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Adeola Adeosun

By Adeola Adeosun

Weekend Night Editor

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Emergency anti-war protests are scheduled across the United States this weekend following a U.S. military strike on Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Demonstrations are planned in over 100 cities, with the main New York City protest set to begin at 2 p.m. in Times Square, according to organizers The People's Forum and the ANSWER Coalition.

Protests are scheduled throughout Saturday in major cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., as well as dozens of smaller communities across the country. Additional demonstrations are planned for Sunday in cities including Detroit, Austin, Nashville, and New Orleans. Organizers have characterized the military action as an effort to control Venezuela's vast oil reserves rather than addressing drug trafficking or promote democracy.

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Newsweek reached out to the ANSWER Coalition as well as the White House via email on Saturday for comment.

Why It Matters

Maduro and his wife have been formally indicted in the Southern District of New York, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced, after President Donald Trump confirmed the U.S. captured them during a "large-scale strike" against Caracas early Saturday morning. Maduro earlier declared a national emergency after multiple explosions rocked the capital city.

Maduro and his wife face charges of narco-terrorism. Maduro, meanwhile, had been indicted in March 2020 on "narco-terrorism" conspiracy charges in the Southern District of New York. In August 2025, the U.S. doubled its bounty to $50 million for information leading to Maduro's arrest. Maduro has denied any wrongdoing.

Last week, a CIA drone strike targeted a docking area allegedly used by Venezuelan drug cartels—the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since U.S. strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats began in September.

Trump had long warned he might authorize strikes on land targets in the South American country. The U.S. has also seized sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela's coast, and Trump ordered a blockade of others in a move aimed at tightening economic pressure on the country.

Protesters rally outside the White House on January 3 in Washington, D.C., after the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a military operation. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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What To Know

The military operation early Saturday saw Maduro taken from his home on a military base in Caracas. Multiple explosions rang out as low-flying aircraft swept through the Venezuelan capital in an attack lasting less than 30 minutes.

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were placed aboard a U.S. warship bound for New York, where they face criminal charges in connection with a Justice Department indictment accusing them of narco-terrorism conspiracy. Trump said the U.S. planned to "run" Venezuela until a transition of power could take place, claiming the American presence was already in place, though there were no immediate signs the U.S. was running the country.

The legal authority for the strike remains unclear. The Armed Services committees in both houses of Congress, which have jurisdiction over military matters, have not been notified by the administration of any actions, according to a person familiar with the matter. The operation echoed the 1990 U.S. invasion of Panama that led to the capture of Manuel Antonio Noriega exactly 36 years ago Saturday.

Some Venezuelan civilians and members of the military were killed in the operation, said Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, without giving a number. Trump said some U.S. forces were injured but none were killed. Video verified by the Associated Press showed tracers and smoke clouding the landscape as repeated explosions illuminated the night sky in Caracas.

Protest organizers have described the operation as "an outrageous escalation in a campaign of murder in international waters and piracy targeting civilian ships trading with Venezuela." The ANSWER Coalition has set up a website listing demonstration locations and times, with organizers encouraging participants to register their protests online.

Protesters rally outside the White House on January 3 in Washington, D.C., after the U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in a military operation. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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What People Are Saying

ANSWER Coalition: "Explosions have been reported across Caracas, Venezuela as an apparent U.S. bombing campaign has begun targeting the country. This war is not about drug trafficking, it is not about democracy -- it is about stealing Venezuela's oil and dominating Latin America. It is an outrageous escalation in a campaign of murder in international waters and piracy targeting civilian ships trading with Venezuela."

"We need to take to the streets and say no to another endless war! The people of this country do not want another war! A U.S. war would cause death and destruction for the people of Venezuela. The war machine consumes an unimaginable amount of our tax dollars while working families struggle to make ends meet. In an all-out war with Venezuela, it will be working class young people who are sent to kill and die, not the children of executives at ExxonMobil and LockheedMartin. The people need to take to the streets and say not to Trump's war on Venezuela!"

The People's Forum via Facebook: "Early this morning, Caracas was bombed following weeks of threats from Trump that a land invasion of Venezuela would begin soon. This could be the start of yet another war, based completely on lies. Over 70% of people in the United States oppose a new war –– our public funds should be used for people’s needs instead! This violence is not in our names. We must refuse another endless war for profits!"

List of Nationwide Demonstrations

January 4

What Happens Next

Maduro's arraignment is scheduled for early next week in Manhattan Federal Court where specific charges will be formally presented.

Reporting from the Associated Press contributed to this article.

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