HOURS after an audacious military operation that plucked leader Nicolás Maduro from power and removed him from the country, President Donald Trump said that the United States would run Venezuela at least temporarily and tap its vast oil reserves to sell to other nations. The dramatic action capped an intensive Trump administration pressure campaign on the South American nation and its autocratic leader and months of secret planning resulting in the most assertive American action to achieve regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Legal experts immediately raised questions about whether the operation was lawful. Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez demanded in a speech that the US free Maduro and called him the country’s rightful leader, before Venezuela’s high court ordered her to assume the role of interim President. Speaking to reporters hours after Maduro’s capture, Trump revealed his plans to exploit the leadership void to “fix” the country’s oil infrastructure and sell “large amounts” of oil to other countries. Maduro has been locked in a notorious federal jail in New York after his capture by the US forces at a military base in his country, from where he had been taunting President Donald Trump.

 

As he was escorted into the local office of the DEA on Saturday night before being jailed, he said sarcastically, looking at the camera, “Good night. Happy New Year”. Once the unquestioned ruler of the oil-rich South American nation, in the video released by the White House, he was in a brown uniform, manacled and clutching a water bottle while two DEA officers held him on either side by his elbows. Next, they were taken to the Metropolitan Detention Centre (MDC) in Brooklyn to await production in the New York federal court, which is expected. Maduro and his wife, seized overnight from their home on a military base, were first taken aboard a US warship on their way to face prosecution for a Justice Department indictment accusing them of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.

 

A plane carrying the deposed leader landed around 4:30 pm Saturday at an airport in New York City’s northern suburbs. Maduro being held at notorious Brooklyn jail: THE Brooklyn jail holding Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is a facility so troubled, some judges have refused to send people there even as it has housed such famous inmates as music stars R. Kelly and Sean “Diddy” Combs. Opened in the early 1990s, the Metropolitan Detention Centre, or MDC Brooklyn, currently houses about 1,300 inmates. Maduro was escorted off the jet, gingerly making his way down a stairway before being led across the tarmac surrounded by federal agents. Several agents filmed him on their phones as he walked. He was then flown by helicopter to Manhattan, where a convoy of law enforcement vehicles, including an armoured car, was waiting to whisk him to a nearby US Drug Enforcement Administration office. A video posted on social media by a White House account showed Maduro, smiling, as he was escorted through that office by two DEA agents grasping his arms.

 

He was expected to be detained while awaiting trial at a federal jail in Brooklyn. The legal authority for the incursion, done without congressional approval, was not immediately clear, but the Trump administration promoted the ouster as a step toward reducing the flow of dangerous drugs into the US. The President touted what he saw as other potential benefits, including a leadership stake in the country and greater control of oil. Trump claimed the US Government would help run the country and was already doing so, though there were no immediate signs of that. Venezuelan state TV continued to air pro-Maduro propaganda, broadcasting live images of supporters taking to the streets in Caracas in protest. Under Venezuelan law, Rodríguez would take over from Maduro. Rodriguez, however, stressed during a Saturday appearance on state television that she did not plan to assume power, before Venezuela’s high court ordered that she assume the interim role.

 

“There is only one President in Venezuela, and his name is Nicolás Maduro Moros,” Rodriguez said. Venezuela’s ruling party has held power since 1999, when Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez, took office, promising to uplift poor people and later to implement a self-described socialist revolution. Maduro took over when Chávez died in 2013. His 2018 reelection was widely considered a sham because the main opposition parties were banned from participating. During the 2024 election, electoral authorities loyal to the ruling party declared him the winner hours after polls closed, but the opposition gathered overwhelming evidence that he lost by a more than 2-to-1 margin. In a demonstration of how polarising a figure Maduro is, people variously took to the streets to protest his capture and celebrate it. At a protest in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez joined a crowd demanding Maduro’s return. “Maduro, hold on, the people are rising up!” the crowd chanted. “We are here, Nicolás Maduro. If you can hear us, we are here!” Earlier, armed people and uniformed members of a civilian militia took to the streets of a Caracas neighbourhood long considered a stronghold of the ruling party. In other parts of the city, the streets remained empty hours after the attack. Some areas remained without power, but vehicles moved freely. 

