Return to Transcripts main page
Isa Soares Tonight
Demark Rebuffs Trump's Takeover Threat; Fires Burn Across Los Angeles; Venezuelan Opposition Leader Calls for Protests. Aired 2:00-3p ET
Aired January 08, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00]
ISA SOARES, HOST, ISA SOARES TONIGHT: A very warm welcome to the show, everyone, I'm Isa Soares. Tonight, 0 percent contained. Four wildfires
fueled by powerful winds are raging across Los Angeles, threatening everything inside. Two people are dead, more than a thousand homes and
businesses have burned, and officials warn the worst is yet to come. We have the very latest for you.
Then America's allies respond after Donald Trump suggests he could seize Greenland and the Panama Canal by force. And then later, I speak to
Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado, she's currently in hiding, but that may be about to change very soon. But first, high winds
are fueling a really deadly inferno across southern California right now.
At least, four wildfires are raging in L.A. County, and at least two people are dead. The L.A. Fire chief says they were never prepared to handle this
many major fires really all at once. And the situation as you've been seeing here on our air, is dire. One resident shot this drone video you can
see there, showing an ominous sky as the Palisades Fire moves closer.
Winds of up to 100 miles per hour or about 160 kilometers per hour have been reported. The mayor of Los Angeles is set to arrive in the city
shortly, and this comes as tens of thousands of people are being urged to evacuate as the out-of-control fires you can see there on your screen, how
the four of them, how they're really out-of-control and how they're destroying homes. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Homeless family, but this hurts and it hurts seeing the scale of it. I've lived here in the L.A. area my whole life, 32 years. It's
never been this bad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, this video I want to show you was taken by an airplane passenger on a California bound flight on Tuesday. The flight had been
scheduled to land at Burbank Airport, but was diverted to LAX as firefighters battle major blazes on several fronts. Authorities warn the
fire conditions as well as those strong winds are expected to worsen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY MARRONE, CHIEF, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE DEPARTMENT: We have over 2,000 acres burning at this time, and the fire continues to grow with 0
percent containment. We have over 500 personnel assigned and unfortunately, we have two reported fatalities to civilians. Unknown cause at this time,
and we do have a number of significant injuries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Now, we've just seen -- just seeing now the Eaton Fire that's been blamed for two deaths as well as the destruction of hundreds of buildings
that has exploded to more than 10,000 acres. That fire, of course, was centered near Pasadena, and it's burned about 10,600 acres according to
California fire.
So, really substantial and pretty scary. And let me get more now from Neeta Sreekanth. She was hiking in Pacific Palisades -- actually, we'll go to
Neeta in just a moment. Let's go to Julia Vargas Jones -- I think we have it. Do we have Julia Vargas Jones? Julia, I mean, just give us a sense of -
-
JULIA VARGAS JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes --
SOARES: What you were seeing. It looks like pretty much like an inferno, the sights that we've been seeing.
JONES: It is, Isa, and I'm sorry, the communications issues are part of it. The fires are raging around us. This house going up in flames around --
we just heard a gas tank explode from this direction. There's a car on fire, in flames, and firefighters are going from location to location
trying to address some of these fires as much as they can.
These are firefighters not just from Los Angeles County, Isa. There are people here helping from all kinds of places around the state of
California, and Governor Gavin Newsom calling now the National Guard to help these efforts. People here, these firefighters working 36-48-hour
shifts.
And that's because we have an agreement here. Those 100-mile an hour winds, they make it really difficult to fight these fires from the sky. So,
they're depending on these crews getting -- going street-by-street.
[14:05:00]
And they are doing just that as the fire is jumping over street, it's jumping over houses and highways, and Isa, this is a very densely-populated
area. And it's not like the Palisades. This is working-class neighborhoods. People who might lose absolutely everything. We've been talking to
residents here that show a lot of regret for not having packed up their things and left sooner.
I spoke to a woman, she was here this morning. She said she was evacuated twice. She left her house last night, went to Pasadena, a neighboring town
here, and then had to be evacuated again. She came home today to try and get her things out, but by the time she got there, volunteers were dowsing
her house in water trying to save it.
She said, I don't even know who these people are that are trying to help me, but I'm so thankful that my house is still here. Who knows how much
longer it will stand. But the key and that's the evil of the fire is also that it -- just one house might be safe and the house next door might be
completely destroyed and people never know, and that's why there's hope and people try and come back to see if their houses are still standing.
