The Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday advised all Indian nationals to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela.
This happened after the United States strikes in Caracas and the subsequent capture of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the operation was carried out in cooperation with US law enforcement agencies.
What did the counselor say?
“Due to recent developments in Venezuela, Indian nationals are strongly advised to avoid all non-essential travel to Venezuela. All Indians who are in Venezuela for any reason are advised to exercise extreme caution and limit their movement,” the advisory said.
They have been told to stay in touch with the Embassy of India in Caracas through email at cons.caracas@mea.gov.in or through the emergency phone number +58-412-9584288 which can also be used for WhatsApp calls.
Meanwhile, India’s former envoys to Venezuela, R. Viswanathan and Yashvardhan Kumar Sinha, said the move was expected and even “unsurprising” and argued that the United States was consistently working against the Maduro regime.
Maduro accused of narco-terrorism
Maduro and his wife, who were removed from their residence on the military base overnight, were aboard a US warship en route to New York to face criminal charges, according to the AP.
Maduro and other Venezuelan officials were initially indicted in 2020 on “narco-terrorism” charges stemming from the plot, but on Saturday the Justice Department issued a new indictment against Maduro and his wife, Flores, alleging their involvement in a narco-terrorist plot.
US Attorney General Pamela Bondi said the duo would face US justice.
On X, she mentioned, “Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in Southern New York. Nicolas Maduro has been charged with narco-terrorist conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices. They will soon face American justice on American soil in the United States courts.”
The US is attacking Venezuela
Venezuela’s capital Caracas was rocked by explosions as low-flying planes swooped over the city. At least seven explosions were reported during the attack, which lasted less than 30 minutes, and appeared to target military infrastructure. Smoke was seen rising from a hangar at a military base in Caracas, while another facility in the capital experienced a power outage, the AP report noted.
The attack comes after months of mounting pressure from the Trump administration, which has increased its naval presence off South America and launched deadly strikes on suspected drug-smuggling vessels in the eastern Pacific and Caribbean since early September. Just last week, the US conducted a CIA drone strike on Venezuelan soil at a dock allegedly used by drug cartels.
