A dramatic overnight raid in Caracas has ended with the apprehension of Nicolás Maduro by American special forces. As he awaits trial in New York, the White House is already outlining plans for a new era of governance and resource management in Venezuela.
The image of the 63-year-old Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed en route to the U.S. has stunned Venezuelans and was Washington's most controversial intervention in Latin America since the invasion of Panama 37 years ago.
He is due to appear in a Manhattan court on Monday.
U.S. TO RUN VENEZUELA UNTIL TRANSITION, TRUMP SAYS
Trump said the U.S. would for now manage the South American nation of about 30 million people plus its oil reserves, the largest in the world. But he gave few details of how.
"We will run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," he told a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort, hailing the extraordinary extraction of Maduro just as he was at the door of a safe room.
Maduro allies remain in charge in Caracas and have denounced his "kidnapping."
"There is only one president in Venezuela, and his name is Nicolas Maduro," Delcy Rodriguez, who took over Venezuela's interim presidency, said in a defiant message to the U.S. despite Trump's assertions she was open to working with them.
U.S. Special Forces swooped in on helicopters to seize Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores under darkness in the early hours of Saturday after strikes on military installations in Caracas and elsewhere.
While many Western allies oppose Maduro and say he stole Venezuela's 2024 election, there were numerous calls for the U.S. to respect international law and resolve the crisis diplomatically.
Trump said as part of the takeover, major U.S. oil companies would move back into Venezuela and refurbish badly degraded oil infrastructure, a process experts said could take years.
"We're not afraid of boots on the ground," he added.
A plane carrying Maduro landed near New York City on Saturday night, and he was helicoptered to the city before being taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
Images released by U.S. authorities showed him being led down a hallway at the offices of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, where he was heard wishing a "happy New Year.
TRUMP'S VENEZUELA PLAN MAY ALIENATE SUPPORTERS
It is unclear how Trump plans to oversee Venezuela where a court ordered Rodriguez, Maduro's vice president, to assume the interim presidency.
In Venezuela, there was a rush for groceries and fuel as people wondered what would come next.
Maduro opponents were fearful of celebrating while some of his supporters held small rallies. Soldiers patrolled some parts.
The UN Security Council planned to meet on Monday to discuss the U.S. move, which Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described as "a dangerous precedent."
Russia and China, both major backers of Venezuela, criticised the U.S.
"China firmly opposes such hegemonic behavior by the U.S., which seriously violates international law, violates Venezuela's sovereignty and threatens peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean," China's foreign ministry said.
Iran’s army said it targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait with drone attacks. Tehran said the operations were carried out in retal...
Georgia has secured two major financial commitments this week, with one aimed at easing road congestion around the capital and the other at strengthen...
A Turkish-owned cargo ship was struck by a drone in the Black Sea after leaving a Ukrainian port, in the latest incident to raise concerns over the sa...
Ukraine targeted a warehouse belonging to Russia’s largest retailer, Wildberries, and an oil refinery overnight, while Moscow said its forces struck a ship carrying military cargo in the Black Sea.
The U.S. military said it completed its latest wave of strikes on Iran, a two-hour operation that hit dozens of targets. Washington described the strikes as a "powerful response" to Iranian missile attacks targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East a day earlier.
Iran’s army said it targeted U.S. military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait with drone attacks. Tehran said the operations were carried out in retaliation for recent U.S. strikes.
Thousands of migrants have crossed into the Spanish exclave of Ceuta from Morocco, overwhelming border security and prompting local authorities to call for a national emergency and military deployment.
AnewZ travelled across northeastern Syria, where the scars of more than a decade of war remain visible but many believe the country has entered a new chapter.
Thousands of people spent the night on beaches, waiting by fences or wading through the sea in the hope of reaching Europe, as an estimated 49,000 migrants crossed into Spain's enclave of Ceuta in just 24 hours.
Carlos Cordeiro, senior adviser to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, has resigned with immediate effect in protest over proposals to sell a stake in the FIFA World Cup, calling the plan "a bad deal for football."
Ukraine targeted a warehouse belonging to Russia’s largest retailer, Wildberries, and an oil refinery overnight, while Moscow said its forces struck a ship carrying military cargo in the Black Sea.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 31st of July, covering the latest developments.
At least 18 coal miners have been killed and 14 others remain trapped after a powerful methane gas explosion caused part of a mining complex to collapse in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, officials said on Thursday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment