CARACAS BLACKOUT: Venezuela Admits Maduro Missing as U.S. Claims 'Extraction'

HEADLINE: CARACAS BLACKOUT: Venezuela Admits Maduro Missing as U.S. Claims 'Extraction'

CARACAS — The Venezuelan government has officially lost contact with President Nicolás Maduro, triggering a constitutional crisis and leaving the Bolivarian administration effectively decapitated. In a stunning admission that inadvertently lends credence to recent assertions from the White House, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez announced moments ago that her government cannot account for the whereabouts of President Maduro or his wife, Cilia Flores.

This declaration creates immediate volatility regarding the status of the Venezuelan presidency. It follows a statement issued earlier today by U.S. President Donald Trump via social media, claiming that elite U.S. units had successfully "captured and flown out" Maduro during an overnight operation.

Custody Claim vs. Exile Potential The discrepancy between the U.S. claim of successful extraction and the Venezuelan admission of "unknown whereabouts" is the critical pivot point for global markets. While Vice President Rodriguez characterized U.S. actions as "psychological warfare," her inability to produce the President supports the narrative that Maduro has been permanently removed from power.

The resolution of the crisis now hinges on physical proof of location:

• U.S. Custody: If Trump’s assertion is accurate and U.S. personnel have assumed physical control of Maduro, his presidency is effectively terminated.
• Flight to Exile: If the "capture" claim is a ruse to induce panic, the President's disappearance may suggest an attempt to flee. Analysts are monitoring flight corridors to allied nations, specifically Russia and Qatar, as safe haven possibilities.

Kinetic Engagement Confirmed The leadership vacuum emerges in the immediate aftermath of a confirmed, large-scale U.S. military engagement on Venezuelan soil.

Early morning reports on January 3 confirmed multiple explosions across Caracas and La Guaira, as well as strikes on military installations in Miranda and Aragua states. These strikes constitute a definitive escalation from the "maximum pressure" campaign of late December to direct kinetic warfare. This follows the recent U.S. Coast Guard seizure of the Venezuelan oil tanker Centuries and CIA-attributed drone strikes on docking facilities.

Constitutional Fragility Venezuelan officials have declared a "national emergency" and mobilized the armed forces. However, without the Commander-in-Chief, the chain of command remains fragile. Despite Maduro's January 1 televised offer to hold "serious talks" regarding oil investment and drug trafficking, Washington appears to have executed a decapitation strike strategy.

As of this hour, no visual confirmation of Maduro—either in a U.S. holding facility or a foreign safe haven—has been provided. The presidency is effectively vacant, though the nature of the exit remains unverified.