Nicolas Maduro’s son, a Venezuelan congressman, called Sunday for supporters to take to the streets after his father was ousted by U.S. forces and taken to a New York jail.
"You will see us in the streets, you will see us by people's sides, you will see us fly the flag of dignity," said Nicolas Maduro Guerra, 35, in a defiant audio message shared on social media.
His aides confirmed the recording’s authenticity to AFP.
"They want us to appear weak but we will not show weakness," said Maduro Guerra, who is one of six people, including his father and stepmother Cilia Flores, accused of "narcoterrorism" by U.S. authorities.
The operation to capture Venezuela’s leader in Caracas and fly him to the U.S. sparked speculation of betrayal within Maduro’s inner circle. Echoing those rumors, his son said: "History will tell who the traitors were, history will reveal it. We will see."
Maduro Guerra, the president’s only biological son, expressed confidence that "chavismo" — the socialist, anti-imperialist movement founded by the late Hugo Chavez — would survive.