The U.

S.

seized the government plane of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, claiming that its purchase violated U.

S.

sanctions.

This incident is the latest indication of the ongoing tensions between the U.

S.

and Venezuela.

Maduro asserts that he won the Venezuelan election in July, but international observers and much of the world, including the U.

S.

, reject his claim.

They support the opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, who claims he actually received the most votes.

In response, Maduro is cracking down on dissent, and a Venezuelan judge has issued an arrest warrant for Gonzalez, accusing him of sabotaging the election and conspiring against the government.

Freelance reporter Manuel Rueda has been following this story.

He was in Venezuela for the recent presidential election and is now in Bogota, Colombia.

According to Rueda, the Venezuelan government is calling the seizure of the plane an act of piracy.

They issued a statement saying they will take legal measures and seek compensation for the plane, although it is unclear where they could seek such compensation.

The U.

S.

argues that the purchase of the plane was a violation of sanctions and was done undercover.

After the election on July 28, the Venezuelan Electoral Council, controlled by the ruling Socialist Party, declared Maduro the winner.

However, opposition activists in Venezuela collected thousands of tally sheets printed by voting machines, scanned them, and posted them online.

These records show convincingly that Gonzalez won the election by a large margin, possibly receiving two-thirds of the votes.

This has angered the Venezuelan government, leading them to target Gonzalez and other opposition leaders.

The Biden administration's confiscation of the plane is seen as a signal to the Maduro government that they are serious about enforcing sanctions, which could eventually extend to more serious issues such as oil projects and exports in Venezuela.

Gonzalez has not been seen in public for more than a month, likely to avoid arrest.

He might escape Venezuela, as other opposition leaders have done in the past, and continue to make his claims from abroad.

The most popular opposition leader in Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado, who ran Gonzalez's campaign after being banned from participating in the election, is still in Venezuela and promises to stage more protests and keep up the pressure against Maduro.

More than 1,600 people have been arrested in Venezuela following the election protests.

The general public is very worried about the situation.

Media outlets have been censored, and even the social media platform X has been banned.

It is a difficult moment in Venezuela, and many people are considering leaving the country because of this.