Caracas, Venezuela, 04 January (H.S.): Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez issued a vehement denunciation of the United States' capture of President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, 2026, branding the Operation Absolute Resolve raid an illegal kidnapping and barbaric aggression against national sovereignty, while demanding irrefutable proof of Maduro's well-being and his unconditional release alongside wife Cilia Flores.

Speaking via telephone to state television Telesur early Saturday morning, Rodríguez asserted Maduro remains the only legitimate president of Venezuela, rejecting any transition narratives and convening a National Defense Council with cabinet ministers to orchestrate resistance.

Defiant Mobilization

Rodríguez explicitly warned that Venezuela stands ready to defend our natural resources, vowing the nation will never again become a colony of any empire or slave to any power, a pointed reference to vast oil reserves amid U.S. President Donald Trump's declaration to run Venezuela for now and exploit its energy infrastructure.

Accompanied virtually by Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, Foreign Affairs Minister, and others, she urged citizens to remain calm, activate defense protocols under a declared State of External Disturbance, and rebuff the invading enemy without succumbing to despair.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino López echoed this resolve, mobilizing forces nationwide on purported Maduro orders despite his detention, decrying the strikes as the worst aggression ever faced and compiling reports of civilian casualties at sites like La Carlota airfield.

Proof of Life Imperative

Amid conflicting U.S. claims—bolstered by images of Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima en route to New York for narco-terrorism trials—Rodríguez emphasized ignorance of Maduro and Flores's precise location, insisting on proof of life to quell domestic uncertainty and international scrutiny.

Attorney General Tarek William Saab labeled the incursion a vile and cowardly attack, alleging mortal wounds to innocents, while the government repudiated it before the global community, hinting at potential regional precedents for similar interventions.

Though signaling openness to U.S. dialogue per some reports, Rodríguez's rhetoric underscored unyielding sovereignty, contrasting opposition jubilation from figures like María Corina Machado proclaiming the time for freedom has come.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar