US Capture Of Venezuela President Maduro Shocks World; Compared To Actions Against Saddam, Osama

Washington: The US military strikes against Venezuela and the capture of the country’s president Nicolas Maduro has shocked the world and is comparable to earlier landmark events such as the capture of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda terrorist Osama Bin Laden.

What do we know about the US strikes?

Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, was rocked by several explosions during the early hours of Saturday as US president Donald Trump announced that the American military had carried out a “large-scale strike”. 

As the explosions rang out, residents ran out of their homes and gathered in the streets. The sudden blasts caused panic in the city and raised serious concerns about the safety of citizens. People sought refuge in safer places with their families. There was chaos in the surrounding areas.

What did Trump say?

Following the airstrikes, Trump took to social media to announce that the US military has taken Maduro and his wife into custody. 

"The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country," Trump said in a statement on social media.

What is the significance of the operation?

Saturday’s military amounts to the removal of a sitting president without a declared war or full-scale invasion. This operation by the US military has few parallels in recent decades. This operation has been compared to the actions against Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. 

According to experts, Saturday’s events are comparable to the 1989 US operation to seize Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega. Similar to Maduro, Noriega had claimed victory in controversial elections and was accused of drug trafficking by Washington. 

What has Venezuela said?

Venezuelan authorities meanwhile, have demanded "proof of life". Venezuela’s vice president has appeared on the state run television channel to announce that the country's government doesn’t know where the president and his wife are after U.S. forces captured them.

“We do not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores,” Delcy Rodriguez said. “We demand proof of life.”