Deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro faces US narcotics charges in New York after a military raid, as Washington seeks control of the country’s vast oil reserves.
NEW YORK: Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro arrived at a New York court for his first US appearance on Monday. He was captured days earlier in a US military operation in Caracas.
The 63-year-old faces narcotrafficking charges alongside his wife, Cilia Flores. US commandos backed by fighter jets and naval forces seized the pair in a helicopter assault on Saturday.
Maduro was escorted to the courthouse by heavily armed officers after transport via helicopter and armoured car. The operation has triggered a fast-moving political crisis in Venezuela.
Interim leader Delcy Rodriguez offered to work with US President Donald Trump late Sunday, stepping back from initial defiance. “We extend an invitation to the US government to work together on an agenda for cooperation,” the former vice president said.
Some 2,000 Maduro supporters rallied in Caracas on Sunday, with rifle-wielding men on motorcycles among the crowds. The Venezuelan military announced it recognised Rodriguez and urged calm.
No official death toll has been announced from the raid. Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said a “large part” of Maduro’s security team was killed “in cold blood,” along with military personnel and civilians.
Trump said late Sunday that the United States was “in charge” of the South American nation. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called discussions of post-Maduro elections “premature.”
When asked what he needed from Rodriguez, Trump said, “We need total access. We need access to the oil and other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country.”
Venezuela holds the world’s largest proven oil reserves. More Venezuelan crude on the market could exacerbate oversupply concerns and pressure prices.
Analysts say substantially lifting Venezuela’s oil production will not be easy, quick or cheap. Oil prices dipped as investors weighed the impact.
The Trump administration retains economic leverage by blockading oil tankers from Venezuela. Trump has also threatened additional military attacks.
A huge US naval presence, including an aircraft carrier, remains off the Venezuelan coast. No known US forces are left inside the country.
Leading opposition figure Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia said the US intervention was “important” but “not enough” without freeing political prisoners and acknowledging his 2024 election win.
Details of the operation were still emerging Monday. Havana said 32 Cubans were killed in the attack.
Trump added that Cuba itself was ready to fall after Maduro’s capture. “I don’t think we need any action. It looks like it’s going down,” he said.
The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on Monday at Venezuela’s request. The White House indicated Sunday it does not want full regime change.
It seeks only Maduro’s removal and a pliant new government, even if filled with his former associates. Maduro ruled alongside Flores and three other powerful figures until his capture.
Those figures include interim leader Rodriguez, her brother Jorge, and their rival, hardline Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. “It’s like a club of five,” a diplomatic source in Caracas told AFP.
The US position leaves the Venezuelan opposition, which Washington says was robbed by Maduro, out in the cold. China, Russia and Iran were quick to condemn the US operation.
Some US allies, including the EU, also expressed alarm. China called for Maduro’s immediate release, calling the raid a “clear violation of international law.”
Iran said its relations with Venezuela remained unchanged and called for Maduro’s release. Colombian President Gustavo Petro called the US action an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America.
Petro rejected Trump’s threats of military action in Colombia on Sunday. Trump also accused the South American leader of drug trafficking.