I understand people trying to come back and authorities are saying, don't at this point just leave. We're trying to preserve life and some people
have just resigned. We spoke to people also who say, look, it is what it is. I'd rather save my house -- I'd rather save myself than my house. Now,
we just spoke to some other folks here who are trying to get their dog out of their house.
And these are very difficult decisions that people are making, Isa, and it's not going to end any time soon. And this fire has exploded in size to
now more than 10,000 acres.
SOARES: It is absolutely horrific to see that. It's just absolutely devastating for the entire state. Julia Vargas Jones, please keep safe in
Altadena. Thank you very much, Julia. We are expecting to hear from Los Angeles officials, they're holding a presser shortly. Of course, when that
gets underway, we will bring that to you.
I promise you, I'll bring you Neeta Sreekanth, just a few minutes ago, she was actually hiking in the Pacific Palisades when the fire first broke out
and was forced to quickly evacuate. Neeta, thank you very much for joining us. Just give us a sense of where you are now. Are you with family? Are you
with neighbors?
NEETA SREEKANTH, EVACUATED FROM PALISADES FIRE: I'm out here in Marina del Rey, I have a friend and her husband over here staying with me because they
were evacuated from Santa Monica.
SOARES: And how are you doing? I mean, you -- I'm not sure whether you heard our correspondent, the coming hours are absolutely terrifying. Yes,
people have been evacuated, but so much anxiety still at this stage, given, of course, as we heard from the fire chief, 0 percent contained at this
point.
SREEKANTH: Yes, look, it's obviously a tough situation, and throughout the entire night, I don't think anyone in Los Angeles got some sleep or any
sleep last night. There's just fire trucks, police officers, just all throughout the night responding to emergencies and helping evacuate as many
people as possible.
It's certainly a really tough morning, and you can go outside and you can smell smoke. You see the sun, but it's covered in smoke. The city has gone
through destruction. It looks like an apocalyptic city at this point.
SOARES: Apocalyptic, and we're looking at scenes that you shot. This is video that you shot, Neeta, give us a sense of what you've gone through,
and it's pretty much night and day from what I understand, you went through at the beginning of the day, which was a gorgeous sunny day, and my team
tells me that you were hiking up in the Palisades when the fire started, right?
SREEKANTH: Correct. It was a picture-perfect morning. And any day here in West L.A. where you can see Catalina Island and you can see all the way
down to Long Beach from the Palisades, is considered a picture-perfect, beautiful day in Los Angeles. And that's how the day started. It was very
windy. We were warned ahead of time that this week was going to be a very windy week.
And then one minute I turned around and I saw a puff of smoke go up in the air, and it looked almost as if it was an explosion, whether it was
volcanic or something else, and then from there, just the speed at which the fire grew, they were unable to contain it. They were quickly attacking
to try and put it out, but the winds were just so strong and massive that it was an impossible task for them to contain it, and they still have not
been able to do it.
SOARES: And Neeta, give us a sense for our viewers just watching around the world what your friends, family, even colleagues, what they are doing,
have they also been evacuated? What stories are you hearing at this moment?
SREEKANTH: Yes, so, right now, everyone's kind of just online and trying to get as many updates as they possibly can. We're being told to conserve
water. I think that's going to be a major issue right now. There's obviously a ton of friends and family that are checking in and making sure
we're all OK, and which we're obviously thankful for.
But, you know, this is something that's obviously uniting the residents of Los Angeles and in many different ways. But at the end of the day, we just
need to help our fellow neighbors and citizens and do whatever we can to just get through this, because this is not something we can each get
through individually. It's going to have to be a collective effort.
[14:10:00]
SOARES: Yes, and without a doubt. And just going back to what you -- something you said, you said you started a glorious day when you were
hiking. There were strong winds. Any signs? Did you get any heads-up? Anything was being reported prior to this of fires or of this being a risk
at all? Was that -- did you hear anything about this prior to this?
SREEKANTH: Well, you know, for those of us who have been in Los Angeles, we know that when there are --
SOARES: Yes --
SREEKANTH: Those heavy winds, there's always going to be a chance of a spark or a fire just setting ablaze the entire mountainside. So, that's
certainly a risk that we all kind of understood having been here. But in this particular instance, it was clear and perfect, and it was just very
rapid and how fast it went, and being able to be up in the mountains and see that is something that's probably going to haunt me for a long period
of time, just knowing what the end result has been here in terms of the casualty of and devastation of life in just our city. And it's just -- it's
really tough.
SOARES: And Neeta, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us, really appreciate it. I understand that President Joe Biden is speaking.
