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One World with Zain Asher

Justice Department Says It Has Released Remaining Epstein Files; Former CNN Anchor Don Lemon Taken Into Custody; Tensions High As Trump Sends Military Assets To Middle East; Anxiety In Cuba After U.S. Effectively Takes Over Venezuela; U.S. Skier Lindsey Vonn Crashes In Final Race Before Olympics. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired January 30, 2026 - 12:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:00:35]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Hello, everyone. Live for New York, I'm Bianna Golodryga.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Zain Asher, you are watching "One World."

It's 42 days after a deadline for the U.S. Justice Department to release all files related to the late convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein. The

DOJ says, its review process is now over.

GOLODRYGA: And Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche wrapped up a news conference a short time ago and announced that the department is releasing

more than three million pages of records, including thousands of videos and images.

But Blanche said the DOJ is not releasing the rest of the more than six million total pages involved in the investigation.

ASHER: When asked about recent claims by co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, that more than two dozen men made secret agreements, not to be prosecuted,

Blanche said that he had no reaction. But he did say the DOJ did not protect President Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TODD BLANCHE, U.S. DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: There's not some tranche of super-secret documents about Jeffrey Epstein that were -- that were

withholding. We're actually not withholding anything.

There's this mantra out there that, oh, you know, the Department of Justice is supposed to protect Donald J. Trump. And that's what we were telling.

That's not true. That was never the case.

We are always concerned about the victims. When we said that we were not legally allowed to release documents, that's a fact. That was true. It

remains true today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: CNN's Paula Reid is at the Justice Department.

So Todd Blanche did mention that we are expected to get three million pages, 2,000 videos, including some, by the way, with some commercial

pornography. Also, 180,000 images.

He did talk about the fact that the women would be redacted. The victims, obviously, would be redacted. That the -- the whole sort of goal and their

main priority is to protect the privacy of the victims, but that men would not be redacted.

Just walk us through the level of transparency we can expect here. Because obviously, the Trump administration has been under so much pressure to be

much more transparent as it pertains to the Epstein files.

PAULA REID, CNN CHIEF LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that -- and that's exactly it. This is a -- an administration and Justice Department that has

seen many controversies. But nothing alike the criticism they have received over their handling of the Epstein files.

So it was notable today that the deputy attorney general came out and announced that they have completed a review of the files.

Last year, Congress passed a law requiring the Justice Department to release the files in its possession. And this required, though, careful

review to make sure that the names of victims are protected. There are other reasons, for example, national security or ongoing investigations

that they would need to withhold some information.

And it was interesting because the deputy attorney general, at one point, said some information was withheld because of ongoing investigations, which

seemed like something potentially significant. The idea that there could be other criminal probes. I followed up on that, and he clarified that he just

met generally. This is still being looked into.

So it's significant that it has taken them a while to review all of these documents. They've had to pull in career prosecutors to help them with this

review. And now, we have a team going through these new materials that have been released.

As you said, it's not just documents. There's also images. There are videos. Not everything is something that was created by Jeffrey Epstein.

Some of this, they said, is a lot of commercial porn that was in his possession.

And I want to note that the Attorney General Pam Bondi was not at this press conference. That would normally be unusual. But given the criticism

she specifically has faced for her handling of this matter, it's not terribly surprising that they chose Blanche, a longtime Trump lawyer, to

come out and do the messaging today.

But even he said, quote, there is a hunger for more information that will not be fully satisfied by today's release.

ASHER: All right. Paula Reid, live for us there. Thank you so much.

GOLODRYGA: We also learned today from the deputy attorney general that the Department of Justice has opened a civil rights probe into the Alex Pretti

shooting.

The ICU nurse died after being shot multiple times last Saturday as he was filming federal agents conducting an operation in Minnesota. Here is what

Todd Blanche had to say just moments ago on this front.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLANCHE: It's an investigation. So, what do we think we're looking at? We're looking at everything that -- that would -- would get shed light on

what happened that day and in the days and weeks leading up to what happened.

And that's like any investigation that -- that the Department of Justice and the FBI does every day. It means we're looking at videos, talking to

witnesses, trying to understand what happened. I mean, you're talking about an incredibly tragic morning and -- and -- and then trying to unwind and

investigate that as it takes a lot of time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[12:05:11]

ASHER: Pretti's death followed the January 7th death of Minneapolis resident, Renee Good. Her family has since hired a Chicago-based law firm,

which previously represented George Floyd's family.

