World leaders denounce U.S. operation to capture Maduro
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Fire burns at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela's largest military complex, after reported explosions in Caracas on January 3 amid reports of U.S. strikes. Photo: AFP via Getty Images
Countries including Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Russia and Iran condemned the Trump administration's intervention in Venezuela on Saturday after the U.S. "captured" President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and flew them out of the country.
The big picture: The attacks overnight in Caracas follow months of pressure from the Trump administration, including a $50 million bounty on Maduro for alleged narco-terrorism, strikes on alleged drug boats and the seizures of tankers carrying Venezuelan oil.
What they're saying: Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wrote on X: "Bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line."
- "These acts represent a most serious affront to Venezuela's sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community," Lula wrote, according to a translation.
- "Attacking countries, in flagrant violation of international law, is the first step toward a world of violence, chaos, and instability, where the law of the strongest prevails over multilateralism."
Zoom out: "Latin America and the Caribbean is a zone of peace, built on the basis of mutual respect, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the prohibition of the use and threat of force, so any military action seriously jeopardizes regional stability," Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a news release translated from Spanish to English.
- Colombian President Gustavo Petro shared on X what he described as "deep concern" about the reports of explosions. He said Colombia "reiterates its conviction that peace, respect for international law, and the protection of life and human dignity must prevail over any form of armed confrontation."
- Russia's Foreign Minister accused the U.S. of "an act of armed aggression against Venezuela," while Iran called the attack a "flagrant violation" of Venezuelan sovereignty.
China's foreign ministry said it was "deeply shocked" and condemned the US intervention as a "blatant use of force."
- "Such hegemonic acts of the U.S. seriously violate international law and Venezuela's sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region," the foreign ministry said in a translated X post.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot also accused the U.S. of violating international law, saying on X "no lasting political solution can be imposed from the outside."
State of play: Other leaders put out more neutral statements. EU Foreign Policy chief Kaja Kallas wrote that Maduro "lacks legitimacy" but the UN Charter "must be respected."
- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who has previously criticized the U.S. actions in Venezuela, called for "de-escalation."
The other side: Argentina's President Javier Milei celebrated the news, responding on X with his slogan: "LONG LIVE FREEDOM!"
Editor's note: This story has been updated with statements from additional world leaders.
