Venezuela’s Vice President Slams Maduro Abduction as 'Barbaric'

Venezuela’s vice president has accused the United States of forcibly taking President Nicolás Maduro after overnight air strikes. She said the operation was aimed at changing the government and weakening Venezuela’s control over its own resources.

In a televised speech, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said the US action revealed Washington’s real intentions. She claimed the goal was to destroy Venezuela’s political independence and restore foreign control.

Rodríguez rejected comments by US President Donald Trump, who had suggested she was willing to work with Washington. She denied this, demanded Maduro’s immediate release, and said she would defend the country.

She said Venezuela had already warned that an attack was being planned using false excuses. She described the US actions as brutal and inhumane.

Rodríguez accused the United States of using sanctions, military force, and pressure to dominate Venezuela. She said that even though Maduro was taken by US forces, he remains the country’s only legitimate president. She also demanded the release of Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, saying both were illegally detained.

Rodríguez said Venezuelans were angry over what she called the unlawful kidnapping of the president and first lady. She made her remarks as tensions rose following the overnight strikes, which she described as a shameful ideological attack. Rodríguez said governments around the world were shocked by the operation. She also claimed the attack had Zionist influences.

She appeared on television with senior government officials, including the head of parliament, the interior minister, and the foreign and defence ministers. The display was meant to show that the government remains united. Rodríguez urged Venezuelans to stay calm and stand together. She called on citizens to defend national sovereignty against what she described as imperial aggression.

Earlier, she released an audio message demanding that the US provide proof that Maduro and Flores were alive and safe. Throughout her speech, Rodríguez repeatedly referred to Maduro as Venezuela’s only president. She said the government continues to recognise him as the country’s lawful leader despite recent events.