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Former US vice-presidential candidate Tim Walz announced Monday he was ending his bid for a third term as Minnesota governor, bowing out amid mounting political headwinds and renewed scrutiny over fraud in state programs.Walz, a Democrat who rose to national prominence as Kamala Harris’s running mate in 2024, made the call just months after launching his reelection campaign.In a statement, Walz said the storm over fraud allegations — and the partisan fights they have fueled — made it impossible to campaign effectively while governing.”Every minute I spend defending my own political interests would be a minute I can’t spend defending the people of Minnesota against the criminals who prey on our generosity and the cynics who prey on our differences,” he said.”So I’ve decided to step out of the race and let others worry about the election while I focus on the work.”The governor has faced intensified Republican attacks tied to probes into a scandal around the misuse of pandemic-era aid programs, including a sprawling federal case involving the nonprofit Feeding Our Future. As of late December, 92 people were charged in connection with the scandal, out of which 62 have been convicted.  Many defendants in those ongoing cases are of Somali descent — a detail that President Donald Trump seized upon to launch verbal attacks against Minnesota’s Somali community.Trump accused Walz of being “corrupt” and alleged baselessly that he had stolen billions of dollars of public funds, in a Truth Social post on Monday that grossly mischaracterized the facts of the case.”I feel certain the facts will come out, and they will reveal a seriously unscrupulous, and rich, group of ‘SLIMEBALLS,'” he said.State officials say many claims have been exaggerated or debunked, but the controversy has weighed on Walz’s approval ratings and rattled Democrats heading into the 2026 midterm elections.Minnesota has not elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006, and party leaders remain bullish about holding the governorship. Still, Walz’s vulnerabilities had drawn a growing field of potential Republican challengers and prompted quiet calls among Democrats for a reset.His exit clears the way for a crowded Democratic contest. US Senator Amy Klobuchar is widely viewed as a possible contender, alongside state Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minnesota’s Secretary of State Steve Simon, though none has formally declared.For Walz, a former teacher, National Guard veteran and union ally, the decision caps a meteoric rise from state politics to the national stage — and leaves Minnesota Democrats to chart their next chapter without one of their most recognizable figures.

Nicolas Maduro walked into a packed New York courtroom Monday with his shoulders back, scanning the public gallery and offering a few Spanish greetings, before declaring: “I am innocent.”The deposed Venezuelan president, wearing a dark shirt over orange prison fatigues, was defiant as he went on to say US forces had kidnapped him and called himself a prisoner of war. “I’m a decent man. I am still president of my country,” Maduro said in the 30-minute hearing in which he pleaded not guilty to drugs and weapons charges.Lawyers, law enforcement officers and journalists filled the wood-paneled, blue-carpeted room on the top floor of a Manhattan courthouse.Maduro seemed to understand he had the world’s ears and eyes on him as he used the court to condemn the US military raid on him and his wife in Venezuela.On one occasion, the judge cut him off as Maduro went well beyond a request that he simply confirm his identity for the court. “I’m here kidnapped since January 3, Saturday. I was captured at my home in Caracas, Venezuela,” the 63-year-old said. “There will be time and place to get into all of this,” Judge Alvin Hellerstein replied. One of the most dramatic moments came at the end of the hearing when Maduro had a heated exchange with a man in the public gallery who shouted that he would pay for his crimes. “I am a prisoner of war,” Maduro responded before being led out of the court.He spoke only in Spanish and listened to the proceedings translated through headphones. His remarks were relayed to the court through an interpreter. Using a pen and paper, Maduro took notes throughout and rarely looked up from his desk.- Heavily-armed police -His wife Cilia Flores, wearing a similar outfit with tied up blonde hair, sat beside Maduro with one of three lawyers in between them. Two US marshals stood behind the pair but no weapons were on display in the courtroom.That was in stark contrast to the dramatic images that showed heavily-armed police escorting them in an armored vehicle from a Brooklyn jail to court in the morning.Outside, scores of police officers had been patrolling since early morning and metal barriers served as a perimeter around the building.Several dozen protesters also gathered to both celebrate and criticize Maduro’s arrest, occasionally arguing with each other as they were separated by law enforcement.One group held Venezuelan flags and signs saying “USA hands of Venezuela” and chanted “Viva viva Maduro.””We say no to US intervention. It’s not in our benefit,” said Sydney Loving, 31, who traveled from Minneapolis for the demonstration. On the other side of a barrier, people were thrilled to see Maduro in US custody. “Today is my birthday, and this is the best gift I ever received in my whole lifetime,” said Angel Montero, 36, a Venezuelan living in the US.”I am so happy that this is happening today. I’m happy that everybody is here supporting justice.”

