On January 3 local time, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Hill issued a statement declaring that Venezuela had been subjected to a sudden attack and would exercise its rights. The statement demanded that the U.S. provide proof of President Maduro’s survival, asserting that the U.S. must be held responsible for Maduro’s personal safety and immediately release both Maduro and First Lady Flores. The statement noted that Venezuela had communicated with foreign ministers from more than a dozen countries, all of whom strongly condemned the U.S. actions. Venezuela will continue to take action at the international level and will defeat this conspiracy through international law and proactive diplomacy. The statement asserts that the U.S. action violates the immunity granted to heads of state under international law. This precedent endangers all democratic nations in the Americas and indeed across the globe. There is no other motive behind this attack; it is purely aimed at plundering natural resources. (CCTV News)