Venezuela Political Conflict: After months of threats and pressure tactics, the United States bombed Venezuela and removed its president, Nicolás Maduro, who was captured and taken to a detention center in New York, where he will stand trial.
Maduro arrived at a US military base on Saturday evening after being “captured” in Caracas by US forces.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez condemned Maduro’s “kidnapping,” stating that he is “the only president of Venezuela.”
US President Donald Trump says Washington will “run” Venezuela and utilize its vast oil reserves, but he did not elaborate on how the US would accomplish this.
The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet on the matter on Monday, with Secretary-General António Guterres stating that the US action sets “a dangerous precedent.”
The US has intervened militarily before, but never has a president openly said: We are going to take the oil, and we are going to run the country.
Donald Trump has been very clear. He has said that American companies will be sent in, that the oil will be flowing again within a year, and that the United States will control it. How will that control work? Trump says his Secretary of State and Secretary of Defense will try to run the country from Washington.
What is still not entirely clear is how the US can run Venezuela without troops on the ground. Also, the US does not appear to have the necessary forces for a large-scale ground invasion. If serious problems arise, Trump will have some explaining to do.
We expect that on Monday, Nicolás Maduro – and perhaps his wife – will appear before a federal judge in New York. The charges against them will be read, and they will have the opportunity to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty. We will also see whether he has legal representation or whether he is able to hire a lawyer.
Federal cases can take months, sometimes even years. Maduro can challenge his detention and try to expedite the proceedings, but there is no guarantee of that.
Maduro is being held at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, a facility where many high-profile prisoners are sent. The place has a notorious reputation. Some federal judges have described it as barbaric, and inmates have complained of serious mistreatment, including reports of finding insects in their food.
Although it’s not confirmed, Maduro and his wife may be held in solitary confinement for security reasons. It’s clear that this is not a place anyone would want to be.
(With agency input)