Gunfire and anti-aircraft blasts heard near Venezuela’s presidential palace as chaos unfolds after Maduro’s ouster
Venezuela was thrown into chaos on Monday night when heavy gunfire rang out near the presidential palace in Caracas following Nicolás Maduro’s ouster as president.
Extraordinary footage emerged on social media Monday night capturing the sound of a hail of bullets falling on Venezuela’s capital.
Locals said ‘anti-aircraft’ explosions could be heard in the general vicinity of the presidential palace, following days of chaos on the streets since Maduro and his wife were captured from their home and taken to America to face drug trafficking charges.
The night sky was lit up by what appeared to be drones and anti-aircraft fire around 8:15pm local time, residents reported.
Eyewitnesses said that armored vehicles reached the Miraflores presidential palace shortly after the gunfire, while soldiers were deployed to surrounding areas to intervene in the unstable situation.
President Donald Trump on Monday pledged to help rebuild Venezuela’s neglected infrastructure and excitingly announced that it could be 18 months before citizens can elect a new leader, who will be responsible for ‘taking care’ of the nation’s health in the meantime.
‘We must fix the country first’ You cannot choose. “There’s no way the people can even vote,” Trump said.
‘No, it will take some time. ‘We need to get the country back to health.’
Locals said ‘anti-aircraft’ explosions could be heard in the general area of the presidential palace, following days of chaos on the streets since Maduro and his wife were captured from their home and taken to America to face drug trafficking charges
Extraordinary footage appeared on social media on Monday night showing a hail of bullets raining down on Venezuela’s capital.
Cilia Flores arrived at the Wall Street Heliport in New York on Monday with visible bruises on her forehead and cheek. She and her husband pleaded not guilty to narco-terrorism charges
This comes after Maduro protested his capture, declaring himself ‘president of my country’ and pleading not guilty on Monday to federal charges that the Trump administration used to justify removing him from power in Venezuela.
“I’m caught,” Maduro said in Spanish, translated by the courtroom interpreter, before being interrupted by the judge.
Later, when asked about his defense to the charges, he said: ‘I am innocent. I am not guilty. ‘I am a decent man, the constitutional president of my country.’
Maduro’s court appearance in Manhattan, his first since he and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized from their home in Caracas in a stunning midnight military operation on Saturday, launched the U.S. government’s most significant investigation of a foreign head of state in decades. He also pleaded not guilty.
The court set the next date as March 17, but no bail application was made.
Explosions ripped through Caracas during the daring raid in the early hours of Saturday morning, after Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab claimed ‘innocents’ were ‘fatally injured’ in the US operation.
While details were still emerging Monday, Havana said 32 Cubans were killed in the attack, while Donald Trump suggested Cuba was close to collapse following the capture of Nicolás Maduro.
‘I don’t think we need any action. “It looks like it’s going to fall,” Trump said.
A preliminary hearing for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro descended into chaos as the ousted leader’s anger boiled over, leading to a fight with a man who claimed he had been imprisoned by the Maduro regime and warned he would “pay.”
Armed supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro gathered near the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas following his ouster
The White House signaled on Sunday that it is not seeking a full regime change, but rather the removal of Maduro and the formation of a cohesive new government (even one consisting of many of his former allies).
Sanctified by his mentor Hugo Chávez before his death in 2013, Maduro maintained his tight grip on power until his dramatic capture.
Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president and ally, took office as interim President.
He is part of a group of senior officials in the Maduro administration who now appear to control Venezuela, although U.S. President Donald Trump and other officials have said they will pressure the government to comply with his vision for the oil-rich country.
Trump announced that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was in communication with Rodríguez, that the Venezuelan leader was ‘kind’ and would work with the American government. Rubio said Rodríguez, unlike Maduro, is someone the administration can work with.
But in a televised speech, Rodríguez gave no indication he would cooperate with Trump, calling his government “extremists” and arguing that Maduro is the true leader of Venezuela.
“What is being done to Venezuela is an atrocity that violates international law,” said Rodríguez, surrounded by senior civilian officials and military leaders.
Trump warned on Sunday that Rodríguez would “pay a very big price, probably a bigger price than Maduro” if he didn’t fall in line. He added that he wants ‘full access’ from oil facilities to basic infrastructure such as roads so they can be rebuilt.
Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president and ally, takes office as interim president
A member of the Colombian Army stands guard at the Simon Bolivar International Bridge, Venezuela
Venezuela’s constitution requires elections to be held within 30 days if the president is ‘permanently unavailable’ for office. Reasons listed include death, resignation, dismissal or ‘abandonment’ of offices declared by the National Assembly.
When Maduro’s predecessor, Chavez, died of cancer in 2013, this election calendar was followed meticulously.
In its ruling on Saturday, the faithful Supreme Court cited another article of the statute declaring Maduro’s absence to be ‘temporary’.
In such a scenario, there is no obligation to choose. Instead, the vice president, an unelected position, takes over for up to 90 days; This period may be extended for up to six months by vote of the National Assembly.
The Supreme Court made no mention of the 180-day time limit when granting temporary authority to Rodriguez; This has led some to speculate that he may try to stay in power even longer while uniting the different factions of the ruling socialist party while sparing it from what is sure to be a tough electoral battle.