Can we listen to that? Is he up?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Good morning, President Biden. Thank you for being here. I'm here on behalf of the Fire Service. Last week, we began receiving
reports from the National Weather Service about a significant wind event that was going to hit southern California. This is not something that's a
surprise to us in southern California, and it was something that we were well prepared for based on those predictive conditions of wind-gusts up to
100 miles an hour east, pushing offshore.
We began increasing our staffing, a local, state and federal agencies. Hundreds of firefighters began moving on Sunday afternoon from northern
California into southern California. My local partners began up-staffing their own fire stations, helicopters, fire engines, hand crews to be
prepared for an incident like this that occurred.
Those resources were pre-positioned in counties throughout southern California for an event just like this. And on Tuesday morning, the
Palisades fire began. I'd now like to introduce you to Chief Crowley(ph) who can touch on the Palisades Fire. Chief?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you. Thank you so much, Mr. President. I'm here just to provide you a brief on three significant fires that have occurred
within the city of Los Angeles. With that, I'm going to be focusing on the Palisades Fire. That fire broke out yesterday morning around 10:30. We did
pre-deploy a number of resources. We knew this was -- there was a potential for a significant threat to our constituents due to the weather event.
High winds, I've never seen the winds in my 25-year career, so, we leaned forward as much as possible and pre-deployed. With that, we had a
significant amount of fire that occurred. We had an aggressive fire attack. The fire has grown from originally 10 acres to 10,802 acres. As we speak,
it's an active fire-fight with our firefighters, and they're doing their very best to protect our people within this area.
Interesting enough, because of the winds and the low humidity, we had a second fire also break out, and that was the Hurst Fire, which is just
north of that area. Again, this was close to 11,000 acres. This is close to 500 acres that also broke out. The information that I want to share with
you is also the significance of multiple fires in the area within the city, but also the county.
That's the second fire that actually came out, and we are actively engaged in that fire-fight. The third fire then broke out this morning at 4 O'clock
in the morning, in which we have an active fire-fight there as well. We're working with our local jurisdictions, our state, regional as well as
federal. So, we're doing everything we can to protect life first and property next. We'll go ahead and then pass this off to police chief
McDonald(ph). Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you chief. Mr. President, it's an honor to be able to be here and be part of this and represent the men and women of LAPD
and policing to support our partners in the Fire Service. What we saw here in the last 24 hours is unprecedented. I've never seen anything like this.
Fires driven by the type of winds that we saw up to a 100 miles an hour.
Our role out there is strictly support, to be there for evacuations, to get people out of the affected area, to be able to provide for traffic
control and then crime suppression as the fire is fought. And some may come in and try and take the opportunity to go into these homes and steal from
them. So, we're going to be on top of that.
I just want to say the relationship we enjoy here, in my case under the leadership of Mayor Bass, but all of our elected officials is unlike, I
think, anywhere else in the country.
[14:15:00]
We are blessed to have the relationship between Police and Fire that we do here. Unfortunately, we do this kind of thing frequently, never to this
level. But I can't say enough about how important that is. And as we go into the next five years with the Super Bowl and the World Cup and the
Olympics coming up, it's critical that we maintain those partnerships. So, thank you for this opportunity, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And next up --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, sorry, let me introduce my partner from the County Fire Department, Chief Tony Marrone.
MARRONE: Yes, so thank you, Mr. President. I'm going to be giving you an update on our Eaton Fire, which is east --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where does the county start?
MARRONE: The county starts all the way up in Lancaster and goes all the way down to the Long Beach border. We go from the county line in Ventura,
all the way up to Pomona, 4,300 acres. So, we have a fire east of the Palisades fire that began last night. It's called the Eaton Fire, it's
currently 10,600 acres, 0 percent containment.
We have over 750 firefighters on the line, unfortunately, two people have lost their lives. Residents have lost their lives at the Eaton Fire. It's
impacting tens of thousands of homes, not only in the city of Pasadena, but also the county area of Altadena, and we're doing our very best. We just
had our out-of-state resources arrive from Arizona at the Eaton Fire to assist us.
Last night as the region one coordinator, I contacted the governor's office of emergency services. We requested 250 additional engines into L.A. County
with a 1,000 personnel. We also are using our inner -- our compacts with other states like Arizona, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Firefighters from
those regions are on their way down to Los Angeles County right now to assist us. So, thank you for your interest. Thank you for your attention.
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Governor, you asked for a -- folks, the fact is that the DOD, Department of Defense to rapidly provide
additional fire personnel and capabilities. And also California National Guard is adding two miles for air firefighting systems units and two more
are being readied for the National Guard to the Nevada National Guard. And four more are coming from northern -- from the northern command and ten
Navy helicopters.
