World leaders have reacted to the bombardment of Venezuela and capture of the country’s president, Nicholas Maduro.
The Venezuelan leader was captured on Saturday by US Special Forces after attack on the country on the order of President Donald Trump.
President Trump said earlier that US forces had captured Maduro and flown him and his wife out of the country.
According to him, Maduro and wife has been indicted in the US for allege involvement in drug trafficking, and will be charged to court forthwith, Trump said on his Truth social media platform, praising American military for the successful operation.
The Venezuelan government, has, however, decried what it termed an “extremely serious military aggression” by Washington and declared a state of emergency as several leaders allied with Caracas denounced the US action.
Also, Venezuelan South American neighbors and other world leaders have condemned the attack, describing it as a violation of the country’s sovereignty.
Iran
Iran, which has close links with oil-rich Venezuela, said it “strongly condemns the US military attack on Venezuela and a flagrant violation of the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
Colombia
Colombian President Gustavo Petro called it an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America, which would lead to a humanitarian crisis.
Colombia is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council this year, and leftist leader Petro called for the body to meet “immediately.”
Cuba
Cuba, a traditional regional ally, denounced what it called “state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people” according to a statement by President Miguel Diaz-Canel, who urged a “response from the international community” following a “criminal attack” on Caracas.
Russia
Russia condemned the US military action as “an act of armed aggression against Venezuela.”
“This is deeply concerning and condemnable,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement. “The pretexts used to justify such actions are untenable. Ideological hostility has triumphed over businesslike pragmatism,” it added.
Spain
“Spain calls for de-escalation and restraint,” the foreign ministry said in a statement, adding it was “ready to help in the search for a democratic, negotiated, and peaceful solution for the country.”
Germany
Germany’s foreign ministry told AFP that “we are monitoring the situation in Venezuela very closely and following the latest reports with great concern. The foreign ministry is in close contact with the embassy in Caracas.”
Berlin added that the government’s crisis team was in session and “we are coordinating closely with our partners.”
Italy
The office of Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, said she was “closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela, remaining in constant contact with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, also in order to gather information about our fellow citizens.”
US Democratic senators
US senator Brian Schatz, a Democrat, said on X: “We have no vital national interests in Venezuela to justify war. We should have learned not to stumble into another stupid adventure by now.”
Fellow Democrat senator Ruben Gallego said on X: “This war is illegal, it’s embarrassing that we went from the world cop to the world bully in less than one year. There is no reason for us to be at war with Venezuela.”
Former Bolivian leader Morales
Former Bolivian president Evo Morales, a close Caracas ally, said on X he “forcefully rejected” the US “bombardment.”
Also, United Kingdom Prime Minister told journalists that his country was not involved in the overthrow of President Maduro, calling for more consultations among key allies.
AFP
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