Striking photographs have emerged from Venezuela showing the devastating aftermath of a large-scale US military raid that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and reportedly left at least 40 people dead.
Scenes of Devastation in Catia La Mar
The images, taken in the coastal town of Catia La Mar, depict a scene of utter destruction. A neighbour, Jesus Linares, 48, and his work partner Reggie Carrera were pictured walking through a completely wrecked apartment. The building's outer walls were blown out, leaving rubble and debris scattered across the floor. Inside, metal railings lay twisted amongst ashes near the entrance, and plaster hung precariously from the ceiling.
This domestic devastation was the result of a daring US operation launched in the early hours of Saturday morning. The stated objective was to capture President Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are facing federal drug trafficking charges in the United States.
The Capture and Its Aftermath
According to sources, Maduro and Flores were taken from their home by elite Delta Force soldiers while they were sleeping. The couple has since been transported to New York, where they will stand trial. Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek Saab condemned the operation, insisting that 'innocents' had been 'mortally wounded'.
In the immediate political vacuum, Venezuela's Supreme Court moved swiftly to confirm socialist Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, 56, as Maduro's constitutional successor. Rodriguez, a long-time loyalist who also serves as finance and oil minister, reacted with fury. She labelled Maduro's arrest 'an atrocity that violates international law' and demanded his immediate release.
"We call on the peoples of the great homeland to remain united, because what was done to Venezuela can be done to anyone," she asserted during a National Defense Council session.
Political Reactions and Future Uncertainty
US President Donald Trump, who watched the operation unfold with officials at Mar-a-Lago, described the raid's execution. "If you would've seen the speed, the violence... it was an amazing thing," he told Fox News. While confirming the operation was done with US law enforcement, he offered few details on the future governance of Venezuela, a nation of 30 million people.
Interestingly, President Trump indicated a preference for the newly installed Delcy Rodriguez to remain in power over opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, suggesting she was prepared to work with the US. However, Rodriguez's vehement condemnation of the capture casts significant doubt on any potential cooperation.
The raid's human cost remains stark. Images from Caracas show a bus with its windows blown out and burned-out military vehicles, underscoring the violence of the strikes that rocked the capital. As Venezuela enters a new and uncertain chapter, the civilian casualties in Catia La Mar stand as a sombre testament to the operation's ferocity.