Water-delivery buckets are coming down from San Diego. We're prepared to do anything and everything as long as it takes to contain these fires and help
reconstruct and make sure that we get back to normal. It's going to be a hell of a long way. The -- it's going to take time, but we're in it.
Federal government is here to stay as long as you need us, and everything you need. Is anything you've asked for we haven't gotten yet?
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Quite the contrary, you know, Mr. President, just -- first of all, that major disaster declaration being approved, next
level appreciation. On behalf of all the residents here in southern California. As the chief said, we had pre-positioned assets this weekend in
anticipation of these weather events.
The complexity of multiple fires, the likelihood these weather events, this wind event will continue over the course of the next many days. The impacts
of over a 1,000 structures already that have been destroyed, 100-plus thousand people that have been evacuated, lives lost, traditions,
lifestyles, places torn asunder.
This means the world to us and just publicly, because I think this is important. The President happened to be in the region, in town. It's
impossible for me to express the level of appreciation and cooperation we've received from the White House in this administration. So, on behalf
of all of us, Mr. President, thank you for being here, but not just being here today, thank you for being here since the minute of this incident when
there was a 10-acre fire, less than 24 or so hours ago. Deep gratitude.
BIDEN: It's astounding what's happened.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes --
BIDEN: With only one piece of good news, my son lives out here, and his wife out there, they got notification yesterday. Their home was probably
burned to the ground, today, it appears that it may be still standing, they're not sure. But the good news is, I'm a great grandfather as of
today. My granddaughter, 10-pound, 4-ounce baby girl -- baby boy. So, I'm going to remember this day for a lot of wrong reasons. Anyway --
[14:20:00]
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: All right, everyone, you have been listening there to fire officials at a station in Santa Monica that were briefing President Joe
Biden, of course, on the wildfires that we've been seeing, the four wildfires that we have been seeing across Los Angeles and Los Angeles
County. They talked about how they got the preparedness, how they got started when it all started increasing staffing.
On Sunday afternoon, the resources that were pre-positioned as those fast - - as those fires got underway, they -- we then heard from several officials, fire officials, one lady saying that she's never seen fires like
this in her 25-year career. Another one said, we have -- what we're seeing here is unprecedented.
And we heard some details in terms of the speed, the wind speeds, the -- just the ferocity of these fires, saying from 10 acres to 10,600 acres,
it's burning as they speak at that moment. Now, they were talking about 700 firefighters on the line. And we heard briefly there from President Biden,
he wasn't -- he didn't have a mic on him.
So, it was kind of hard to hear what he said as he was standing next to Gavin Newsom. He said about 2,000 National Guards, I heard 10 helicopters,
maybe I misheard there. But he did talk about the importance to do anything, the government's disposal right now to assist and ending, of
course, on a more upbeat note, talking about the fact that as of today, he's a great grandfather.
But getting an update on these -- really these infernos, these deadly infernos that we have been seeing across southern California, sun-shining
there. It was a very horrible few hours, it's been -- continues. We know four wildfires are raging. We know two people are dead. And this continues
as the wind continues to push and the humidity to push those fires across the state.
We are going to stay across this breaking news for you, when we come back, Donald Trump pitches a land grab. The President-elect's plans for U.S.
expansion, that includes threats to long-time allies. And then Denmark fires back. We'll speak to a Danish lawmaker who says a U.S. takeover of
Greenland is definitely and absolutely not going to happen. That is next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:25:00]
SOARES: There has been swift reaction today from world leaders who are pushing back on Donald Trump's call for U.S. expansion into Greenland,
Panama as well as Canada. The U.S. President-elect on Tuesday said he wouldn't rule out using military force to retake the Panama Canal and
acquire Greenland.
France's Foreign Minister says EU members should galvanize in response to those expansion plans. He also issued this stark warning. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEAN-NOEL BARROT, FOREIGN MINISTER, FRANCE (through translator): It's a European territory. And so, of course, it is out of the question for the
European Union to let any nation in the world, whichever it is. And let me say, starting with Russia, its sovereign borders, we are a strong
continent. We have to keep on strengthening ourselves, and we should wake up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: In a social media post, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau certainly left no room for doubt about where he stands when it comes to
Trump's suggestion that the U.S. annex Canada. More reaction now from our diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): It's the image amplifying President-elect Donald Trump's latest international
threat. His son Donald Jr. landing in Greenland for a private visit.
