04.01.2026 11:21
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was detained as a result of a U.S. military intervention. Maduro entered politics from his youth when he worked as a bus driver and a subway operator, and he became a member of the Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement 200 founded by Hugo Chavez. After Chavez was imprisoned following the coup in 1992, Maduro became one of the leading activists advocating for his release, and he assumed the presidency just a few days after Chavez's death in 2013.
Nicolas Maduro, who came to the presidency of Venezuela from being a tram driver and bus driver, made headlines worldwide after being detained by the U.S. military intervention while in office.
U.S. President Donald Trump published a photo of President Nicolas Maduro, who was taken to the U.S. after attacks in the Venezuelan capital Caracas, from the "USS Iwo Jima" on the U.S.-based social media platform Truth Social. In the photo, Maduro is seen holding a water bottle with his eyes blindfolded.
WHO IS NICOLAS MADURO?
Nicolas Maduro, born on November 23, 1962, in Caracas, Venezuela, became a member of the Socialist League, a socialist political organization, during his high school years. Maduro, who worked as a bus driver at a young age and started working as a tram driver in the Caracas Metro, rose to the board of directors of the company and was elected as the union president.
As a member of the Bolivarian Revolutionary Movement 200 (MBR-200) founded by former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Maduro was one of the leading activists for Chavez's release after he was imprisoned following a coup in 1992. Maduro began his political career as a member of the Venezuelan Constituent National Assembly in August 1999 and served on various commissions.
Maduro assumed the presidency of the National Assembly of Venezuela in January 2006 and was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs in August of the same year. He became Vice President on October 10, 2012, and assumed the presidency of Venezuela constitutionally a few days after Chavez's death on March 8, 2013.
MADURO MADE A HISTORIC FIRST
Maduro won the presidential elections held on April 14, 2013, becoming the first president from the working class under the Chavista administration. Throughout his term, Maduro had tense relations with the U.S., became a target of sanctions, and even the U.S. announced a reward of "50 million dollars" for anyone who helped in Maduro's arrest.
The student protests in Venezuela in 2017 and the opposition's refusal to accept the elections won by the Maduro government in 2018 heightened tensions between the government and the opposition. The Maduro government faced political crises amid increasing economic difficulties, including various sanctions, especially from the U.S., and being among the "countries with the highest inflation rates in the world."
HE WAS TARGETED IN AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT IN 2018
During a speech at an event, Maduro was also targeted in an assassination attempt in 2018, and he managed to suppress the U.S.-backed opposition's uprising in his country in 2019. Having lost international recognition for a long time, Maduro occasionally regained his position on the international stage through negotiations with his opponents and moderate statements.
Maduro's close circle and Venezuelan oil companies being accused of drug trafficking by the U.S., and being accused of collaborating with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah, which the Washington administration placed on its terrorism list, were indicators of the increasing tension.
HE FACED SERIOUS THREATS AND MEASURES FROM THE U.S.
After the elections held in Venezuela in 2024, which Maduro won, the opposition's rejection of the results, the announcement of the minutes they claimed to have won, and the government's failure to share the official election minutes increased pressure on the Chavista government. Maduro, who recently lost his moderate contact with European countries and even the support of leftist governments in Latin America that were previously close to him, faced serious threats and measures from the Washington administration.
The U.S. designating the "Cartel de los Soles," which it claims is run by Maduro and high-ranking Venezuelan military officials, as a terrorist organization was interpreted as a pretext for Washington's intervention in Venezuela. However, the Maduro government has repeatedly stated that the U.S. is targeting the socialist government to control Venezuela's resources, especially oil.
HE FREQUENTLY VISITED TURKEY
Maduro, known for his colorful personality who sings and dances and his full support for the Palestinian cause, last visited Turkey on June 8, 2022. Maduro came to Turkey to attend the inauguration ceremony of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan after his swearing-in ceremony in July 2018 and again in June 2023 after Erdoğan's re-election.
TRUMP-MADURO PHONE CALL
In news reported by the U.S. press in December 2025, it was stated that President Trump spoke on the phone with Maduro and asked him to leave the country. It was reported that Maduro requested a "global amnesty" for himself and his close circle for the "alleged crimes" they committed, while Trump rejected this and conveyed a message to Maduro that "safe exit could be provided for him, his wife Cilia Flores, and his son (from the country)." Maduro confirmed that he had a phone conversation with Trump on December 1, stating that "the conversation took place in a respectful manner."
AN OPERATION CAME HOURS AFTER HIS VISIT TO CHINA
The U.S., which accused Venezuela of drug trafficking and conducted military buildups in the Caribbean Sea and some regional countries, implemented a land and sea blockade, and its airstrikes and intervention occurred hours after a Chinese official's visit to Caracas. Yesterday, during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping's Special Representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, Qiu Xiaoqi, Maduro and other Venezuelan officials discussed "cooperation between the two countries."
The last post on Maduro's Telegram account, who unilaterally closed his account on the YouTube platform and stopped using the American X company's social media account after tensions with the US, contains the last images from Chiu's visit.
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