GOLODRYGA: We are also tracking the arrest of two journalists covering the unrest in Minnesota. Press freedom advocates are strongly condemning the

arrests of Georgia Fort and former CNN anchor Don Lemon.

According to his attorney, Lemon was taken into custody in connection to a recent protest which saw dozens of anti-ICE demonstrators rush into a

church in St. Paul.

ASHER: Yes. Lemon says he was there, not as a protester but as a journalist. Still, the Justice Department claims he did not have the right

to be on the church's private property.

Fellow journalist, Georgia Fort, also livestreamed that demonstration. She recorded the following moments shortly before her own arrest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGIA FORT, INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST: Agents are at my door right now. They're saying that they were able to go before a grand jury, sometime I

guess in the last 24 hours and that they have a warrant for my arrest.

This is all stemming from the fact that I filmed a protest as a member of the media.

All right, guys, I had to go. They're knocking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: So let's get straight to our chief media analyst Brian Stelter who is keeping a close eye on these developments.

And, Brian, you've been covering this since the news this morning of the arrest of these two journalists. And interesting that it appears the DOJ

had to go to another judge to get a court order for this arrest because their initial judge denied just that.

And now we heard from Pam Bondi, the attorney general, making clear on X that this all came at her direction. Just talk about the implications here

and the facts that we now know.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA ANALYST: Right. Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel are using the word coordinated, saying that this was an attack, a

targeting of this church on January 18th and that it was, quote, coordinated.

The burden of proof now on the U.S. government. Can they prove that Don Lemon, that Georgia Fort were a part of this and it was coordinated? And

can they convince a jury that these two individuals should actually be punished?

Both these individuals say they were there reporting on what happened. And frankly, we're all aware of it. The video went viral because Lemon was

inside that church that day. He was able to show the world what happened.

Lemon was careful to say during his livestream that he was there as a reporter, not an activist. He interviewed both protesters as well as

worshipers. And quite frankly, if you go back and watch a video that's been archived on YouTube, you can learn a lot. It's a very insightful livestream

about what went down that day.

Yes, you see that some of the worshipers were worried, were stressed out, where -- where some of them are fleeing the church as it happened. You see

some of the protesters arguing that it was appropriate to go in there.

And ever since then, there's been tremendous pressure from the right wing, from MAGA media loyalists saying that Lemon should be arrested, saying they

should be held accountable.

Don Lemon's been a longtime antagonist to president Trump, a longtime critic. Trump has been vocally critical of Lemon as recently as last week.

So, this looks like another example of Trump's retribution campaign in action.

And as for Georgia -- Georgia Fort. She's a -- a veteran journalist on the ground in Minnesota, an Emmy award winner, a former T.V. and radio host who

now works posting onto YouTube and Instagram covering her community. And she's really trusted there for that reason.

Like Lemon, she doesn't have a major media institution that backs her anymore. However, they did know this was possible. They knew this might be

coming.

In fact, lemon said last week the government's going to try again when the government failed the first time to get a warrant for his arrest. So this

has the makings of a major First Amendment clash in the U.S. And we are still waiting to see what the exact charges are.

ASHER: Yes. Don Lemon is actually speaking to another former CNN journalist, Alisyn Camerota.

Just walk us through though what message is being sent to independent journalists. I mean, obviously, this is being seen as some kind of a

warning shot, right?

STELTER: Right. Recognizing that many MAGA loyalists have wanted to see Lemon arrested, the White House has posted a meme celebrating this news

today. And the image shows Lemon holding up his microphone as he narrated the events inside the church. And it says Don Lemon arrested for

involvement in the St. Paul church riots.

I think that meme published and promoted by the White House gets to what this is all about. This is about showing the Justice Department is

listening to the right in America, listening to MAGA loyalists, listening to Trump allies and taking the action that they have demanded.

We've heard from press freedom groups, however, who say these charges will likely fall apart. That this is something that is incredibly unusual. But

for the time being, the White House has the meme it wanted.

