A newly leaked audio recording has stirred controversy and raised fresh questions about the circumstances surrounding the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by US forces in early January.

In the purported recording, shared by Guardian, interim Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodriguez, reportedly claimed that US forces gave her and other top regime figures just 15 minutes to comply with American demands or face death.

What else did the audio reveal?

According to Rodriguez’s account in the tape, the ultimatum came immediately after Maduro was taken into custody during the US military operation in Caracas.

She said that Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, her brother Jorge Rodriguez, then president of the Venezuelan legislature, and herself were told to decide whether to meet Washington’s conditions in that brief window “or they would kill us.”

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The audio is reportedly from a roughly two-hour meeting held in Venezuela seven days after the US strike, during which Rodriguez is heard addressing loyalists and describing the intense pressure the regime faced in the wake of Maduro’s ouster.

‘We were told that Maduro was assassinated’

In her remarks, she also asserted that authorities were initially informed that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been assassinated rather than kidnapped, a claim that added to the chaotic tone of the discussions.

Rodriguez’s narrative appears aimed at explaining why the remaining leadership ultimately cooperated or stood down, framing their actions as a reluctant choice made under what she described as constant threats and “blackmail.”

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She stressed that her priorities in accepting demands under duress were to preserve peace, rescue hostages, and retain political power, even as she acknowledged how painful it was to assume responsibility in such high-stakes conditions.

The authenticity of the leaked audio has not been independently verified, and it has sparked debate both within Venezuela and internationally over the exact nature of US involvement and the internal dynamics of the Venezuelan government after Maduro’s removal.

Maduro, who is facing federal charges in the US, will next face the court in New York on March 17.