&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US strikes Venezuela LIVE updates: Nicolás Maduro and wife to appear in court on Monday")
In a quick and precise military operation, the US, on Saturday (Jan 3), captured Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro, in what it described as its war against drug cartels and drug lords. US forces bombed Venezuela, captured Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their bedroom and have brought them to New York. The first explosions were heard in the capital Caracas and surrounding areas shortly before 2:00 am (0600 GMT), continuing until around 3:15 am. The action was termed as "Operation Absolute Resolve." Though real figures for the casaulties in the airstrike by the US is not known, Trump, speaking on Fox News program "Fox and Friends," boasted that no US soldiers had been killed. He later told the New York Post that "many Cubans" who were protecting Maduro had died, the first indication of casualties from the US strikes.
Addressing the media after the operation, Trump said that Washington will rule Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.” Trump also said that “very large United States oil companies” would move into Venezuela to “fix the badly broken… oil infrastructure and start making money for the country”. He added that his administration’s actions “will make the people of Venezuela rich, independent and safe.” The international community condemned Trump's actions, with China calling out America's “hegemonic behavior” and Russia terming the operation "act of armed aggression".
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are due to appear in federal Manhattan court on Monday, according to a court spokesperson.
The hearing is set for 12:00 local time (17:00 GMT), the spokesperson said.
Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said in an address on Venezuelan television that the army has given its backing to Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to act as interim president of Venezuela. He also urged Venezuelans to ‘restart their normal activities.’
"What happens to Venezuela today could happen to any state or government," says Padrino.
He also said that a large part of Maduro’s security team and ‘innocent civilians’ were killed in the US operation on Saturday.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that within the Western Hemisphere, Venezuela is a country that “under the control of this regime, has cozied up to Iran, has cozied up to Hezbollah, has allowed narco-trafficking gangs to operate with impunity from their own territory, allows boats with drugs to traffic from their territory.”
“That is what we’re addressing now. We’re not just addressing the regime, we are addressing the factors that are a threat to the national interest of the United States,” he added.
He said, “Our objectives when it comes to how Venezuela impacts the national interest of the United States have not changed, and we want those addressed.”
Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a post on X on Sunday that Nicolas Maduro will be brought to justice. “The Maduro regime emptied its prisons and flooded our country with criminals, including members of Tren de Aragua, trafficked narcotics into the United States, and is responsible for countless American lives lost. This is the America first agenda in action,” Noem said in the post while sharing a clip of a Fox News interview..
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the “Cuban government is a huge problem” in reply to a question whether the Trump administration’s next target is the government in Cuba.
Asked to clarify if his comment meant yes, Rubio said, “I think they’re in a lot of trouble.”
“Yes,” he added during an interview with NBC News’ ‘Meet the Press’
“I’m not going to talk to you about what our future steps are going to be and our policies are going to be right now in this regard. But I don’t think it’s any mystery that we are not big fans of the Cuban regime.”
The United States is ready to work with Venezuela's remaining leaders if they make "the right decision," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday after the US military conducted an operation and captured the oil-rich country's president, Nicolas Maduro. "We're going to judge everything by what they do, and we're going to see what they do," Rubio told CBS News. "I do know this: that if they don't make the right decision, that the United States will retain multiple levers of leverage."
Pope Leo XIV said on Sunday that Venezuelans' welfare should prevail following the toppling of President Nicolas Maduro in a US operation and called for "guaranteeing the sovereignty of the country."
"The welfare of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over all other considerations and lead to overcoming violence and embarking on paths of justice and peace, guaranteeing the sovereignty of the country..." said Pope Leo XIV after his Angelus prayer in St. Peter's Square.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday that Israel supported the United States' "strong action" in Venezuela, one day after American forces captured its leader Nicolas Maduro in a military operation.
"Regarding Venezuela, I wish to express the support of the entire government for the resolute decision and strong action of the United States to restore freedom and justice to that region of the world," Netanyahu said at the opening of a cabinet meeting.
North Korea has also condemned the US’s capture of Maduro and termed it a “serious encroachment of sovereignty.”
The foreign ministry of Pyongyang issued a statement saying it “strongly denounces the US hegemony-seeking act committed in Venezuela”, reported KCNA.
“The incident is another example that clearly confirms once again the rogue and brutal nature of the US,” the foreign ministry added.
India's Left parties condemned the United States’ “aggression and the kidnapping” of Venezuelan Dictator Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and called for nationwide protests in solidarity with the people of Latin America.
The five Left parties, namely, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)], Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation, All India Forward Bloc (AIFB), and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), issued a joint statement terming the US operation as a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter.
“The US President, Donald Trump, in his address, stated that they would capture the oil reserves of Venezuela, laying bare the real intentions behind this aggression. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, went a step further and warned that Cuba and Mexico would be their next target. These statements, coming days after the release of the US National Security Strategy 2025, make it clear that US imperialism seeks to impose its hegemony over the entire world, even if it means carrying out military attacks," they said.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, on Sunday blamed Israel for helping the US operation that led to the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, and described the development as a “Zionist attack” against the country.
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that he would allow American oil firms to tap Venezuela's massive crude reserves after a US military operation seized its leader, Nicolas Maduro, according to AFP.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was in a New York jail on Saturday after American special forces seized and flew him out of his country, according to AFP.
China’s foreign ministry demanded that the United States immediately release Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and also urged Washington to resolve the situation through dialogue and negotiation. The US must also ensure the safety and security of Maduro and his wife, adding that their removal from the country violated international law and established norms, the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.
Caribbean air travel was thrown into disarray over the weekend after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, triggering widespread airspace curbs across the region. Flight-tracking data from FlightRadar24 showed that no commercial flights were operating over Venezuelan airspace on Saturday.
Eyewitness video released on Saturday (January 3) of the US strike showed damage to an airport in the Venezuelan city of Higuerote.
At least 40 people were killed in the U.S. attack on Venezuela early Saturday, including military personnel and civilians, according to a senior Venezuelan official, reported New York Times.
Venezuela's Supreme Court late Saturday ordered Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to become the country's interim leader.
