Maduro Arrives In NY After Capture, As US Foes, Allies Express Concerns

Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro arrived in New York after being captured in a large-scale US military strike in action condemned by Iran, Russia, and other allies of the South American country but which received backing from Venezuelans living in exile.

Video broadcast by US networks showed a plane arriving on January 3 at Stewart International Airport some 100 kilometers northwest of New York City, accompanied by US security personnel.

The networks identified the person as Maduro, who has ruled Venezuela since 2013 but who was indicted by the United States in 2020 on drug allegations.

US President Donald Trump and other US officials described the operation to capture Maduro, adding that the United States will “run” Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper, ⁠and ⁠judicious transition.”

It wasn’t immediately clear what Trump meant by having the United States “run” the country. Trump told reporters he was “designating people” from his cabinet to be in charge in Venezuela without providing details.

“This is extremely successful operation should serve warning to anyone who would threaten American sovereignty or endanger American lives,” said Trump.

A top US general said 150 US aircraft were involved in the attack following months of preparations.

Vice President Appears To Be In Power

Maduro’s top aides appeared to be still in power, including Vice President Delcy Rodriguez.

Trump expressed support for Rodriguez, saying “she’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again.”

However, Rodriguez demanded Maduro’s release and vowed to “defend” the country.

Also in question is the status of Venezuela’s opposition figures, led by US-backed Maria Corina Machado, who won the Nobel Peace Prize last year. She wrote on social media that “the hour of freedom has arrived.”

US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and his wife — who was also seized — are facing criminal indictments in New York, accused of crimes related to drug trafficking.

The US strikes and the capture of Maduro were strongly condemned by some of Caracas’s allies, as well as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who said the US military action sets a “dangerous precedent.”

News agencies cited sources as saying the UN Security Council will meet at 10 a.m. on January 5 to discuss the US operation. Colombia, backed by Russia and China, requested the session, diplomats said.

Caracas Allies Russia, Iran Condemn Action

Moscow, which maintains close ties with Venezuela, said it was extremely concerned by reports that Maduro and his wife had been forcibly removed from the country and urged the United States to release them.

Iran, another key ally of Venezuela, condemned the US military attack, according to Iranian state outlet Press TV, saying the action violated Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as well as the UN charter.

Celebrations marking Maduro’s capture were seen on the streets of Latin America cities and in Spain as Venezuelans gathered to celebrate.

“We are free. We are all happy that the dictatorship has fallen and that we have a free country,” Reuters quoted Khaty Yanez, a Venezuelan woman in Santiago who has spent seven years in Chile.

In Peru’s capital, Lima, migrant Milagros Ortega, whose parents are still in Venezuelan, said she hoped to go back.

“Knowing that my dad was alive to see the fall of Nicolas Maduro is very emotional. I would like to see his face,” she said.

Some Western Allies Cautious

Many of Washington’s allies, while expressing no liking for Maduro or his regime, did caution over the need to follow international law.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that “we regarded Maduro as an illegitimate president and we shed no tears about the end of his regime,” adding, “I reiterated my support for international law this morning.”

France said the US strike undermined international law and asserted that Venezuela’s crisis cannot be solved by external players. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Maduro had “led his country to ruin,” but he called the US action legally “complex.”

However, far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni — an ally of Trump’s — called the US action “legitimate” and “defensive.”

Others, such as Ukraine, North Macedonia, Albania, and Kosovo, have said following the strikes that they stand firmly with Washington and its most direct intervention in Latin America since the 1989 invasion of Panama.

The US military action comes after months of rising economic and military pressure from Washington on the South American country, including intercepting Venezuelan oil tankers and killing dozens in strikes on boats near its waters that allegedly were carrying drugs.

Washington has also contested Maduro’s legitimacy as president since he was the hand-picked successor to Hugo Chavez in 2013, pointing to successive elections the opposition and others said were rigged in his favor.

With reporting by Reuters and AFP