Trump Claims Venezuela President 'Maduro' Captured
President Donald Trump says the United States has ‘captured’ Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and flown them out of the country after “large-scale” strikes.
Earlier, Venezuela’s government accused the US of attacking civilian and military installations in multiple states, as it rejected “military aggression” by Washington.
The government of President Maduro had declared a national emergency following the series of attacks.
The attacks came after months of tension with the US, which has accused Venezuelan President Maduro of being involved in drug trafficking. Maduro has denied the accusations.
On Thursday, Maduro indicated he was open to negotiating a deal with the US to combat drug trafficking.
The US has carried out more than 20 air strikes in the sea near Venezuela since September, as it slapped sanctions and upped military pressure on Caracas.
- US senator says Rubio told him Maduro arrested to stand trial in US
Republican US Senator Mike Lee said on Saturday that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told him that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was arrested by US forces to stand trial on criminal charges in the United States.
“He (Rubio) anticipates no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in U.S. custody,” Lee wrote on X following a call with Washington’s top diplomat.
- Colombia deploys security forces along Venezuela border
Colombian President Gustavo Petro says public security forces are being deployed along the country’s border with Venezuela following the latest developments there.
In a post on X, Petro said the decision was taken after an emergency National Security Council meeting that began at 3am local time (08:00 GMT).
He added that Colombia was also mobilising all available humanitarian and assistance capacities in case of a mass influx of refugees.
Petro said Colombia’s embassy in Venezuela remains operational and is assisting Colombian nationals in the country.
He added that Colombia, as a member of the United Nations Security Council, was already contacting partners to support convening the council.
“The Government of Colombia rejects the aggression against Venezuela’s sovereignty and against Latin America,” Petro wrote.
US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has said Maduro will “finally face justice for his crimes” after Trump claimed the Venezuelan president was taken out of Venezuela.
As we’ve been reporting, Trump earlier announced that Maduro and his wife had been “captured and flown out of the country”, raising questions about national sovereignty and international laws.
Venezuela is rich in natural resources, but has been going through an economic crisis since the early 2000s.
This has been attributed to a lack of economic diversification beyond oil, alleged mismanagement since the leadership of Hugo Chavez, and, more recently, US and Western sanctions against the Maduro government.
The country has struggled with hyperinflation, high rates of crime and unemployment.
An increase in oil demand amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has improved the situation somewhat, but recent years have seen the country report record-high levels of poverty and hunger. That has, in turn, led to a migration crisis.
- Russia condemns US ‘armed aggression’ against Venezuela
Russia’s Foreign Ministry has condemned what it described as a US act of “armed aggression” against Venezuela, calling for restraint and warning against further escalation.
“The pretexts cited to justify these actions are untenable. Ideologically driven hostility has prevailed over practical pragmatism and a willingness to build relations based on trust and predictability,” the statement said.
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