Maduro Faces U.S. Justice: Venezuela’s Ousted Strongman Heads To New York Court

Venezuela’s ousted president, Nicolás Maduro, is set to appear before a federal court in New York at noon on Monday, where he will be officially presented with the criminal charges against him, according to a court official cited by AFP.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were apprehended by U.S. forces during a pre-dawn raid in Caracas on Saturday and subsequently flown to the United States. Both are accused of narco-terrorism, with prosecutors alleging they played key roles in facilitating the shipment of massive quantities of cocaine into the U.S.

As the developments unfold, several Latin American countries, along with Spain, have pushed back against any notion of foreign control over Venezuela. Their response follows comments by former U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting Washington could take charge of the oil-rich nation.

In a joint statement issued on Sunday, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Uruguay and Spain rejected Maduro’s removal by U.S. forces and expressed concern over “any attempt at governmental control, administration or external appropriation of Venezuela’s natural or strategic resources.”

Trump also issued a warning to Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, cautioning that she would face serious consequences if she failed to cooperate with the United States.

“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump told The Atlantic during a phone interview on Sunday.

The Trump administration signalled readiness to engage with remaining officials of Maduro’s government, provided U.S. interests are satisfied — including opening Venezuela’s extensive oil reserves to American investors.

Rodríguez, who was sworn in as interim president by Venezuela’s Supreme Court with the backing of the military, responded defiantly to the raid. She maintained that Maduro remains Venezuela’s only legitimate leader and declared that the country is “prepared to defend our natural resources.”

While Trump has historically criticised U.S.-led regime-change and nation-building efforts abroad, he suggested on Saturday that Washington might take a direct role in Venezuela’s future.

Speaking to The Atlantic, Trump said, “Rebuilding there and regime change — whatever you want to call it — is better than what you have right now.”

He added, “Rebuilding is not a bad thing in Venezuela’s case. The country has gone to hell. It’s a failed state — a disaster in every sense.”