A conservation group sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday over its failure to act on protecting American horseshoe crabs, which are increasingly threatened by the harvesting of their blood for drug safety testing.Sometimes called “living fossils,” horseshoe crabs have patrolled the world’s shallow coastal waters for more than 450 million years, outlasting the dinosaurs.But their population has cratered more than 70 percent since 2000 as a result of over-harvesting and habitat loss.Their bright blue blood is used for testing the safety of biomedical products, despite synthetic alternatives now approved and widely used in Europe and Asia.”Harvesting horseshoe crabs for blood is now the number one threat to horseshoe crabs,” Will Harlan, a scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, which brought the legal case against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), told AFP. “We think because horseshoe crabs are so depleted overseas — the other three species of horseshoe crabs are all even more endangered than the American horseshoe crab — and so demand globally has shifted to the United States,” he added, with biomedical harvests doubling over the past seven years.The Center for Biological Diversity, along with 25 other organizations, petitioned the federal government in February 2024 — when former president Joe Biden was in office — to list the American horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) as threatened or endangered, and to designate areas as critical habitats.Under the Endangered Species Act, such a petition triggers a 90-day deadline to issue an initial finding. While the law allows some flexibility, it requires that a scientifically justified decision be reached within a year. Rejection can pave the way for appeal.”Unfortunately, under both administrations, we’ve been waiting for a decision that, by law, was supposed to come much sooner,” said Harlan. “But these horseshoe crabs can’t wait any longer.”Since the 1970s, horseshoe crabs have been caught, bled alive, and returned to the sea to harvest a protein called “Factor C,” which detects endotoxins that can contaminate drugs.Some companies, including Eli Lilly — known for its weight-loss drugs — have earned praise for converting most of their operations to synthetic alternatives.With helmet-like shells, spike-like tails and five pairs of legs connected to their mouths, horseshoe crabs crawl ashore along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts each spring to lay their eggs on beaches in massive spawning events.As their numbers have declined, so too have the species that depend on them, including sea turtles, fish and birds.The Trump administration has sought to weaken the landmark Endangered Species Act — proposing, for example, to allow economic considerations to factor into what were previously science-based decisions.