DONALD TRUMP JR., SON OF DONALD TRUMP: Just really excited to be here --
ROBERTSON: As his father refused to rule out taking the autonomous Danish territory by force.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: We need them for economic security.
AAJA CHEMNITZ, MEMBER OF DANISH PARLIAMENT & GREENLAND RESIDENT: Greenland is not for sale. Greenland will never be for sale.
ROBERTSON: Danish politicians in particular outraged by what many see as a Trump stunt.
CHEMNITZ: The majority in Greenland, they find it quite scary, actually, and quite uncomfortable.
ROBERTSON: The world's largest island, home to little more than 56,000 people, with huge strategic and mineral value, is trying to carve out its
own place in the world and is not for sale, according to its government. But some of its politicians do see a compromise.
KUNO FENCKER, MEMBER OF GREENLAND PARLIAMENT: We are working on creating a sovereign country, which is Greenland. If Trump is talking about a real
estate agreement, the U.S. is renting a big area of land in north Greenland and it should be just a very normal to pay for that.
ROBERTSON: Across the world in Panama where Trump also warns force is an option to take back control of the globally vital Panama Canal, there is no
negotiation to be had.
JAVIER MARTINEZ-ACHA, FOREIGN MINISTER, PANAMA (through translator): Our canal sovereignty is not negotiable, and is part of our history of struggle
and an irreversible conquest.
ROBERTSON: Canada, too, in Trump's crosshairs for annexation.
TRUMP: They should be a state.
ROBERTSON: So much rhetoric, the German chancellor appears to compare Trump with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
OLAF SCHOLZ, CHANCELLOR, GERMANY (through translator): The principle of inviolability of borders applies to every country, regardless of whether it
is to the east or west of us. Every country must adhere to that.
ROBERTSON: Unlike his first term, where world leaders dismiss Trump's often bombastic rhetoric as just that, this time they seem to be preparing
for more push and heavy persuasion from the incoming commander-in-chief.
METTE FREDERIKSEN, PRIME MINISTER, DENMARK (through translator): There are a lot of words being spoken right now, we need to stay calm and stick to
our principles.
ROBERTSON: Denmark's newly revamped royal coat of arms, a calibrated hint of that calm, the polar bear representing Greenland, just got bigger. Nic
Robertson, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Our thanks to Nic for that report. Well, one Danish lawmaker isn't mincing words about Trump's threat to take over Greenland. Rasmus Jarlov
tweeted this, I'm going to show it to you. "This level of disrespect from the coming U.S. President towards very loyal allies and friends is record-
setting."
Jarlov is chair of the Danish parliament's Defense Committee and spokesperson for the Conservatives on Greenlandic Affairs. He is live
tonight in Copenhagen. Mr. Jarlov, thank you very much for taking the time to speak to us here tonight --
RASMUS JARLOV, CONSERVATIVE DANISH MP: Thank you --
SOARES: I mean, strong words just there as we shared that you posted on X from you. Just give us a sense though, on the conversations that are being
had, how seriously Denmark and Greenland are taking these threats.
JARLOV: We're taking everything that comes from a coming U.S. President seriously, but we're not expecting to be invaded or to have a war between
the U.S. and Denmark. No one thinks it's going to come to that. So, we -- but we take it as strong pressure and we understand that Trump is
definitely interested in taking over Greenland. And we have to say very clearly that, that's not on the table for us. It's never going to happen.
[14:30:00]
Denmark has held Greenland since 1380, and it's not for sale. The people in Greenland don't want it. There's not a single Greenlandic politician that
has expressed any interest in this at all. And also, not a single member of the Danish parliament has expressed interest in such a deal. So, it's
definitely not going to happen.
And we hope that Trump understands that. It's OK to go to your neighbor and ask if he wants to sell some of his land, but if he says no, that's the end
of it.
ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: And do you think that's what it is, just negotiating tactic? How do you read then his comments?
JARLOV: I think that's what it is. And I think the majority of people here take it as that, Trump is trying to put a lot of pressure on us so that he
can get a good deal in Greenland. But the thing is, it's not necessary at all because everything that Greenland has that the U.S. could be interested
in, they can have it if they just ask nicely.
Because we already have a defense agreement with the United States. They have an air force base in Tulu, which is important for protecting the U.S.
against nukes from Russia. And previously, they have more military bases in Greenland, and we have no problem. If they want to have more of a military
presence in Greenland because they think that's important to protect themselves, no problem. They can have that. And if they want to get access
to the minerals, that's why you have trade. You know, in no country in the world has everything within its own borders, what you don't have that you
need from other countries, you can buy that.
