Overview
- U.S. officials and multiple outlets report that President Nicolás Maduro was detained in a U.S. military operation in Venezuela, with reports indicating he was transported toward the United States and cited as arriving in New York.
- The UN Security Council will convene an emergency meeting on January 5 at Venezuela’s request, following the operation.
- UN Secretary-General António Guterres voiced deep concern and urged respect for human rights and the rule of law, warning of troubling precedents and regional repercussions.
- China’s Foreign Ministry issued a strong condemnation of the U.S. action, calling it a hegemonic use of force against a sovereign state and its leader.
- Coverage links the move to the administration’s stated goal of restoring U.S. primacy in the Western Hemisphere, with reporting that officials sought legal justification by portraying Maduro’s regime as tied to narcotrafficking or terrorism.