Venezuela Demands U.S. Release of President Maduro

Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has called for the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured in a U.S.-led raid last month and is now imprisoned in New York on drug trafficking and “narcoterrorism” charges.

Speaking before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Switzerland on Monday, Gil described the January 3 U.S.-led raid that captured Maduro as a violent, illegal, and political operation “disguised as a legal debate,” claiming it resulted in more than 100 deaths.

Since the arrest, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has stepped in as interim leader. While she has softened her tone toward Washington, Gil continues to criticise U.S. actions sharply.

“Human rights should not be instruments of political war; they should not be selective, and they should not depend on ideological alignment,” Gil told the UN council.