Caracas is holding its breath. Hours after the dramatic US operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the capital remains tense and unsettled. Residents reported bursts of gunfire and anti-aircraft fire lighting up the night sky, as authorities said police were responding to drones flying without authorisation over the city.
In New York, the political drama moved to a courtroom. Maduro and his wife pleaded not guilty to US drug trafficking and weapons charges, with the former leader insisting he had been forcibly taken from Caracas.
Back home, Maduro loyalist Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as acting president, even as US President Donald Trump publicly claimed that Washington now effectively controls Venezuela.
The ripple effects are spreading beyond Venezuela’s borders. Trump has warned of possible military action in Colombia, urged Mexico to clamp down on drug trafficking, and once again floated the idea that the United States “needs” Greenland, signalling a wider, more confrontational posture on the global stage.
