After an intense attack launched by the US against Venezuela and the announcement by US President Donald Trump about the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro, world leaders echoed the actions. The tone of the demonstrations ranged from condemnation to support.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned the attack and said it crossed an “unacceptable line”. “These acts represent a very serious affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community. Attacking countries, in flagrant violation of international law, is the first step towards a world of violence, chaos and instability, where the law of the strongest prevails over multilateralism”, wrote Lula in X.
The vice-president of the European Union declared that she had spoken with the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, and stated that she prioritizes people’s safety. In a post on the social network X, she highlighted:
“The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr. Maduro lacks legitimacy and has advocated a peaceful transition. In all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint. The safety of EU citizens in the country is our top priority.”
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For the Russian Foreign Ministry, the US “military aggression” against Venezuela is “deeply worrying”. The Russian government defended that dialogue would be the way to avoid the worsening of the situation in the region. “In the current situation it is crucial, above all, to avoid further escalation and focus on finding a way out through dialogue,” the official statement said. Russia also requested a “clarification” regarding Maduro’s detention by American authorities.
The president of Chile, Gabriel Boric, condemned the military actions and called for “a peaceful way out of the serious crisis” affecting the South American country. Boric highlighted that it adheres to “basic principles of International Law, such as the prohibition of the use of force, non-intervention, the peaceful resolution of disputes and the territorial integrity of States”.
Spain also defended compliance with International Law and called for “moderation”. The Spanish government made itself available to mediate the conflict: “Spain is willing to offer its good offices to reach a peaceful and negotiated solution to the current crisis”, it declared in a statement.
The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, celebrated the capture of Nicolás Maduro through a publication in X. “Freedom advances. Long live freedom, c…”, wrote the Argentine ruler, maintaining his characteristic style.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel strongly condemned the attack, which culminated in the capture of Maduro and the first lady, Cilia Flores. “Cuba denounces and demands an urgent reaction from the international community against the criminal US attack on Venezuela. Our #PeaceZone is being brutally attacked. State terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America”, he wrote.
In Colombia, President Gustavo Petro announced a reinforcement of border security to deal with a possible mass arrival of refugees due to attacks on Caracas and other cities. “The public force at the border and the entire assistance network we have in the event of a massive entry of refugees are activated,” declared Petro.
