‘Free our president’: Venezuelans demand Maduro’s release as 70 die during US strikes

About 2,000 supporters of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro demonstrated in Caracas on Sunday to demand that he and his wife, who were nabbed by United States forces and taken to a New York jail, be released.

A group of pro-Maduro paramilitaries and bikers accompanied the demonstrators, who waved red, blue and yellow Venezuelan flags.

“Free our president,” read a placard held by a man with a red flannel shirt which bore the image of Maduro’s predecessor and mentor, late socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez.

“Venezuela is no-one’s colony,” another placard read, a swipe at United States President Donald Trump’s announcement on Saturday that Washington would “run” Venezuela during an unspecified transitional period.

On Monday, Maduro is due in court in New York to face charges of “narcoterrorism” tied to alleged cocaine trafficking into the United States.

US working with Venezuelan Vice President following Maduro’s capture

“The narcotrafficker and terrorist is Trump,” 56-year-old Nairda Itriago said angrily, accusing US forces, who carried out airstrikes to neuter Venezuela’s defenses while Maduro was being captured, of killing “innocent people.”

Venezuelan hospitals have refused to divulge the number of people killed or injured in the pre-dawn strikes.

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez said a “large part” of Maduro’s security team were killed “in cold blood,” as well as military personnel and civilians, but gave no figures.

A doctors’ group told AFP around 70 people were killed and 90 injured.

The demonstrators in Caracas echoed speculation that Maduro had been betrayed by a member of his inner circle, smoothing the path for US special forces to swoop in and capture him at the country’s biggest military base.

The Star