What Happened So Far: UNSC Convenes Emergency Session After US Strikes While Global Reaction Intensifies Over Maduro’s Capture
In a swift military operation that has shaken international norms and reignited global tensions, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were seized by U.S. forces and transported to New York, where Maduro is now facing federal narcotrafficking and weapons charges.
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| Image Source: New York Post |
The early hours of Saturday saw at least seven coordinated explosions across Caracas, witnessed by residents and captured on video. Smoke billowed near a major military base, and several districts experienced electricity outages.
U.S. officials later confirmed that more than 150 aircraft had been deployed to neutralize Venezuela’s air defenses. Helicopter-borne troops descended on Maduro’s presidential compound, arresting the Venezuelan leader and his wife with minimal reported American casualties.
Within 48 hours, Maduro appeared in a Manhattan courthouse under heavy security. The sealed indictment, now unsealed, includes charges of conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, cocaine importation, and possession of destructive devices. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro "will face the wrath of U.S. justice," while President Trump declared that the U.S. would “run” Venezuela until a proper transition of power is arranged.
In Caracas, Delcy Rodríguez, formerly vice president under Maduro, has been named acting president by the Venezuelan Supreme Court and recognized by the nation’s military.
Rodríguez, in a message delivered online, extended an olive branch to Washington, urging peaceful cooperation while reiterating that Maduro’s message of peace remains central to Venezuela’s diplomacy.
However, despite appearing conciliatory, she signaled that Maduro’s legacy should not be dismissed, reflecting the delicate balance she must now strike between domestic loyalty and external diplomacy.
The military operation has triggered widespread and divided reactions globally. Russia condemned the U.S. action as an armed act of aggression and a violation of international law, with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reaffirming Moscow’s solidarity with the Venezuelan people and the Bolivarian government.
China, too, issued a stern rebuke, calling the raid a “blatant use of force” and demanding the immediate release of Maduro and his spouse. Iran, a long-time ally of Caracas, echoed these concerns and labeled the operation as “an illegal act” that endangered the sovereignty of a nation.
France took a different tone, with President Emmanuel Macron describing the removal of Maduro as the end of dictatorship and backing 2024 presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia to lead the country’s democratic transition.
The UK’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that Britain had never recognized Maduro’s presidency and looked forward to a peaceful change. Canada’s government welcomed what it described as an opportunity for Venezuelans to rebuild their democracy, having earlier imposed sanctions against Maduro's regime.
Switzerland, in response to the developments, froze Maduro’s assets, citing a need to prevent illicit outflows and signaling that funds found to be illegally obtained would be redirected to benefit the Venezuelan population.
Meanwhile, the European Union stressed the importance of including both Edmundo Gonzalez and Maria Corina Machado in the political transition, despite Trump’s dismissal of Machado as lacking the requisite domestic support.
The United Nations Security Council has scheduled an emergency session to address the situation. With global powers sharply divided, the debate is likely to reflect the broader geopolitical rift over intervention, sovereignty, and the rule of international law.
At least 40 individuals were reported killed in the raid, with the Cuban government confirming 32 of its nationals among the dead. U.S. President Trump acknowledged “many Cubans lost their lives” and pointed to their role in defending Maduro during the operation. Havana has condemned the deaths and blamed Washington for escalating tensions.
Back in Washington, the Trump administration is doubling down. Vice President JD Vance defended the operation as a necessary blow to Latin American drug cartels, calling cocaine smuggling a “profit center” for destabilizing actors.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized that U.S. engagement with Venezuela’s transitional authorities would depend on their decisions in the coming days. He did not rule out further actions and maintained that the U.S. retains significant leverage in the region.
Meanwhile, Pope Leo XIV called for respect of Venezuelan sovereignty, reminding the world that the welfare of the people must come before geopolitical ambitions.
Nations across the Global South, including Sri Lanka and North Korea, have condemned the raid as imperialist overreach.
Protests erupted outside the U.S. embassy in Madrid, where leftist demonstrators decried the military operation and labeled it “oil imperialism.”
Trump’s statements have further fueled international unease. The U.S. president confirmed that American oil companies will now be brought in to rehabilitate Venezuela’s dilapidated energy infrastructure, stating that the revenues generated will pay for the operation.
This prompted immediate backlash from critics, who argue that the intervention is as much about resource control as law enforcement.
Oil markets reacted with initial volatility. Prices dipped amid expectations of increased Venezuelan crude entering global supply.
UBS analysts warned that rebuilding Venezuela’s oil production, which has plummeted over the past decade due to underinvestment and sanctions, will be neither quick nor easy.
Nevertheless, Trump’s assertion that the U.S. will use oil revenues to “reimburse” its efforts has made clear Washington’s economic intentions in the aftermath.
Markets responded with mixed signals. Asian stocks rose, buoyed by investor optimism over artificial intelligence stocks and reassurances that broader regional instability might be contained. Safe-haven assets like gold also saw gains.
Airlines, however, canceled hundreds of flights across the Caribbean due to airspace restrictions, leaving travelers stranded during the peak holiday season.
Domestically in the U.S., debate is intensifying over the legality and precedent of the operation. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned it as an “act of war” and warned of its implications for the city’s Venezuelan diaspora.
Several human rights groups raised concerns over Maduro’s treatment at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he is currently being held.
Trump has also hinted that Venezuela may not be the end. He renewed his claims over Greenland, threatened Colombia over cocaine exports, and issued thinly veiled warnings to Cuba.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, contrasting the operation with the 2003 Iraq War, insisted that this mission was targeted, swift, and without American casualties — a message aimed at both domestic skeptics and international observers.