Denmark’s prime minister warned Monday that any US move to take Greenland by force would destroy 80 years of transatlantic security links, after President Donald Trump repeated his desire to annex the mineral-rich Arctic territory.Washington’s military intervention in Venezuela has reignited fears about Trump’s designs on the autonomous Danish territory, which has untapped rare earth deposits and could be a vital player as polar ice melts, opening up new shipping routes.”We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” the US leader said Sunday.In response, Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederick Nielsen told Trump to back off, while several European countries and the European Union rushed to back Denmark, which has urged Washington to stop threatening a NATO ally.In Copenhagen, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told the TV2 network: “If the United States decides to military attack another NATO country, then everything would stop — that includes NATO and therefore post-World War II security.”Greenland is on the shortest route for missiles between Russia and the United States, and Washington has a military base there.”We’ll worry about Greenland in about two months,” Trump said. “Let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days.”Nielsen told Trump on social media: “That’s enough now. No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation.””We are open to dialogue,” he said. “But this must happen through the proper channels and with respect for international law.”-‘China threat’ -Trump rattled European leaders by seizing Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, who is now detained in New York.Trump has said the United States will “run” Venezuela indefinitely and tap its huge oil reserves.The US leader has similarly ramped up pressure on Greenland over recent months, saying in December that Russian and Chinese ships were “all over” the territory’s coast. The foreign ministry in Beijing hit back on Monday, urging Washington to “stop using the so-called China threat as an excuse to seek personal gain”.Aaja Chemnitz, who represents Greenland in the Danish parliament, accused Trump of “spreading lies about Chinese and Russian warships”.”The people of Greenland should go into preparation mode,” she told AFP, adding that Greenlanders needed to start taking Trump much more seriously.On the streets of Copenhagen, people expressed bewilderment at Trump’s threats.”I think it’s a little crazy that he can say those things,” said Frederik Olsen, 56. “He has all the access he wants for the troops,” said Christian Harpsoe, 46. “I see no need. You cannot compare this to Venezuela.”-‘Disrespectful’ -The controversy drew statements of support from around Europe. EU foreign policy spokesperson Anitta Hipper told reporters the bloc was committed to defending the territorial integrity of its members.British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said “only Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark” could decide the territory’s future — sentiments reflected in statements from the leaders of Finland, Sweden and Norway.France’s foreign ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux told local TV that “borders cannot be changed by force” and added that his country felt “solidarity” with Denmark. The flare-up came after former Trump aide Katie Miller posted an online image Saturday of Greenland in the colours of the US flag with the caption “SOON”.Nielsen labelled the post “disrespectful”. Frederiksen on Sunday called on Washington to stop “threatening its historical ally” and said US claims on Greenland were “absurd”.Miller is the wife of Trump adviser Stephen Miller, who is widely seen as the architect of many Trump policies, guiding the president’s hard-line immigration decisions and domestic agenda.In response to Miller’s post, Denmark’s ambassador to Washington, Jesper Moeller Soerensen, said his country was already working with Washington to boost security in the Arctic.”We are close allies and should continue to work together as such,” Soerensen wrote.burs/jxb-phz/tw

European leaders have given a low-key response to US President Donald Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela as they seek to avoid riling him on other critical issues — from Ukraine to Greenland. After American troops captured strongman Nicolas Maduro in a jaw-dropping blitz on Caracas, leaders across the Atlantic largely refused to condemn a move seen by critics as trampling on Venezuela’s sovereignty.German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called the operation legally “complex”, and British premier Keir Starmer said it was a “fast-moving situation”.All stressed the need to uphold “international law” — but no one was shedding tears for the toppling of Maduro, an ally of Russia who the EU viewed as illegitimate after disputed elections in 2024.”These events create the opportunity for a democratic transition in Venezuela,” EU spokeswoman Paula Pinho said on Monday, sidestepping commenting on Trump’s insistence Washington will now run Venezuela.Spanish Premier Pedro Sanchez — whose country has deep ties to Latin America — sounded a rare harsh note by saying the intervention “violates international law”. But that was as far as anyone was willing to go as Europe frets about keeping Trump onside in fraught negotiations over Ukraine.”We have our problems elsewhere and like it or not, realistically we need the US involvement,” one EU diplomat told AFP, talking as others on condition of anonymity.  “Having a tough statement to defend Maduro is not in our collective interest.”The intervention in Venezuela comes as Europe has desperately been trying to mould Trump’s efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.Kyiv’s backers are hoping Trump will give solid security guarantees to Ukraine as he pressures the country to give up territory for a deal. European leaders are set to hold a summit in Paris on Tuesday to try to firm up the plans and could meet with Trump later this month.”No US, no security guarantees,” said one EU official. – Greenland fears -While European diplomats concede they don’t have much sway over Washington’s push to dominate Latin America, far more worrying would be if an emboldened Trump goes after another prize: Greenland.As he basked in the successful operation to capture Maduro the mercurial leader repeated his desire to take control of the autonomous territory of EU and NATO member Denmark. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” Trump told journalists.That came despite Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen calling on Washington to stop “threatening” its territory.The EU and Britain insisted they stood by Denmark and Greenland.But even on this issue Europe appeared keen to avoid a confrontation.”We must appease Trump, not poke the beast,” said another EU diplomat. “There’s nothing we can do, and Trump knows it.”While few expect Trump to repeat the aggressive tactics in Greenland, analysts said the US powerplay in Venezuela already boded ill for Europe’s efforts to cling to a rules-based world order.”One of the byproducts of action of this kind is a legitimising effect on the ability of great powers to reshape things in ways they want in their neighbourhood,” said Ian Lesser of the German Marshall Fund think tank.”That could apply for Taiwan. It could apply in Ukraine or Moldova. Basically, it creates a systemic problem.”Meanwhile experts from the European Council on Foreign Relations insisted that Europe would eventually face a decision on standing up to Trump. “Europeans face a choice: accommodate or resist Washington’s ambitions. Either path carries costs,” the think tank said. “The question is not whether Europe can avoid friction with the US, but whether it is willing to defend its own interests when the challenge comes from its most powerful ally.”

Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro arrived at a New York court on Monday just over 48 hours after being seized in Caracas in a stunning US military operation that paves the way for Washington’s plans to control the oil-rich country.Maduro, 63, and his wife, Cilia Flores, were brought to the Manhattan courthouse under heavy guard to face narcotrafficking charges.Outside, around 40 people protested against the US intervention, while a smaller group expressed support.The pair were snatched by US commandos in the early hours of Saturday in an assault backed by warplanes and a heavy naval deployment.In a series of shock announcements over the weekend, President Donald Trump declared that the United States is now running Venezuela with an eye to rebuilding and controling its huge but decrepit oil industry.Amid international alarm, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told an emergency UN Security Council meeting that there should be “respect for the principles of sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity.”There was sharp criticism Monday from Mexico, where President Claudia Sheinbaum said the Americas “do not belong” to anyone.Colombian President Gustavo Petro issued a fiery statement saying that as a former guerrilla fighter he was ready to “take up arms” against Trump.Maduro became president in 2013, taking over from his equally hardline socialist predecessor Hugo Chavez.The United States and European Union say he stayed in power by rigging elections and imprisoning opponents, while overseeing rampant corruption.The end to a quarter century of leftist rule leaves Venezuela’s approximately 30 million people facing uncertainty.Some 2,000 Maduro supporters, including rifle-wielding men on motorcycles, rallied Sunday in Caracas, waving Venezuelan flags.On Monday, deputies in the Venezuelan parliament shouted “let’s go Nico!” in support for the ousted leader.For now, though, the Trump administration is indicating it wants continuity with the remainder of Maduro’s entourage — provided they submit to US demands.Interim president Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro’s vice president, dropped an initially defiant posture on Sunday, saying she was ready for “cooperation.”Trump has made clear there is no appetite for helping opposition candidates previously seen as the rightful winners of rigged elections to take power.- ‘Need access to oil’ -When asked what he needs from interim leader Rodriguez, Trump said: “We need total access. We need access to the oil and other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country.”Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves. However the oil is difficult and expensive to produce and after years of international sanctions and mismanagement, the infrastructure is in poor shape.Shares in US oil majors Chevron, ExxonMobil and ConocoPhillips shares surged on Wall Street early Monday.Trump, who has shocked many Americans with his unprecedented moves to accumulate domestic power, also now appears increasingly emboldened in foreign policy.On Sunday, he said communist Cuba was “ready to fall” and he repeated that Greenland, which is part of US ally Denmark, should be controlled by the United States.He has lashed out at Colombia’s Petro, saying he should “watch his ass.”Although there are no known US troops in Venezuela now, the Trump administration says it retains powerful economic leverage through an oil blockade. Trump has also threatened additional military attacks.A huge US naval presence, including an aircraft carrier, is deployed in the Caribbean.Details of the US operation in Caracas were still emerging Monday, with Havana saying 32 Cubans were killed in the attack. No US service members were killed but some were wounded, according to US officials.Protesting outside the New York court, leftist activist Sydney Loving, 31, said she stood “with the people of Venezuela.””We say no to US wars. We say no to US intervention. It’s not in our benefit. It does not make the US safer, it makes it makes the people on Wall Street richer,” she told AFP.However, Angel Montero, who moved to the United States from Venezuela, described the downfall of Maduro as “the best gift I ever received.””I’m going to thank Donald Trump,” Montero, 36, said.burs-sms/bgs

The European Commission said Monday it is “very seriously looking” into complaints that Elon Musk’s AI tool Grok is being used to generate and disseminate sexually explicit childlike images.”Grok is now offering a ‘spicy mode’ showing explicit sexual content with some output generated with childlike images. This is not spicy. This is illegal. This is appalling,” EU digital affairs spokesman Thomas Regnier told reporters.”This has no place in Europe.”Complaints of abuse began hitting Musk’s X social media platform, where Grok is available, after an “edit image” button for the generative artificial intelligence tool was rolled out in late December.But Grok maker xAI, run by Musk, said earlier this month it was scrambling to fix flaws in its AI tool.The public prosecutor’s office in Paris has also expanded an investigation into X to include new accusations that Grok was being used for generating and disseminating child pornography.X has already been in the EU’s crosshairs.Brussels in December slapped the platform with a 120-million-euro ($140-million) fine for violating the EU’s digital content rules on transparency in advertising and for its methods for ensuring users were verified and actual people.X still remains under investigation under the EU’s Digital Services Act in a probe that began in December 2023.The commission, which acts as the EU’s digital watchdog, has also demanded information from X about comments made around the Holocaust.Regnier said X had responded to the commission’s request for information.”I think X is very well aware that we’re very serious about DSA enforcement, they will remember the fine that they have received from us back in December. So we encourage all companies to be compliant because the commission is serious about enforcement,” he added.

Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro is expected to appear in a New York court on Monday, just days after being seized in Caracas in a shock US military operation that paved the path for Washington’s plans to dominate the oil-rich country.Leftist strongman Maduro, 63, faces narcotrafficking charges along with his wife, Cilia Flores, who was forcibly taken out of Caracas in the US assault Saturday, which involved commandos, bombing by jet planes, and a massive naval force.All eyes were on Venezuela’s response to the swiftly moving events, and late Sunday, interim leader Delcy Rodriguez, in a potential win for Washington, stepped back from her initial defiance by offering to work with Trump.”We extend an invitation to the US government to work together on an agenda for cooperation,” the former vice president said.However, around 2,000 Maduro supporters, accompanied by a group of pro-Maduro paramilitaries and bikers, demonstrated Sunday in Caracas to demand his release from US custody. Trump announced late Sunday that the United States was “in charge” of the South American nation, while US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that discussions of Venezuela holding elections following Maduro’s ouster were “premature.”- ‘Need access to oil’ -When asked what he needs from interim leader Rodriguez, Trump said: “We need total access. We need access to the oil and other things in their country that allow us to rebuild their country.”Leading opposition figure Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia said that while the US intervention was “important” without the release of political prisoners and acknowledgement that he won the 2024 election, it was simply “not enough.”The Trump administration says it retains powerful economic leverage by blockading oil tankers from Venezuela. Trump has also threatened additional military attacks if needed.While there are no known US forces left inside Venezuela, a huge naval presence, including an aircraft carrier, remains off the coast.Details of the US operation were still emerging Monday, with Havana saying 32 Cubans were killed in the attack and Trump adding that Cuba itself was ready to fall after Maduro’s capture.”I don’t think we need any action. It looks like it’s going down,” Trump said.The UN Security Council will hold an emergency session on Monday at Venezuela’s request. This will provide a platform for international concern over US intentions in the country of around 30 million people.But what happens next in Venezuela, after a combined quarter-century of hard-left rule by Maduro and his late socialist predecessor Hugo Chavez, remains unclear.