Maduro capture by US illegal and dangerous, says ex-Venezuela minister

The capturing of Venezuela's President Maduro by the US is confusing and may prove to be "very dangerous" leading to "dire consequences" for the country.

These are the thoughts of a former Venezuelan Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs who revealed his disgust and dismay to CGTN Europe regarding the actions of the US on Saturday after the capital Caracas was attacked and Maduro captured and taken to New York.

"I'm experiencing both outrage and I feel heartbroken as a Venezuelan citizen to see my country bombed and attacked by foreign military," said Tamir Porras, Managing Director of Global Sovereign Advisory and former Venezuelan Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs.

"It is very illogical or unclear what the objectives were if it was just the removal of President Maduro.

"I suspect this is not the end game and that the situation will turn potentially very dangerous for Venezuela and for the region. Because once again, the destabilization of the country may have dire consequences for the future."

Maduro was in a New York detention center on Sunday after the audacious raid ordered by Trump to capture the South American leader and take control of the country and its vast oil reserves.

For months, Trump's administration criticized Maduro over what it called his involvement in shipping drugs to the US with a huge military build-up in the Caribbean and a series of deadly missile attacks on alleged drug-running boats. 

While many Western allies oppose Maduro and say he stole Venezuela's 2024 election, there have been numerous calls for the US to respect international law and resolve the crisis diplomatically.

Porras added: "Whatever the opinion anyone may have about the Venezuelan government, it must be stated this is a blatant violation of international law and an attack by the most powerful army in the world on a Latin American country, something that is historic since Venezuela has never engaged in a foreign war.

"Probably the only war known to the Venezuelan people was the war of independence in the nineteenth century, so this is a very dramatic and violent event."