‘I literally saw her as if I were watching a television program’, said the American president about the Venezuelan leader’s detention
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, stated this Saturday (3) that the President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, are detained on the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima and on their way to New York to be prosecuted for drug trafficking. The Republican also stated that he watched “live” the . “I literally saw it as if I were watching a television program. We saw it in a room and followed every aspect,” Trump said in an interview with Fox. The operation was “very well organized” and no American lost their life, added the Republican president.
Attack and arrest of Maduro
Trump confirmed this Saturday that the country’s forces “successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and Maduro, who was, together with the first lady, Cilia Flores, captured and removed from the country”.
“The United States of America successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured, along with his wife, and airlifted out of the country,” Trump said on his Truth Social network.
The announcement was made after a night of explosions in Caracas and states such as Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. Local reports indicate attacks against strategic infrastructure, including Fort Tiuna (military complex where the Ministry of Defense is headquartered) and the La Carlota air base.
A said that the bombings of which occurred in several regions of the country, including the capital, affected civilians.
“Invading forces (…) desecrated our sacred ground in the towns of Fuerte Tiuna, Caracas, in the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, reaching, with their missiles and rockets fired from combat helicopters, urban areas with civilian populations,” said Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López.
The general stated that they are gathering “information regarding the injured and dead in the face of the vile and cowardly attack” by the United States. United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio said this Saturday that Nicolás Maduro was arrested by the United States and will face a criminal trial in the North American country. Rubio also said that now that the Venezuelan leader has been captured, no further US military actions are expected in the South American country.
*With information from AFP and EFE
