‘Trump has really done this for the Venezuelan people’
I’ve spoken to perhaps a dozen people at the rally in Doral – and, so far, no-one has expressed any concern about Venezuela’s transition or what the future may hold.
Among the most optimistic I have met is Luis Atristain, a 21-year-old Miami-born Venezuelan. He and his friends quickly caught my eye – they were mostly wearing red “Make America Great Again” hats.
Luis – who was out with his friends this morning when acquaintances in Venezuela sent him videos of the strikes – repeatedly tells me he is thankful for Trump, who “gets things done” and, this morning, did what successive US administrations have not.
“Trump has really done this for the Venezuelan people, and we’re all very happy,” he tells me.
Looking to the future, Luis says he expects Maduro’s fall will bring economic relief for millions of Venezuelans who have suffered under sanctions and shortages for years as the country’s economy puttered along.
“What they want to do is help, especially economically. Venezuela is one of the world’s richest countries in resources,” he adds. “They’re going to go restart industry. The oil alone is worth billions, or trillions. It will help the country build up again.”
Many Venezuelans in the US, he predicts, will go back.
“There will be money pumping in,” he said. “There will be a lot of opportunity.”
US Attorney General Pam Bondi has said that the Venezuelan president and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York.
The pair have been charged with conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the US.
According to US media reports, the booking process for the couple has already begun.
Biometrics, fingerprints and mugshots would have to be taken before their information can be entered into the US Customs and Border Protection system.
The couple will also have had to undergo medical checks ahead of their transportation to the Drug Enforcement Agency’s office in New York City, where they will be booked again.
Maduro and his wife will then be arraigned, which could happen as soon as Monday.
You can stay up to date on what we know here, or follow along as we bring you live updates.
Where did the US strike Venezuela?published at 00:3600:36
BBC Verify is working through a number of videos showing explosions, fire and smoke in locations around Caracas to identify exactly which sites were targeted during the operation to capture Maduro.
It has confirmed five locations, so far:
- Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base, an airfield known as La Carlota
- Fuerte Tiuna, a key military facility in Caracas
- Port La Guaira, Caracas’ main conduit to the Caribbean Sea, located in Miranda state
- Higuerote Airport, also located in Miranda state, just east of Caracas
- Antenas El Volcan, a telecomms towers on Cerro El Volcan, a high peak in Miranda state
Source: BBC