Death toll from US attack on Venezuela keeps rising
Death toll from US attack on Venezuela keeps rising
M.U.H
05/01/202644
Tehran:The death count from Saturday's US attack on Venezuela has risen to 80, a senior Venezuelan official announced, saying that the number of fatalities could rise further.
According to the official cited by the New York Times on Monday, civilians and security forces were among those killed after the US military launched an attack on the South American country and kidnapped President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores.
In a televised statement a day earlier, Venezuelan Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino also announced that a large part of Maduro’s security team and civilian employees were killed in “cold blood” in the US raid on the presidential palace and “cowardly kidnapping” of Maduro.
Padrino Lopez also endorsed a Supreme Court ruling that appointed Vice President Delcy Rodriguez — who also serves as oil minister — as acting president.
Under the direct order of President Donald Trump, US forces attacked Venezuela in the early hours of Saturday, bombing several locations, including in the capital Caracas and abducting Maduro and his wife, in a clear violation of the United Nations Charter and international law.
Meanwhile, Trump has also threatened Venezuela’s acting president, saying “she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” if she continues to refuse cooperation with the US.
Trump issued the rhetoric during an interview with The Atlantic, citing excuses for the attack and claiming that the change in Venezuela “is better” than the current government and that “We need access to the oil and to other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country.”
The attack and Trump’s repeated remarks, including his hint of “governing” Venezuela through his administration’s officials have drawn sharp condemnations from around the world, with a majority of the countries calling the move an attempt to control Venezuelan oil.
New interim leader, Rodriguez also said, “The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has become the victim and target of an attack of this nature, which undoubtedly has Zionist undertones.”
