'We Will Fight To Win': Venezuela Refuses To Surrender After President Maduro Captured By US

Caracas: Venezuela has refused to surrender after losing civilians and military personnel in the late-night airstrikes launched by the United States on Saturday. Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez stated that country will fight to win.

Condemning the “barbaric” attack on civilian population, Lopez said, “The Venezuelan people have been the subject of the most criminal military aggression by the government of the United States of North America.”

This comes after the United States Army captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

‘Cowardly Attack’

Calling for the world leaders to condemn the “cowardly” attack, Lopez stated, “Faced with this bad and cowardly attack that threatens the peace and stability of the region, we raise the most forceful complaint to the international community and all multilateral organisations to condemn the North American government for the blatant violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.”

He added, “Free, independent and sovereign Venezuela rejects with all the strength of its libertarian history the presence of these foreign troops that have only left death, pain and destruction in their path. This invasion represents the greatest outrage that the country has suffered, which responds to the insatiable greed of our strategic resources.”

'Not A Fight Against Narco-Terrorism'

The USA has indicted Maduro on several charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy into the United States, possession and conspiracy to possess machineguns and destructive devices in connection with those drug offenses.

However, Lopez said that the airstrikes was “far from a supposed fight against narco-terrorism”. He added, “This deplorable action seeks to definitively force a regime change and subject us to the spurious insignia of North American imperialism, trampling on the inalienable right to self-determination for which our liberators fought and which today we are called to defend with the same dignity.”

‘Terrorist Attack’

Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, also condemned the airstrikes, which he called a “terrorist attack”. In a televised statement, Saab said, “Innocent victims have been mortally wounded and others killed by this criminal terrorist attack.”

‘Long Live Maduro’: Protester

Angry civilians took to the streets to protest against the capturing of their President. A female protestor said, “The US government is not the world police, and we Venezuelans are going to prove it." She also raised slogans of “Long live free Venezuela, Long live the Venezuela of patriots, the revolutionary Venezuela, the Venezuela of Chavez, and Nicolas Maduro!”

She also called for the international community to make a “real statement” after the “massacre” of innocents in Caracas.

Airstrikes on Caracas

At least seven blasts rocked the capital city of Caracas in the early hours of Saturday. A series of loud explosions were reported across Venezuela's capital Caracas, triggering power outages in several neighbourhoods. Civilians also heard sounds of low-flying aircraft and helicopters.

'Respect International Law': Venezuela

Condemning the “brutal” airstrikes conducted by the United States on the Venezuela's capital city Caracas, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said, “We demand respect for international law. We condemn this brutal, savage form of aggression against our people, which has claimed the lives of military officials, who have become martyrs of our homeland, and which has claimed the lives of innocent Venezuelan civilians in the different points of the attacks, both in the capital city and in the Aragua states, in the state of Miranda and in the state of La Guaira.”

Venezuela Calls For Urgent UNSC Meeting

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil has sought an urgent meeting of United Nations Security Council (UNSC). In a message on Telegram, Yvan Gil wrote, "Faced with the criminal aggression committed by the US government against our homeland, we have requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council, which is responsible for upholding international law."

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