And I have to wonder if that is what this is about. It's a performance, so to speak. And Lemon is in custody as a result, Fort in custody also as a

result.

[12:10:07]

And we've heard from numerous press freedom groups decrying these charges, saying this is un-American and also a statement from CNN. You know, Lemon

was let go a few years ago. It was kind of ugly, his termination at the time.

But CNN, in a statement today, strongly supporting press freedoms, saying the First Amendment in the U.S. protects journalists who bear witness to

news and events as they unfold. And the DOJ's attempts to violate those rights is unacceptable. We will be following this case closely.

We've also heard from a number of free expression groups saying that this cannot stand. It seems more like an authoritarian government's actions than

the actions of a democracy. So, a lot of voices now decrying these actions, these two journalists, been taking into custody.

And the big question mark is, what's going to be in the charging documents? Does the government have evidence that we don't know about that it's going

to suggest this is a strong case?

Because right now, from what we do know from the live streams of these journalists, they were there bearing witness and interviewing witnesses to

that protest.

GOLODRYGA: Well, to that point, Brian, we've just gotten information about the charges that Don Lemon is facing from his attorney, Abbe Lowell. And

there are two charges, one is the FACE Act. That is the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. And the other is the deprivation of rights to

others.

So, those were the charges that many had expected that the DOJ, if they were to press charges, that those were the two that were likely what they

were going to be aiming for. Though it does appear from all legal experts we've spoken with, the FACE Act, does seem to be quite a stretch.

I think that's typically limited to interfering outside of abortion clinics as people are attempting to go inside. But this information just coming to

us from Abbe Lowell, the attorney for Don Lemon.

STELTER: A quick reaction from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, which says historically the limited number of cases that have been

brought against the journalists in this way have fallen apart. Quote, these cases are almost always dropped. Or if the cases go to trial, the

journalists typically prevail.

So that's the historical context for this. Now, we'll see what happens with Lemon and Fort.

GOLODRYGA: We'll be following it all. Brian Stelter, thank you.

Meantime, Iran's top diplomat says that his country's missile and defense capabilities will not be on the negotiating table. His remarks come as the

U.S. builds up its military assets in the region.

ASHER: Yes. U.S. destroyer docked at an Israeli port city on the Red Sea Friday morning, joining other warships in the region.

GOLODRYGA: This as Iran's foreign minister says, his nation is ready to take part in fair and just nuclear negotiations with Washington.

Abbas Araghchi was speaking in Turkey as diplomats from a number of countries try to bring down the tensions.

ASHER: Donald Trump has been threatening military action in response to Iran's crackdown on nationwide protests, as well as what he says is a lack

of progress on nuclear talks. Here's what he said Thursday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Have you had any conversations with -- with Iran in the last few days? And are you planning on anything?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I have had and I am planning on it. Yes. We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran

right now. And it would be great if we didn't have to use them. OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you say what the message was that you shared with Iranians?

TRUMP: Well, I told them two things. Number one, no nuclear and number two, stop killing protesters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHER: CNN's Kevin Liptak joins us live now from the White House.

When we see a range of reactions from Iran, they've talked about the fact that if the U.S. does attack them, that they perhaps would possibly attack

Israel. We know that Iran's foreign minister is in Turkey really trying to figure out if Turkey can play some role as a mediator to sort of de-

escalate tensions.

If the Trump administration is to go through with a, some kind of strike, some kind of an attack on Iran, just walk us through what some of the

options that it's looking at right now are, Kevin.

KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes. And I think what's clear is that the options have expanded since a couple of weeks ago when

the president was facing a similar decision as those protests were raging on the streets of Tehran.

Since then, you've seen this massive military muscle head to the region spearheaded by the USS Abraham Lincoln, the aircraft carrier group, and all

of its ancillary ships and weapons and everything, I guess, that the president would need in order to strike Iran.

And so it does seem as if he's dealing with sort of a larger set of ideas for what he could do. You know, the options seem to range anything from

sort of a targeted strike on some of the security services that were responsible for cracking down on those protests, ranging all the way to an

attempt to take out the regime and the Ayatollah. You know, this is an enormous set that the president will be contending with.

