Nicolas Maduro in US custody: Son claims betrayal from within, calls for mobilisation

The son of Venezuela’s former leader has warned of betrayal from within the ruling camp, hours after a US-led operation resulted in the arrest of his father and the country’s first lady and their transfer to the United States.

In an audio message shared online, Nicolás Maduro Guerra said history would eventually expose those responsible. His remarks appeared to point towards possible internal dissent inside Chavismo, the political movement built around his father.

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“History will tell who the traitors were,” he said. “History will reveal it.”

Unity call inside ruling party after arrests

Maduro Guerra, a lawmaker from La Guaira state and a senior figure in the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), urged supporters to remain united. He said the party would not fracture despite what he described as an external attack.

He called on party workers and supporters to mobilise on January 4 and 5, stressing the need to regroup politically and maintain morale. He also spoke of tighter political and military coordination to counter what he termed “external aggression”.

In the audio message, he confirmed that Nicolás Maduro is currently in US custody. His tone shifted between defiance and emotion. “They want to see us weak,” he said, adding that the movement would continue to take to the streets despite anger and pain.

“We are fine, we are calm. You will see us in the streets, alongside these people. They want to see us weak; we are going to raise the banners of dignity. Does it hurt us? Of course it hurts us, of course it makes us angry, but they won’t be able to, damn it! I swear to you on my life, on my mother, on Cilia: they won’t be able to,” El-cooperative reported him as saying in the audio recording.

What US authorities say about the operation

Meanwhile, Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, remain detained in the United States. They are expected to appear before a federal court in New York on Monday for the first time since their arrest.

Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores to appear before US federal court in New York

According to CBS News, US authorities confirmed that the couple will be produced before a federal judge in the Southern District of New York at noon local time. The charges include alleged narco-terrorism and conspiracy to traffic drugs.

Washington has described the operation as a large-scale strike involving US intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Officials said the couple were detained in Caracas, moved to the USS Iwo Jima, and later flown to New York, where they arrived on Saturday to face criminal proceedings.