India today said the developments in Venezuela are a matter of deep concern and it is closely monitoring the evolving situation, a day after US special forces captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from the capital Caracas in a textbook nighttime airborne raid.
“India reaffirms its support to the well-being and safety of the people of Venezuela. We call upon all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability of the region,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement today.
“The Embassy of India in Caracas is in contact with members of the Indian community and will continue to provide all possible assistance,” it said.
After months of threats and pressure tactics, the United States on Saturday bombed Venezuela and toppled the left-wing leader Maduro. He was taken to face trial in New York.
The US operation brought the curtain down on 12 years of Maduro’s rule, who had a $50 million US bounty on his head. Trump posted a picture on Truth Social of the Venezuelan leader handcuffed and blindfolded aboard a US naval ship in the Caribbean.
From there he and his wife Cilia Flores were flown to New York to face drugs and weapons charges. Trump said he followed the operation to capture Maduro live at his Mar-a-Lago estate “like I was watching a television show.”
Venezuela’s opposition leader, Nobel peace laureate Maria Corina Machado, took to social media to proclaim her country’s “hour of freedom has arrived.” Machado, seen as a hero by many Venezuelans for her dogged resistance to Maduro, called for the opposition’s candidate in the 2024 election to “immediately” assume the presidency.
Trump brushed aside any expectations Machado herself would emerge as leader, claiming she did not have “support or respect” in Venezuela.
Source: BBC
- Agencies
