Nicolás Maduro Guerra, son of Venezuela’s ousted president, Nicolás Maduro, has called on citizens to take to the streets in protest following the dramatic capture and extradition of his father by United States special forces.
In an audio message circulated on social media on Sunday and confirmed by his aides, the 35-year-old Venezuelan lawmaker urged supporters to remain defiant amid rising political tensions in Caracas.
“You will see us in the streets, you will see us by the people’s sides, you will see us fly the flag of dignity. They want us to appear weak, but we will not show weakness,” Maduro Guerra declared.
Maduro Guerra, who is among six individuals—including his father and stepmother, former first lady Cilia Flores—accused by US authorities of narcoterrorism, issued the call as speculation mounted over how the operation succeeded so swiftly.
The speed and precision of the pre-dawn raid that led to Maduro’s arrest from a secure location in Caracas have fuelled public suspicion of an internal betrayal.
“History will tell who the traitors were. History will reveal it,” Maduro Guerra said, hinting at the possibility of a mole within his father’s inner circle.
Despite the upheaval, he expressed confidence that the political ideology of late former president Hugo Chávez, widely known as chavismo, would endure.
On Sunday, some loyalists staged protests in parts of Caracas, waving Venezuelan flags and holding posters of the former president. The demonstrations were largely peaceful, though emotions ran high.
Maduro, 63, and Flores, 69, were transferred to a New York detention facility just hours after their arrest and are expected to face legal proceedings in the United States. Maduro is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in New York at noon on Monday, where the charges against him will be formally read.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s Vice President, Delcy Rodríguez, has been sworn in as acting president following Maduro’s removal from office.