(Caracas) The attack in which the United States captured Nicolás Maduro in Caracas left 100 dead, Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello announced on Wednesday, according to whom the deposed Venezuelan president and his wife were injured during the operation.
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“So far, and I mean so far, there are 100 dead, 100, and a similar number injured. The attack on our country was terrible,” Mr. Cabello said during his weekly show on public television.
PHOTO LEONARDO FERNANDEZ VILORIA, REUTERS
The interim president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez
“Cilia (Flores, Maduro’s wife) was injured in the head and received a blow to the body. “Brother” (comrade) Nicolás was injured in one leg. Fortunately, they are recovering from their injuries,” added Mr. Cabello.
The Venezuelan armed forces released numerous videos on Wednesday of the funerals of the slain soldiers, showing dozens of loved ones in tears, coffins covered with Venezuelan flags, and speeches praising the “courage, bravery, honor and loyalty” of the deceased soldiers.
While there was no official report, the AFP had established that at least one civilian, one militiaman, 23 Venezuelan soldiers and 32 Cubans were killed.
“attached”
Shortly before, during an official ceremony, the interim president of Venezuela Delcy Rodríguez had affirmed that “there is a stain that has never occurred in our history” in the relations between Venezuela and the United States.
PHOTO EDGAR FRIAS, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Oil pumps on Lake Maracaibo in Cabimas, Venezuela
Investigated Monday before the National Assembly, she decreed seven days of mourning in tribute to the victims.
Mme Rodríguez, however, clarified that the trade exchange with the United States “is nothing extraordinary or irregular”, after the state oil company PDVSA announced a negotiation to sell crude oil to the United States.
The American president assured that interim Venezuelan officials would hand over to the United States “between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil”, the equivalent of one to two months of production in the Latin American country.
On Wednesday, his government assured that this transaction was part of a “historic agreement” with Caracas, which will not stop at the millions of barrels he mentioned.
Donald Trump then affirmed on his social network that the share that Venezuela will receive “will ONLY be used to buy American products”, including agricultural products and medicine.
In his speech Wednesday evening, Mr.me Rodríguez said: “Our hands are extended to all countries in the world, for relationships, for economic, commercial and energy cooperation.”
Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil during his first term, creating a form of embargo that buyers manage to circumvent through the use of so-called “ghost” fleets.
Washington says it is ready to lift these sanctions “selectively” in order to be able to market Venezuelan oil on the traditional market.