About 2,000 supporters of ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro rallied in Caracas demanding the release of him and his wife after their reported seizure by US forces and transfer to a New York jail. Protesters, joined by paramilitaries and bikers, waved Venezuelan flags and carried signs denouncing U.S. involvement. Authorities reported heavy losses in pre-dawn strikes: the defense minister said many security personnel were killed, while a doctors’ group estimated about 70 dead and 90 injured. Maduro is due in New York court Monday on narcoterrorism charges related to alleged cocaine trafficking.
“Free Our President”: About 2,000 Rally In Caracas After Reported US Capture Of Maduro
Supporters of ousted Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro held a rally in Caracas to demand his release from custody in the United States, a day after his capture by US forces during airstrikes on Caracas (Juan BARRETO)(Juan BARRETO/AFP/AFP)
About 2,000 supporters of ousted Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro rallied in Caracas on Sunday to demand the release of him and his wife after they were reportedly seized by US forces and transferred to a New York jail.
The Rally
Pro-Maduro paramilitary groups and motorcycle clubs joined the demonstrators, who carried Venezuelan flags in red, blue and yellow. Placards included one that read
“Free our president”and another saying
“Venezuela is no-one's colony”, a direct rebuke to a U.S. statement that Washington would “run” Venezuela during an unspecified transitional period.
Allegations, Strikes And Casualties
Maduro is due to appear in a New York court on Monday to face charges of “narcoterrorism” linked to alleged cocaine trafficking into the United States. Supporters accused U.S. forces of carrying out pre-dawn strikes to disable Venezuela's defenses during the operation that led to the capture. Hospitals in Venezuela declined to disclose casualty figures.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López said a “large part” of Maduro’s security detail were killed “in cold blood,” along with other military personnel and civilians, though he gave no numbers. A doctors’ association told AFP it believed roughly 70 people were killed and about 90 injured.
Accusations And Suspicions
Demonstrators and senior figures close to Maduro suggested the capture was facilitated by betrayal from inside his inner circle. “How is it possible... that the air defenses didn't work?” asked a 69-year-old protester who gave his name as Papa Juancho. “Nicolás Maduro was removed by traitors, because with the amount of security he had this should never have happened.”
Maduro’s son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, also voiced suspicion about spies or traitors within his father’s entourage in an audio message shared on social media:
“History will tell who the traitors were.”
What’s Next
Maduro’s scheduled New York court appearance and the conflicting casualty reports make the situation fluid. International observers, human rights groups and regional governments are likely to monitor developments closely as details about the operation, its human cost and the legal case emerge.
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