MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Delcy Rodríguez declares week of mourning for fallen Maduro's guardsmen

The caretaker President insisted her government was the only legal one in Venezuela, despite Trump's assertions otherwise

Venezuela's Acting President Delcy Rodríguez has declared seven days of national mourning to honor those fallen during the Jan. 3 US military mission to capture former ruler Nicolás Maduro. Rodríguez said the week will be dedicated to the “honor and glory” of the “martyrs.”

Caracas has confirmed that at least 24 Venezuelan military personnel, including five generals, were killed. Additionally, the Cuban government reported that 32 of its military and intelligence personnel making up Maduro's security detail perished in the attack.

Rodríguez has formally dubbed the capture of Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores as a “kidnapping,” and insisted that her government remained the only constitutional authority in the country despite US President Donald Trump's assertions otherwise.

While mourning is observed in Caracas, Maduro and Flores appeared in a New York federal court, where they pleaded not guilty to various narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges.

Venezuela's incumbent chief executive further noted that her people's power would serve as an “insurmountable barrier” against foreign intervention. She is using public appearances to highlight communal production, such as textile factories making school uniforms and local water treatment projects, to demonstrate that the state apparatus is still functioning.

In the meantime, Colombian authorities are mobilizing in anticipation of potential refugee surges or further instability, while Brazil is focusing on the possible sanitary ramifications of the crisis.