World Reacts After US Strikes In Venezuela And 'Capture' Of President Nicolás Maduro

The United States carried out strikes inside Venezuela early on Saturday and claimed it had captured President Nicolás Maduro, triggering sharp reactions from governments across Latin America, Europe and beyond, according to Al-Jazeera.

US President Donald Trump said Washington had launched a “large scale strike” against Venezuela and detained its leader in an operation conducted “in conjunction with US law enforcement”. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Maduro and his wife had been “captured and flown out of the country”.

Al-Jazeera reported that US media outlets, including Fox News and CBS News, also cited American officials as saying strikes had been carried out on Venezuelan territory, marking a dramatic escalation after weeks of tension.

In a statement posted on X, US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said Venezuela was entering a “new dawn”. “The tyrant is gone. He will now — finally — face justice for his crimes,” Landau wrote.

Maduro’s government rejected the claims and accused Washington of a serious violation of international law. In an initial statement, it described the action as an “extremely serious military aggression” against Venezuelan territory and people.

“Venezuela rejects, repudiates, and denounces before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and people,” the statement said.

According to Al-Jazeera, the developments prompted immediate responses from regional allies and global powers.

In Colombia, President Gustavo Petro said he was alerting the international community to the attack. Writing on X, he said Colombia reiterated its belief that peace, respect for international law, and the protection of life and human dignity must prevail over armed confrontation. In a separate post, Petro said Colombia “rejects the aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and of Latin America”. He later announced the deployment of military forces to the Venezuelan border.

Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez issued a strongly worded condemnation, accusing the United States of a “criminal attack” and calling for an urgent international response. In a post on X, Díaz-Canel said Cuba’s “zone of peace” was being “brutally assaulted” and described the US action as “state terrorism” directed at Venezuela and “Our America”. He ended his message with the slogan: “Homeland or Death, We Shall Overcome.” Cuban embassies worldwide also released a statement denouncing the attack and demanding an urgent reaction from the international community.

Iran’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns the American military attack on Venezuela and the flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country”.

Russia said it was deeply concerned by what it called an “act of armed aggression” by the United States. The Russian foreign ministry urged restraint and dialogue to prevent further escalation, saying Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without external military intervention. Moscow also reaffirmed its solidarity with the Venezuelan people and support for the country’s leadership in defending national sovereignty.

Within the United States, Republican Senator Mike Lee said the military operation had concluded with Maduro in US custody. Writing on X after what he said was a telephone conversation with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Lee said the administration anticipated no further action in Venezuela and that Maduro would face criminal charges in the United States.

In Europe, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said she had spoken with Rubio and the EU ambassador in Caracas. “The EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela,” she said, reiterating that the bloc considers Maduro to lack legitimacy but stressing that international law and the UN Charter must be respected. She added that the safety of EU citizens remained a priority.

Spain called for de-escalation, moderation and respect for international law, offering to act as a mediator to help find a peaceful solution.

"Spain is willing to offer its good offices to achieve a peaceful solution", said the Spanish Foreign Mnistry.

Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was closely monitoring developments, particularly to gather information about Italian nationals in Venezuela. She said she remained in constant contact with Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. Around 160,000 Italians live in Venezuela, most holding dual citizenship.

Al-Jazeera reported that reactions continued to emerge as governments assessed the implications of the US action and the uncertainty surrounding Venezuela’s leadership.

(With inputs from Al-Jazeera)