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World leaders were sharply divided Saturday after the United States launched a large-scale strike on Venezuela and President Donald Trump announced that the country’s leader, Nicolás Maduro, had been captured and flown out of the country.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez condemned what he called a “criminal attack,” writing on X that, “Our zone of peace is being brutally assaulted.” Communist Cuba is a supporter of the Maduro government and has been a longtime adversary of the United States.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said his government viewed the reports coming out of Venezuela “with deep concern,” and he warned against further escalation, claiming the U.S. strikes risked destabilizing the region.
“The Colombian Government rejects any unilateral military action that could aggravate the situation or put the civilian population at risk,” Petro wrote on X.
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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.”
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.
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“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.
“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.
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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.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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