Pro‑Maduro march in Caracas as acting leader says government remains in power

A large crowd supporting the ousted president Nicolás Maduro marched through the streets of Caracas on Tuesday, demanding his release from an American jail, while Venezuela’s acting leader Delcy Rodríguez said, "The government of Venezuela runs our country," directly contradicting President Trump.

The Venezuelan government appeared to be exerting control with checkpoints, searches of citizens’ phones, detentions of journalists and the arrest of at least two people celebrating Mr. Maduro’s capture. Officials published a decree, purportedly signed by Mr. Maduro in the moments before his capture, declaring a state of emergency and granting broad powers to investigate and arrest citizens.

Armed pro-government militias known as colectivos have been active on the capital’s streets, and the pro-government march ended in a rally broadcast on state television where Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said, "The voices in Venezuela are rising up, demanding that Nicolás and Cilia be returned to us," adding, "With you, we go to battle." Cabello also said the U.S.

attack had killed civilians and that an estimated 80 people were killed in the operation. International responses have been mixed: the U.N. human rights office called the U.S. intervention "a violation of international law," and many Latin American states condemned the seizure at an Organization of American States meeting, while a few U.S.-aligned governments backed the arrest.

Key Topics

World, Nicolás Maduro, Caracas, Delcy Rodríguez, Diosdado Cabello, Colectivos