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Venezuela president abduction

Venezuela’s interior minister says the government remains unified behind President Nicolás Maduro. Diosdado Cabello’s comment followed US President Donald Trump’s announcement that Washington would take control of Venezuela after kidnapping Maduro and his wife. Cabello stressed that Maduro is Venezuela’s one and only president, and that the nation stands with him, refusing to fall for the enemy’s provocations. He added that Maduro’s kidnapping proved that the US sought to seize Venezuela’s oil from the outset of the conflict. The UN Security Council is set to meet on Monday to discuss the US aggression, which Secretary-General António Guterres has described as a dangerous precedent. Venezuela’s defense minister also announced that the armed forces have been fully activated to protect the nation’s freedom, independence, and sovereignty against what he called imperial aggression. He said a large number of Maduro’s security team were killed during “the United States’ cowardly kidnapping” of Maduro and his wife. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, who also serves as the oil minister, has assumed interim leadership with the approval of the country’s Supreme Court.

US attack on Venezuela

The European Union has urged respect for international law and the will of the Venezuelan people following the US military’s kidnapping of the country’s President Maduro. The bloc said under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected by all sides. In an indirect reference to the US, the EU added that all members of the UN Security Council have a special responsibility to uphold those principles as a cornerstone of the international security architecture. The statement, backed by 26 of the EU’s 27 members, called for a transition to democracy in Venezuela based on the will of its people, saying this remains the only way to restore democracy and resolve the current crisis.

Israel Gaza ceasefire breaches

The Hamas resistance movement has harshly slammed the criminal Israeli regime for escalating its violations of the Gaza ceasefire agreement across the war-torn territory. Hamas’ spokesman, Hazem Qassem, said the regime continues to kill innocent civilians and move the yellow line in Khan Yunis, which leads to further forced displacement of Palestinians. He added that Israel has also dramatically increased the demolition of homes in the eastern half of Gaza, as part of its urban genocide and full-scale ethnic cleansing. Qassem stressed that the regime continues to keep the Rafah crossing closed and restricting the entry of humanitarian aid, both of which are clear breaches of the ceasefire deal. He emphasized that such violations are part of a systematic effort by Israel to sabotage the truce deal. The Hamas spokesman called on ceasefire mediators and guarantor states to mount pressure on Israel and force it to halt its truce breaches and fulfill its obligations under the deal.

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