Gunfire at Venezuelan Presidential Palace After Delcy Rodríguez Sworn In

CARACAS – Panic gripped the Venezuelan capital on Monday night as heavy gunfire erupted outside Miraflores, the presidential palace. The incident occurred just hours after Delcy Rodríguez was officially sworn in as interim president following the dramatic U.S. military capture of Nicolás Maduro.

At approximately 8:00 PM local time, security forces surrounding the palace opened fire on unidentified drones spotted hovering over the high-security compound. The sounds of sustained gunfire sparked immediate terror among residents, who feared a second wave of U.S. airstrikes following Saturday’s deadly invasion.

Chaos in the Skies Over Caracas

While social media was flooded with videos of tracers and the staccato of automatic weapons, witnesses on the ground described a scene of confusion and trauma.

• Drone Sighting: Government sources confirmed that at least two drones with “red lights” were detected in the restricted airspace over the palace.
• PTSD in the Capital: For many Venezuelans, the noise triggered flashbacks to the weekend raid that killed at least 40 people. “The first thing that came to mind was to see if there were planes flying overhead,” one resident told AFP.
• Security Response: Elite units of the Bolivarian National Guard (GNB) remain on high alert, with all roads leading to Miraflores currently cordoned off.

Maduro Defiant in New York Court

As bullets flew in Caracas, the deposed leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores made their first appearance before Judge Alvin Hellerstein in a Manhattan federal court.

“I’m innocent. I’m not guilty. I’m a decent man, the president of my country.” — Nicolás Maduro (via interpreter)

The Legal Proceedings:

• Plea: Both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty to all four counts, including narco-terrorism conspiracy and weapons possession.
• Status: They have been remanded without bail and returned to the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Brooklyn.
• Defense: Maduro’s legal team is expected to challenge the legality of his “capture,” arguing that a sitting head of state cannot be abducted by a foreign military.

The New Venezuelan Hierarchy (Interim)