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Venezuela’s Interim Leader: US Capture of Maduro Has ‘Zionist Undertones’
Vice President Delcy Rodriguez attends her swearing in ceremony as Venezuela’s interim president at the National Assembly, after the US launched a strike on the country and captured President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 5, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria
Venezuela’s interim leader appeared to accuse Israel or Jewry more broadly of being behind a US military operation that struck state infrastructure and captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores, echoing a familiar pattern of invoking antisemitic tropes during periods of domestic instability.
“Governments around the world are simply shocked that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is the victim and target of an attack of this nature, which undoubtedly has Zionist undertones,” Vice President and Oil Minister Delcy Rodríguez said in a televised speech on Sunday. “It is truly shameful.”
Rodríguez, 56, was formally sworn in on Monday as the country’s interim president. She demanded the “immediate release” of Maduro and his wife following their capture by US military forces on Saturday, arguing that the arrests were made under false pretenses as part of a broader effort to impose regime change and seize the country’s natural resources.
Maduro and his wife were flown to New York City, where they appeared in federal court on Monday facing drug-trafficking and other criminal charges. Both pleaded not guilty, and the next court date was set for March 17.
Maduro, who is accused of overseeing a cocaine-trafficking network that partnered with several violent groups in Latin America, faces criminal counts for narco-terrorism, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices.
Amid long-standing tensions between Israel and Venezuela, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed Maduro’s ouster and praised US President Donald Trump over the operation.
“Congratulations, President [Trump] for your bold and historic leadership on behalf of freedom and justice,” the Israeli leader wrote in a post on X. “I salute your decisive resolve and the brilliant action of your brave soldiers.”
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also praised the US operation, saying, “Israel stands alongside the freedom-loving Venezuelan people, who have suffered under Maduro’s illegal tyranny.”
Rodríguez’s remarks echoed a long history of antisemitic statements by Maduro and other Venezuelan officials, who have consistently taken a strong anti-Israel stance.
Maduro has previously claimed that “Zionists” were facilitating Venezuela’s takeover as the United States intensified its recent military campaign targeting drug trafficking and “narco-terrorist” networks near the country.
“There are those who want to hand this country over to the devils — you know who, right? The far-right Zionists want to hand this country over to the devils,” Maduro said during a televised speech in November.
In 2024, Maduro also blamed “international Zionism” for the large-scale anti-government protests that erupted across the country following the presidential elections, in which he claimed victory amid widespread claims of fraud.
The Venezuelan leader has a long history of antisemitic rhetoric, falsely claiming that Netanyahu isn’t an “authentic Jew,” accusing Israel of seeking to dominate Central Asia and the Middle East and to control the US, and repeatedly praising Hamas and other terrorist groups as “freedom fighters.”
Hamas has strongly condemned the US operation in Venezuela, calling it a “grave violation of international law” and an “assault on the sovereignty of an independent state.”
“This aggression represents a continuation of America’s unjust policies and interference, which are driven by its imperial ambitions,” the Palestinian terrorist group said in a statement on Saturday.
“Such US policies have plunged several nations into conflicts posing a direct threat to international peace and security,” the statement read.
Venezuela cut diplomatic ties with Israel in 2009 under then-President Hugo Chávez, and the two countries have had no formal relations since then.
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Some Tankers Cross Strait of Hormuz Before Shots Fired, Ship-Tracking Data Shows
A satellite image shows the ship movement at the Strait of Hormuz on April 17, 2026, in Space. EUROPEAN UNION/COPERNICUS SENTINEL-2/Handout via REUTERS
More than a dozen tankers, including three sanctioned vessels, passed through the Strait of Hormuz after a 50-day blockade was lifted on Friday, shipping data showed, before Iran reimposed restrictions on Saturday and fired at some vessels.
Reopening the strait is key for Gulf producers to resume full oil and gas supplies to the world, and end what the International Energy Agency has called the worst-ever supply disruption.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday Iran had agreed to open the strait, while Iranian officials said they wanted the US to fully lift its blockade of Iranian tankers.
