Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, expressed unwavering support for Venezuela in a recent post on X. She emphasized the commission’s commitment to backing the Venezuelan people and advocating for a peaceful and democratic transition, underscoring that any resolution must adhere strictly to international law and the United Nations Charter.

In contrast, Venezuela’s allies, Russia and Iran, have openly criticized the United States for its recent actions. The Russian Foreign Ministry labeled the U.S. move as an “act of armed aggression” against Venezuela, dismissing any justifications provided as “untenable.”

A statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry reiterated their solidarity with the Venezuelan populace and endorsed the Bolivarian leadership’s efforts to safeguard national interests and sovereignty. The ministry firmly stated that Venezuela should retain the right to determine its future without external interference, especially military interventions.

Echoing these sentiments, Iran’s Foreign Ministry also condemned the attack, asserting that it violates Venezuela’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the principles of the UN Charter, according to a report from the Iranian state news outlet, Press TV.

The future of Venezuela remains uncertain. According to the country’s constitution, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez is poised to assume power following any changes in leadership.

What happens next in Venezuela is far from clear. The country’s constitution states that power will pass to Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez.

But the future of the regime is in doubt, and the opposition – within and outside the country – will likely see this moment as a critical opportunity.

Venezuela’s opposition says the rightful president is the exiled politician Edmundo Gonzalez.

Amid the uncertainty, there are a range of scenarios.

If the constitutional path – Article 233 – is followed, in the “absolute absence” of the president, the executive vice president – Delcy Rodriguez – takes over and calls for an election within 30 days. The newly elected president then serves a full six-year term.

The regime collapses and its senior figures resign or flee, the most likely opposition candidate is Edmundo González Urrutia, who ran in the 2024 election. Gonzales, an academic and long-time diplomat, is now in exile in Spain. He is supported by the recent winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, democratic activist María Corina Machado. Speaking in Oslo last month after receiving the prize, Machado said her movement was preparing for “an orderly and peaceful transition” once Maduro was gone. She said in December that González had invited her to be vice-president and that “the vast majority” of the police and armed forces would follow the new administration’s orders once the political transition began.

There could also be a military takeover. But the current defence minister, Vladimir Padrino López, has spoken out against the US strikes, saying Venezuela would resist the presence of foreign troops in the country. “This invasion represents the greatest outrage the country has suffered,” he said.