'Deeply shocked' – World leaders react to US attack on Venezuela

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Leaders around the world have responded with a mix of condemnation and support to the US capture of Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro, BBC reports.

Following a large-scale strike on Venezuela on Saturday, Maduro and his wife were captured by US forces and removed from the country. The pair have been indicted on drug charges in New York.

The critics: Russia, China and the Global South

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China expressed “deep shock,” describing the move as a “reckless use of force” that violates international law and threatens the peace of Latin America.

“China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the U.S.’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president. Such hegemonic acts of the U.S. seriously violate international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region. China firmly opposes it,” China MFA said in a statement.

China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the U.S.’s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov voiced Russia’s “firm solidarity with the people of Venezuela in the face of armed aggression,” according to a statement issued by the foreign ministry after the conversation.

Neighbouring Latin American countries condemned the actions, as did Venezuela's long-term allies, Russia and China.

Brazil and Colombia, both neighbors of Venezuela, expressed serious concern over the developments. Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva described the strike as an “unacceptable line” and a “serious affront” to national sovereignty.

“The bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross 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.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro called the strikes an "assault on the sovereignty" of Latin America, while Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel described it as a "criminal attack".

Chile's President Gabriel Boric expressed "concern and condemnation" and called for "a peaceful solution to the serious crisis affecting the country".

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Cane accused the US of a "criminal attack", while Uruguay said in an official statement it was monitoring developments "with attention and serious concern" and "rejects, as it always has, military intervention".

Iran, which is locked in its own dispute with Trump over his promise of intervention in its country, called the strikes a "flagrant violation of the country's national sovereignty".

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said, “We urge all parties to support dialogue and diplomacy in order to secure regional stability and prevent escalation. We continue to support international law and a peaceful, democratic transition in Venezuela that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people”.

The Australian Government is monitoring developments in Venezuela. We urge all parties to support dialogue and diplomacy in order to secure regional stability and prevent escalation.

The West is not united

Meanwhile UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer refused to be drawn into whether or not the military action may have broken international law.

In an interview with the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme on Saturday morning, the prime minister did not condemn the US strikes.

He said he was waiting to establish all the facts but would not "shy away from this", adding he was a "lifelong advocate of international law".

The UK was not involved in the strikes and Sir Keir said he had not spoken to Trump about the operation.

Later on Saturday, Sir Keir posted that the UK "regarded Maduro as an illegitimate president and we shed no tears about the end of his regime".

"The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people," he added.

The EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas reiterated the bloc's position that Maduro lacks legitimacy, that there should be a peaceful transition of power, and that the principles of international law must be respected.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the transition of power "must be peaceful, democratic, and respectful of the will of the Venezuelan people" in a post.

He added he hoped González – the opposition's 2024 presidential candidate – could ensure the transition.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the legality of the US operation was "complex" and international law in general must apply.

He warned that "political instability must not be allowed to arise in Venezuela".

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was "deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected", his spokesperson said. He was "deeply alarmed" by the strikes, which set a "dangerous precedent".

He called on all actors in Venezuela to engage in inclusive dialogue, in full respect of human rights and the rule of law".

In the US, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, said, "Let me be clear, Maduro is an illegitimate dictator, but launching military action without congressional authorization, without a federal plan for what comes next, is reckless".

Former German Ambassador to the United States and chairman of the Munich Security Conference, Wolfgang Ischinger, expressed the opinion that the United States military operation in Venezuela casts doubt on previous arguments about the inadmissibility of Russia's intervention in the situation in Ukraine.

"If the United States is now intervening in the situation in Venezuela — without a UN mandate — then the argument that Russia could in no way interfere in the situation in Ukraine without convening the UN Security Council is losing its political and international legal significance, isn't it?", Ischinger wrote on the social network X (banned in Russia).

The supporters: Israel and Croatia

Several countries welcomed the action, pointing to Maduro’s lack of democratic legitimacy after the disputed 2024 elections. Israel welcomed the removal of a “dictator who led a network of drugs and terror,” expressing hope for a return to democracy.

“Israel congratulates the operation of the United States, led by President Trump, who acted as the leader of the free world. In this historic moment, Israel stands with the freedom-loving Venezuelan people, who have suffered under the illegal tyranny of Maduro,” Gideon Sa’ar, Israel’s Foreign Minister said.

Croatia issued a statement backing the arrest, saying that Maduro’s regime did not have the legitimacy that comes from democratic elections.

“The situation in Venezuela has been marked for years by a deep political, economic, and institutional crisis, manifested in the seriously impaired functioning of state institutions, economic decline, human rights violations, and a severe humanitarian crisis that has triggered mass population migrations. Nicolás Maduro’s regime lacks the legitimacy arising from democratically conducted elections,” MFA Croatia said.

Argentinian President Javier Milei – who Trump has described as his "favourite president" – wrote "Freedom moves forward" and "Long live freedom" on social media.

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