Western shipping companies cautiously welcomed the announcements but said more clarity was needed, including on the presence of sea mines, before their vessels could transit.
IRAN RESUMES RESTRICTIONS
The ships that passed through the strait on Friday and Saturday via Iranian waters south of Larak island were mainly older, non-Western-owned vessels and included four sanctioned ships, according to ship-tracking data.
Iran arranged passage for a limited number of oil tankers and commercial ships following prior agreements in negotiations, a spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said.
Other ships have been seen approaching the strait and turning back as Iran said it would maintain strict controls as long as the US continues its blockade of Iranian ports.
The UK Navy reported on Saturday that Iranian gunboats fired at some ships attempting to cross the strait.
Some merchant vessels received radio messages from Iran’s navy saying the strait was shut again and that no ships were allowed to pass, shipping sources said on Saturday.
Ship-tracking data showed five vessels loaded with liquefied natural gas from Ras Laffan in Qatar approaching the strait on Saturday morning.
No LNG cargoes have transited the waterway since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on February 28.
Hundreds of ships have been stuck in the Gulf since the conflict started and Tehran closed the strait, forcing Gulf oil and gas producers to sharply cut production.
Top producers such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iraq and Kuwait say they need steady tanker flows and unrestricted passage through the strait to resume normal export operations.
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Trump Greenlights Russian Oil to Ease Strain on Global Markets After War with Iran
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington, DC, US, March 27, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
i24 News – The Trump administration has authorized a 30-day emergency waiver allowing the maritime purchase of Russian oil, reversing a hardline stance in an effort to stabilize skyrocketing global energy prices.
The Treasury Department announced Friday that the license for crude and petroleum products will remain in effect until May 16, 2026, responding to intense pressure from international partners struggling with the fallout of the war with Iran.
This policy pivot comes as a surprise after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested earlier this week that no further exemptions would be granted:
“As negotiations with Iran accelerate, the administration seeks to ensure oil availability for those who need it most. We must prevent a total price collapse for consumers while the geopolitical situation remains volatile.”
Ensuring global oil availability is paramount for the US as over 80 energy facilities in the Middle East have been damaged by recent war with Iran. With the November midterm elections approaching, record-high fuel prices at the pump remain a primary vulnerability for the Republican party. By allowing Russian oil back into the maritime flow, the administration hopes to neutralize “pain at the pump” before voters head to the polls.
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UK: Islamist Group Claims to Attack Israeli Embassy with ‘Drones Carrying Radioactive, Carcinogenic Materials’
A UK man has been arrested for allegedly threatening a group of Jews while wielding an ax on Rosh Hashanah. Photo: Tony Webster / Wikimedia Commons.
i24 News – British police officers in protective clothing were seen investigating a “security incident” near the Israeli embassy in London on Friday, after a jihadist group put out a video showing it launching two drones allegedly carrying radioactive and carcinogenic materials toward the embassy.
“There is an increased police presence in Kensington Gardens and officers are assessing a number of discarded items. As a precaution, some of the officers who have been deployed are wearing protective clothing. We recognize this may concern local residents and the wider public,” police said in a statement.
“Counter Terrorism Policing London are aware of a video shared online overnight in which a group claims to have targeted the nearby embassy of Israel with drones carrying dangerous substances,” the statement further read. “While we can confirm that the embassy has not been attacked, we are carrying out urgent inquiries to determine the authenticity of the video and to identify any potential link between it and the items discarded in Kensington Gardens.”
The incident comes amid a steep hike in antisemitic attacks in Britain targeting Jewish and Israeli individuals and institutions.
The group that released the video was identified as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia, a shadowy entity with suspected ties to Iran. It has already claimed seven attacks against Jewish institutions, including an arson attack in London where four ambulances owned by the Hatzolah charity were torched.