[12:15:01]

And I think it's evident that he now is coming up to a point where he will have to decide whether there is a window for diplomacy, whether he thinks

the Iranians are serious about coming to the negotiating table or to try and strike at a moment that he and his officials believe that the regime is

severely weakened.

And certainly he is getting pressure, I think, from hardliners in Washington, you know, who say that this kind of moment won't come around

again.

You know, as the economy in Iran is suffering deeply as these street protesters demonstrate a degree of un-satisfaction with how the regime has

been handling things in Iran, they are suggesting to the president that now is the moment.

Now, as we talk to officials, they do describe three conditions that the U.S. is setting in order for these negotiations to proceed. One is that

Iran give up its nuclear ambitions entirely. You know, cease all domestic enrichment of uranium.

You remember President Trump said after he struck the nuclear sites back in June that the nuclear program was obliterated, but still it does seem as if

there are still attempts by the Iranians to get that back going.

The second condition is to give up its entire ballistic missile program, which is something that experts say Iran will have a very difficult time

parting with.

And then the third is to end all support for the Iranian proxy groups in the region, you know, Hamas, Hezbollah, all of these groups that have been

significantly degraded over the last year or so, but still something that the administration is sort of demanding as they work to get around to the

negotiating table.

No, how long President Trump is willing to wait for them to do that, of course, remains to be seen.

ASHER: All right. Kevin Liptak, live for us there. Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: For more, let's bring in Barbara Slavin. She's an author, distinguished fellow at the Stimpson Center and a lecture on international

affairs at George Washington University, Barbara, it's good to see you.

Just moments ago, the president once again reiterating that a, quote, large armada is heading towards Iran. He said even larger than that that

surrounded Venezuela prior to the capture of Nicolas Maduro.

As we just heard from Kevin Liptak, it's not just an end to its nuclear program that the United States is now demanding. It is the elimination of

its ballistic missiles.

And -- actually, Barbara, President Trump is actually speaking on this very subject matter. Let's listen to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: They were going to hang 837 people. And I told them, if you do it, you're going to pay a price like nobody's ever paid before. And they pulled

back. I appreciated that. But a lot of people are being killed. So we'll see what happens. I can say this. They do want to make a deal.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Virginia flipped the governors there. And now they're looking at 50 proposals to increase taxes. What do you think about that?

TRUMP: Well, I think it's terrible. I think a lot of people will leave Virginia. I -- I saw that.

Look, Glenn was a friend of mine, Glenn Youngkin, and worked so hard on cutting taxes because this woman came in, and in one swoop, she raised

everything up higher than it ever was. I don't understand it.

I mean, people voted for Democrat, but she came in and she raised. And I'll work with her like I work with everyone else. But she came into Virginia,

raised everything to a point like no -- taxes that nobody ever even heard of before.

And I don't understand. How do people get elected with this kind of philosophy? This is only in the very modern age.

You know, I grew up and I've always heard politicians will cut taxes, will cut. Everybody's screaming, we're going to cut taxes. I cut taxes. I gave

you the biggest tax cut in the history of our country in the great, Big Beautiful Bill. No tax on tips, no tax on social security, no tax on

overtime.

Interest deductions, Roger, when somebody buys a car, they can deduct the interest of the car money. That's the biggest thing in terms of the car

business, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very committed ones.

TRUMP: Correct. So we have -- you know, I give tax cuts and they give tax increases. I don't know how they get elected. They get elected because they

cheat. You want to know the truth.

If they didn't cheat -- if they didn't cheat, They'd have no chance. They have horrible policy, transgender for everyone. They have the little thing

about open borders so that the world's prison population and mental hospitals can be emptied into our country.

It's just a crazy -- men playing in women's sports.

Roger, are you a fan of men playing in women's sports? Only is it better. You'd like to bet?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I don't bet.

TRUMP: Not -- you're not a big -- you're not a big fan. I don't know if I'm saying that. I don't -- I don't want to get him in trouble, but I think he

joins in 99 percent. They say it's an 80-20 issue. I think it's a --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ninety-nine.

TRUMP: Maybe 99. It's 99-1.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, why are you doing this (INAUDIBLE) in the IRS? Why are you suing?

TRUMP: Who are you with?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm with the ABC News.

TRUMP: You're a loud person. Very loud. Let somebody else have a chance.