And I also have to say that it's a bit exaggerated when I hear dreamers who have this unrealistic expectation that they can just take over another
country talking about how it's going to save the U.S. economy. It's not. I mean, Greenland has a lot of deposits, but it's not going to save the U.S.
economy.
The local authorities have estimated that there's values of about a half a trillion U.S. dollars, and that's the value of the minerals. But you have
to get them out of the ground first. And there's no roads, there's no harbors, there's no airports. So, it will be very costly. And half a
trillion U.S. dollars, the federal debt in the U.S. is about $36 trillion. So, it's not like Greenland would save the U.S. if they got it.
So, I mean, threatening like that and putting that much pressure on us is unnecessary and there's really no need for that.
SOARES: I appreciate you taking the time, sir, to speak to us. I have a feeling that you and I will be speaking more often as the, this kind of
bombastic rhetoric that we have heard from the president-elect becomes a slightly more common, or potentially more common as we're in the first
term. Thank you very much, sir. Appreciate your time.
JARLOV: You're welcome.
SOARES: And still to come tonight, multiple, as we're told, it's our leading story, top story this hour, major fires are burning across Los
Angeles. We are live from the scene with the latest on damage and when conditions may improve.
Plus, political tensions are rising in Venezuela ahead of Friday's inauguration. I speak with the opposition leader from hiding. That is a a
bit later this hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:35:00]
SOARES: Welcome back, everyone. We are following breaking news out of Southern California. There are four active fires burning in the Los Angeles
area and one in Riverside County. One of the worst fires in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles. And as I'm talking, you can see
these are live images coming to us there from KABC. You can see that plume of smoke.
And what we have seen are just entire blocks destroyed by flames and then thousands fleeing their homes in a panic overnight. And that shot, that is
live shot that you can see there, just gives you the sense of the stretch of course of those fires in Pasadena to the east.
The Eaton Fire has killed two people and burned thousands of acres. Strong winds are fueling the flames right across the region. And the situation,
unfortunately, is not expected to get better anytime soon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF ANTHONY MARRONE, LOS ANGELES COUNTY FIRE: The National Weather Service has predicted a continued red flag weather event with strong winds
and low humidities, placing all residents of Los Angeles County in danger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Let's get more from Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles. CNN's Stephanie Elam. Stephanie, just give us a sense. I see from the hair --
from your hair, from the wind, that it's still pretty ferocious. Is that right? Give us a sense of what you're seeing.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: : It's like something -- it's unparalleled to anything I've ever felt here in Los Angeles County. Isa,
it's remarkable to have this kind of wind. It's literally been blowing me around at times. And taking my breath away at times, too.
And what you can also see, when you look up here, this apartment structure seems to be continuing to burn. We've watched it overnight and watched
parts of it burn down as these winds just engulfed some of the flames and just inflamed it to make it even a larger blaze. This dark smoke shows you
that something is burning over there in those buildings, and we are just watching that smoke billow past us towards the Pacific Ocean.
Normally, you'd be getting a nice gentle breeze off of the Pacific coming at us, not coming at us from -- on the other side of the Pacific Coast
Highway. This is a beautiful part of California, no doubt, but it's also treacherous because it does have a lot of wilderness around it, but it also
has homes that are in this area.
So, normally, when we talk about a wildfire, it's somewhere there's more remote land around it. This fire is burning in the midst of a lot of homes.
It's a densely populated part of L.A. That is why it is so scary. That is why you're seeing people who are evacuating and running from their cars.
This is why they're blocking off some roads.
Even normally in California, we can go anywhere with a fire, but they actually said no media up Sunset Boulevard here because of the fire that's
happening here, and it seems to be behind this building here.
If you look up the Pacific Coast Highway, there is a fire truck up there because there's a little bit of a fire there. So, there is so much burning
here. And overnight, treacherous driving to get here that they're not even working on containment. They're still working on making sure that people
got out and then trying to save as much property as they can. But we already know more than 1,000 structures have been lost in just this fire.
Isa.
[14:40:00]
SOARES: Just so devastating to see that. And to see, of course, as well, the winds continuing to push you around. Like you mention the force of
that, if you're a firefighting working in these conditions. Stephanie Elam and team, appreciate it. Stay safe, Stephanie. Thanks very much.
Let's get more on this. Joining me now from Malibu is Doug Stewart. He's the mayor of the coastal community that's under evacuation orders due to
the Palisades Fire. Mayor, welcome to the show. I mean, what we've been seeing just in this last hour and last few days -- last few hours, I should
say, is truly scary and horrific for so many.
