Venezuelan Defense Minister Padrino López urgently called for the release of President Nicolás Maduro, who is being held by the United States.
Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López on Sunday called for the immediate release of Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who have been detained by the United States. Surrounded by military officers, he said on television that Maduro was the “real, authentic constitutional leader of all Venezuelans.” At the same time, he supported the Supreme Court’s decision that Vice President Delcy Rodríguez should temporarily take over the presidency. TASR informs about it according to the reports of the AFP and Reuters agencies.
“We urgently call on the world to pay attention to what is happening against Venezuela, against its sovereignty. It represents a real threat to world order. The world must be on its guard, because if it was Venezuela yesterday, it could be anywhere tomorrow,” declared the minister. According to him, the leadership of the armed forces demands the immediate release of Maduro and condemns the “colonialist ambitions” of the US.
The US intervention cost lives
The US military intervention in Venezuela, which led to the capture of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores by US special forces, claimed the lives of a large part of the president’s security, according to the defense minister. The New York Times reported on Saturday that at least 40 civilians and soldiers were killed in the operation.
Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Saturday ordered Vice President Rodríguez to temporarily take over Maduro’s powers. However, the court did not declare Maduro permanently absent. In that case, elections would have to be announced within 30 days. Rodríguez previously described Maduro as the only head of state in a video speech and called for his release.
Army on alert
According to Reuters, Padrino López supported the court’s decision and said the military had been placed on alert across the country to guarantee sovereignty. At the same time, he called on Venezuelans to return to their normal activities in the coming days.
Washington says Maduro, his wife and other Venezuelan officials are responsible for “narco-terrorism”, drug trafficking and other crimes. Caracas denies these accusations. Maduro is currently being held at the Metropolitan Jail in Brooklyn, New York, and is expected to appear in federal court in the coming days.
