UNSC TO HOLD EMERGENCY MEET AFTER US CAPTURES MADURO, WIFE

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting after the US capture of Venezuela's deposed leader Nicolas Maduro sparked global concern over sovereignty and international law.

- TDG NETWORK

The UN Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting on Monday at 10 am local time (1500 GMT) to discuss the United States' military operation in Venezuela and the capture of deposed leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, according to the Council presidency. Somalia, which holds the rotating presidency of the 15-member Council for January, confirmed the meeting would be held under the agenda item "Threats to international peace and security".

Colombian President Gustavo Petro was the first to call for an urgent UN session after the US strikes, rejecting what he described as an assault on Venezuela's sovereignty and the wider region. In a post on X, Petro said internal conflicts must be resolved peacefully by the people themselves, invoking the UN principle of self-determination.

US President Donald Trump said Washington carried out a “large-scale strike against Venezuela” on Saturday, during which Maduro and his wife were captured in Caracas and removed from the country. Trump posted a photograph on Truth Social showing Maduro aboard the USS Iwo Jima after his capture, while White House-affiliated Rapid Response later released footage showing Maduro in handcuffs during a staged perp walk in which he wished authorities “Happy New Year” and “Good Night”.