Gunfire and intense clashes were reported near Venezuela’s Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, according to media reports. Authorities said the situation was under control, even as tension gripped the nation’s capital.The reports came just hours after Vice President Delcy Rodriguez was sworn in on Monday as the country’s interim president as deposed leader, Nicolas Maduro appeared in a New York federal court on drug-related charges following the weekend US operation that led to his capture.According to the AFP news agency, unidentified drones flew over the Miraflores Palace on Monday evening, prompting security forces to open fire in response.Authorities have confirmed that the situation was under control, It, however, remains unclear if the developments were related to the ongoing political turmoil in the oil-rich South American country..preferred-source-banner{ margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom:10px;}In an extraordinary raid on Saturday night, American forces extracted Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their home in a military base in Caracas — an act the deposed leader's government called “imperialist.”The couple faces US charges of participating in a narco-terrorism conspiracy.The dramatic seizure that rattled the world, capped an intensive Trump administration pressure campaign on the 63-year-old Venezuelan leader and months of secret planning, resulting in the most assertive American action to achieve regime change since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.In his first court appearance following his capture, Maduro and his wife on Monday pleaded not guilty to the narcotics charges."I am innocent. I am not guilty. I am a decent man. I am still President of my country," Maduro said through an interpreter.The next court date was set for March 17.Ahead of the country, dozens of protesters, both pro- and anti-Maduro, gathered outside the courthouse.- EndsPublished By: Karishma Saurabh KalitaPublished On: Jan 6, 2026Must Watch
स्रोत: Indiatoday
