As the arrest of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, under Donald Trump’s surprising early morning strike called “Operation Absolute Resolve” sent a wave of shock and uncertainty beyond Latin America, a series of mixed reactions erupted from both allies and critics.
The United Nations Security Council is holding an emergency meeting today. Reactions in Europe were divided: Spain and several Latin American nations condemned the operation as a violation of international law, while France and Italy focused on calls for democratic reform.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., peace seems far from assured as 22-year-old Jessica Plichta, a preschool teacher, was arrested on live television moments after speaking out against Trump, reigniting the debate over the essence of democracy marked by free speech.
According to The Daily Beast, she was detained during an anti-war demonstration in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on January 3, just hours after the U.S. deployed more than 150 aircraft from 20 bases, including bombers, fighter jets, and surveillance planes, into Maduro’s compound in Caracas.
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Among the roughly 200 people protesting, Jessica Plichta claims she was the only one arrested. Footage from WZZM, the local ABC affiliate, shows officers approaching Plichta from behind as she finished an on-air interview. She was taken away while calmly telling police, “I am not resisting arrest.”
Plichta told the outlet Zeteo that she believed her arrest may have been deliberate because officers intervened during her interview and she was immediately targeted. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the moment I finished speaking about Venezuela on camera, I was arrested,” she said.
According to WZZM, the 22-year-old was allegedly pushed into a car without a seatbelt and driven away from the spotlight. Officers accused her of “creating a scene,” after which they removed her from the vehicle, searched her, and confiscated her belongings.
Officers later claimed she was obstructing a roadway and failing to obey a lawful order. Police later confirmed she was charged with failure to obey a lawful command. Furthermore, the teacher said she was asked whether she was Venezuelan and was allegedly forced to identify other demonstrators.
“Flying to Venezuela is just the first of many acts of solidarity we will participate in this week to show that we are proud to stand with the Bolivarian government of Nicolás Maduro,” says Jessica Plichta of @freedomroadorg #Venezuela https://t.co/iwcBXjcSyb
— Fight Back! News (@fightbacknews) December 10, 2025
“We’re used to repression when we speak out against war,” Plichta said. “When we speak about Venezuela or Palestine, we expect authorities to try to shut it down.” Jessica Plichta added.
The helpless youngster chose to remain silent as she was taken into jail and released three hours later as Plichta was released roughly three hours later after fellow protesters gathered outside demanding her release. Video later shared on Facebook showed her celebrating as she rejoined the crowd.
As per the outlet, the Grand Rapids Police Department disputed her account. In a statement, police said demonstrators ignored repeated lawful orders to move to the sidewalk and began blocking intersections. Eric Winstorm, the leading man of the department, warned that participants could be arrested if later identified.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that only about one-third of Americans approve of the strike, while 72% expressed concern that America could become too involved and jeopardize its image in front of the world. Just like Nicolás Maduro, Trump has also been allegedly accused of trying to turn America into an authoritarian state after he resumed his second term in January 2025.
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While the primary reason for control over Venezuela is allegedly its natural resources like petroleum, Trump still believes that it could not use them to their full potential under Nicolás Maduro’s merciless and allegedly corrupt rule.
According to the Council on Foreign Relations, while opposition leader María Corina Machado praised Maduro’s removal and opted for opposition candidate Edmundo González, who ran in the disputed 2024 election, to take over, Venezuela’s Supreme Court quickly appointed Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, to take the temporary lead for now.
Disclaimer: The article mentions details that have been taken from secondary sources. Inquisitr does not assume responsibility for these claims.
