British premier calls Maduro 'illegitimate,' saying: 'We shed no tears about the end of his regime'

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Britain has long favored political change in Venezuela, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, adding: “We regarded (Nicolas) Maduro as an illegitimate president and we shed no tears about the end of his regime.”

Earlier Saturday, US President Donald Trump announced that Washington had carried out a "large scale strike" against Venezuela, and that Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were "captured and flown out" of the country, en route to the US, where they will face trial.

The attacks came after months of growing US pressure on Maduro, who Washington accuses of being involved in drug trafficking. The Venezuelan leader had denied the claims and voiced readiness for talks.

In a post on the US social media company X, Starmer said: "I reiterated my support for international law this morning. The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people."

Trump said Saturday that Washington would oversee Venezuela's government during an interim period following the capture of Maduro.

"We're going to run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition," Trump told a news conference in the US state of Florida, flanked by senior Cabinet officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.