to give them sanctuary. This is what Trump is working against Latin America.

The methodology, as many people have been pointing out, of deposing a leader or taking a leader into custody, doesn't solve the problem. You're

left with the same government, the same gunman on the streets, the same army in power in Venezuela, the same vested interests that there were

before the weekend.

So, there are many people who would point to the difficulties that lie ahead for Trump at this stage, trying to exert the influence and get the

outcome that he wants. The headlines are certainly there delivering on what he has said is going to set out to do, but the substance, and this is what

has Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, the others so concerned is, well, what happens next?

Who does Trump go after next? If it doesn't work out in Venezuela, what where else will he turn How will he try to sort of follow through on that?

And what are the repercussions for Venezuela's neighbors we've seen. Obviously, Colombia reinforces its military presence along the border

because it's worried about an exodus of refugees.

We've seen the U.N. Secretary General express concerns about human rights and international humanitarian law. There are clearly a projection and a

vision going forward. Well, what happens if the country crumbles into an unrun or ineffectively run state, obviously the opposite of what Trump is

calling for?

But if it does, who is going to fix that? How are people going to get fed? What happens if the wheels of power do grind down and stop working? What

happens if there are internal power struggles? The vice president goes in one's direction. The ministry of defense goes in another direction.

These are all the trip wires that people are looking for, just on the case of Venezuela never mind other countries.

ANDERSON: OK. Since the seizure of the Venezuelan President over the weekend, the U.S. President and his Secretary of State have made threats

against other countries. That is what we have been discussing. Let's just hear from Donald Trump and Marco Rubio themselves.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: Declare independence from Cuba. They tried to basically colonize it from a security standpoint. So, yeah, look,

if I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I'd be concerned, at least.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: You have to do something with Mexico. Mexico has to get their act together, because

they're pouring through Mexico. And we're going to have to do something. 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.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There will be an operation by the U.S.

TRUMP: It sounds good to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Valeria Leon in Mexico City. I'm going to just finally finish with you for this hour. We've heard then from the Mexican President, she

has condemned U.S. action in Venezuela, describing it as a breach of sovereignty, this intervention should there.

What's the sense on the street in Mexico City, when you talk to people about what they believe might happen next, when you leave aside the sort of

politics and what we're hearing from senior officials and the president herself? What are people saying?

[09:55:00]

LEON: Well, Becky, there's a long history, a complicated relationship between the U.S. and Mexico, and especially for Mexicans in this moment,

there are most of them are against this U.S. intervention in Venezuela. So, and the perspective that I've heard suggests the Latin America is

increasingly viewed through a security lens, where dramatic measures are put on the table.

And in this context, I think Mexicans want to be clear, it is not going to accept a foreign military and military action on its soil, and that's

something that worries the majority of Mexicans on the streets. And what the government is really pushing back on here is the idea of crossing a

line.

Mexico is trying to keep this from becoming a bigger confrontation and avoid turning it into a standoff. So even as the rhetoric escalates, Mexico

is trying to hold the line between working together and protecting its sovereignty, Becky.

ANDERSON: It's good to have you. And Nic always appreciate it. Thank you very much indeed. CNN's "Breaking News" coverage continues after this short

break.

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END