Venezuelan police have launched a search for collaborators following the arrest of authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro by U.S. special forces, according to a decree declaring a state of emergency.
The decree, which came into force on Saturday but was made public in full on Monday, said all police units at the federal, state, and municipal levels had been instructed to look for individuals who supported the U.S. operation.
Earlier, several U.S. media outlets reported that the U.S. military appeared to have received assistance on the ground during the operation.
According to the reports, one person within Maduro’s close circle is alleged to have continually passed on information about his whereabouts.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s journalists’ union, the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP), said 14 reporters had been detained in the interim. The organisation later said all journalists had since been released.
Meanwhile, the UN has stated that the humanitarian situation in Venezuela remains dire as no fewer than eight million people in the country require support.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told journalists on Monday in New York that the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs had been working to address the situation.
“At the start of this year, some 7.9 million people in Venezuela were found to need urgent support. This is the equivalent of more than a quarter of the country’s population.
“We, along with our humanitarian partners, under the leadership of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Venezuela, are assessing the situation, focusing on providing support as needed.
“We continue to provide assistance to the most vulnerable, including food, health care and protection services,’’ he said.
Dujarric said that the UN emphasised the importance of respect for international law, the need to protect civilians and of preserving humanitarian operational continuity.
U.S President Donald Trump announced a “large scale strike” and rendition of his Venezuelan counterpart on Saturday, later stating the U.S. would now “run the country” until a transition could be secured.
Venezuela has characterized the operation as blatant military aggression and a flagrant violation of the UN Charter, posing a threat to international and regional peace and security.
President Maduro is being held in New York and due to appear in court on Monday – just a few miles south of UN Headquarters in Manhattan – accused by U.S. authorities, along with his wife Cilia Flores, of serious drugs and weapons offences.
He, however, said that assistance for the country could be delivered in line with humanitarian principles, noting that funding is obviously also critical.
Dujarric said the Humanitarian Response Plan for Venezuela remained critically underfunded.
“In 2025, only 17 per cent of the more than $600 million needed was received, making it one of the least funded country appeals in the world.
“More support is urgently needed to keep life-saving aid reaching the most vulnerable,’’ he said.
Dujarric also briefed journalists on the remarks of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the Security Council regarding the situation in Venezuela.
In the remarks that were delivered on his behalf by the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, the Secretary-General said he is deeply concerned about the possible intensification of instability in Venezuela.
He said the UN chief was also concerned about the potential impact on the region and the precedent the U.S. military operation may set for how relations between and among states are conducted.
Guterres said that he remains deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected with regard to the military intervention on January 3rd.
He highlighted that the Charter of the UN enshrines the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any Member State.
The Secretary-General said it is possible to prevent a wider and more destructive conflagration.
He called on all Venezuelan actors to engage in an inclusive, democratic dialogue in which all sectors of society can determine their future.
He further urged Venezuela’s neighbours, and the international community more broadly, to act in a spirit of solidarity and in adherence to the principles, laws and rules erected to promote peaceful coexistence.
