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Expert issues chilling warning for US as Maduro pleads not guilty; 'chaos is coming'
Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro entered a plea of not guilty to charges brought against him after US armed forces captured him and his wife in Caracas.
An expert issued a chilling warning after US operations in Venezuela on January 3, which led to the capture of president Nicolas Maduro and his wife by armed forces. Robert Anthony Pape, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago, warned ‘chaos is coming’, writing on X.
Maduro and his wife were captured and flown to the US on President Donald Trump's orders. The Venezuelan president had his first court appearance today, where he entered a plea of ‘not guilty’ and described himself as a ‘prisoner of war’. Meanwhile, Trump has said that Venezuela ‘stole’ US oil and is eyeing the nation's oil reserves.
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As per Pape this is bound to be met with resistance from Venezuelans. “Venezuela is primed for resistance to US controlling the oil. Perfect terrain for insurgency,” he wrote, adding, “Plenty of armed groups already. Far worse than Iraq. Chaos is coming…”.
US plans with Venezuelan oil
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright plans to talk this week with oil-industry executives about reviving Venezuela’s energy sector following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, according to a person familiar with the matter.
This comes as Trump has vowed to resuscitate Venezuela’s oil sector after years of underinvestment and neglect tanked production in a country that sits atop the world’s largest trove of crude. Trump has estimated the rebirth will take billions of dollars, but it’s unclear how keen foreign companies will be to take on such a task and its inherent risks.
After Venezuela, Trump has issued a warning to the Colombian president and indicated that the US needs Greenland for security reasons. The newly elected Venezuelan parliament, meanwhile, has vowed to explore ways to bring back Maduro from the US.
"My main function in the days to come... as president of this National Assembly, will be to resort to all procedures, all platforms, and all avenues to bring back Nicolas Maduro Moros, my brother, my president," Jorge Rodriguez told lawmakers.
(With Bloomberg, AFP inputs)
