The US has released a video of captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a 'perp-walk'. He will be transferred to a notorious NYC prison. As the opposition celebrates, Donald Trump has expressed doubt in their leader, Maria Machado.
The US has released a video of captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in handcuffs staging the 'Perp-walk' as he was led to custody. Perp walked.pic.twitter.com/34iIsFUDdG — Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 4, 2026
Maduro to be held in notorious NYC prison
Maduro will be transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in New York City, as per CNN. MDC is described as "disgusting" with "horrifying" conditions, and is known for its squalid conditions, chronic understaffing, inmate violence and power outages.
The prison was built in the 1990s to combat prison overcrowding. The facility has housed people including singer R Kelly, "Pharma Bro" Martin Shkreli, socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, one-time cryptocurrency whiz kid Sam Bankman-Fried and music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. Suspected cartel leader Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia was also held there as he awaited trial on murder and drug trafficking charges, as per CNN.
Political turmoil and succession in Venezuela
Hours after Maduro and his wife's abduction, Venezuela's opposition was seen celebrating.
Trump backs Maduro loyalist over opposition
Trump expressed a lack of confidence in Maria Corina Machado, Former Deputy of the National Assembly of Venezuela and suggested he'd instead partner with Maduro loyalist Delcy Rodriguez. Machado had called for the immediate installation of Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as president. Most Western governments regard Gonzalez as the legitimate winner of the contested 2024 presidential election in Venezuela, as reported by CNN.
In a press conference, Trump was asked whether Machado would have any part in the post-Maduro government. Trump answered that he had not been in contact with her, and that while Machado was a "very nice woman," she "doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country" to lead Venezuela.
Supreme Court appoints acting president
Meanwhile, Venezuela's Supreme Court has ordered Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to assume the powers and duties of acting president after the United States removed Nicolas Maduro. The order was announced on Saturday night, local time, concluding that Maduro is in a "material and temporary impossibility to exercise his functions." (ANI)
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)