Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab
Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, has strongly condemned the United States following reports of overnight military strikes in Caracas, calling on the United Nations and international human rights organizations to intervene amid uncertainty over President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores.
Speaking on state television early Saturday, Saab held the US government directly responsible for the safety of the Venezuelan leader and his wife, describing the situation as a “kidnapping” and warning of potential consequences should harm come to them.
“Not only the faith of life of our Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Head of State Nicolás Maduro Moro, and of his wife, our sister and first fighter, Cilia Flores, but apart from that faith of life, I directly blame the government of the United States of America for any circumstances that may occur to our President and leader of the Bolivarian Revolution,” Saab said.
Saab referenced the April 2002 detention of former President Hugo Chávez, calling it a “vile kidnapping” and a defining moment in Venezuelan political history. He said the comparison underscores the seriousness of the current situation and the urgent need to confirm Maduro’s safety, which Vice President Delcy Rodríguez has said remains uncertain.
The attorney general urged Venezuelan officials and prosecutors to document what he described as “massive human rights violations” linked to the US operation. He appealed directly to the UN and other international human rights bodies to act, stating, “Where are the international human rights organisations that speak up in relation to these cowardly attacks that have caused mortal victims of innocents and that keep President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, First Lady Cilia Flores, kidnapped?”
Saab also called on the public to remain calm and vigilant, warning against the spread of misinformation amid the unfolding crisis.
The remarks follow reports of a US military operation early Saturday, with explosions reported at several sites in Caracas and low-flying aircraft observed over the capital. Venezuela’s government has denounced the strikes as an “imperialist attack” targeting both civilian and military infrastructure.
How dare the U.S. interfere like this! Every country has the right to handle its own affairs.