Nicolás Maduro has been Venezuela's president since 2013. During his time in office, the economy shrank by 71%, inflation exceeded by 130,000%, and more than 7.7 million Venezuelans left the country. Human rights groups report that thousands of political opponents were detained.
Early Saturday, the U.S carried out a military strike in Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. They will face drug-related charges in U.S courts. The attack came after months of U.S pressure, including naval deployments, strikes on suspected drug boats, and a CIA drone strike last week. Some Venezuelans were reportedly killed, and a few U.S personnel were injured.
In an indictment released Saturday, U.S authorities accused Maduro of running "a corrupt, illegitimate government" that for decades used its power to protect and support illegal activity, including drug trafficking. The indictment estimates that up to 250 tons of cocaine passed through the country by 2020.
María Corina Machado, the former Deputy of the National Assembly of Venezuela and current Opposition Leader, said in a statement on X, "The time for freedom has come!"
The Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, disagreees in a statement on X, "The bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of it's president have crossed an unacceptable line."
