Sitrep Caracas

Nicolas Maduro is in U.S. custody in New York. The President of the United States has announced that we will be “running” Venezuela as it transitions away from its despotic regime to democracy. In an effort to assess where things stand on the ground in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, we have prepared this Sitrep (situation report) and will update it as we acquire new information.

Venezuela’s Supreme Court has decreed that Delcy Rodriguez, the vice-president of Venezuela, is now the acting president of the country. In a ruling issued on Saturday, the court instructed Rodríguez to “assume and exercise, in an acting capacity, all the attributions, duties and powers inherent to the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,” to ensure “administrative continuity and the country’s comprehensive defense.”

Rodriguez has demanded the return of Maduro. She has stated that the true objective of the American capture of Maduro is “regime change” that would allow the United States to “capture our energy, mineral, and natural resources.” She has called on the international community to condemn the U.S. action.

Following Maduro’s capture, Rodriguez convened a meeting of the National Defense Council. She then held a press conference with other key members of the Chavista regime present, including Chief Prosecutor Tarek William Saab, Foreign Minister Yvan Gil, President of the Supreme Tribunal Caryslia Rodríguez, Minister of the Interior Diosdado Cabello, and Minister of Defense Vladimir Padrino.

During the press conference, Rodriguez called on the international community to support the regime in Venezuela and characterized the American operation as a “Zionist stunt”. She claimed broad support from a wide variety of countries, including China and Russia.

Rodríguez also quoted Simón Bolívar from the Jamaica Letter: “The veil has been torn, we have already seen the light, and they want to return us to darkness. The chains have been broken, we have already been free, and our enemies intend to enslave us again.” She then stated that Venezuela “will never again be a colony of any empire.”

During the day on Saturday, Minister of the Interior Diosdado Cabello appeared on video in the street, in fatigues and fully armed. He was accompanied by Alexander Gramcko and Douglas Rico. Gramcko is the head of the Special Affairs Unit within the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence. He runs the Boleita detention center in Caracas. He has been implicated in ordering and participating in arbitrary detentions, forced disappearances, and torture. Douglas Rico is the Director of Venezuela's main investigative police force, the Corps of Scientific, Criminal, and Criminal Investigations (CICPC). CICPC has long been involved in arbitrary detentions, the mistreatment of prisoners, and extrajudicial killings.

“Trust in the leadership, trust in the leadership of the high political and military command for the situation we are going through. Stay calm, let no one fall into despair, let no one make things easier for the invading enemy, the terrorist enemy that cowardly attacked us,” Cabello urged.

On the video posted online, Cabello claimed, “ the country is completely calm. ” He thanked the civilian and military patrols in the capital and maintained that “ Venezuela knows it has been attacked. V enezuela knows what it has to do. Our people know what they have to do .”

In an interview with Venezolana de Televisión on Saturday, acting President Rodriguez advised “ all defense plans are activated,” describing a “ military, popular and police fusion for all the nation’s comprehensive defense plans.”

Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez also stated on Saturday that the American operation constituted “the most criminal military aggression” and announced the deployment of all defense capabilities, involving land, air, naval, riverine, and missile forces. He urged the population not to give in to panic: “Desperation is the invader’s ally. Let us avoid chaos and anarchy. They have attacked us, but they will not break us. We will prevail.”

A national declaration of a “ state of external commotion throughout the national territory” was issued on Saturday. This amounts to the declaration of a state of emergency. According to Venezuelan national television, the purpose of this declaration is to “protect the rights of the population, the full functioning of republican institutions, and to immediately transition to armed struggle.”

Meanwhile, Attorney General Tarek William Saab also issued a statement: “I demand an end to the kidnapping (of Maduro) he is currently experiencing, which Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has denounced. As head of the Citizen Power branch of government, I call on our people, all our officials throughout Venezuela, and all prosecutors across the country to be vigilant and denounce these massive human rights violations that have occurred today before the world.”

He then added, “ I ask the United Nations to speak out at this time. Where are the international human rights organizations? They must speak out regarding these cowardly attacks that have caused the deaths of innocent people and that continue to hold President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, hostage. So, take to the streets, remain calm, stay alert, and don’t fall into the enemy’s trap of spreading fake news everywhere to demoralize our people.”

In Caracas, most of the population appears to be staying indoors and out of the streets. Armed members of the colectivos, the muscle for the Chavista regime, are out in force and conducting regular patrols. The city remains tense with a heavy military presence and armored vehicles (tanks) reported near the presidential palace. There have been reports of celebrations of Maduro’s capture amongst Venezuelan expats outside of the country, but no confirmed reports of such celebrations inside Venezuela, where most of the population appears to remain in fear of regime intimidation.