January 12, 2026
Congressman Nicolás Ernesto Maduro Guerra, son of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros, reported Saturday that his father sent a message through his lawyers, in which he assured that both he and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, are well.
The congressman said that President Nicolás Maduro Moros asked his supporters not to give in to sadness and reaffirmed his status as a fighter in the face of adversity.
In a video posted on social media, Maduro Guerra emphasized that his father is “a man who could not be defeated by any means and they had to use disproportionate force, but they did not defeat him, he is strong.” From New York, where he is a prisoner of war of the United States, the Venezuelan leader sent a six word message his first since being kidnapped following the bombing in Caracas on January 3.
On that day, Venezuela was the victim of a military operation carried out by the United States in several locations in the states of Miranda, Aragua, La Guaira, and in the capital, Caracas.
The action left more than a hundred civilians and military personnel dead, in addition to dozens of wounded.
In response to this aggression, Executive Vice President Delcy Rodríguez was appointed by the Supreme Court of Justice as acting president of Venezuela.
Rodríguez assumed responsibility for leading the government amid national confusion over the kidnapping of the presidential couple.
For the time being, the acting president of Venezuela announced the creation of a high-level commission to manage, in the political and legal spheres, the release of Nicolás Maduro and the first lady.
The international community reacted strongly to the attack. Member countries of the UN Security Council expressed their rejection of the US military operation, noting that it violates the principles of the Charter of the United Nations. Secretary-General António Guterres stressed that Washington did not respect the rules of international law and warned of the serious consequences this action could have for regional stability.
At the same time, expressions of solidarity with Venezuela have multiplied. Governments from around the world have condemned the aggression and demanded the immediate release of the Venezuelan presidential couple.