Caracas: Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro received a Chinese government representative at the presidential palace in Caracas, hours before US President Donald Trump claimed Maduro had been captured following American military strikes. Maduro met Qiu Xiaoqi, special representative of the Chinese government on Latin American affairs, at the Miraflores Palace.

According to Anadolu Agency, Maduro expressed his satisfaction with the meeting, stating on Telegram, "I had a pleasant meeting with Qiu Xiaoqi, Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping. We reaffirmed our commitment to the strategic relationship that is progressing and strengthening in various areas for building a multipolar world of development and peace."

The meeting took place before Trump's announcement that Maduro, along with his wife, had been captured after a "large scale" strike and flown out of the country. Earlier, Venezuela accused the US of attacking civilian and military locations in Caracas and other cities, leading to the declaration of a state of emergency.