[12:20:01]

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can you answer the question? Why are you suing IRS?

TRUMP: Wait a minute, ABC fake -- ABC fake news.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're suing.

TRUMP: Go ahead. I didn't call on you. Go ahead, please. Go ahead. Go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think the --

TRUMP: ABC, by the way, is truly one of the worst. Go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think the upcoming talks between Russia and Ukraine stand a chance without --

TRUMP: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- the U.S. envoy, Witkoff and Jared Kushner there?

TRUMP: I think -- I think they stand a chance. We've been trying. I've ended eight wars. All of them, I thought, were going to be maybe tougher

than this one.

But Zelenskyy and Putin hate each other. And it makes it very difficult. But I think we're getting very close to getting a settlement.

Hundreds of thousands of people, mostly soldiers, have been killed. Last week, they lost 29,000 people. Last month, they lost 29,000 soldiers. Can

you believe that fellow? Twenty-nine thousand, you lose one race driver. And it's -- it's a big deal, 29,000 soldiers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLODRYGA: OK. We're going to go back to Barbara Slavin. Barbara, thanks so much for sticking around with us. We're listening to the president there

from the Oval Office talk about a number of issues.

He had just been answering a question about Iran, which he said Iran does want to make a deal. This is language that we heard from the president just

prior to the strikes on Fordow and Iran's nuclear facilities as well.

So given the mass of U.S. forces there and assets in the region, he once again stating that there's an armada surrounding Iran. And we laid out the

list of demands from the United States.

You know this regime so well. They have yet to cave on almost any demands. And they are not ones open for reform, especially the Supreme Leader. So,

where do you see this headed? Do you think that a kinetic strike of some sort is inevitable?

BARBARA SLAVIN, DISTINGUISHED FELLOW, STIMSON CENTER: Well, thank you for having me. That was interesting sitting there and listening to all of that.

It's hard to see how we get out of this without some sort of American strike. It's not just the demands for Iran to essentially gut its entire

foreign and security policy, which is what seems to be required.

But I -- I noticed that Trump also mentioned, again, which he hadn't for a while, Iran's treatment of its own people, that they have to stop killing

their own people.

Perhaps, he was reminded that he had said help was on the way. And there was no help while the Iranian government mowed down thousands of people in

the streets.

So it seems very hard for me to imagine how the United States does not conduct some sort of strike. And what I'm racking my brains to try to

understand is how this is going to help the situation in -- in any way.

I mean, the U.S. can take out some more missile bases, perhaps. It can hit the rubble again, or perhaps some new nuclear sites. But I -- I really

don't see how this resolves, this 47-year conflict between the United States and Iran.

I don't see how it brings down the regime. I don't see how it helps the Iranian people. Perhaps, there are some in Iran who would enjoy the

prospect of IRGC bases being hit. But will it bring down the regime? Will it change their circumstances? I -- I just really have my doubts.

ASHER: Yes. And -- and most importantly, will it do anything to sort of help the economy, which is one of the reasons why a lot of protesters had

hit the streets in the first place?

Just want to talk about this idea that, you know, there's sort of what you were saying about not really seeing how the U.S. gets out of this without

some kind of strike.

I mean, what about any kind of diplomatic off-ramp here? We know that the Iranian foreign minister traveled to Turkey for talks about possible ways

to de-escalate. We know that President Trump himself said that he would like to have a conversation with Iranian officials. And also just what he

said a moment ago, this idea of that Iran wants to make a deal.

Isn't there some kind of room at this point for a diplomatic off-ramp, Barbara?

SLAVIN: Well, there is if President Trump would scale back some of his demands. He cannot demand that Iran give up its entire civilian nuclear

program. He cannot demand that Iran scale back all of its missile bases and that Iran have nothing more to do with regional groups that Iran has

partnered with for decades.

I -- I just don't see how the Islamic Republic of Iran can accept those demands. So, there needs to be some creativity here.

Are there concessions that Iran can make over, perhaps, its stockpile of highly enriched uranium? There's about 900 pounds of it under the rubble in

the places that were bombed last summer.

Could Iran agree to transfer that uranium to Russia, for -- for example, in the past Iran has sent enriched uranium to Russia? Could Iran agree to let

the International Atomic Energy Agency come back in and fully monitor these sites? These inspectors have not been there since June.

