"United States President Donald Trump said that a US military assault succeeded in capturing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, both facing US charges related to cocaine trafficking under newly unsealed indictments. In a January 3 news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said the US would run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition. Trump also said that Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president."
"However, Rodriguez criticised the US military action as brutal aggression on state television and called for Maduro's immediate release. Maduro has led Venezuela since 2013, succeeding an ideological ally, Hugo Chavez, who had been in office since 1999. Under both men, US relations with Venezuela frayed over foreign policy, oil and human rights. In July 2024, Maduro declared victory after an election that international observers described as fraudulent. The country's opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, reportedly received about 70 percent of the vote."
US troops seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, following a US military assault that the US president said succeeded in capturing them. Both face US charges related to cocaine trafficking under newly unsealed indictments. The US president said the US would run the country until a safe, proper and judicious transition could occur. Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in as interim president and reportedly spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, being essentially willing to cooperate. Rodriguez denounced the US action as brutal aggression and demanded Maduro's immediate release.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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