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.
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The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the U.S. operation in Venezuela.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 29th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has warned that the Russia-Ukraine war is now threatening trade in the Black Sea.
Teenagers as young as 14 and 15 years old were among those who died in the bar fire on New Year's Eve that killed 40 people in Switzerland, police said on Sunday.
North Korea fired a ballistic missile into the East Sea, according to South Korea and Japan, as regional diplomacy and security concerns remain in focus.
The United States launched an overnight military operation in Venezuela and captured its long-serving President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday, U.S. President Donald Trump said, pledging to place the country under temporary American control and signalling that U.S. forces could be deployed if necessary.
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the U.S. operation in Venezuela.
Swiss police have confirmed that all 40 victims of the New Year’s Eve fire at a bar in the mountain resort of Crans-Montana have now been identified, with more than half of those killed being teenagers.
Myanmar’s military junta has granted amnesty to more than 6,000 prisoners nationwide as the country marked its 78th Independence Day, local media reported on Sunday.
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to abandon threats to take over Greenland, following comments he made in an interview with The Atlantic.
Spain and five Latin American countries – Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Uruguay – have jointly condemned the U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Residents in Catia La Mar, near Caracas, say homes were damaged or destroyed during a U.S. military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, with authorities reporting an unspecified number of deaths.
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