[12:25:16]

There are possibilities, but he would have to scale back his maximalist demands, and the Iranians would have to make some significant concessions.

It's still possible. It's always possible.

I mean, how many balls can -- can the United States juggle at one time? But I -- I just -- I don't see it yet. I -- I hope it emerges, because as I

said, I don't think military action is going to resolve these issues.

GOLODRYGA: Yes. Unless these are maximalist demands, the president knows that Iran cannot agree to and -- and perhaps he's already made -- made up

his mind in terms of how the U.S. will respond again.

This is all after we now know that thousands, thousands, if not tens of thousands, of Iranians were killed or mowed down by this regime.

Barbara Slavin, thank you so much.

SLAVIN: Thank you.

ASHER: All right. Still to come here on "One World," uncertainty in Cuba as its closest ally is effectively under American control. Just ahead, how

Cubans are viewing life after the removal of Venezuela's Nicolas Maduro.

GOLODRYGA: Plus, the most decorated female skier of all time took a tumble one week before a big Olympic comeback, Lindsey Vonn's condition, when we

come back after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ASHER: All right. Let's take a closer look at the rocky relationship between the U.S. and Cuba. President Donald Trump signs an executive order

on Thursday declaring a national emergency against the communist country.

Under the measure, Trump threatens to impose tariffs on goods from countries that provide oil to the island.

GOLODRYGA: Now, that Havana's closest ally is effectively under American control, that being Venezuela, a sense of unease has gripped the island.

[12:30:01]

CNN's Patrick Oppmann reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN HAVANA BUREAU CHIEF (voice-over): In the U.S. attack on Venezuela to capture Nicolas Maduro, over 100 people were killed. Among

them 32 Cuban soldiers, including Maduro's closest bodyguards, operating there in secret.

Now, Cuba's closest ally, and more importantly, its biggest oil supplier, appears to be under de facto American control. And this is sending a chill

through Cuban society about what may be next.

TRUMP: Cuba is really a nation that's very close to family.

OPPMANN: It is a prediction many U.S. presidents have made. But the revolution founded by Fidel Castro has endured. I've been a foreign

correspondent in Cuba for 14 years, a country that suddenly feels very different to me.

And I want to find out what the operation in Caracas means for the future of nine million Cubans, who live in this island nation.

The Cuban government received the remains of their fallen soldiers from Venezuela with a hero's welcome, after decades of denying their presence

there.

Thousands of people lined the streets that day and waited hours to pay their respects.

OPPMANN: This direct confrontation between the U.S. and the Cuban soldiers, that's not something we've seen for decades. And it's left many people here

wondering in the loss of their ally in Venezuela, how is that going to impact them?

OPPMANN (voice-over): Outside in the line, I meet Iliana Medrano.

What would happen if there was an invasion of -- of Cuba by U.S. troops?

ILIANA MEDRANO, CUBA RESIDENT (through text translation): We would confront whatever comes. We don't know what will happen, but we are willing to die.

OPPMANN (voice-over): Cubans are no strangers to economic hardship. Since Fidel Castro's 1959 revolution, they have weathered America's embargo and

their own government's disastrous economic missteps.

After the Soviet Union collapsed, Venezuela emerged to Havana's lifeline. Here's how the agreement worked. Cuba sent thousands of doctors, teachers,

sports trainers, as well as military and intelligence officials to Venezuela in return for oil.

OPPMANN: Now, if Maduro in jail and out of the picture, it's not clear if Venezuela can or will continue the oil shipments that the Trump

administration has vowed to block.

OPPMANN: To make matters worse, Havana's second largest oil supplier, Mexico, has also reportedly suspended oil shipments.

Already, we are witnessing the impacts. You can take weeks to get a spot in a gas line using an online system.

Gerardo tells me he's waited 29 days.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): Things are going to get tough. I'm glad I was selected today, because I don't know if I will be

next time.

OPPMANN: As night falls, many here will be left in the dark. And so longer and longer, apagones, blackouts, are becoming the new normal.

In many parts of the island, the power is off more hours a day than it is on. Some people tell us they are fed up, but they're too scared to speak to

us on camera.

Others like Anhill (ph), who sells his coconut sweets on the streets, say they are resigned to a worsening power situation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): We Cubans adapt to everything, to any circumstances. But one adapts, what else can we do?

OPPMANN (voice-over): The Trump administration vows, the pressure will continue on Cuba. For now, the Cuban government is defiant, calling for one

of the largest demonstrations outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana in years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through text translation): Cuba does not have to make any political concessions.

OPPMANN (voice-over): Even some of the younger people in the crowd, like Ivan, say they feel the mood in the country has changed.

OPPMANN: When you saw bombs falling on Caracas, how did that make you personally feel?

IVAN ERNESTO BARRETO LOPEZ, CUBA RESIDENT: In the 21st century, seeing these kinds of actions, violating totally the international law, acting

unilaterally, that's -- that's something very worrying.

OPPMANN (voice-over): For those of us who covered the normalization of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba, under the Obama administration,

there's a sense of whiplash.

OPPMANN: I've even heard from a U.S. Embassy source that diplomats there have been advised to, quote, have their bags packed, as the Trump

administration explores new ways to stabilize the communist-run government.

Patrick Oppmann, CNN, Havana.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ASHER: All right. Time now for "The Exchange." Joining us live now is Chris Sabatini, a senior fellow for Latin America at Chatham House. Chris, thank

you so much for being with us.

So, Donald Trump threatening --

CHRIS SABATINI, SENIOR FELLOW FOR LATIN AMERICA, CHATHAM HOUSE: Thank you.

ASHER: -- any nation that effectively supplies Cuba with oil, obviously, Venezuela is not going to be doing that anymore. Mexico is in a very tough

spot because of what they're negotiating with the United States and the tricky position that they have that Claudia Sheinbaum has with the United

States.

When you think about just how dependent Cuba's economy is on oil, by all reports, they could have between 15 and 20 days left of oil in order to

sort of keep their economy afloat. We would see effectively nationwide blackouts in Cuba. We would see food shortages. We would see a collapse of

public transportation. We would see -- see hospitals and sanitation systems fail.

[12:35:20]

What is in store for Cuba at this point in time if these sanctions continue by the -- by the Trump administration?

SABATINI: Of course, frankly, economically, it's exactly as you said. We're going to see massive blackouts. There will be no transportation. Hospitals

will have to go without electricity. People will die. They'll get sick.

But, you know, in terms of politics, I'm not sure what this will really produce. Cuba has never really gone through a crisis of this extent, but it

has gone through some serious economic crises, especially after the fall of the Soviet Union, which -- for which, basically, Cuba had been a client

state of the Soviet Union.

But right now, what Trump seems to want is some sort of deal, but it's not really clear what that could be. We don't know whether he would launch

attacks on Cuba. That could be, quite frankly, disastrous for a number of reasons. Cuba's not Venezuela. It's not as corrupt. It's not as fragmented.

It's had 60-plus years to consolidate a revolutionary government, including the military and the party and the government itself.

So, you know, what will actually happen is clearly a humanitarian crisis, which, quite frankly, Cuba's already in the verge of. We're seeing, for the

first time in a long time, widening disparities by race in Cuba. We're seeing malnutrition. We're seeing starvation. It will only get much, much

worse.

But now we're talking about the complete freezing of the economy in Cuba.

GOLODRYGA: Are you surprised or maybe not, given the lack of reaction and response from Venezuela's so-called allies, that being China and Russia

really not coming to their defense? There had been in the past examples of Russia supplying Cuba with some sort of oil aid, that isn't happening now.

So, as the United States is trying to squeeze this regime, possibly even looking for regime change, is there another lifeline for Cuba at this

point?

SABATINI: We really don't know. There really isn't. Obviously, Donald Trump has sent a shot across the bow by saying that anyone that tries to bail

Cuba out by providing oil or gas is going to suffer a tariff, although he never decides or determines what that tariff rate would be.

It's not that dissimilar from the similar threat he made in the case of Venezuela, that anyone who was buying Venezuelan oil would suffer tariffs.

That was never actually imposed, but it's clearly a threat, and it's clearly not any takers.

The truth is, is that Russia is, yes, align with Cuba. There are intelligence assets of Russia's and also a port that Russia parks its

submarines and boats and when it's in -- in the hemisphere.

