Caracas/Washington (Rajeev Sharma): The political crisis in Venezuela escalated sharply on Saturday after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife had been captured and removed from the country, following a series of explosions in the capital and nearby states.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the United States had conducted a “large-scale strike” against Venezuela, successfully apprehending Maduro and his spouse. The announcement immediately drew global attention, though independent verification of the claims has not yet been confirmed.
Venezuelan authorities reported that attacks occurred in Caracas as well as in the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. In response, Maduro declared a national emergency and mobilised the country’s defence forces. The government urged citizens to take to the streets and called upon political and social organisations to counter what it described as an “imperialist attack.” The emergency status, officially termed a “state of external disturbance,” gives the president broad powers to deploy the military and implement security measures.
The developments come amid months of rising tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela. The Trump administration has accused Maduro of running a “narco-state” and manipulating elections, while Maduro has claimed that U.S. operations are intended to seize control of Venezuela’s oil reserves, which are among the largest in the world.
Earlier last week, U.S. intelligence reportedly conducted a drone strike on a docking area in Venezuela linked to drug trafficking, marking the first known direct strike on Venezuelan territory since the pressure campaign began in September. Trump had repeatedly indicated that military action on Venezuelan soil could follow ongoing strikes on narcotics vessels in the Caribbean.
The U.S. Embassy in Caracas, which has been closed since 2019, issued an advisory warning American citizens to remain cautious amid reports of explosions and heightened military activity in and around the capital.
The situation remains tense, with international observers closely monitoring the unfolding crisis and the potential implications of Trump’s statements on regional security and diplomatic relations.
