Screenshot taken from Rapid Response 47 account Photo: AFP
NEW YORK:
Venezuela’s ousted president, Nicolás Maduro, is being held in a New York detention center facing narcoterrorism charges after U.S. special forces detained him in a dramatic overnight raid authorized by President Donald Trump.
The 63-year-old was flown to the United States following attacks on military sites in Caracas, with images of him blindfolded and handcuffed shocking Venezuelans and sparking international concern about the legality and consequences of the intervention.
Trump said the United States would temporarily control the oil-rich nation to ensure a “safe and judicious” transfer of power, and signaled that American 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 praised the “brilliant” operation. “A lot of good planning and a lot of great troops and great people,” the newspaper quoted the president as saying.
At home, Maduro’s allies denounced what they called a kidnapping and imperialist takeover of Venezuela’s vast oil wealth, while interim leader Delcy Rodríguez insisted he remained the only legitimate president and vowed that the country would not become a colony again.
The streets of major cities were dark amid fear and uncertainty, while some Venezuelans abroad celebrated the fall of Maduro’s government after years of economic collapse, mass migration and a violent crackdown on dissent that drove millions of people from the country.
Meanwhile, the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Venezuela ordered that Vice President Rodríguez assume the role of interim president of the country in the absence of Maduro, “in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defense of the Nation.”
The ruling added that the court will debate “the matter in order to “determine the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the State, the administration of government and the defense of sovereignty in the face of the forced absence of the President of the Republic.”
Previously, Rodríguez appeared on state television speaking in Caracas. Appearing alongside his brother Jorge Rodríguez, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense, he called for calm and unity to defend the country in the midst of Maduro’s kidnapping. “Nicolás Maduro is the only president of Venezuela,” he stated.
Maduro is expected to appear in a Manhattan court, while the UN Security Council (UNSC) will meet to discuss the US operation, which has drawn criticism from Russia and China and prompted calls to respect international law and diplomatic solutions.
Diplomats said Colombia, backed by Russia and China, had requested the emergency session of the 15-member Security Council. “The presidency intends to hold the emergency meeting on Monday morning at 10 a.m.,” said Somalia, which holds the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council.
The meeting will be held under the title: ‘Threats to international peace and security’. It comes after Venezuela’s ambassador to the UN, 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 sparked intense debate in Washington, with Democrats demanding clarity on legal authority and long-term strategy, and some Republicans questioning how it fits into an “America First” agenda.
Despite the tense atmosphere, daily life in some parts of Venezuela continued at a cautious pace, even as residents stocked up on food and weighed the risks of instability in a country already marked by economic crisis and political turmoil.
