Moscow and Beijing's fury at removal' of Maduro

CHINA and Russia erupted with fury after Donald Trump sanctioned the seizure of Venezuelan despot Nicolas Maduro in a covert coup.

- GILES SHELDRICK

The audacious special forces operation saw the “forcible removal” of the South American dictator and his wife from their Caracas lair as explosions rang out.

They are due to appear in a New York court later today on narco-terrorism charges after being flown out and shipped to the US.

But the daring Delta Force operation angered and humiliated Beijing and Moscow, allies of Venezuela, and set the axis on a collision course with the White House.

The Chinese foreign ministry has demanded US president Donald Trump “release them at once” after Maduro and wife Cilia Flores were captured and flown out to a high-security New York prison.

Beijing’s stinging rebuke expressed “serious concern over their transfer out of the country”.

It claimed the military operation was “in clear violation of international law and the basic norms in international relations and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter”, adding: “China calls on the US to ensure the personal safety of President Maduro and his wife. Release them at once.

“Stop toppling the government of Venezuela and resolve issues through dialogue and negotiation.”