Venezuelan VP says Maduro and wife’s whereabouts unknown, demands proof of life
The Venezuelan government does not know the whereabouts of President Nicolas Maduro or his wife Cilia Flores, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on Saturday morning in an audio played on state tv.
“We demand immediate proof of life of President Nicolas Maduro and the first combatant Cilia Flores,” Rodriguez said.
President Donald Trump said the U.S. has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, who has been taken out of the country.
“The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,” Trump said in a Truth Social post.
Trump said the operation was carried out “in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement” and promised more details at an 11 a.m. (1600 GMT) press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to Reuters.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino, meanwhile, said Venezuela will resist the presence of foreign troops.
“Free, independent and sovereign Venezuela rejects with all the strength of its libertarian history the presence of these foreign troops, which have only left behind death, pain and destruction,” Padrino said in a video broadcast on state media.
The explosions in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, early on the third day of 2026 — at least seven blasts — sent people rushing into the streets, while others took to social media to report hearing and seeing the explosions.
Separately, Russia condemned an “act of armed aggression” against Venezuela committed by the United States, Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.
“In the current situation, it is important… to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a way out of the situation through dialogue,” the ministry said in a statement.
Iran has also condemned the attack on Venezuela “as a blatant violation of its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The Iranian foreign ministry called on the UN Security Council to “act immediately to halt the unlawful aggression” and hold those responsible accountable.
The Venezuelan government, in a statement before Trump’s announcement, said the goal of the attack was for the United States to take possession of the country’s oil and minerals.
