The interim president of Venezuela recently addressed the situation following the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by US armed forces.
The operation, which took place on January 3, involved US forces bombing Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, and led to the detention of President Maduro by special forces.
Maduro is currently in custody in New York, where he is scheduled to appear in court.
Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela have been widely criticized as violating international law, although there are also those who have supported Maduro’s arrest.
Following Maduro’s capture, Trump stated that the US intends to ‘run’ Venezuela. However, the specifics of what this entails remain unclear, especially considering Venezuela’s status as holding the largest confirmed oil reserves globally.
In response, Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim president, has delivered a message to the US after assuming her role.
“We prioritize moving towards balanced and respectful international relations between the United States and Venezuela,” Rodriguez said. “President Donald Trump, our peoples and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war.”
She further stated: “This has always been President Nicolás Maduro’s message, and it is the message of all of Venezuela right now.”
Rodríguez also extended an offer to the US government for collaboration: “We extend an invitation to the US government to work together on a cooperation agenda, aimed at shared development, within the framework of international law, and to strengthen lasting community coexistence.”
The charges against Maduro include allegations of using his authority to traffic drugs into the US. The indictment claims Maduro, alongside other senior Venezuelan officials, ‘abused their positions of public trust and corrupted once-legitimate institutions to import tons of cocaine into the United States’.
Reuters reports that Maduro now faces four charges: narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess these weapons.
Donald Trump has maintained that the US military’s actions in Venezuela do not amount to an ‘invasion’, describing them instead as ‘law enforcement’.
He stated: “This was not an invasion. This was not an extended military operation.”
A joint statement from the governments of Spain, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Uruguay condemned the US actions, stating they ‘constitute an extremely dangerous precedent for peace and regional security and endanger the civilian population’.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized the significance of international law, yet refrained from condemning US actions or commenting on whether they breached international law. He did make clear that the UK was not involved in the US attack.
Maduro is set to appear in a New York court, with notable images capturing him being escorted by US federal agents.