Trump claims Maduro 'captured and flown out of the country'
10.31 CET
US president Donald Trump claims that the Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife Cilia Flores have been “captured and flown out of the country”.
In a Truth Social post shared only moments ago, Trump wrote:
"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. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP."
The Guardian has been unable to independently verify this report.
Russia has condemned the US military action in Venezuela on Saturday, saying there was no tenable justification for the attack and that “ideological hostility” had prevailed over diplomacy, reports Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Venezuela is Russia’s most important ally in South America, though the Kremlin has stopped short of offering assistance to Caracas in the event of a conflict with the US.
The Russian foreign ministry said in a statement:
This morning, the United States committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This is deeply concerning and condemnable.
The pretexts used to justify such actions are untenable. Ideological hostility has triumphed over businesslike pragmatism.
The statement did not mention Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, whom US President Donald Trump claimed was captured during Saturday’s military action on the South American country.
“We reaffirm our solidarity with the Venezuelan people,” Russia’s statement said, adding there were no reports of Russian citizens injured in US strikes.
Source: The Guardian
Military complex Fuerte Tiuna in Caracas.