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By Peter Aitken
Politics Weekend Editor
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World leaders on Saturday were stunned as the United States moved in the early hours of Saturday to strike Venezuela and capture the country's president Nicolás Maduro, with some seeking clarity and others condemning the move.
The White House referred Newsweek to President Donald Trump's statement on Truth Social, in which he wrote, in part: "The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country. This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow."
Why It Matters
Maduro and his wife, Cilla Flores, have been formally indicted in the Southern District of New York, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced, after Trump confirmed the U.S. captured them during a "large-scale strike" against Caracas early Saturday morning. Maduro earlier declared a national emergency after multiple explosions rocked the capital city.
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Maduro and his wife face U.S. charges of narco-terrorism. Maduro, meanwhile, had been indicted in March 2020 on "narco-terrorism" conspiracy charges in the Southern District of New York. In August 2025, the U.S. doubled its bounty to $50 million for information leading to Maduro's arrest.
Last week, a CIA drone strike targeted a docking area allegedly used by Venezuelan drug cartels—the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil since U.S. strikes on boats began in September.
Trump had long warned he might authorize strikes on land targets. The U.S. has also seized sanctioned oil tankers off Venezuela's coast, and Trump ordered a blockade of others in a move aimed at tightening economic pressure on the country.
World Leaders Take a Cautious Line on Venezuela
"The situation in Venezuela is fast moving," British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Saturday. In a video posted on X, he stated the United Kingdom "will establish all the facts and speak to allies."
He also stressed the U.K. "was not involved in any way in this operation" and that he would "will want to talk to the president" and allies to fully understand the situation.
Starmer did not outright condemn Trump's capture of Maduro but said he needed to "establish the facts" before speaking further on the U.S. actions.
The European Union (EU) also took a more cautious line, with European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen saying: "Following very closely the situation in Venezuela. We stand by the people of Venezuela and support a peaceful and democratic transition. Any solution must respect international law and the UN Charter."
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Some World Leaders Condemn US Attack on Venezuela
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs took a much stronger line in a statement in which the Far East nation said officials were "deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the U.S.'s blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president."
"Such hegemonic acts of the U.S. seriously violate international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region. China firmly opposes it," the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote on X.
Russia's Foreign Ministry similarly condemned the act in a statement, stressing that "Latin America should remain a zone of peace" and that Venezuela has the right to "determine its own future without destructive, let alone military, interference from outside."
"The pretexts used to justify such actions are untenable," Russia's foreign ministry said.
Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the U.S. of "arrogantly" wanting to "impose something on the country and its officials, on the government and the nation."
"We will not yield to the enemy; with reliance and trust in Almighty God and with confidence in the people's companionship, we will bring the enemy to its knees," Khamenei said in a statement posted on X.
Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a statement condemning the attack, adding that its government "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."
"Mexico emphatically reiterates that dialogue and negotiation are the only legitimate and effective means of resolving existing differences, and therefore reaffirms its willingness to support any efforts to facilitate dialogue, mediation, or accompaniment that contribute to preserving regional peace and avoiding confrontation," the statement added.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva wrote on X that the U.S. actions "cross an unacceptable line."
"These acts represent a grave affront to Venezuela's sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community," Da Silva wrote. "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."
French Minister of European and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot did not outright condemn the attack but took a measured criticism of the operation in a statement posted on X, in part: "The military operation that led to the capture of Nicolás Maduro violates the principle of non-resort to force that underpins international law. France recalls that no lasting political solution can be imposed from the outside and that sovereign peoples alone decide their future."
"The repeated violations of this principle by nations entrusted with the primary responsibility as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council will have heavy consequences for world security, sparing no one," Barrot continued.
"Informed by History, France is preparing for it, but cannot resign itself to it," he added. "It reiterates its attachment to the United Nations Charter, which must continue to guide the international action of States, always and everywhere."
Some World Leaders Applaud Trump's Decision
However, some of Trump's allies applauded the move, such as Argentinian President Javier Milei, who wrote on X that "FREEDOM MOVES FORWARD. LONG LIVE FREEDOM DAMMIT."
"The time to have a timid approach on this subject has passed," Milei had said, according to a video on his X account.
In a supportive statement, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that its government has "consistently defended the right of nations to live freely, free of dictatorship, oppression, and human rights violations. The Maduro regime has violated all such principles in every respect."
"We stand for further developments in accordance with the principles of international law, prioritizing democracy, human rights, and the interests of Venezuelans," the statement added.
What Happens Next
Venezuela’s Defense Minister, Vladimir Padrino López, announced a deployment of military forces and called for a united front of resistance in the face of "the worst aggression" ever against Venezuela.
During an interview with Fox News, Trump said on Saturday that Maduro and his wife were aboard the U.S. warship Iwo Jima and headed to New York.
Update 1/3/26, 1:50 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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