Whereabouts of President Maduro, his wife, unknown: Venezuela VP
Caracas, Jan 3
Venezuela Vice President Delcy Rodríguez on Saturday said that the whereabouts of country's President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are unknown following the US attacks in Caracas, Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira in the early hours of the morning, local time.
Leading Venezuelan daily El Nacional reported that Rodríguez, in a telephone interview with Venezolana de Television, demanded proof of life for Maduro and Flores from the US government.
"Delcy Rodríguez called on the population to become active in a civic-military fusion to defend the country," the newspaper reported.
Quoting sources consulted by Fox News, El Nacional reported that the nighttime US military operation involved a large deployment of Chinook helicopters and other special forces assets.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump claimed that the Venezuelan President and his wife have been "captured" and "flown out" of the country.
Taking to his social media platform 'Truth Social', Trump said, "The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country."
He mentioned that this operation was done in conjunction with US Law Enforcement, and further details will follow during a news conference at 11 a.m. (local time) at Mar-a-Lago.
Several large explosions were heard early Saturday in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
The American media reported that Maduro was captured by a unit of the special and elite forces of the US Army's Delta Force.
"Administration sources indicated that Trump gave the green light to the military attacks a few days ago, after several months of increased US military presence off the Venezuelan coast and calls from the White House for Maduro to step down," reported El Nacional.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Trump announcing this on his own social media platform first says everything. It feels more like a political stunt than a state action. The Venezuelan people are the ones who will suffer the most in this chaos. Our media should focus on the humanitarian impact.
While Maduro's government had its issues, this is not the way. The US acts as the world police too often. India must clearly state its position supporting peaceful resolution and non-interference. Our foreign policy has always stood for that principle.
The VP is asking for proof of life – that is chilling. Whatever one's views on the leader, every person has basic rights. The international community needs to demand transparency and ensure the rules of war are followed. This is a very dark turn.
Oil. That's the only reason Venezuela is in the news. The US has been trying to control their resources for years. Now they've moved to direct action. It's a reminder for us in India to be self-reliant in energy. Jai Hind! 🇮🇳
Respectfully, I think some comments are missing the point. A foreign power has allegedly captured a sitting head of state. The legality of this is highly questionable. India's statement should be firm on respecting international law, not just cautious diplomacy.
N We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.