Fact Check: Did Uganda’s president threaten to shoot down US aircraft after Venezuela raid?

KAMPALA, UGANDA: In the wake of the military operation in Venezuela that saw the capture of its leader, Nicolas Maduro, by US forces, posts on social media claimed that the President of Uganda, Yoweri Museveni, threatened to shoot down US aircraft entering their airspace without permission. Let us examine the authenticity of the claim.

Claim: Uganda's president threatened to shoot down US aircraft

According to a Facebook post published on January 4, Museveni is cited as saying that the US military entering Ugandan airspace without clearance would be shot down.

The posts also said Museveni had warned that his country was 'fully capable of inflicting serious damage in a ground war if provoked.'

The claim has sparked speculations, with many questioning the authenticity of the claim.

Fact Check: Yoweri Museveni did not make such a remark

However, there is no evidence that Museveni publicly threatened the United States with shooting down its aircraft the day after the US troops captured the Socialist leader of the Latin American country. 

Museveni making such threats would have been widely covered by news media, but it cannot be found on any Google search.

The post appears to be a misrepresentation of Museveni’s comments at a youth event on January 4.

During the event, he said that he was 'still studying' the US operation in Venezuela after being asked by the audience what could be learned from it.

The dramatic capture of Nicolas Maduro

Explosions rocked the Venezuelan capital in the early hours of January 3 as US forces conducted an operation to capture Maduro. 

According to reports, the mission targeted heavily guarded locations to facilitate the swift extraction of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi said that the couple would 'face the full wrath of American justice' on US soil.

The operation follows years of US pressure on Maduro, including bounties placed on his head, which escalated from $15 million to $25 million under the previous administration, and further to $50 million under the current administration.

President Donald Trump pointed to Maduro's alleged ties to drug cartels, including the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, which has been linked to several criminal activities in the US.