Mayor Mamdani called Trump to express opposition to Maduro’s capture
Mayor Mamdani called on President Trump to express his outrage over the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the mayor said Saturday.
“I called the president and spoke to him directly to express my opposition to this action,” Mamdani said, adding that he made it clear to Trump that he opposed “continued regime change” and the “violation of federal international law.”
The president’s shocking actions in the Latin American nation come after his month-long effort to oust the leader. The US military captured Maduro early Saturday morning. At a press conference after his capture, Trump said the United States would “run the country” until a formal transition of power could be arranged. The president also said that American oil companies would be drawn to exploit the country’s oil fields.
“The president and I have always been honest and direct with each other about areas of disagreement,” Mamdani said at an unrelated Greenpoint news conference. “I was honest and direct (during our meeting) in the Oval Office. I will be honest and direct in the telephone conversations we have.”
The two men spoke briefly around 2 p.m., said a spokesperson for the mayor.
Mamdani did not share Trump’s response to his call. The mayor simply said he had “made it clear” to the president that he opposed the forced expulsion of Maduro “and we left it at that.”
Earlier in the day, Mamdani also called Trump’s actions an “act of war.”
Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were taken to Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, and by Saturday afternoon were on their way to New York to face drug and weapons charges. The ousted executive will likely be held at Brooklyn’s Metropolitan Detention Center — where UnitedHealthcare CEO Luigi Mangione’s killer is currently in custody — upon his arrival, and he could be arraigned as early as Monday.
Other elected officials also spoke out against Trump’s attacks in Venezuela.
Governor Hochul called Trump’s decision a “gross abuse of power by acting without congressional approval.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called Trump’s actions, which took place without congressional approval, “reckless.”
Meanwhile, protesters gathered in Times Square to oppose what organizers called a war against Venezuela.
Mamdani previously told Latin Times Maduro was a “dictator,” although he refrained from attacking the leader on Saturday, instead focusing his criticism on Trump.
Despite their many political and personal differences, the president took a liking to Mamdani when the two met in person for the first time in November, after the latter’s victory in the general election.
With Rebecca White