- Maduro associates still in power -The White House indicated Sunday that it does not want regime change, rather that Maduro is gone and a pliant new government takes his place — even if it is filled with his former associates.Anointed by his mentor Hugo Chavez before the latter’s death in 2013, Maduro kept a tight grip on power until his capture by US forces on Saturday.Maduro ruled alongside Flores and three other powerful figures: Rodriguez, now Venezuela’s interim leader, her brother Jorge, and their rival: hardline Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.”It’s like a club of five,” a diplomatic source in Caracas told AFP under the condition of anonymity.The US position leaves the Venezuelan opposition, which the Trump administration says was robbed of victory by Maduro, out in the cold.Countries such as China, Russia and Iran, which have longstanding ties with Maduro’s government, were quick to condemn the operation. Some US allies, including the EU, expressed alarm.China called for Maduro to be “immediately released” in a condemnation of the US operation, which its foreign ministry said was a “clear violation of international law.”Iran said on Monday that its relations with close ally Venezuela remained unchanged and called for Maduro’s release.Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whose country neighbors Venezuela, called the US action an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America, which would lead to a humanitarian crisis.Petro rejected threats on Sunday of military action in Colombia made by Trump, who also accused the South American leader of drug trafficking.burs-sms/jm/ane

President Donald Trump’s calls that Greenland should become part of the United States was met with international condemnation Monday as the autonomous Danish territory’s prime minister warned, “That’s enough now”.Washington’s military intervention in Venezuela has reignited fears for Greenland, which Trump has repeatedly said he wants to annex, given its strategic location in the Arctic.While aboard Air Force One en route to Washington, Trump reiterated the goal. “We need Greenland from the standpoint of national security, and Denmark is not going to be able to do it,” he said in response to a reporter’s question.”We’ll worry about Greenland in about two months… let’s talk about Greenland in 20 days.”The territory’s prime minister issued a clear warning: “That’s enough now.””No more pressure. No more insinuations. No more fantasies of annexation,” Jens-Frederik Nielsen said on Facebook. “We are open to dialogue. We are open to discussions. But this must happen through the proper channels and with respect for international law.” Expressing its “solidarity” with Denmark on Monday, France’s foreign ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux told television channel TF1 that “borders cannot be changed by force”. -‘Disrespectful’ -Trump rattled European leaders by attacking Caracas and grabbing Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, who is now being detained in New York.Trump has said the United States will now “run” Venezuela indefinitely and tap its huge oil reserves.Asked in a telephone interview with The Atlantic about the implications of the Venezuela military operation for mineral-rich Greenland, Trump said it was up to others to decide.”They are going to have to view it themselves. I really don’t know,” Trump was quoted as saying.He added: “But we do need Greenland, absolutely. We need it for defence.”Trump last month claimed Russian and Chinese ships were “all over” the territory’s coast. China’s foreign ministry hit back on Monday urging “the US to stop using the so-called China threat as an excuse to seek personal gain.”Finnish President Alexander Stubb said on X: “No one decides for Greenland and Denmark but Greenland and Denmark themselves”, while his Swedish and Norwegian counterparts put out similar messages of support. Former Trump aide Katie Miller, who is also the  wife of the president’s most influential adviser, also drew ire by posting an image of Greenland in the colours of the US flag, captioning it “SOON”.Greenland’s Nielsen called Miller’s post “disrespectful”, writing on X that “our country is not for sale, and our future is not decided by social media posts”.Over the weekend, the Danish prime minister also called on Washington to stop “threatening its historical ally”.”It is absolutely absurd to say that the United States should take control of Greenland,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement, also noting that Denmark, “and thus Greenland”, was a NATO member protected by the agreement’s security guarantees.- Allies? -Stephen Miller is widely seen as the architect of much of Trump’s policies, guiding the president on his hardline immigration policies and domestic agenda.Denmark’s ambassador to the United States, Jesper Moeller Soerensen, offered a pointed “friendly reminder” in response to Katie Miller’s post that his country has “significantly boosted its Arctic security efforts” and worked together with Washington on that.”We are close allies and should continue to work together as such,” Soerensen wrote.Katie Miller was deputy press secretary under Trump at the Department of Homeland Security during his first term.She later worked as communications director for then-vice president Mike Pence and also acted as his press secretary.

