Nicolás Maduro's son and Venezuelan congressman Nicolás Maduro Guerra has railed against the Trump administration and warned that the capture of his father in an American operation could set a dangerous precedent globally.
The speech in front of Venezuela's parliament this morning, his first appearance since the Saturday escalation, comes as the Trump administration has pushed Venezuela's government to fall in line with its vision for the oil-rich nation.
Maduro Guerra, also known as "Nicolasito", demanded that his parents be returned by American authorities and called on international support.
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Maduro Guerra also denounced his name appearing in the New York indictment of his parents, in which he was named as a co-conspirator.
"If we normalise the kidnapping of a head of state, no country is safe," Maduro Guerra said.
"Today it's Venezuela. Tomorrow it could be any nation that refuses to submit.
"This is not a regional problem. It is a direct threat to global political stability."
Venezuela's new interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, was being sworn in today in place of the captured leader.
Rodriguez has demanded that the US return Maduro, who long denied any involvement in drug trafficking — although late on Sunday she also struck a more conciliatory tone in a social media post, inviting collaboration with Trump and "respectful relations" with the US.
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Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, pleaded not guilty to federal drug trafficking charges as they made their first appearances in a US courtroom this morning.
Maduro's lawyers are expected to contest the legality of his arrest, arguing that he is immune from prosecution as a sovereign head of state.
Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriegaun successfully tried the same defence after the US captured him in a similar military invasion in 1990. But the US doesn't recognise Maduro as Venezuela's legitimate head of state — particularly after a much-disputed 2024 reelection.