I understand the Palisades Fire has reached Malibu, I think it was Tuesday night. Give us a sense of the impact that this has had on communities near
you.
DOUG STEWART, MAYOR OF MALIBU, CALIFORNIA: Well, you're absolutely correct. It's been a difficult 24 hours. I think it was about this time
yesterday, the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles City started and it moved last night into Malibu on our eastern edge. Damage is terrible. That's all I can
say.
We've lost a number of homes along the beach area and in the mountain area above it. And it's actually too early for us to even get in there to do a
damage assessment, too risky. And we've had major damage. And thankfully, we don't know of any loss of life, but we have had injuries, and that's
unfortunate.
SOARES: I'm -- and I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Those people that are going through this. Absolutely terrifying. I know that the flames kind of leaped,
Mayor, from side to side of the Pacific Coast Highway. I mean, I understand burning homes, burning businesses.
We heard from President Biden in the last -- well, just in the last 10 minutes or so, he was attending a briefing in Santa Monica, and the
officials there were talking about the level of preparedness, the resources that have been prepositioned, but also saying that this was unprecedented,
that -- you know, that they've never seen anything like this in something like 25 years, is what one person said.
As the winds continue to pick up, how are you preparing for this, Mayor? Just give us a sense of the resources here.
STEWART: Well, actually the preparation began even before the winds picked up. We've had a lot of work, especially in Malibu, on defensive spaces
around buildings and houses. The fire department and first responders have been prepping for something like this for months, if not years. And we had
assets prepositioned, and it's just, you know, overwhelming what we ran into.
I've been here for over 45 years in Southern California, and I've never seen anything like this. Winds yesterday at my house in Malibu were
definitely in the 50-mile an hour range, and there's no way you can stop a fire with that. It was moving on its own. And it's just been a horrific 24
hours. And we still have fire burning.
SOARES: Yes, and it doesn't look like it's stopping anytime soon, unfortunately. And we know that Malibu is under evacuation orders. What is
your understanding, Mayor? Are people abiding by those orders, heading those schools?
STEWART: Well, I wish I could tell you everyone was. The injuries that we've had so far we think are attributable to people that stayed behind
thinking that they could either save their house or fight the fire or they didn't want to evacuate.
I don't know the degree of the injuries. We just know there's been many. It's unfortunate and we just urge people. This is something you can't
fight. You need to move out of the way and let the first responders get in there when they think they can get in. And if you stay behind, you're
risking the firefighters that have to come in and rescue you and 1st responders. It's just a terrible idea. So, people do need to evacuate when
we tell them to evacuate.
And roughly, about half the city is -- a third to half the city is in an evacuation mode. The western side is not, but the eastern side, and we're
21 miles along the PCH, the Pacific Ocean and we've got about half the city -- third evacuated.
SOARES: Mayor, thank you very much for taking the time from your busy schedule to speak to us. We are thinking of you and of course of everyone
there, including firefighters, first responders, who of course are putting themselves on the line. Thank you, Mayor. Appreciate it.
STEWART: You're welcome. Thank you very much.
SOARES: You're very welcome. And still to come tonight, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is calling for demonstrations
against the incumbent President Nicolas Maduro. We'll have that conversation just ahead, right here on CNN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:00]
SOARES: Welcome back everyone. Venezuela's opposition leader, Edmundo Gonzalez, met with Panama's president as the next government is set to
begin in Caracas this Friday. The exiled opposition leader also met with U.S. President Biden early this week, as you can see there, pledging to
return home to inaugurate his own government. But the incumbent leader, Nicolas Maduro may get in his way.
Despite the opposition releasing tens of thousands of voting tallies that prove Gonzalez won by landslide, Maduro has refused to accept defeat. Well,
come tomorrow, he is likely to face pressure from inside the country.
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is calling on Venezuelans to take to the streets in protest. She says Maduro will not give up power on his own
and that Venezuelans, quote, "must make him leave." And Maria Corina Machado joins me now and plans to come out of hiding take part in this
process -- in these protests, and we are not disclosing her location to protect her safety.
Maria Corina Machado. Welcome back to the show. Good to see you. Can I start, Maria, with what I'm hearing and what we've been seeing the last,
what, 24 hours? Arrests, it seems the presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez saying that his son in law was -- Rafael Tudares was detained
today. I'm also seeing reports that Enrique Marquez, the former president of Venezuela's electoral council, has also been arrested. What more can you
tell us about these arrests?
