The United States led “large-scale strikes” against Venezuela on Saturday — forcibly removing President Nicolás Maduro and his wife from the country. The world leaders was seen travelling blindfolded in a military jet before reaching New York in handcuffs. Visuals that have emerged in the ensuing hours show Maduro shuffling forward amidst heavy security after landing on the tarmac. The White House shared a video of his his purported ‘perp walk’ alongside security personnel and a now-viral photo showed the ousted leader giving a double thumbs up as federal agents stood next to him.
A plane carrying Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores arrived at the Stewart Air National Guard Base on Sunday morning. Footage shared by WCBS showed the Venezuelan leader in handcuffs while being escorted by more than a dozen federal agents. They underwent medical checks in the hangar before being taken by helicopter to Manhattan and later the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
White House shares ‘perp walk’ video
An official handle run by the White House shared a short video of Maduro walking under heavy police escort. It did not verify the clip or explain where it was taken.
“Perp walked,” the Rapid Response handle wrote as its caption.
Maduro gives double thumbs up in first images
Photos of Maduro emerged hours after his landing in New York — showing the ousted leader seated within the military facility in New York. The images were likely taken at the Stewart Air National Guard Base, and one video showed him walking slowly away from the aircraft as federal guards supported him. He was seen giving a double thumbs up in another image.
Delcy Rodriguez to become acting president
The developments came even as the Venezuelan Supreme Court has reportedly ordered Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to assume the powers and duties of an acting president. Justice Tania D’Amelio announced the order during a session broadcast by the state television channel VTV. The court concluded that ousted President Nicolas Maduro was presently in a “material and temporary impossibility to exercise his functions.”
Rodriguez has been asked to “assume and exercise, as acting president, all the powers, duties, and faculties inherent to the office of president of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defence of the nation”.