Chaos erupted in Venezuela on Monday evening as gunfire and anti-aircraft blasts were heard near the presidential palace in Caracas, following the ousting of President Nicolás Maduro by US special forces. Social media footage captured continuous gunfire in the vicinity of the Miraflores Palace, with local residents reporting drones and anti-aircraft fire lighting up the sky around 8:15pm local time.
Maduro and his wife were reportedly taken from their residence and transported to the United States to face drug trafficking charges, including narco-terrorism and smuggling drugs into the US. They are expected to appear in a New York court on Monday.
US President Donald Trump announced that America would assist in rebuilding Venezuela's crumbling infrastructure, suggesting it might take up to 18 months before fresh elections could be held. "We have to fix the country first. You can't have an election," Trump stated, adding that the nation needs a stabilisation period before citizens can vote.
China reacted with a stern four-word demand directed at Trump: "Release them at once." Beijing expressed serious concern over Maduro's removal, fuelling fears of escalating tensions between the US and China. The audacious raid signals Washington's readiness to take decisive action against nations it perceives as threats, drawing outrage from Beijing and Moscow.
