The deposed Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, was on Monday (today) escorted into a New York courthouse under heavy security to face narcotrafficking charges.
The development, which has deepened global tension and uncertainty over the future of the oil-rich South American nation, comes barely days after Maduro’s dramatic capture in Caracas.
Naijaonpoint reports that Maduro, 63, alongside his wife, Cilia Flores, was seized on Saturday during a surprise United States military operation that involved helicopters, fighter jets and naval forces swooping into the Venezuelan capital.
On Monday morning, Maduro was transported to the courthouse by helicopter and armoured vehicle, surrounded by heavily armed US law enforcement officers.
He is facing long-standing narcotics trafficking charges, accusations Washington has repeatedly levelled against his administration over the years.
The dramatic arrest marked the culmination of months of escalating pressure from the United States, which has accused Maduro of running a narco-state and undermining democracy.
As events unfolded rapidly, Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodriguez, appeared to soften her initial defiant stance late Sunday by extending an olive branch to Washington.
“We extend an invitation to the US government to work together on an agenda for cooperation,” Rodriguez said.
The Venezuelan military, long loyal to Maduro, announced it recognised Rodriguez’s interim leadership and urged citizens to remain calm amid rising tension.
Pro-Maduro Protests Rock Caracas
Naijaonpoint reports that despite the change in leadership, hundreds of Maduro loyalists poured onto the streets of Caracas on Sunday.
About 2,000 supporters, including rifle-wielding men riding motorcycles, staged protests, chanting slogans and waving Venezuelan flags in a show of defiance.
However, no official death toll has been released following the US operation.
Venezuela’s Defence Minister, Vladimir Padrino Lopez, alleged that a “large part” of Maduro’s security detail, as well as military personnel and civilians, were killed “in cold blood.”
US President Donald Trump fuelled controversy late Sunday by declaring that Washington was now effectively in control of Venezuela.
“The United States is in charge,” Trump said.
Asked what he expected from interim leader Rodriguez, Trump replied, “We need total access. We need access to the oil and other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country.”
Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves, and analysts warn that a flood of Venezuelan crude could worsen global oversupply and put further pressure on prices.
However, experts caution that reviving Venezuela’s oil sector would be costly, slow and technically challenging after years of sanctions and infrastructure decay.
While there are no confirmed US ground forces left inside Venezuela, a significant American naval presence, including an aircraft carrier, remains stationed off the country’s coast.
The Trump administration said it retains economic leverage by blockading Venezuelan oil shipments and has not ruled out further military action.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said discussions about holding elections in Venezuela were “premature.”
Opposition Says US Action ‘Not Enough’
Meanwhile, leading opposition figure Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia said the US intervention, though significant, fell short of addressing Venezuela’s political crisis.
“Without the release of political prisoners and recognition that I won the 2024 election, this is simply not enough,” he said.
Cuba, China, Iran Condemn Operation
Details of the US assault were still emerging, with Cuba claiming that 32 of its nationals were killed during the attack.
Trump added that Cuba itself appeared vulnerable following Maduro’s capture.
“I don’t think we need any action. It looks like it’s going down,” he said.
China strongly condemned the operation, calling for Maduro’s “immediate release” and describing the US action as “a clear violation of international law.”
Iran also demanded Maduro’s release, insisting its relationship with Venezuela remained unchanged.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro described the US move as “an assault on the sovereignty of Latin America,” warning it could trigger a humanitarian crisis.
Petro also rejected Trump’s threats of military action against Colombia, after the US president accused him of drug trafficking.
The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Monday at Venezuela’s request.
Maduro, handpicked by late leader Hugo Chavez before his death in 2013, ruled Venezuela alongside a tight inner circle that included his wife, Delcy Rodriguez, her brother Jorge Rodriguez, and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.
“It’s like a club of five,” a diplomatic source in Caracas told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.