Venezuela Condemns US Assault, Acting President Says Maduro Abduction Bears “Israeli” Influence

By Al Ahed Staff, Agencies

Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, appointed by the country’s Supreme Court, has strongly denounced the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro, stating that the US-led operation carries a clear “Zionist tint.”

According to Venezuelan authorities, US forces launched a large-scale military attack on Caracas in the early hours of Saturday, using more than 150 aircraft and forcibly detaining President Maduro. In response, the Supreme Court named Vice President Rodríguez as interim president to guarantee “administrative continuity” and to establish a National Defense Council.

Rodríguez immediately demanded the unconditional release of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who were reportedly transferred to a detention facility in New York following the abduction. In a televised address later that day, she reaffirmed that Maduro remains the “only president of Venezuela” and condemned the operation as an unprecedented act of US military aggression.

She described the attack as part of a long-running campaign to overthrow Venezuela’s democratically elected government, rejecting US accusations of drug trafficking as pretexts. Rodríguez asserted that the real motive behind the assault was Washington’s desire to seize control of Venezuela’s vast oil resources.

Surrounded by senior military commanders and cabinet officials, Rodríguez announced the full activation of the National Defense Council and the deployment of the armed forces to defend national sovereignty. She declared that the Bolivarian Republic would “never again be a colony of any empire.”

Addressing the international community, Rodríguez said the operation bore a “Zionist tint,” pointing to the involvement or influence of “Israeli” interests alongside the United States. She stressed that governments around the world were shocked that Venezuela had become the target of such aggression.

“The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the victim of an attack of this nature, which undoubtedly has a Zionist tint,” Rodríguez said, adding that history and justice would ultimately hold those responsible to account.