A large number of members of the security detail of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro were killed in an operation by United States (U.S.) forces, said Venezuelan Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino.
Padrino supported the proclamation of Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim president.
He told state television that the armed forces had been activated across the country in order to guarantee sovereignty.
In the operation by U.S. forces, during which various targets in Caracas and other parts of the country were struck, Maduro and his wife were arrested and taken to the U.S.
