The ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was in a prison in New York on Sunday, awaiting charges of alleged drug trafficking. Earlier, US President Donald Trump ordered a spectacular operation to arrest him and declared that the United States would take control of oil-rich Venezuela.

Pictures of the 63-year-old, blindfolded and tied up on the way to the USA, caused horror in Venezuela. Washington's actions are considered the most controversial intervention in Latin America since the US invasion of Panama 37 years ago.

Maduro, who greeted his guards with "Happy New Year" on arrival, is to be brought before a court in Manhattan on Monday.

Internationally, Trump's actions caused great concern – especially against the backdrop of previous US interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nevertheless, Maduro's support worldwide is low, as his time in office was marked by authoritarian actions and massive accusations of election manipulation.

Fear and stagnation in the country

In Venezuela itself, Maduro's political allies continued to hold key positions and described the arrest as a "kidnapping" as part of an imperialist grab on Venezuelan oil resources.

In many cities, public life almost came to a standstill. The streets seemed unusually empty, many people stayed in their homes out of concern or supplied themselves with food.

"It feels like a ghost town," said 35-year-old psychologist Alejandra Palencia from Maracay. "People are afraid, there is uncertainty everywhere."

Trump declared that the US would temporarily take over the administration of the country with around 30 million inhabitants and its huge oil reserves. He did not give concrete details on the implementation.

"We will continue to lead Venezuela until a safe and orderly transition is ensured," Trump said at his Mar-a-Lago estate, praising Maduro's arrest, which took place immediately before he fled to a secured area.

Opposition disappointed, succession open

The hopes of the Venezuelan opposition and the exile community were dampened after Trump ruled out a takeover by opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado. It does not have sufficient support, Trump said.

Machado had been excluded from the 2024 presidential election. She herself sees the opposition candidate Edmundo González as the rightful election winner and future president.

Venezuela, once one of the wealthiest countries in Latin America, experienced a massive economic decline under Maduro. Around 20 percent of the population has left the country in recent years – one of the largest migration movements in the world.

Many exiled Venezuelans reacted with relief to Maduro's fall. His security forces had repeatedly violently suppressed protests. Maduro was appointed as his successor in 2013 by the seriously ill Hugo Chávez.

"We are glad that the dictatorship has ended," said Khaty Yanez from Santiago de Chile. "Finally there is hope for freedom."

Power struggle and international criticism
Trump accuses Maduro of organizing drug smuggling into the U.S. and of holding on to power through election fraud. Caracas rejects the accusations. Leading government officials called for Maduro's release and accused Washington of acting out of greed for oil and raw materials.

Interim President Delcy Rodríguez defiantly declared: "Venezuela has only one president – Nicolás Maduro." One will never again allow oneself to be made a colony of an empire.

US special forces had arrested Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores by helicopter in the early hours of the morning after attacks on military targets.

Numerous states, including those that reject Maduro, urged compliance with international law and called for a diplomatic solution. Lawyers also questioned the legality of the arrest of a sitting head of state. Democratic lawmakers in the US said they had been insufficiently informed by the White House and demanded a clear follow-up plan.

Oil, military and open questions

Trump announced that US oil companies could return to Venezuela and modernize the run-down infrastructure – a 

project that experts say would take years. He did not rule out the deployment of ground troops.

Maduro was taken by helicopter to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn after landing near New York. There he is to answer in court for allegations already made in 2020 - including drug trafficking and terrorism.

The UN Security Council wanted to deal with the actions of the USA on Monday. UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke of a "dangerous precedent". Russia and China sharply condemned Washington's actions.

Pope Leo expressed "deep concern" and called for the preservation of Venezuela's sovereignty and the protection of the population. The well-being of the Venezuelan people must come first.

In the country itself, there were no major celebrations. Despite the tense situation, Sunday seemed comparatively quiet in many places: cafés and bakeries were open, people were jogging or cycling.

After the military action, the US also lifted flight restrictions in Caribbean airspace.

How Trump intends to exercise concrete control over Venezuela remains open. His statements about a possible permanent military presence awaken memories of previous US missions in Iraq and Afghanistan – both ended in a costly withdrawal after years.

Trump stressed that an occupation would "not cost the US a cent", as the proceeds from the oil would compensate for this. At the same time, domestic political pressure is growing: critics warn of a break with his "America First" line and of a new, risky foreign intervention.







Author: Tom Weyerman / Mf-Redaktion
Source: REUTERS