Former United States President Donald Trump has claimed that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife have been captured and flown out of the country following what he described as a large-scale US operation.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump said the United States had “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela” in coordination with US law enforcement agencies.
He alleged that President Maduro and his wife were apprehended during the operation and removed from the country. Trump added that further details would be provided at a news conference scheduled for 11 a.m. at Mar-a-Lago.
The claim has not been independently verified, and no official confirmation has been issued by the US government.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Defence Minister, General Vladimir Padrino López, released a defiant video message accusing the United States of launching what he described as a “deplorable” and “criminal” regime-change operation. He condemned the alleged actions as a “barbaric invasion,” saying foreign forces had “desecrated our sacred land.”
“This invasion represents the greatest outrage the country has ever suffered,” Padrino López said, adding that authorities were still assessing the number of civilians killed or injured during what he described as helicopter attacks in urban areas.
The defence chief urged Venezuelan citizens and members of the armed forces to unite against what he called a foreign invasion. “They have attacked us, but they will not vanquish us. We will form an indestructible wall of resistance. Our vocation is peace, but our heritage is the fight for freedom,” he said.
Separately, a coalition government led by Spain confirmed that an air attack had occurred in Venezuela but said details remained unclear. Spain’s Foreign Minister, José Manuel Albares, said he had spoken with the country’s ambassador in Caracas and confirmed that embassy staff were safe.
“We are gathering information. We can only confirm that we are talking about an air attack,” the Spanish government said.
The situation remains fluid, with conflicting accounts and no independent verification of Trump’s claims as of the time of filing.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
