Venezuelans rally in Caracas demanding release of Maduro and wife one month after US raid

Caracas: Thousands of people took to the streets of Caracas on Tuesday to demand the release of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, marking exactly one month since they were seized during a US military operation.

Demonstrators marched from Plaza Venezuela to Urdaneta Avenue, continuing a series of protests that began on January 3. Miranda state Governor Elio Serrano addressed the crowd, stating that the mobilization demonstrated the public's resilience and their backing of Acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

Jenny Escobar, president of the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs of Venezuela, added that the rally reaffirmed the people's loyalty to the deposed leader and his wife.

Meanwhile, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) pledged support for Rodriguez's efforts toward national reconciliation. In a statement released on Telegram, Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez emphasised that despite "open wounds," the military supports the acting president's moves to strengthen the democratic system and facilitate the return of Maduro and Flores.

Describing the events of the previous month as an attack by "the world's largest nuclear power through an unprecedented and disproportionate military operation," Padrino praised the response of Venezuelan troops and asserted that the military remains faithful to the Constitution.

(Inputs from IANS)