Venezuelan govt seeks to show it is operating free from US control

While Venezuelan lawmakers met, Maduro made his first court appearance in a US courtroom on the narco-terrorism charges the Trump admin used to justify capturing him and taking him to New York

The Venezuelan government on Monday sought to show its people and the world that the country is being run independently and not controlled by the United States following its stunning weekend arrest of Nicolas Maduro, the authoritarian leader who had ruled for almost 13 years.

Lawmakers aligned with the ruling party, including Maduro's son, gathered in the capital, Caracas, to follow through with a scheduled swearing-in ceremony of the National Assembly for a term that will last until 2031. They reelected their longtime speaker the brother of the newly named interim president, Delcy Rodriguez and gave speeches focused on condemning Maduro's capture Saturday by US forces.

 

If we normalise the kidnapping of a head of state, no country is safe. Today, it's Venezuela. Tomorrow, it could be any nation that refuses to submit," Maduro's son, Nicolas Maduro Guerra, said at the legislative palace in his first public appearance since Saturday. "This is not a regional problem. It is a direct threat to global political stability."  Maduro Guerra, also known as Nicolasito, demanded that his father and stepmother, Cilia Flores, be returned to the South American country and called on international support. Maduro Guerra, the deposed leader's only son, also denounced being named as a co-conspirator in the federal indictment charging his father and Flores.

While Venezuelan lawmakers met, Maduro made his first court appearance in a US courtroom on the narco-terrorism charges the Trump administration used to justify capturing him and taking him to New York. Maduro declared himself innocent and a decent man as he pleaded not guilty to federal drug-trafficking charges.

The US seized Maduro and Flores in a military operation Saturday, capturing them in their home on a military base. President Donald Trump said the US would run Venezuela temporarily, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that it would not govern the country day-to-day other than enforcing an existing "oil quarantine.

Rubio said the US was using pressure on Venezuela's oil industry as a way to push for policy changes. "We expect to see that there will be changes, not just in the way the oil industry is run for the benefit of the people, but also so that they stop the drug trafficking, Rubio said on CBS' Face the Nation.

On Sunday, Rodriguez said Venezuela is seeking respectful relations with the US, a shift from a more defiant tone she struck in the immediate aftermath of Maduro's capture.

We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence, Rodriguez said in a statement. Her conciliatory message came after Trump threatened that she could pay a very big price if she did not fall in line with US demands.

Before taking the oath of office, Venezuelan lawmaker Grecia Colmenares said she would take every giant step to bring back (to Venezuela) the bravest of the brave, Nicolas Maduro Moreno, and our first lady, Cilia Flores.

I swear by the shared destiny we deserve, she said.

A State Department official said Monday that the Trump administration is making preliminary plans to reopen the US embassy in Venezuela.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations, said early preparations to allow for a reopening of the embassy in Caracas had begun in the event Trump decides to return American diplomats to the country.