https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/69161a60-3e54-4375-9f00-bd9b17668a9f Thousands of New Yorkers poured into the streets Saturday afternoon to protest US military strikes on Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro. The demonstrations came hours after US forces struck Caracas and announced they would oversee the country during what the Trump administration called a “transition.” Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Maduro’s government of narcotrafficking and of “emptying prisons” and sending criminals to the United States, claims critics say lack credible evidence. The US has also targeted Venezuelan vessels in recent months, steadily increasing military and economic pressure on Caracas. Many protesters told Middle East Eye they view Trump’s accusations as a pretext for regime change. They say the real objective is control over Venezuela’s oil reserves, which are the largest proven in the world, and warn the latest escalation risks civilian lives and violates Venezuelan sovereignty. Support stories that matter. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCR0fZh5SBxxMNYdg0VzRFkg/join Catch previous episodes of MEE LIVE, our biweekly news programme exploring the stories shaping our world through breaking coverage, expert analysis, and hard-hitting interviews. Originally airing Tuesdays & Thursdays at 12pm ET | 5pm BST Got a story tip or question? Reach us at MEELive@middleeasteye.org Subscribe to our channel: http://ow.ly/AVlW30n1OWH Subscribe to MEE Telegram channel to stay up to date: https://t.me/MiddleEastEye_TG Middle East Eye Website: https://middleeasteye.net Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@middleeasteye Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/MiddleEastEye Like us on Facebook: https://facebook.com/MiddleEastEye Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MiddleEastEye Thu, 09 Apr 2026 01:50:51 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://tankie.tube https://tankie.tube/lazy-static/avatars/3ba3ff73-a8b6-49c9-add8-9653ef090c7f.webp https://tankie.tube/videos/watch/69161a60-3e54-4375-9f00-bd9b17668a9f All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://tankie.tube/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.