Venezuela’s Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, has demanded proof of life and clarification on the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro following claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that the Venezuelan leader had been captured and flown out of the country.
Rodríguez made the demand during a telephone interview on state-run television early Saturday, hours after Trump announced that U.S. forces had carried out military strikes in Venezuela and apprehended Maduro.
She said the government had not been informed of the president’s location and called on the United States to provide evidence confirming his condition.
Her remarks came amid escalating tension after the United States confirmed a large-scale military operation in Venezuela.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump said Maduro and his wife were captured and flown out of the country, describing the operation as a major success involving the U.S. military and law enforcement agencies.
He added that more details would be provided at a news conference scheduled for later in the day at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Defence Minister, General Vladimir Padrino López, announced the deployment of military forces across the country in response to the U.S. strikes.
In a video shared on social media, he described the operation as the worst aggression Venezuela had ever faced and called for unity and resistance.
They’ve attacked us, but they will not subdue us, Padrino López said, urging citizens to remain calm and warning against panic, disorder and anarchy.
He also announced that the government had declared a “state of external commotion,” effectively placing the country under a state of emergency.
U.S. officials, speaking to international media, confirmed that Maduro was captured in the early hours of Saturday by members of the U.S. Army’s elite Delta Force unit.
The unit is known for high-risk special operations, including the 2019 mission that killed former Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The U.S. State Department also issued an alert to American citizens in Venezuela, advising them to shelter in place following reports of explosions in and around Caracas.
The notice said the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, was monitoring the situation closely.
Maduro, who has ruled Venezuela since 2013, was indicted in the United States in 2020 on charges related to alleged narcoterrorism.
The latest developments have plunged Venezuela into uncertainty, with questions mounting over leadership, security and the country’s political future as international reactions continue to unfold.