The ousting of Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela’s president puts to the test his “Chavista” factions that have governed the oil-rich nation for 27 years.What happens to the so-called “club of five” powerful leftist figures, now that two of its most important members — Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores — have been captured and sent to the United States to face trial?- ‘Club of five’ -Anointed by his mentor Hugo Chavez before the latter’s death in 2013, Maduro kept a tight grip on power until his capture by US forces on Saturday.Maduro ruled alongside Flores and three other powerful figures: former vice president Delcy Rodriguez — now Venezuela’s interim leader — her brother Jorge, and their rival: hardline Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello.”It’s like a club of five,” a diplomatic source in Caracas told AFP under the condition of anonymity.”They can speak, they have a voice in the government, but Maduro was the one who kept the balance. Now that he’s gone, who knows?”– Maduro and ‘Super Cilita’ –The image of Maduro handcuffed and blindfolded as US forces transported him to New York to face trial made headlines around the world.During months in the crosshairs of US President Donald Trump, who accused him of being a drug trafficker, the 63-year-old former bus driver deflected pressure by dancing to techno music at near-daily rallies, always broadcast live, as he chanted the mantra “No war, yes peace!” — in English.Frequently underestimated, Maduro managed to eliminate internal resistance and keep the opposition at bay.Murals, songs and films celebrated him, as did the animated cartoon “Super Moustache,” in which he appeared as a superhero, fighting imperialism alongside “Super Cilita,” who is based on Flores. Toy figurines of both characters were also produced.The military swore absolute loyalty to him, led by Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez.Though defiant at first and calling for Maduro’s return, Venezuela’s interim leader Rodriguez called for a “balanced and respectful relationship” between the South American country and the United States on Sunday.”The top level of government has survival as its absolute priority,” Antulio Rosales, political scientist and professor at York University in Canada, told AFP.– The Rodriguez siblings –Rodriguez controlled the economy and the oil industry as vice president while her brother Jorge is the speaker of parliament.They are known for their incendiary rhetoric, often mixing belligerence, irony and insults against the “enemies of the fatherland.”But behind the scenes, they are skilled political operators.Jorge Rodriguez was the chief negotiator with the opposition and the United States, and his sister represented Maduro in various international forums.Experts also attribute purges within government to them, such as one that sent Tareck El Aissami, a powerful oil minister until 2023, to prison.Rodriguez took over his post shortly afterwards.– The feared policeman –Diosdado Cabello meanwhile is widely feared in Venezuela. Under his ministry, some 2,400 people were detained during protests that followed Maduro’s disputed re-election in 2024, in a move that cowed the opposition.Cabello is seen as representing the most radical wing of “Chavismo,” and some see him at odds with the pragmatism of the Rodriguez pair, though both sides have denied this.Cabello acted as president for a few hours when Chavez was overthrown for two days in 2002.He accompanied Chavez in a failed coup attempt in 1992. Today he is number two in the Socialist Party behind Maduro.The US courts have now named Cabello among those wanted for trial alongside Maduro.They have offered $25 million for his capture.Having kept a low profile in the hours after Maduro’s capture, he appeared by Rodriguez’s side at her first cabinet meeting as acting president on Sunday.