The United States' announcement of the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro presents an opportunity to "prosecute those responsible for so many human rights violations over more than two decades," stated Peruvian criminal lawyer Carlos Caro Coria.
Commenting on the events of this morning in the South American country, the lawyer considered the event "a superb outcome if we think about the freedom of Venezuela."
"It is an opportunity for a transition, a return to democracy, and to prosecute those responsible for so many human rights violations over more than two decades," he emphasized.
On his social media accounts, the lawyer noted that criticism regarding the international legality of the intervention has been swift from various countries.
“There is no declared war, nor an occupation (like in Panama, where it took 43 days to arrest Noriega). This is the capture of a man wanted for drug trafficking in the United States (Maduro, leader of the Cartel of the Suns), albeit through the use of military force as a distraction,” he clarified.
According to Caro, if the transition materializes, the United States and China will compete not only for Venezuelan oil, but also for the “reconstruction” of a country that is strategically important from a geopolitical standpoint.
Trial
The lawyer explained that Maduro will be tried in the United States in the Southern District of New York (SDNY), one of the most powerful and influential federal courts in the country, which handles the most sensitive federal cases.
He indicated that these courts prosecute economic and financial crimes (bank and securities fraud, insider trading, money laundering, international corruption, and complex financial crimes), as well as international cases (transnational drug trafficking, terrorism, economic sanctions, and crimes committed outside the United States that impact its financial system).
He added that these courts also prosecute high-profile cases (CEOs, global banks, investment funds, foreign politicians, and multinational corporations, with enormous media and geopolitical impact).
Caro quoted Pam Bondi, the U.S. Attorney General: "Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York. Nicolás Maduro has been charged with narco-terrorism conspiracy, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices against the United States."
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(END) DOP / RMCH / MDV
Published: 1/3/2026