Global Reactions Erupt: US Precision Strikes in Venezuela and the Controversial Capture of Maduro

The international community was starkly divided on Saturday following the extensive U.S. operation in Venezuela, after President Trump announced the capture and evacuation of Nicolás Maduro from the country.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez denounced the action as a “criminal attack,” expressing his outrage on platform X by stating, “Our zone of peace is being brutally assaulted.” Cuba, a staunch ally of Maduro’s regime, has long been at odds with the United States.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed serious concerns regarding the emerging reports from Venezuela, cautioning against further escalation. He suggested that the U.S. military actions could potentially destabilize the region.

Petro stated on X, “The Colombian Government rejects any unilateral military action that could worsen the situation or endanger the civilian population.”

Global leaders have responded with a mix of criticism, apprehension, and endorsement following the U.S.’s strategic operation in Venezuela, as Trump asserted that Maduro had been captured during the mission. (JUAN BARRETO/AFP via Getty Images)

Petro said Colombia is taking preventive measures to “protect the civilian population” and “preserve stability on the Colombian-Venezuelan border,” although he did not provide exact details.

Mexico also condemned the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, saying it was a “clear violation” of international law and urging an end to what it described as “any acts of aggression” against Venezuela.

“Latin America and the Caribbean is a zone of peace,” a statement released by the Mexican foreign ministry reads. The statement was shared by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on X.

It warned that any military action puts regional stability at “serious risk.”

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva also blasted the military action, saying the bombings and the reported capture of its president crossed “an unacceptable line.”

“These acts represent a most serious affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community,” Lula said, warning the strike risked plunging the world into “violence, chaos, and instability.”

Russia too criticized the strikes, calling them an act of “armed aggression” against Venezuela. Moscow warned the move risked further escalation and urged dialogue instead.

“Latin America must remain a zone of peace, as it proclaimed 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. 

Demonstrators 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 strikes.

Meanwhile, President Javier Milei of Argentina, a close ally of Trump, praised the news by sharing a previous video of him denouncing Maduro’s “narco-terrorist” regime as a regional threat and urging Latin American leaders to back U.S. pressure to end it.

“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 resolution 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 the U.K., Reform leader and staunch Trump ally Nigel Farage questioned the legality of the attack but said it may lead to a favorable outcome.

Argentina President Javier Milei praised the news by sharing a previous video of him denouncing Maduro’s “narco-terrorist” regime as a regional threat. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

“The American actions in Venezuela overnight are unorthodox and contrary to international law — but if they make China and Russia think twice, it may be a good thing,” Farage wrote. “I hope the Venezuelan people can now turn a new leaf without Maduro.

Meanwhile, in Venezuela, the government called on citizens to mobilize against what it labeled an “imperialist attack,” urging, “People to the streets!”

Regional reaction elsewhere in Latin America was muted in the early hours after the strike, with several governments remaining silent as uncertainty grew over who was in control in Caracas.