Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said the administration didn’t know where Maduro or his wife Cilia Flores were and wanted proof that they were alive right now, according to The Associated Press,
In an official statement, Venezuela’s vice presidency rejected what it called a “grave military aggression,” said strikes hit Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, and argued the action violated the U.N. Charter. The statement said the attack aimed to seize Venezuela’s strategic resources, including oil and minerals, and said defense plans had been activated.
The allegations came amid reports of explosions and flyovers of Caracas and other parts of the country last night.
The Venezuelan government condemned the attacks and said Washington launched strikes against its defense and civilian targets.
On Saturday morning, President Donald Trump said that the United States had carried out a “large scale strike” in Venezuela, arresting President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and sending them out of the country.
So, in this post, Trump made it clear that the operation happened “in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement” and that there would be further information later. A news conference would take place at 11 a.m. at Mar-a-Lago.
U.S. Senator Mike Lee said Secretary of State Marco Rubio told him Maduro was arrested by U.S. personnel to face criminal charges in the United States, and that the overnight strikes were intended to protect the team carrying out the arrest warrant, according to Sen. Mike Lee. Rubio reportedly “expects no further action in Venezuela now that Maduro is in United States custody.”
U.S. officials have cited long-running allegations of drug trafficking and authoritarian rule against Maduro. The government of Venezuela has denied these assertions and said that the strikes are an attack from outside the country.