MARIA CORINA MACHADO, VENEZUELAN OPPOSITION LEADER: Hi, Isa. Thank you very much for this opportunity in critical, decisive hours, not only for
the future of democracy in Venezuela, I would say for democracy in the whole region. That's what's at stake right now in the next days.
Unfortunately, yes, we're seeing the regime escalating once again, their repression, tens of thousands of people we know, colleagues, member of our
teams have been -- have disappeared in the last hours. And this proves the desperation the regime is feeling right now. Maduro has lost everything. He
lost popular support, he lost legitimacy, because the whole world knows he lost by landslide that we gave him in our victory.
He has lost all support internationally because of the crimes he has committed and had been denounced by the Inter American Commission of Human
Rights, just yesterday published a report saying that Maduro are practicing terrorism of state.
And the only thing they have left is fear and repression. And the fact, Isa, that (INAUDIBLE) moves together, there's no fear that will stop us.
SOARES: And it's a crackdown that we have been seeing -- that we've seen intensify just after the elections. I've spoken to many members of family -
- family members of those who have been arrested just following from the election.
You are calling, Maria Corina Machado, for protest, people come out in the streets. From what I understand, you're also going to come out the hiding
and take to the streets. I mean, this is incredibly risky. You're putting yourself on the line. How worried are you that you will be arrested?
[14:50:00]
MACHADO: Oh, I would never miss this opportunity. This is an historic day. And this is a movement in which all of us have taken huge risks for
freedom, for families, for freedom, risks to our own lives. And the time has come.
And you know, it is a moment in which every single person has to make its own decision with its conscious how they want to serve their country and be
part of this movement. So, I will join the Venezuelan people, not only around our country, but I know that also around the world, because, you
know, that we have a third of a population that have been forced to flee and we want them back home. And that's a very strong force that is moving
us forward.
SOARES: What happens -- Maria Corina Machado, what happens if you're arrested? I know that Edmundo Gonzalez says he's also going to return for
the inauguration. I know risk is high -- always is high. I know how important this is to you. But what happens if you are arrested at this
moment?
MACHADO: Well, we're taking one day at a time, Isa. I am quite conscious of my responsibilities, but also, we know that this is a cost that
transcends every single one of us. So, we need to do this. I am going to be with our people tomorrow. I trust the Venezuelan people. And believe me,
Maduro has never been so weak as he is right now.
I mean, the cracks and divisions among the different groups that conform this criminal structure are growing as we speak.
SOARES: You and I have spoken on numerous occasions. I first met you in Caracas many years ago, and what we've seen over the years is that, you
know, calls from previous opposition leaders to call for defections within the Venezuelan military. We are seeing this yet again from the opposition
leader.
I mean, Edmundo Gonzalez calling on them to defect, to be their commander in chief. We've been here before. I mean, you think this time will be
different. What are you hearing from those around Maduro, around that power structure?
MACHADO: I believe this is a unique moment for many reasons. First of all, it's not the same regime. The regime is, as I say, weaker. It is evident
that there have been many defections. We wouldn't have been able to collect over 85 percent of the tally sheets that proved our victory if it wasn't
for the cooperation of the military that disobeyed the orders not to give them to us.
So, this is a very different regime. And also, and most importantly, our country, our society. I mean, if we had a minimum competitive conditions we
would have won by a 90-10 margin. So, this is huge what is happening. I mean, Venezuela coming together, understanding that this is a unique
opportunity and that we're not going to let it go.
SOARES: Maria Corina Machado, we shall all be watching. I would love to have been there, but unfortunately, the Venezuelan government is not
allowing any visas. So, we'll be grateful to keep abreast of the situation. Everyone inside the country will be thinking of you and all the
Venezuelans. Thank you very much. Maria Corina Machado there.
We are going to take a short break. We'll be back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:55:00]
SOARES: And if you're just joining us, let me just recap our breaking news story we've been following here on CNN for hours now. Officials have been
scrambling to stop deadly wildfires that are blazing a path of destruction in Southern California. Millions of people have been impacted, as well as
authorities are urging many residents to leave the area.
At least two people have been killed in the Eaton Fire, and the L.A. County Fire Department says that blaze is affecting tens of thousands of homes.
To the west, the L.A. sheriff says 15,000 structures are at risk of burning from the Palisades Fire. Cal Fire data shows that fire is already one of
the most destructive in California history. The County Fire Chief says they were prepared for one or two major bushfires, but not four. We of course
will stay across this story for you soon. At the top of the hour, we'll have the latest. from the ground.
That does it for us for tonight. Do stay right here. Newsroom with Jim Sciutto is up next. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye-bye.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:00]
END
