The United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early Saturday and said its president, Nicolás Maduro, had been captured and flown out of the country, sparking global concern over the escalating tension in the Caribbean.
Cuba has denounced what it described as a “criminal” U.S. attack on Venezuela and is urgently calling for a reaction from the international community.
The Cuban presidency accused the United States of “state terrorism” against the Venezuelan people and said what it described as a “zone of peace” was being “brutally assaulted.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for the immediate convening of the United Nations Security Council.
“Colombia reaffirms its unconditional commitment to the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, in particular respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, the prohibition of the use or threat of use of force, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes. In this regard, the Colombian Government rejects any unilateral military action that could aggravate the situation or put the civilian population at risk,” Petro said on X.
Russia condemned an “act of armed aggression” against Venezuela, adding that it was extremely concerned by reports that Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife had been forcibly removed from the country.
“We call for immediate clarification of this situation. Such actions, if they did indeed take place, constitute an unacceptable violation of the sovereignty of an independent state, respect for which is a key principle of international law,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
Iran has also condemned the attack on Venezuela “as a blatant violation of its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
The Iranian foreign ministry called on the UN Security Council to “act immediately to halt the unlawful aggression” and hold those responsible accountable.
Spain said on Saturday it is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela following the US strikes, stressing the need for de-escalation, respect for international law, and a negotiated solution to the crisis.
The EU foreign policy chief called for restraint, saying “under all circumstances” principles of international law must be respected.
“I have spoken with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and our Ambassador in Caracas. The EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela,” Kaja Kallas said in a post on X.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his country was not involved in the United States’ strikes and that he wanted to speak with U.S. President Donald Trump and find out the full facts of what had happened.
“I want to establish the facts first. I want to speak to President Trump. I want to speak to allies. I can be absolutely clear that we were not involved … and I always say and believe we should all uphold international law,” he said in a statement to British broadcasters.
