Above photo: Reuters.
Caracas has demanded ‘proof of life’ of the abducted president following overnight strikes on its capital.
The US military abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores overnight on 3 January, following heavy airstrikes that struck the heart of Caracas and multiple other areas across the country.
The illegal aggression marked a sharp escalation in Washington’s pressure campaign against the Venezuelan government, reportedly targeting key military sites in Caracas, including the Forte Tona complex, La Carlota barracks, Aigeroti airport, and Cuartel de la Montaña, where former president Hugo Chavez’s remains lie.
Explosions continued into the early morning, triggering power and internet outages in multiple districts, including areas near a military base south of the capital. At the same time, further attacks were reported at the port of La Guaira in Vargas state and near other military installations nationwide, according to Reuters.
Following the airstrikes, US President Donald Trump alleged that US forces had “captured” Maduro and his wife, also telling reporters that Maduro had “offered everything” to the US, from natural resources to mediation, according to reporters.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi claimed in a post on X that the Venezuelan leader and his wife had been charged in the Southern District of New York with “narco-terrorism conspiracy” and “cocaine importation,” among several other charges.
Vice President Delcy Rodriguez confirmed Maduro and Flores’ abduction and demanded that Washington provide “proof of life” for the pair.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned the midnight operation, saying the US had carried out “an act of armed aggression” against a state that posed “no threat,” called the pretexts “unfounded,” urged an emergency UN Security Council meeting, and stressed that Latin America must remain “a zone of peace.”
Iran denounced the assault as a blatant violation of international law, with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei saying nations facing coercion must “stand firmly against the enemy.”
The strikes followed earlier threats by Donald Trump, who initially said Washington was targeting the so-called “Cartel de Los Soles.” Nevertheless, a few weeks later, Trump told reporters that Venezuela’s oil – home of the largest proven reserves in the world – belongs to the US.
