US allies, foes alarmed by capture of Venezuela’s Maduro
US President Donald Trump said Nicolas Maduro and his wife will be taken to New York to face federal charges after military strikes and the operation, which he described as a “television show”.
The Venezuelan government condemned the attack, calling it “extremely serious military aggression” by Washington, and declared a state of emergency.
Countries with long-standing ties to Maduro’s government, such as Russia and Iran, were quick to condemn the operation, but their alarm was shared by Washington’s allies such as France and the EU.
Here is the summary of the main reaction.
Russia
Russia demanded that the US leadership “reconsider its position and release the legally elected president of the sovereign country and his wife.”Chinese
“China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the US’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and its action against its president,” Beijing said.
Iranian
Iran, which Trump bombed last year, said it “strongly condemns the US military attack on Venezuela and the flagrant violation of the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Mexican
Mexico, which Trump also threatened to use military force over drug trafficking, strongly condemned the US military action in Venezuela, saying it “seriously endangers regional stability”.
Colombia
Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whose country borders Venezuela, called the US action “an attack on the sovereignty” of Latin America that would lead to a humanitarian crisis.
Brazil
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called the US attacks a “serious affront” to Venezuela’s sovereignty.
Cuba
Cuba, Venezuela’s strong ally, condemned “state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people.”
Spain
Spain called for “de-escalation and moderation” while offering to mediate the crisis to find a peaceful solution.
France
France condemned the US operation, saying it undermined international law and that no solution to the crisis in Venezuela could be imposed from outside.
EU
The EU expressed concern about the developments more generally and called for international law to be respected, although it stated that Maduro “lacks legitimacy”.
England
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that all countries should “abide by international law” and stated that “Britain was not involved in this operation in any way” and called for patience for “the facts to emerge”.
Italy
Far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Trump’s ally, expressed the rare support of a major European country for the US operation and argued that the US military operation in Venezuela was “legitimate” and “defensive”.
UN
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply alarmed” by the US strikes and his spokesman said it “could set a dangerous precedent”.
