Pollsters found that 36 percent of Americans “strongly or somewhat support” Maduro’s ousting, while 39 percent “strongly or somewhat oppose” it. Twenty-five percent said they were not sure.
Democrats were mostly against the operation, at 63 percent, while 14 percent supported it. Among Republicans, 13 percent said they were against ousting Maduro and 66 percent backed what happened.
Independents were mostly opposed to Maduro’s removal, with 44 percent opposed and 27 percent in favor.
CBS News/YouGov also found that 36 percent of Americans think the U.S. is better off following Maduro’s removal, while 10 percent say the U.S. would be better off with him in power. The poll shows that 55 percent are unsure what his removal means for the U.S.
Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured and brought to the U.S. to face charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices and conspiracy to possess the weapons. Both were indicted in the Southern District of New York.
“I am a decent man — the president of my country,” Maduro told a federal judge as he gave his not guilty plea on Monday.
The indictment claims that Maduro gave drug traffickers diplomatic cover, ran his own cocaine trafficking operation with Flores and has ties to terrorism and drug trafficking groups over a 25-year timeframe.
President Trump has threatened other countries following the strikes on Venezuela. He warned that Mexico should “get their act together” unless he sends the military after drug cartels, then suggested Cuba is “ready to fall,” highlighting the island nation’s economy and reliance on Venezuela.
Trump also threatened Colombia, calling its president Gustavo Petro a “sick man who likes making cocaine and selling it to the United States, and he’s not going to be doing it very long.” On Wednesday, Trump spoke with Petro by phone, during which the U.S. president said he “appreciated his call and tone.” The two plan to meet at the White House “in the near future,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
