“Venezuela’s Allies Stand Firm After Maduro Taken into U.S. Custody”

NEW YORK-(Special Correspondent/Web Desk)- Venezuela’s Allies Defiant After Maduro Taken into U.S. Custody

Venezuela’s former leader, Nicolas Maduro, was held in a New York detention center on Sunday, awaiting charges related to drug trafficking, following a highly controversial U.S. operation orchestrated by President Donald Trump. The dramatic move, which involved a helicopter extraction in the early hours, has sent shockwaves across Latin America and sparked widespread debate over international law and sovereignty.

The 63-year-old Maduro, blindfolded and handcuffed during the operation, was transported to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. He is scheduled to appear in a Manhattan federal court on Monday.

At home, Maduro’s allies remain in power and have condemned the operation as a “kidnapping” aimed at seizing Venezuela’s oil reserves. Streets across Venezuelan cities were quieter than usual on Sunday, with residents expressing fear and uncertainty amid the political turmoil.

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“There is fear and uncertainty,” said Alejandra Palencia, a psychologist in Maracay. “People are staying inside and stocking up on essentials.”

Despite the dramatic detention, U.S. officials, led by Trump, have indicated that they plan to oversee Venezuela temporarily, citing the country’s vast oil reserves. “We will run the country until we can ensure a safe, proper, and judicious transition,” Trump said during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago. However, he did not provide details on the mechanics of this interim governance.

The U.S. intervention has been met with global concern. Many world leaders have criticized the move as unprecedented, drawing comparisons to past interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Russia and China, major allies of Venezuela, also condemned the operation.

Maduro opponents in Venezuela welcomed the news cautiously, while interim President Delcy Rodriguez reaffirmed that Maduro remains the legitimate leader. “There is only one president in Venezuela, and his name is Nicolas Maduro,” Rodriguez said, emphasizing Venezuela’s sovereignty and rejecting U.S. claims.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a close ally of Maduro, called on Venezuelans to remain united and warned that the U.S. operation was motivated by a desire to control oil resources. “This is about our oil,” Cabello said.

While.

The United Nations Security Council will convene on Monday to discuss US military operations in Venezuela that culminated in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, a move UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called “a dangerous precedent.”

Colombia, backed by Russia and China, requested the emergency meeting of the 15-member Council, diplomats say.

“The presidency intends to hold the emergency meeting on Monday morning at 10 am (8 pm PST),” said Khadija Ahmed, spokeswoman for the Somali Permanent Mission to the United Nations. Somalia holds the rotating presidency of the Security Council for the month of January.

The meeting will be held under the title: “Threats to International Peace and Security.”

The UN Security Council has met twice — in October and December — over the escalating tensions between the United States and Venezuela.

US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that Washington would run Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” though specifics of this plan remain unclear.

In a brief phone interview with The New York Times, Trump hailed the “brilliant” operation.

“A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people,” the paper quoted Trump as saying.

Venezuela’s UN Ambassador Samuel Moncada wrote to the Security Council on Saturday, calling the action “a colonial war aimed at destroying our republican form of government.” He accused the US of violating the UN Charter, which prohibits members from using “the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.”

The Trump administration has spent months targeting suspected drug trafficking vessels off Venezuela’s coast and throughout Latin America’s Pacific region. Last month, the U.S. intercepted two tankers carrying Venezuelan crude as part of an expanded blockade against vessels subject to American sanctions.

The US military action overnight constitutes “a dangerous precedent,” Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric says in a statement.

“The Secretary-General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect — by all — of international law, including the UN Charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected,” Dujarric said.