World leaders react to U.S. raid in Venezuela

After the Trump administration said the U.S. military conducted an overnight operation to arrest Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, leaders around the world reacted to the announcement.

While some countries heaped praise on President Trump, others questioned the legal precedent and expressed concerns.

At a Saturday press conference with Cabinet members and military personnel, Mr. Trump said that the U.S. would “run” the country until the new government can be put in place.

French President Emmanuel Macron said on social media that the transition must be “peaceful, democratic, and respectful of the will of the Venezuelan people.”

After Maria Corina Machado was voted to be the opposition figure in the 2024 presidential election, the Venezuelan government, controlled by Mr. Maduro, halted her campaign.

Ms. Machado urged the recognition of opposition leader Edmundo González Urrutia, who ran against Mr. Maduro in the last election, as the rightful president of Venezuela.

“We hope that President Edmundo González Urrutia, elected in 2024, will be able to ensure this transition as quickly as possible,” Mr. Macron said.

Panamanian President Jose Raul Mulino said that his government “reiterates our position in favor of democratic trials and in favor of accepting the legitimate wishes of the Venezuelan people, as expressed emphatically at the polls, where Edmundo González was elected.”

In a media interview, Argentinian President Javier Minel said that today’s news is “excellent news for the free world.”

“What we have to understand is that it’s the collapse of the regime of a dictator that was rigging elections, that in the last election was badly defeated and, despite that, he clinged on to power,” he said.

Spain did not recognize the Maduro regime, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on social media, but “neither will it recognize an intervention that violates international law and pushes the region toward a horizon of uncertainty and belligerence.”

Other countries took a staunch opposition to the operation. 

Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez called on the Trump administration to return Mr. Maduro.

“We demand the immediate liberation of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores,” said Ms. Rodríguez. “The only president of Venezuela is President Nicolás Maduro.”

“China is deeply shocked and strongly condemns the use of force by the U.S. against a sovereign country and the use of force against the president of a country,” a Chinese ministry statement said.

The Russian foreign ministry said that the U.S. “committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela,” one that is “deeply concerning and condemnable.”

“The pretexts used to justify such actions are unfounded. Ideological animosity has prevailed over business pragmatism and the willingness to build relationships based on trust and predictability,” the statement said. “In the current situation, it is important, first and foremost, to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a way out of the situation through dialogue.”

The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the U.S. strikes violated international law.

“The Mexican government strongly condemns and rejects the military actions carried out unilaterally in recent hours by the armed forces of the United States of America against targets in the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in clear violation of Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations,” the statement said.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva said on social media that the bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president crossed an “unacceptable line,” representing a “grave affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty.”

“Attacking countries in flagrant violation of international law is the first step toward a world of violence, chaos, and instability, where the law of the strongest prevails over multilateralism,” he said.

Nigel Farage, Britain’s Reform UK party leader, said that the operation was “orthodox and contrary to international law – but if they make China and Russia think twice, it may be a good thing.”

President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, the Iranian foreign ministry and others all joined in the condemnation.

Others, such as leaders from Norway and Uruguay, expressed concern that the intervention was not in accordance with international law.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said that “we will take our time” to assess the legal questions of the U.S. operation, as the principles of international law must apply. 

He urged that “a transition to a government legitimised by elections must be ensured” and warned that “political instability must not arise in Venezuela.”