Nicolas Maduro Guerra, son of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, said history will tell who the traitors are after a US military operation led to the capture of his father and First Lady Cilia Flores. The pair have been transferred to New York to face trial, local daily El-Cooperative reported.
In an audio message circulated on social media, Maduro Guerra warned of possible betrayal within the ruling movement and said history would expose those responsible.
“History will tell who the traitors were. History will reveal it. We will see,” he said, hinting at an internal conspiracy within Chavismo.
Maduro Guerra, a lawmaker from La Guaira state and a member of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), said the party would remain united despite the recent developments.
He also called on supporters to take part in public mobilizations on January 4 and 5 to regroup and strengthen unity around the leadership. He spoke of the need for “political and military coordination” to respond to what he described as “external aggression.”
He said Nicolás Maduro is currently in US custody and stressed that the movement would not allow divisions or loss of morale.
The PSUV leader said the ruling camp remains firm and ready to mobilize. “We are fine. We are calm. You will see us in the streets alongside these people. They want to see us weak; we are going to raise the banners of dignity. Does it hurt us? Of course it hurts us. Of course it makes us angry, but they won’t be able to—damn it! I swear to you on my life, on my mother, on Cilia: they won’t be able to,” he said in the audio recording, El-Cooperative reported.
Meanwhile, Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores remain detained in the United States and are expected to appear before a federal court in the Southern District of New York on Monday. They face charges related to alleged “narco-terrorism and conspiracy to traffic drugs.”
According to CBS News, US authorities confirmed that Maduro and his wife are scheduled to appear before a federal judge on Monday (local time) at 12 p.m. This will be their first court appearance following the US operation carried out on Saturday.
Washington has described the operation as a “large-scale strike against Venezuela,” after which Maduro and Flores were captured in Caracas in a joint operation involving US intelligence agencies and law enforcement.
Both were taken from their residence, moved to the USS Iwo Jima warship, and later flown to the United States. They arrived in New York on Saturday afternoon to face criminal proceedings in US courts.
