Where President Maduro is after the US attack, the Venezuelan government doesn't know

The Venezuelan government does not know the whereabouts of President Nicolás Maduro or his wife Cilia Flores. This was confirmed on Saturday morning by Vice President Delcy Rodríguez in an audio recording played on state television.

"We demand immediate proof that President Nicolás Maduro and the first female combatant, Cilia Flores, are alive," she urged.

"The United States has successfully carried out a large-scale attack against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolás Maduro, who was captured and airlifted out of the country with his wife," US President Donald Trump previously reported in a post on Truth Social.

The US has accused Maduro of running a "narco-state" and rigging last year's elections, which the opposition said it overwhelmingly won. The Venezuelan leader, who replaced Hugo Chavez in 2013, has said Washington wants to take control of Venezuela's oil reserves, which are the largest in the world.

(reuters, max)