Venezuelan officials declared on Sunday that the government remains unified behind President Nicolás Maduro, following his capture by U.S. forces in a move that has plunged the South American nation into deep uncertainty.
As Maduro remains in a New York detention center awaiting a Monday court appearance on drug trafficking charges, his inner circle in Caracas has condemned the operation as a "kidnapping." Despite President Donald Trump’s claim that the U.S. would take control of the country, Maduro’s cabinet remains in charge of the capital.
"Only One President" Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello urged calm in an audio message released by the ruling PSUV socialist party. "The unity of the revolutionary force is guaranteed," Cabello said. "There is only one president, and his name is Nicolás Maduro Moros."
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who also serves as oil minister, has assumed the role of interim leader following a Supreme Court ruling. While considered a pragmatic figure due to her ties to the private sector and the oil industry, Rodríguez has publicly rejected Trump's claims that she is willing to collaborate with Washington.
Oil and Sovereignty The capture follows a month-long U.S. maritime blockade that has crippled Venezuela’s oil exports. Sources within state-run oil firm PDVSA report that the company is currently being forced to shut down wells and cut crude production due to a lack of storage and export options.
Government officials characterized the U.S. intervention as a resource grab. “Everything was revealed—they only want our oil,” Cabello stated, echoing long-standing claims that Washington’s pressure campaign is a pretext for seizing Venezuela’s natural resources.
A Tense Calm in Caracas While images of a blindfolded and handcuffed Maduro stunned the nation, the streets of Caracas remained largely quiet on Sunday. Some citizens stocked up on essentials, while others attempted to maintain their weekend routines.
“Yesterday I was afraid to go out, but today I had to,” said one mother in Maracaibo. “Venezuelans are used to enduring fear. If this is necessary for my son to grow up in a free country, I’ll keep enduring it.”
International and Domestic Pushback The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to meet Monday to discuss the U.S. operation, which Secretary-General António Guterres described as a "dangerous precedent." Domestically, Trump has dismissed opposition leader Maria Corina Machado as a potential successor, claiming she lacks sufficient support—a move that has disappointed many anti-Maduro activists.
As the legal battle begins in New York, the political standoff in Caracas suggests that despite the "decapitation" of its leadership, the ruling socialist party is prepared to resist a U.S.-led transition.
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