Screenshot taken from the X account of Rapid Response 47, the official rapid response account of the White House, shows Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro escorted by DEA agents inside their office. Photo: AFP
NEW YORK:
Venezuela’s ousted president Nicolas Maduro is being held in a New York detention center facing narco-terrorism charges after US special forces seized him in a dramatic overnight raid authorized by President Donald Trump.
The 63-year-old was flown to the United States after attacks on military sites in Caracas, with footage of him blindfolded and handcuffed shocking Venezuelans and sparking international concern over the legality and consequences of the intervention.
Trump said the US would temporarily control the oil-rich nation to ensure a “safe and judicious” transfer of power, and signaled that US oil companies could return to rehabilitate the country’s crumbling energy sector, without ruling out a military presence.
In a brief phone interview with The New York Times, Trump hailed the “brilliant” operation. “A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people,” the newspaper quoted the president as saying.
At home, Maduro’s allies condemned what they called a kidnapping and imperialist seizure of Venezuela’s vast oil wealth, while interim leader Delcy Rodriguez insisted he remained the only legitimate president and vowed the country would not become a colony again.
The streets of major cities were quiet due to fear and uncertainty, while some Venezuelans abroad rejoiced at the fall of Maduro’s rule after years of economic collapse, mass migration and violent crackdowns on dissent that drove millions from the country.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela’s Supreme Court ordered that Vice President RodrÃguez assume the role of acting president of the country in the absence of Maduro, “to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the nation.”
The decision added that the Court will debate “the case in order to “determine the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the State, the administration of the Government and the defense of sovereignty in the face of the forced absence of the President of the Republic.”
Earlier, Rodriguez appeared on state television and spoke in Caracas. With his brother Jorge Rodriguez and foreign and defense ministers, he called for calm and unity to defend the country amid Maduro’s kidnapping.” “Nicolas Maduro is the only president of Venezuela,” he said.
Maduro is expected to appear in a Manhattan court as the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meets to discuss the US operation, which has drawn criticism from Russia and China and prompted calls for respect for international law and diplomatic solutions.
Diplomats said Colombia, backed by Russia and China, had requested the emergency meeting of the 15-member UNSC. “The presidency intends to hold the emergency meeting on Monday morning at 10 a.m.,” said Somalia, which holds the rotating presidency of the UNSC.
The meeting is held under the title: ‘Threats to international peace and security’. It comes after Venezuela’s UN ambassador, Samuel Moncada, wrote to the UN Security Council on Saturday, calling the action “a colonial war aimed at destroying our republican form of government.”
Trump’s move has also ignited fierce debate in Washington, with Democrats demanding clarity on legal authority and long-term strategy and some Republicans questioning how it fits with an ‘America First’ agenda.
Despite the tense atmosphere, daily life continued at a cautious pace in parts of Venezuela, even as residents stocked up on food and weighed the risk of instability in a country already scarred by economic crisis and political turmoil.
