Responses poured in from around the world after President Donald Trump announced on social media that the United States carried out overnight strikes in Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.
Mexico strongly condemned the U.S. action in an official statement, calling it a “clear violation” of the United Nations Charter. The Mexican government said it rejects the military operation and urged the U.N. to intervene to de‑escalate tensions and seek a peaceful solution under international law.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz‑Canel, a close Maduro ally, was among the first to denounce the U.S. strikes, posting on X that the region’s “Zone of Peace” was being “brutally assaulted.” Cuba called on the international community to speak out against what Díaz‑Canel termed a “criminal attack.”
Russia also criticized the U.S., with the Russian Foreign Ministry issuing a statement asserting that Venezuela must be allowed to “determine its own destiny without any destructive, especially military, interference from outside.” Russia has joined calls for an emergency U.N. Security Council meeting to condemn the U.S. actions and pursue a peaceful resolution.
Several Western leaders offered measured responses focused on international law rather than outright condemnation. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the United Kingdom was not involved and emphasized that “we should all uphold international law,” though he stopped short of denouncing the U.S. operation.
Other countries voiced support for the U.S. strike. Argentina’s President Javier Milei tweeted, “Freedom advances. Long live freedom, damnit.” Ukraine’s foreign ministry released a statement backing the U.S. position, asserting that Venezuela’s dictatorship has violated fundamental principles of freedom and human rights.
Iran and China also weighed in, criticizing the U.S. use of military force, though specific statements from their governments emphasized broader opposition to foreign military intervention.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi provided details on Maduro’s legal situation, noting that he and his wife have been indicted in New York on multiple charges, including narco‑terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machineguns and destructive devices. Bondi wrote on X that the couple will soon “face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.”
The mixed international reaction highlights deep divisions over the legality and implications of the U.S. operation in Venezuela, with some nations decrying it as an unlawful military intervention and others applauding it as a blow against dictatorship and oppression.
