In a daring and unprecedented move, the United States has finally brought the Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro to justice. During a series of military helicopter attacks on Caracas and its surroundings, they arrested his wife, Cilia Flores. This operation is a significant strike against the U.S. efforts to combat Maduro’s alleged drug trafficking. As we know, he is now under indictment in New York.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi today announced that both Maduro and Flores will be indicted criminally. These charges primarily target drug interdiction and trafficking back in the United States. U.S. military operation occurred as relations between the two countries sharply deteriorated. At the same time, Maduro’s regime alleged that the U.S. was hitting civilian and military infrastructure across Venezuela.
When the news of the attack got out, Venezuela’s government called on its citizens to take up arms. In keeping with Stalinist playbooks, they dubbed the incident “imperialist aggression.” The official statement declared, “The entire country must mobilise to defeat this imperialist aggression.”
This attack impacted not only on Caracas but other states like Miranda, La Guaira and Aragua. In the immediate wake of the transnational attack, Venezuela’s Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez proved fast on her feet. She insisted that the U.S. issue regular “proof of life” for Maduro and Flores.
Responses from the international community have been highly polarized. This infuriated Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who went so far as to say that the U.S. had “crossed an unacceptable line.” Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro gave an impassioned speech asking for an extraordinary session of the United Nations Security Council to be convened immediately. Further, he wants the Council to talk about what he called an aggression against Venezuela.
Russia has reacted strongly, demanding “immediate” clarification regarding the circumstances of Maduro’s capture during an operation ordered by former President Donald Trump. The Kremlin issued indignant statements warning what such actions would mean to the precepts of international law and sovereignty.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer distanced his government from the operation, stating, “The UK was not involved in any way in this operation,” and emphasized the need for all nations to “uphold international law.”
Trump took credit for the capture via his Truth Social platform. He claimed credit for the U.S. having removed Maduro and his wife from Venezuela.