The U.S. military operation that led to the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday sparked an outpouring of responses, with allies and foes of Washington and Caracas expressing disquiet.
President Donald Trump said that the United States would “run” Venezuela and tap its huge oil reserves, and posted a picture of Maduro in custody on a U.S. naval ship wearing a blindfold and handcuffs.
Maduro and his wife were flown by helicopter to New York City, where they face drug-trafficking and weapons charges.
They were seized by U.S. special forces during a pre-dawn attack in which air strikes pounded sites in and around the Venezuelan capital Caracas late on Saturday.
Here is how countries, including Canada, reacted to Maduro’s capture:
Canada
Prime Minister Mark Carney said on X that, “Canada has not recognized Maduro’s illegitimate regime since the 2018 electoral fraud. The Canadian government welcomes the opportunity now available to the Venezuelan people to access freedom, democracy, peace, and prosperity.”
He added, “True to its longstanding commitment to the rule of law, sovereignty, and human rights, Canada calls on all parties to respect international law. We support the sovereign right of the Venezuelan people to decide and build their own future in a peaceful and democratic society.”
The EU and European countries
The EU expressed concern at the developments and urged respect for international law, even as it noted that Maduro “lacks legitimacy.”
French President Emmanuel Macron called for 2004 presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia to lead a political transition. France said the U.S. operation undermined international law, and no solution to Venezuela’s crisis can be imposed externally.
Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that Maduro had “led his country to ruin,” but called the U.S. action legally “complex.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was the only major European country to side with the U.S., arguing its military action in Venezuela was “legitimate” and “defensive.”
EU candidate country North Macedonia, along with fellow Balkan nations Albania and Kosovo, also backed Washington.
“We stand with the United States and the Venezuelan people for freedom and democracy,” North Macedonia Foreign Minister Timco Mucunski said on X.
Britain, Israel
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the UK will discuss the “evolving situation” in Venezuela with U.S. counterparts while noting Britain will “shed no tears” about the demise of Maduro’s “regime.”
Israel also hailed the operation, saying Washington acted as the “leader of the free world.”
Ukraine
Ukraine, which is dependent on U.S. support in its war against Russia, did not address the legality of a big country like America using military force against a much smaller one like Venezuela.
Ukraine Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga instead focused on Maduro’s lack of legitimacy and the Venezuelan government’s repression, while backing “democracy, human rights, and the interests of Venezuelans.”
China, Russia, Iran
China made calls on Sunday for Maduro to be “immediately released” after saying it “strongly condemns” the U.S. operation in Venezuela.
China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that the U.S. is in “clear violation of international law, basic norms in international relations, and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.”
Russia demanded the U.S. leadership “reconsider its position and release the legally elected president of the sovereign country and his wife.”
Iran, which Trump bombed last year, said it “strongly condemns the U.S. military attack on Venezuela and a flagrant violation of the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Cuba
Mexico, which Trump has also threatened with military force over drug trafficking, strongly condemned the U.S. military action in Venezuela, saying it “seriously jeopardizes regional stability.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro — whose country neighbours Venezuela — called the U.S. action an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America which would lead to a humanitarian crisis.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva slammed the U.S. attacks as a “serious affront” to Venezuela’s sovereignty.
Cuba, a strong ally of Venezuela, denounced “state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people.”
UN
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was “deeply alarmed” by the U.S. strikes, with his spokesman quoting him as saying it could “constitute a dangerous precedent.”
With files from Agence France Presse.
