Maduro in NY jail, V-P to take over in Caracas

Maduro in NY jail, V-P to take over in Caracas

With Maduro facing charges in the U.S., Venezuela’s apex court appoints V-P Rodríguez as interim chief

Acting President demands that the U.S. free the President, calls him the country’s rightful leader

If Rodríguez does not do what is right, she will pay a bigger price than Maduro, says Trump

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was held in a New York prison on Sunday to face criminal charges after being captured in a night-time military operation done without approval from the U.S. Congress, even as the South American country’s top court appointed Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez as interim leader.

Mr. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken from their home in a military base by U.S. forces on Saturday — an act that Mr. Maduro’s government called “imperialist”. The couple faces U.S. charges of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.

In Venezuela, the the Supreme Court ordered on Saturday that Ms. Rodríguez assume the role of Acting President in the absence of Mr. Maduro.

While the court said Ms. Rodríguez would assume “the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defence of the nation”, she demanded that the U.S. free Mr. Maduro and called him the country’s rightful leader.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said Ms. Rodríguez may pay a bigger price than Mr. Maduro “if she does not do what is right,” according to an interview with The Atlantic magazine.

Ms. Rodríguez had said that her country would defend its natural resources after Saturday’s events.

“If she does not do what is right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Mr. Maduro,” Mr. Trump was quoted as saying in a telephone interview.

He also said other countries may be subject to American intervention.

“We do need Greenland, absolutely,” Mr. Trump said of the island that is part of Denmark, a NATO country.

The Venezuela court’s ruling on Sunday added that the court will debate the matter in order to “determine the applicable legal framework to guarantee the continuity of the state, the administration of government, and the defence of sovereignty in the face of the forced absence of the President of the Republic.”

Some Venezuelan civilians and members of the military were killed, said Ms. Rodríguez, who didn’t give a number.

Speaking to reporters hours after Mr. Maduro’s capture on Saturday, Mr. Trump had revealed his plans to exploit the leadership void to “fix” the country’s oil infrastructure and sell “large amounts” of oil to other countries.

After arriving at a small airport in New York City’s northern suburbs, Mr. Maduro was flown by helicopter to Manhattan, where a convoy of law enforcement vehicles, including an armoured car, was waiting to whisk him to a nearby U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration office.

A video posted by a White House account showed Mr. Maduro, smiling, as he was escorted through that office by DEA agents grasping his arms.

Venezuela’s ruling party has held power since 1999, when Mr. Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chávez, took office, promising to uplift poor people and later to implement a self-described socialist revolution.