By Ginika igboke
Senior Venezuelan officials moved swiftly on Sunday to project unity and continuity following the dramatic capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, an event that has plunged the oil-rich nation into political uncertainty and intensified international tensions.
Maduro is currently being held in a New York detention facility and is expected to appear in court on Monday to face U.S. drug-related charges. His removal was ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, who has said Washington will take control of Venezuela during a transition period. Despite those statements, Maduro’s allies remain firmly in charge in Caracas and insist that the country’s leadership structure remains intact.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, one of the most powerful figures in the ruling establishment and a close ally of the military, rejected any suggestion of internal collapse. In an audio message circulated by the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Cabello urged calm and warned supporters against reacting to what he described as foreign provocations.
“Here, the unity of the revolutionary force is more than guaranteed,” Cabello said. “Here there is only one president, whose name is Nicolás Maduro Moros. Let no one fall for the enemy’s provocations.”
Shock and Anger in Caracas
Images released Saturday showing the 63-year-old Maduro blindfolded and handcuffed aboard a U.S. military vessel stunned many Venezuelans and sparked outrage among government loyalists. Officials have repeatedly described the detention of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, as a “kidnapping” and an illegal act of foreign aggression.
The operation is widely seen as Washington’s most controversial intervention in Latin America since the U.S. invasion of Panama more than three decades ago, reviving painful memories of past U.S. military actions in the region.
Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, who also serves as Venezuela’s oil minister, has assumed interim administrative duties with the backing of the country’s top court, although she has insisted publicly that Maduro remains the legitimate president. Rodríguez, known for her deep knowledge of the oil sector and her ties to private industry, is often viewed as the most pragmatic figure in Maduro’s inner circle.
However, she has pushed back against Trump’s claims that she is open to working with the United States, accusing Washington of seeking to exploit Venezuela’s vast natural resources.
Oil at the Center of the Crisis
Venezuelan officials have long argued that U.S. pressure is aimed at seizing control of the country’s oil wealth, and Trump’s comments on Saturday only reinforced those suspicions. The U.S. president said major American oil companies would move into Venezuela, remarks that were seized upon by Maduro’s allies as proof of Washington’s intentions.
“We are outraged because in the end everything was revealed,” Cabello said. “It was revealed that they only want our oil.”
The crisis is already rippling through Venezuela’s energy sector. State-run oil company PDVSA has asked some joint ventures to scale back production by shutting oilfields or groups of wells, according to sources familiar with the decision. Oil exports remain effectively frozen after the United States announced a blockade on sanctioned tankers last month and seized two Venezuelan oil cargoes.
Oil is Venezuela’s main source of revenue, and any prolonged disruption threatens to deepen the country’s already severe economic crisis.
Life on the Streets
Once among Latin America’s most prosperous nations, Venezuela has seen its economy collapse under years of mismanagement and sanctions, driving roughly one in five citizens to flee abroad in one of the world’s largest migration crises.
On Sunday, streets across the country were quieter than usual, but not entirely deserted. Security forces appeared no more visible than on a typical weekend, and daily life continued cautiously in many areas.
In the western oil city of Maracaibo, some bakeries and coffee shops reopened, while joggers and cyclists ventured out. At the same time, many residents stocked up on food and basic supplies, bracing for potential instability.
“Yesterday I was very afraid to go out, but today I had to,” said a single mother in Maracaibo as she purchased rice, vegetables, and canned tuna. “This situation caught me without food. Venezuelans are used to enduring fear. If this is necessary for my son to grow up in a free country, I’ll keep enduring it.”
A small supermarket owner in the same city said his store remained closed Saturday following reports of U.S. helicopter raids and strikes on military installations, but reopened Sunday to serve nearby neighborhoods.
“People have nowhere else to buy food,” he said. “We need to help them.”
Opposition Frustration and Global Backlash
Venezuela’s opposition has reacted cautiously, wary of celebrating Maduro’s removal amid uncertainty over what comes next. President Trump has downplayed the idea of opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado assuming power, saying she lacks sufficient support.
Machado, who was barred from running in the disputed 2024 election, has argued that her ally Edmundo González—recognized by the opposition and some international observers as the winner of that vote—has a democratic mandate to lead the country.
Internationally, reactions have been swift and divided. While many Western governments oppose Maduro, there have been widespread calls for Washington to respect international law and pursue a diplomatic resolution. Legal experts and lawmakers have questioned the legality of seizing a sitting foreign head of state.
Democratic lawmakers in the United States have said they were misled during recent congressional briefings and are demanding clarity on the administration’s long-term plan for Venezuela.
The United Nations Security Council is scheduled to meet Monday to discuss the U.S. operation. Secretary-General António Guterres has described the action as a dangerous precedent, while Russia and China—both key backers of Venezuela—have strongly criticized Washington.
Maduro was indicted in the United States in 2020 on charges including narco-terrorism conspiracy, allegations he has consistently denied. As Venezuela braces for what lies ahead, the country remains caught between defiant officials, anxious citizens, and an international community grappling with the consequences of an unprecedented intervention.
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