Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum condemns US intervention in Venezuela

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday condemned what she described as U.S. intervention in Venezuela and reaffirmed her government’s commitment to national sovereignty by rejecting the idea of ​​American troops entering Mexico.

“We categorically reject interference in the internal affairs of other countries,” Sheinbaum said at a news conference in Mexico City, according to an official transcript. he said. of speaking He was released by his office.

“The history of Latin America is clear and powerful; intervention has never brought democracy, never created prosperity or lasting stability. Only people can build their own future, decide their own path, exercise sovereignty over natural resources and freely define their own form of government,” he said.

The US military carried out an operation in Caracas on Saturday and removed former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from their compound.

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Maduro and Flores were boarded aboard the USS Iwo Jima and flown to New York to face federal charges; Their hearings took place in Manhattan on Monday.

Maduro is charged with four crimes: conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

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His wife is charged with three charges: conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess machine guns and destructive devices.

01/05/2026 Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores are seen in handcuffs after landing at a helipad in Manhattan; escorted by heavily armed Federal agents, as he drove an armored vehicle toward the Federal courthouse in Manhattan. (TheImageDirect.com)

Following the capture of the Venezuelan leader and his wife and warnings from President Donald Trump that Mexico must “get its act together,” Sheinbaum said Mexico’s sovereignty and right to self-determination remain unquestionable.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that he thought Sheinbaum was “a great person” but that the cartels “run Mexico.”

“We’re going to have to do something. We’d like Mexico to do it, they can do it, but unfortunately the cartels are very strong in Mexico,” Trump said.

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Sheinbaum said his country is cooperating with the United States to help combat drug trafficking, organized crime and the flow of fentanyl.

President Donald Trump speaks as Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth join him at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday, January 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Asked about potential U.S. intervention, Sheinbaum told reporters in Spanish: “I don’t believe in an invasion. I don’t even think it’s something they take very seriously.” Translation by Reuters from his words.

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He said Trump repeatedly insisted during phone calls that the U.S. Army be allowed into Mexico.

“We said no very firmly, first because we were defending our sovereignty and second because there was no need to do so,” Sheinbaum told reporters.