 

 

INDIA on Sunday voiced “deep concern” over the US’ capture of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in a military operation and called for a peaceful resolution of the issues to ensure stability in the region. In its first reaction to the unprecedented American action in Venezuelan capital Caracas early on Saturday, New Delhi also reaffirmed its support for the well-being of the people of the oil-rich South American country and said it is closely monitoring the unfolding developments. The United States brought Maduro and his wife, Lady Cilia Flores, to New York to face drug trafficking-related charges. Venezuela, denouncing the US action, has announced a state of national emergency. “Recent developments in Venezuela are a matter of deep concern.

 

We are closely monitoring the evolving situation,” the MEA said. “India reaffirms its support to the well-being and safety of the people of Venezuela,” it added. New Delhi also called upon “all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region”. The US carried out the military assault on Caracas after consistently accusing Maduro of being involved in drug trafficking. The Venezuelan leader had stridently denied the charges. Most of the Latin American countries as well as several leading powers, including Russia, Brazil and China, criticised the US for the military operation in Caracas. In its brief statement, the MEA said the Indian embassy in Caracas has been in touch with members of the Indian community and will continue to provide all possible assistance to them. On Saturday night, India advised its nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela and urged all those who are in that country to exercise extreme caution.

 

“In view of recent developments in Venezuela, Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela,” the MEA said. “All Indians who are in Venezuela for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements, and remain in contact with the Embassy of India in Caracas,” it said. There are around 50 NRIs (non-resident Indians) and 30 PIOs (persons of Indian origin) in Venezuela, according to the embassy in Caracas. After Maduro and his wife were flown out of Caracas, US President Donald Trump told a news conference that his country will run Venezuela until a transition of power can take place. “We are going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” Trump said. The US President also said the “extremely successful” operation should serve as a warning to anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American lives. The US captured Maduro after carrying out a months-long military campaign targeting Venezuela’s oil tankers and attacks on boats that Washington alleged were part of a drug cartel. In his reaction, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the US attacks on Venezuela and the capture of Maduro amounted to a “flagrant violation of international law”. “Attacking countries, in flagrant violation of international law, is the first step toward a world of violence, chaos, and instability, where the law of the strongest prevails over multilateralism,” he said. China asked the US to release Maduro and his wife, and underlined the need to resolve issues through dialogue. “Such hegemonic acts of the US seriously violate international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. Russia “strongly” urged the US to release the Venezuelan President. Venezuela’s Supreme Court has asked Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez to take charge of the country as the Interim President. Rodriguez visited New Delhi in February last year to participate in the India Energy Week.

 

 

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has voiced his concern over the escalation between the US and Venezuela culminating in the capture of the country’s President Nicolás Maduro, saying the developments constitute a “dangerous precedent”. The Secretary General is “deeply alarmed by the recent escalation in Venezuela, culminating with today’s United States military action in the country, which has potential worrying implications for the region”, a statement issued by his spokesperson said on Saturday. Guterres said that independently of the situation in Venezuela, “these developments constitute a dangerous precedent” and said he is “deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected”. Maduro and his wife have been indicted by federal authorities in New York on charges of narco-terrorism and conspiracy to possess destructive devices against the US. Guterres continued to emphasise the importance of full respect — by all — of international law, including the UN Charter. “The Secretary-General calls on all actors in Venezuela to engage in inclusive dialogue, in full respect of human rights and the rule of law,” the statement added. UN human rights chief Volker Türk also expressed alarm by US intervention in Venezuela. “We urge everyone to exercise restraint and fully respect the UN Charter and international human rights law. The protection of people in Venezuela is paramount and must guide any further action,” Turk said on X.