By Independent News Roundup
Venezuela’s socialist regime has ordered authorities to track down and arrest anyone accused of supporting the U.S. military operation that resulted in the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro.
The order was made in a state of emergency decree issued Saturday and published Monday.
The decree directs police to:
“Immediately begin the national search and capture of everyone involved in the promotion or support for the armed attack by the United States,”
Reuters reported that it remains unclear what specific charges those detained could face.
Maduro made his first court appearance in New York on Monday.
It comes just two days after the toppled despot and his wife were arrested by U.S. forces over the weekend.
Both were charged by the Department of Justice with narco-terrorism and related offenses.
As the charges were read in court, Maduro openly protested.
“I am innocent,” he declared.
“I am not guilty of anything that is written here.”
In Maduro’s absence, longtime ally and former vice president Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as interim president.
Rodríguez, 56, served as vice president from 2018 through Sunday.
A hardline socialist, Rodríguez has been one of Maduro’s closest political confidants.
Despite condemning the U.S. operation, Rodríguez struck a diplomatic tone in a social media post on Sunday.
She said Venezuela still seeks balanced relations with Washington.
Rodríguez wrote:
“We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence.”
The regime’s emergency decree signals an effort to consolidate control and suppress perceived internal dissent in the wake of Maduro’s removal.
Meanwhile, Venezuela faces ongoing political uncertainty and international scrutiny.
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