The only son of captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro on Monday urged supporters to take to the streets of Caracas to protest his father’s arrest, vowing to expose those who betrayed his family.
However, the call for mass mobilisation drew a muted response, with only limited movement reported on the streets and armed, masked paramilitaries seen patrolling parts of the capital.
Will Do Everything Possible: Maduro’s Son
Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, 35, remained defiant in a statement issued on Sunday, saying he would do “everything possible” to secure the release of his parents and resist what he described as US-backed rule in Venezuela.
“You will see us in the streets. You will see a united people. You will see us wave the flags of dignity,” Maduro Guerra was quoted as saying by El País. “They want to see us weak, but they won’t see us that way.”
He also issued a warning to individuals he accused of leaking information that led to his father’s capture, saying it was only a matter of time before those responsible were identified.
Nicolás Maduro’s Arrest
Maduro Guerra, who serves in Venezuela’s National Assembly, was indicted by the United States in 2020 alongside his father and mother, Cilia Flores. US authorities have accused him of involvement in international drug trafficking and weapons-related conspiracies, allegations he has denied.
Following Nicolás Maduro’s arrest and transfer to New York City to face federal charges, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president on Monday.
Despite his son’s call for resistance, there were no large-scale protests reported in Caracas, underscoring the uncertainty and tension gripping Venezuela in the aftermath of the dramatic US operation.
