Venezuela Crisis: Army Loyalty Key as Maduro Detained in US, Expert Says

Sachdev, in conversation with ANI, noted that while US President Donald Trump has stated that the Washington would "run" Venezuela, the practicalities of such a move remain unclear.

"Certainly right now the environment in Venezuela is very fluid. Nobody knows what's going to happen tomorrow right. Trump says that America will run Venezuela. How will they run Venezuela that is the question to be seen," he said.

Sachdev said that the army hugely favours Maduro because of the free hand he gave them during his leadership. But whether they would be loyal to him during this time is a question.

"In the meantime, the army is there in Venezuela and the army has been in favor and hugely supportive of Maduro. The government, which is there is still there, Maduro has been taken out, but the Vice President is now the Interim President. So, from all intent and purposes, it seems that the political establishment of Maduro, the army which supports Maduro, are very much there. At the same time now, the opposition and opposition leaders will be and are pushing for resignation and removal of this government. So, the situation is very fluid," he said.

Sachdev stated that Maduro appointed military officials as heads of oil companies, thereby allowing them to profit substantially.

"Also depends the role that the army plays. The army of Venezuela has been very much in favour of Maduro because he gave them very good perks, opportunities to make money and corruption. All public sector companies in Venezuela including the PDVSA (Petroleos de Venezuela SA), the oil company of Venezuela, and their senior officials, were army generals. So army generals were appointed to positions in various companies and they could indulge in their own little side business with those companies be it in real estate, be it in construction, be it in mining, be it in petroleum. So the army has been hugely in favour of Maduro," he said.

Sachdev added that there had been several accusations of human rights violations.

"Also during his regime very often the army has been accused of human rights violations because they have suppressed their opponents. So the army generals are afraid that when a new let's say opposition comes to power that government will prosecute them and throw them in jail. So because of that fear as well as the fear of losing all their perks the army so far has been supportive of Maduro," he said.

Sachdev welcomed the Indian government's advisory asking Indians not to travel to Venezuela.

"But going forward it remains to be seen how the army will act in midst of all of this I think it's absolutely the right thing for the Indian Government to advise Indian nationals to not of course not to travel to Venezuela and those who are there, think best would be them to stay put in their homes for a few days. Let the situation calm down," he said.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are in New York City following a large-scale US operation in Venezuela. He is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn and is set to face drugs and weapons charges in Manhattan federal court, as per CNN.

- ANI