Veteran correspondent Lucia Newman has expressed surprise at the latest developments in Venezuela following the arrest of its President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores. She has warned that the swift collapse of the Venezuelan government suggests 'an agreement behind the scenes' was brokered long before the US-led raid.
Newman, Al Jazeera's Latin America editor, drew parallels between Maduro's arrest and the capture of Panama's Manuel Noriega 36 years ago. She suggested the lack of military resistance and Vice President Delcy Rodriguez's alleged cooperation point to a pre-arranged deal with high-ranking Venezuelan officials.
