Maduro’s son urges protests after U.S. arrest of Venezuelan leader

The son of detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has urged supporters to take to the streets of Caracas following his father’s arrest by United States authorities, vowing to resist what he described as foreign-backed control of Venezuela.

Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, 35, called for mass protests and warned that those who betrayed his family would eventually be exposed. His remarks came days after Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were arrested in Caracas and flown to New York to face federal charges, according to a report by the New York Post, citing U.S. officials and court records.

“You will see us in the streets. You will see a united people,” Maduro Guerra said in a video message circulated online, as reported by Spanish outlet El País. He added that he would do everything possible to secure the release of his parents.

Despite the call to action, early signs of widespread demonstrations were limited. Armed and masked paramilitary forces were reportedly visible in parts of the capital on Monday, but large crowds did not immediately materialize, according to international media accounts cited by the New York Post.

Maduro Guerra, a member of Venezuela’s National Assembly, was himself indicted by U.S. authorities in 2020 alongside his parents. Court documents allege he played a role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving cocaine shipments bound for the United States, accusations he has denied.

U.S. prosecutors have also charged several senior Venezuelan officials with narco-terrorism, drug trafficking, and corruption, including Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez and Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello. Washington claims the group coordinated with international cartels to move illegal drugs through Venezuelan territory.

The Maduro government has repeatedly rejected the allegations, insisting that the arrests are politically motivated and aimed at seizing control of Venezuela’s oil resources.