But it's really not going to go to the mat for Cuba. It doesn't have the capacity to do it. And China, the same thing. China also has huge

intelligence assets, in fact, larger than Russians in Cuba, but it's not going to destroy or undermine the entire relationship with the United

States over Cuba.

And quite frankly, we know that with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who's Cuban-American, Cuba has always been in his sights. Now, obviously, it's a

lot more closely and more focused in his sights, post-Venezuela.

They're not going to really defend Cuba. They may raise the rhetorical concern, but they're not going to, you know, risk a military confrontation

or even some sort of economic confrontation over Cuba. So Cuba really is sort of left to its own right now.

ASHER: Yes. And there's a lot of fear about what the sort of political spillover could be, the humanitarians spillover, especially some kind of

crisis, mass migration. You know, a lot of the countries in the region are also racing for impact as well.

Chris Sabatini, we have to leave it there. Thank you so much.

SABATINI: Thank you.

GOLODRYGA: One of the -- one of the most successful ski racers took a tumble just one week before the Winter Olympics.

ASHER: Yes. American Lindsey Vonn crashed while attempting to land a jump at the World Cup in Switzerland. The 41-year-old, there you see her

falling. She was essentially airlifted to a medical tent or taken to a medical tent rather, and then was airlifted to a hospital. And she says

that her Olympic dreams are not over.

For more this, let's bring in the CNN's World Sports, Patrick Snell.

I mean, one week before her big performance. I mean, just walk us through what happened. What went wrong?

PATRICK SNELL, CNN WORLD SPORTS: Yes. I -- I want to start out with saying this. You know, this is definitely encouraging news concerning Vonn,

considering what the update from her via social media a little earlier today could have been.

Thankfully, this gives her and her fans hope. The American is a remarkable athlete. Never doubt for one moment her extraordinary will to win. Her

immense resilience and never quit attitude that served us so well over the years.

Lindsey, just to reset for our viewers, she's making her return to the Winter Games for the first time since 28. But as you just said, Zain, in

the set-up, she's 41 years of age now, and today in Switzerland, it was a last tune-up event one week out from the start of the Winter Games.

[12:40:06]

And as I say, this is why her fans have every reason to be optimistic, hopeful, at least for now, because she went to Instagram just over an hour

ago saying, she injured that left knee. Adding, I am discussing the situation with my doctors and team, and will continue to undergo further

exams. This is a very difficult outcome one week before the Olympics, but if there's one thing I know how to do, it's a comeback. My Olympic dream is

not over. Thank you for all the love and support.

I'll give you more information when I have it. So, Vonn, just to recap, losing control when landing on a jump. And then she slid into the safety

nets. She eventually, it's just really concerning to see, especially when you factor in her track record and a whole list of injuries over the years.

She's such a courageous athlete.

She got the medical attention. She did generally finish the race, gets to the finish line, did have to stop a couple of times down on the way. You

can see the concern there on the faces of everyone who watched it.

She had to be airlifted off the mountain to go to hospital the race. I will say there was really poor visibility out there in Crans-Montana. First six

races crashing. The race was stopped.

And this is a case of Vonn, you know, retired from the sport in 2019. She came back just over a year ago to make one more run at the Olympics, where

she's got a gold medal to her name, two bronzes.

This, I was fearful when this story broke, that we'd be bringing some really, really bad and upsetting news. But now it is a message of hope. And

as she says to her fans on social media, My Olympic Dream is not over.

We'll stay across the very latest for you. Back to you.

GOLODRYGA: Well, if anyone can make a comeback, it is Lindsey Vonn. Talk about a fighter.

SNELL: Yes.

GOLODRYGA: And we are rooting for her.

SNELL: Yes. We wish her well.

GOLODRYGA: We wish her a speedy recovery.

Patrick Snell, thank you so much.

41 years old. I think that's old.

ASHER: I know.

GOLODRYGA: She's amazing.

ASHER: What are you trying to say, Bianna?

GOLODRYGA: I'm older than that, Zain.

All right. Well, that does it for "One World." I'm Bianna Golodryga. Thanks so much for watching. I'll be back in about 15 minutes with "Amanpour."

ASHER: I'm Zain Asher. "Marketplace Africa" is up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END