US-Venezuela tensions LIVE: It has been two days since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US forces. As he and his wife prepare to appear in a New York court to face charges, here’s live coverage of everything that is happening in the ongoing tensions.
US-Venezuela tensions LIVE: A lot has happened in the past two days in Venezuela. The autocratic president who had ruled the country for decades was captured by the mighty forces of the United States, and the emergence of a power vacuum has left the country wondering if they should celebrate the fall of a regime or fear what lies ahead.
On Monday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were captured by the US, are set to appear in court to face drug trafficking charges. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino says a large part of Maduro’s security team and “innocent civilians” were killed in the US operation.
Also Read: US to keep Venezuela oil ‘quarantine’, open to working with current leaders: Rubio
While US President Donald Trump has been warning of a ‘big price to pay,’ his Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it clear that the United States of America is “not at war” with Venezuela.
Follow Firstpost’s live coverage on the ongoing US-Venezuela Tensions.
US-Venezuela tensions LIVE: Trump warns of ‘big price to pay’ as Rubio assures ‘America not at war’
It has been two days since the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by US forces. Here’s everything happening in the ongoing tensions
US-Venezuela tensions LIVE: While Venezuelans celebrate the capture of the country’s President Nicolas Maduro, they also have an uncertain future in front of them with the emergence of a new power vacuum. On Monday, the country’s ousted autocratic leader would make his first court appearance in New York City after his capture in the US surprise attack in Caracas.
Maduro and Venezuelan First Lady Cilia Flores are charged in the US with narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons offences. Ahead of their appearance in court, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio made it clear that the United States is “not at war with Venezuela”. However, he told NBC News that the country will continue striking alleged drug boats.
“We are at war against drug trafficking organisations; it’s not a war against Venezuela,” he said. Meanwhile, Trump also laid out a warning to Venezuela’s Interim President Delcy Rodríguez, saying in an interview with The Atlantic that “if she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price.”
The administration’s surprise ouster and capture of a foreign head of state have drawn praise from Trump’s supporters but also bipartisan criticism, with some lawmakers on Capitol Hill questioning the legality of the attack and expressing fears it could drag the US into another costly and drawn-out war. While a calm has appeared in Venezuela, the tensions are far from over.
