Gunshots Near Venezuela’s Presidential Palace Days After Maduro’s Arrest: Reports | World News

On Tuesday, gunshots were reported near the Venezuelan presidential palace, just days after US authorities arrested former President Nicolás Maduro.

According to information obtained, many shots were fired due to increased security in the Miraflores Palace area in Caracas.

Unidentified drones hovered over the Miraflores Palace in central Caracas around 20:00 (0000 GMT), prompting security forces to open fire in response. This came just hours after Maduro was sworn in as interim president following the impeachment of his deputy, Delcy Rodríguez, the Economic Times reported.

No claims of liability or details of loss have emerged.

The incident followed Maduro’s capture by US authorities, sparking political unrest in the oil-rich country.

Previously, deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges in US federal court after they were captured in a US military operation called “Operation Absolute Resolve”.

Deposed Venezuelan President Maduro pleaded “not guilty” at the hearing in the US federal court and claimed that he was a “prisoner of war”, saying that he was kidnapped from his home in Caracas.

Following the US operation, Maduro’s son Nicolás Maduro Guerra called for “political and military coordination” against what he called “external aggression”.

The United Nations Security Council called for an emergency meeting on January 5, 2026, after the United States launched an operation against Venezuela. While UN Secretary-General António Guterres expressed deep concern about possible instability and called for de-escalation and diplomacy, he noted that the operation violated the UN Charter’s prohibition of force against territorial integrity.

Venezuela’s Ambassador Samuel Moncada called it a resource-driven aggression and demanded that civilians be condemned and protected. Several countries, including North Korea, Colombia, China and Russia, condemned the US attack on Venezuela, calling it a blatant attack and demanding negotiations through dialogue.

A US federal judge ordered Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores to appear in court on March 17 for their next hearing.

 

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