Venezuela’s socialist government moved swiftly on Sunday to project unity and control after the dramatic capture of President Nicolas Maduro by the United States, an unprecedented act that has plunged the oil-rich South American nation into its deepest political crisis in decades and sent shockwaves across the globe.
Maduro, 63, was being held in a New York detention centre on Sunday night and is expected to appear in court on Monday on long-standing U.S. drug trafficking charges. The arrest followed a surprise U.S. operation ordered by President Donald Trump on Saturday, during which Trump declared that Washington would “take control” of Venezuela. Images of a blindfolded and handcuffed Maduro, released hours after the operation, stunned Venezuelans and triggered widespread international condemnation.
Despite the seismic nature of the event, senior officials in Caracas insisted that the government remains intact and firmly loyal to Maduro. In an audio message released by the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello dismissed any suggestion of internal fractures.
“Here, the unity of the revolutionary force is more than guaranteed, and here there is only one president, whose name is Nicolas Maduro Moros,” Cabello said. “Let no one fall for the enemy’s provocations.”
Venezuelan authorities have repeatedly described the detentions of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, as a “kidnapping” and an act of aggression against the country’s sovereignty. Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino, speaking on state television, said the U.S. operation resulted in the deaths of soldiers and civilians, as well as “a large part” of Maduro’s security detail, who he said were killed “in cold blood.” He offered no independent evidence but announced that the armed forces had been fully activated to “guarantee sovereignty, peace and territorial integrity.”
The episode marks Washington’s most controversial intervention in Latin America since the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama, when dictator Manuel Noriega was captured and flown to the United States to face drug charges. Critics say the seizure of a sitting head of state risks shattering international norms and escalating geopolitical tensions far beyond the region.
With Maduro detained abroad, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has assumed day-to-day leadership with the blessing of Venezuela’s top court, though she has stressed that Maduro remains the country’s legitimate president. Rodríguez, who also serves as oil minister, is widely regarded as the most pragmatic figure within Maduro’s inner circle, owing to her ties to the private sector and deep familiarity with Venezuela’s oil industry, the backbone of the nation’s economy.
However, Rodríguez has firmly rejected claims by Trump that she is willing to cooperate with the United States. In a telephone interview with The Atlantic, Trump issued a stark warning: “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro.” Venezuela’s communications ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the remark.
The Trump administration has made clear that reshaping Venezuela’s political and economic orientation is a central objective. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday that any future Venezuelan leader must align with American interests, particularly by keeping the country’s vast oil reserves out of the hands of U.S. adversaries and cracking down on drug trafficking.
“We have a quarantine on their oil,” Rubio said on ABC’s This Week, referring to sanctions and a blockade on tankers. “That means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the interest of the Venezuelan people are met.”
Venezuelan officials have long accused Washington of coveting the country’s natural resources, especially its oil — the largest proven reserves in the world. Trump’s comment on Saturday that major U.S. oil companies would “move in” once control was established has reinforced those claims.
“We are outraged because in the end everything was revealed,” Cabello said. “It was revealed that they only want our oil.”
Once among Latin America’s most prosperous nations, Venezuela’s economy deteriorated sharply in the 2000s under President Hugo Chávez and collapsed further under Maduro amid mismanagement, corruption and sweeping sanctions. Hyperinflation, shortages and a breakdown of public services drove roughly one in five Venezuelans to flee abroad, creating one of the world’s largest migration crises.
On Sunday, some Maduro supporters rallied at a government-sponsored march in Caracas, waving flags and denouncing U.S. “imperialism.” “Our people must not surrender, nor should we ever become a colony of anyone again,” said Reinaldo Mijares, one demonstrator. “This country is not a country of the defeated.”
At the same time, Maduro’s opponents reacted cautiously. While many have spent years calling for his removal, there was little public celebration of his seizure, reflecting fears of instability, violence or prolonged foreign occupation. Security forces appeared less visible than usual in some areas of the capital, though the atmosphere remained tense.
Daily life continued in a subdued way across much of the country. Despite widespread anxiety, some bakeries and coffee shops remained open, and joggers and cyclists could be seen on the streets. In oil hub Maracaibo, residents rushed to stock up on essentials.
“Yesterday I was very afraid to go out, but today I had to,” said a single mother buying rice, vegetables and canned tuna. “This situation caught me without food. After all, Venezuelans are used to enduring fear.”
Trump has shown little interest in handing power to Venezuela’s fragmented opposition, disappointing figures who have long lobbied Washington for support. He has brushed aside the idea of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado taking over, saying she lacks sufficient backing.
Machado, 58, was barred from running in the 2024 election but maintains that her ally, former diplomat Edmundo González, 76, won that vote by a wide margin and holds a democratic mandate to govern. For now, however, there is no clear pathway for the opposition to assume control.
In Washington, Trump’s move has sparked fierce debate. While some Republicans praised the seizure as a decisive blow against a long-time adversary, others warned of the risks of open-ended involvement. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said the administration had failed to answer basic questions about its plans.
“The American people are worried that this is creating an endless war — the very thing that Donald Trump campaigned against over and over and over again,” Schumer said, adding that lawmakers would consider measures to constrain further action in Venezuela.
International reaction has been swift. Many Western governments that oppose Maduro have nonetheless called on the United States to respect international law and pursue a diplomatic resolution. Legal experts have questioned the legitimacy of seizing a foreign head of state without the consent of his country.
The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet on Monday to discuss the crisis. Russia and China, both key allies of Caracas and major players in its energy sector, have strongly criticised Washington’s actions, warning that they could destabilise the region and set a dangerous precedent.
Maduro was indicted in the United States in 2020 on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, which U.S. prosecutors say involved collaboration with Colombian guerrilla groups. Maduro has consistently denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated.
As Venezuela braces for what comes next, the future of the country — and the consequences of Washington’s gamble — remain deeply uncertain, with the potential to reshape not only Venezuelan politics but also the balance of power in the Americas.
