Maduro sits in US custody as loyalists call for defiance

Venezuela's ousted president, Nicolas Maduro, is being held in a New York detention facility facing narco-terrorism charges after US special forces seized him in a dramatic raid authorised by President Donald Trump overnight.

The 63-year-old was flown to the United States following strikes on military sites in Caracas, with footage of him blindfolded and handcuffed shocking Venezuelans and triggering international concern over the legality and consequences of the intervention.

Trump said the United States would temporarily control the oil-rich nation to ensure a "safe and judicious" transfer of power, and signalled that US oil companies could return to rehabilitate the country's crumbling energy sector, while not ruling out a military presence.

In a brief phone interview with The New York Times, Trump hailed the "brilliant" operation. "A lot of good planning and a lot of great, great troops and great people," the paper quoted the president as saying.

At home, Maduro's allies denounced what they called a kidnapping and imperialist seizure of Venezuela's vast oil wealth, while interim leader Delcy Rodriguez insisted he remained the only legitimate president and vowed the country would not become a colony again.

Streets in major cities were subdued amid fear and uncertainty, while some Venezuelans abroad welcomed the fall of Maduro's rule after years of economic collapse, mass migration, and violent crackdowns on dissent that drove millions from the country.

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Court ordered that Vice President Rodríguez assume the role of acting president ?of the country in the absence of Maduro, "in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defence of the Nation."

The ruling 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."

Earlier, Rodriguez was shown on state TV speaking in Caracas. Appearing with brother Jorge Rodriguez, and foreign and defence ministers, he called for calm and unity to defend the country amid Maduro's kidnapping". "Nicolas Maduro is Venezuela's only president," he said.

Maduro is expected to appear in a Manhattan court, while the UN Security Council (UNSC) will meet to discuss the US operation, which has drawn criticism from Russia and China and prompted calls for respect for international law and diplomatic solutions.

Diplomats said that Colombia, backed by Russia and China, had requested the emergency session of the 15-member UNSC. "The presidency intends to hold the emergency meeting on Monday morning at 10am," Somalia, which holds the rotating presidency of the UNSC, said.

The meeting will be held under the title: 'Threats to International Peace and Security'. It comes after Venezuela's UN Ambassador, Samuel Moncada, wrote to the UNSC on Saturday, calling the action "a colonial war aimed at destroying our republican form of government."

Trump's move has also ignited fierce debate in Washington, with Democrats demanding clarity on legal authority and long-term strategy, and some Republicans questioning how it fits an 'America First' agenda.

Despite the tense atmosphere, daily life in parts of Venezuela continued at a cautious pace, even as residents stocked up on food and weighed the risks of instability in a country already scarred by economic crisis and political turmoil.