Venezuela’s military command officially spoke out this Sunday (4) against the arrest of Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, carried out during an operation by the United States Armed Forces in Venezuelan territory. In a statement broadcast on state television, military authorities demanded the immediate release of the couple, captured in the Fuerte Tiuna military complex, in Caracas.
During the statement, the head of the military command repudiated the North American action, classifying the operation as unacceptable and contrary to international law. According to the official, the intervention represents a direct affront to the national sovereignty and autonomy of the Venezuelan government.
The Armed Forces stated that Maduro and Cilia Flores were taken to the United States after the military offensive and reiterated that the country will continue to press for the return of the detainees. The military leadership maintains the position that the action constitutes an illegal capture of its leaders.
Meanwhile, Nicolás Maduro remains in custody at a maximum security federal prison in New York, where he spent his first night in detention. According to official information, he is awaiting developments in the legal process on American soil.
Venezuelan authorities reported that the former president must appear at a hearing with a United States judge this Monday. The Venezuelan government declared that it will continue to use diplomatic and institutional channels to denounce what it considers a serious violation of its sovereignty.
