World leaders were sharply divided on Saturday after the United States launched a full-scale attack on Venezuela and President Donald Trump announced that the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, had been captured and flown out of the country.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez condemned what he called a “criminal attack.” write on X that “our zone of peace is under brutal attack.” Communist Cuba is a supporter of the Maduro government and has long been an opponent of the United States.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his government viewed the reports from Venezuela “with great concern.” He warned against further escalation, claiming the US strikes risked destabilizing the region.
“The Colombian government rejects any unilateral military action that could worsen the situation or endanger the civilian population,” Petro said. wrote on X.
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World leaders react with condemnation, concern and praise after the US launched an attack on Venezuela as Trump claims Maduro has been captured. (JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)
Petro said Colombia is taking preventive measures to “protect the civilian population” and “maintain stability at the Colombian-Venezuelan border,” although he did not provide exact details.
Mexico also condemned the US military intervention in Venezuela, calling it a “clear violation” of international law and urging an end to what it described as “any act of aggression” against Venezuela.
“Latin America and the Caribbean are a zone of peace,” he says statement released by the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The statement was shared by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on X.
It warned that any military action would put regional stability at “serious risk”.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also denounced the military action, saying the bombings and the reported arrest of the president crossed “an unacceptable line.”
“These acts represent a very serious affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and once again set an extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community,” Lula said. saidWarned that the strike risked plunging the world into “violence, chaos and instability.”
Russia also criticized the attacks, calling them an act of “armed aggression” against Venezuela. Moscow warned that the move risked further escalation and urged dialogue instead.
“Latin America must remain a zone of peace, as it declared itself in 2014. Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny, free from any destructive – let alone military – external interference,” the Russian government said in a statement. statement.
Protesters hold posters of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro (right) and late former President Hugo Chávez during a rally in Caracas, Venezuela. (Jesus Vargas/Getty Images)
Iran’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the attacks.
Meanwhile, President Javier Milei of Argentina, a close ally of Trump, praised the news, sharing an earlier video in which he denounced Maduro’s “narco-terrorist” regime as a regional threat and urged Latin American leaders to support US pressure to end it.
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“Long live freedom, dammit!” Milei wrote, using his signature pro-freedom chant.
In Europe, European Council President António Costa said he was following developments in Venezuela “with great concern,” urging de-escalation and respect for international law.
“The European Union calls for de-escalation and a solution in full respect of international law and the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations,” Costa said, adding that the bloc would continue to support a “peaceful, democratic and inclusive solution” in Venezuela.
In Britain, reform leader and staunch Trump ally Nigel Farage questioned the legality of the attack but said it could lead to a favorable outcome.
Argentine President Javier Milei praised the news, sharing an earlier video in which he denounced Maduro’s “narcoterrorist” regime as a regional threat. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
“US actions in Venezuela overnight are unorthodox and contrary to international law – but if they make China and Russia think twice, that could be a good thing,” Farage wrote. ‘I hope that the Venezuelan people can now take a new path without Maduro.
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Meanwhile, in Venezuela, the government called on citizens to mobilize against what it called an “imperialist attack,” calling for “People into the streets!”
The regional response elsewhere in Latin America remained muted in the first hours after the strike, with several governments remaining silent as uncertainty grew over who held power in Caracas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
