Venezuelan Assembly scorns Trump after U.S. seizes Maduro

The Venezuelan National Assembly convened in Caracas on Monday after a weekend in which the United States carried out airstrikes, killed dozens and seized Nicolás Maduro, and lawmakers staged fiery demands for the return of their captured leader while blasting President Trump. Speakers and demonstrators made clear that Maduro loyalists remain entrenched across state institutions after decades of purges and crackdowns, and the legislature displayed partisan theatre including applause, chants and the unveiling of a photograph of Mr.

Maduro and Cilia Flores. Nicolás Maduro Guerra, a member of the assembly, said his father and stepmother had been "illegally extracted from Venezuela" and warned, "If we normalize the kidnapping of a head of state, no country is safe." The charging papers referenced by the Times refer to Mr.

Maduro Guerra as "the Prince," accusing him of conspiracy to import cocaine and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. Security agents detained several journalists covering the session, according to Venezuela's national journalists' union. Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as the country's interim leader; officials and lawmakers alternated between calls for coexistence and bellicose rhetoric, with Ms.

Rodríguez saying she was pained by the "illegitimate military aggression" against Venezuela. Mr. Trump reminded Venezuela's new leader that the United States has an armada of warships near Venezuela ready to act if necessary, even as some U.S.

Key Topics

World, Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela, National Assembly, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, Delcy Rodríguez