Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has voiced support for a “peaceful, democratic transition” in Venezuela following a dramatic US military operation that captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, while urging that international law be respected amid rising global alarm over the intervention.
In a carefully worded statement on Sunday, Albanese said his government was “monitoring developments” after confirmation that Maduro and his wife had been seized in Caracas and flown to the United States. The prime minister called for restraint and diplomacy as uncertainty spread over who now holds authority in the oil-rich South American nation.
“We urge all parties to support dialogue and diplomacy in order to secure regional stability and prevent escalation,” Albanese said. “Australia has long held concerns about the situation in Venezuela, including the need to respect democratic principles, human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
He added: “We continue to support international law and a peaceful, democratic transition in Venezuela that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.”
Australia’s travel advisory service, Smartraveller, underscored the seriousness of the situation, renewing its warning for Australians not to travel to Venezuela. “Do not travel to Venezuela due to the dangerous security situation, the threat of violent crime, political and economic instability and risk of arbitrary detention,” the advice said.
“There are reports of military activity in and around Venezuela, including Caracas. The security situation is unpredictable and may deteriorate. Be prepared to shelter in place. Make sure you have enough supplies, including food, water and medicine.”
Australia does not maintain an embassy in Venezuela. Smartraveller advised Australian citizens needing assistance to contact the emergency consular assistance team by phone, noting that access on the ground could be severely limited if conditions worsen.
The US operation — described by American officials as a “lightning raid” — was launched in the early hours of Saturday local time. US forces entered Caracas, seized Maduro and his wife, and transported them to New York, where US authorities say the couple will be arraigned on charges including drugs and weapons trafficking. Maduro was indicted in a US federal court in 2020 on narco-terrorism and related offences, accusations he has consistently denied.
US President Donald Trump said after the raid that the United States would indefinitely “run the country” following Maduro’s removal and would seize Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. The remarks immediately raised fears of a prolonged foreign occupation and deepened concerns about the legality of the intervention.
Within Venezuela, the situation remains opaque and volatile. It is unclear who controls the levers of state power, including the military and security services. Maduro’s vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, appeared on television and radio in Caracas to denounce the US action, insisting Maduro remained Venezuela’s “only” legitimate president and declaring that the country would not be colonised.
Rodríguez directly contradicted Trump, who described her as Venezuela’s new president and claimed she was cooperating with the US. Her defiant address suggested that key elements of the Maduro government and ruling party remain intact, heightening the risk of internal conflict.
The unfolding crisis has exposed sharp political divisions within Australia. Opposition leader Sussan Ley welcomed Maduro’s removal, arguing that authoritarian leaders must be held accountable.
“We should live in a world where dictators and despots face justice for their crimes,” Ley said. “Under his rule, Venezuela has endured years of repression, systemic human rights abuses, corruption, and the crushing of basic democratic freedoms — driving immense suffering and forcing millions to flee.”
By contrast, the Greens’ defence spokesperson, David Shoebridge, accused the United States of committing a “gross breach of international law” and warned that the operation set a dangerous global precedent.
“The people of Venezuela deserve the right to live in peace and elect their government, but this US intervention will put those rights further out of reach,” Shoebridge said. “Lawlessness without consequences helps dictators, tyrants and aggressors. It places the world on a very dangerous footing.”
“This US war is not about self-defence,” he added. “Like so many before it, this is a war about resources, oil and dominance.”
Dissent also surfaced within the governing Labor Party. The Labor Against War group issued a statement urging Canberra to condemn what it described as the Trump administration’s “piracy, brazen military aggression and adventurism”.
“Canberra should immediately distance itself from the Trump administration, whose conduct is marked by lawlessness at home and violent, reckless coercion abroad,” the group said.
Australia’s Venezuelan community responded with a mixture of hope and apprehension. The Venezuelan Association of Australia said it stood “in solidarity with Venezuelans at home and across the diaspora”, acknowledging the emotional toll of years of political turmoil.
“For Venezuelans living in Australia, this moment carries deep and complex emotions shaped by years of political repression, family separation and displacement,” the association said. “Our hope remains for a free, democratic and united Venezuela where people can live with dignity and opportunity.”
International reaction has been swift and deeply divided. The United Nations Security Council was scheduled to hold an emergency meeting on Monday, with several members expected to challenge the legality of the US action and others likely to argue that Maduro’s long-disputed rule forfeited claims to legitimacy.
Venezuela’s allies — Russia, Cuba and Iran — condemned the raid as a violation of sovereignty. Moscow warned that the operation risked destabilising the entire region, while Havana described it as an act of imperial aggression. Tehran echoed those concerns, accusing Washington of undermining international norms.
Across Latin America, responses varied sharply. Argentina’s libertarian president, Javier Milei, hailed what he called Venezuela’s new “freedom”. Mexico condemned the intervention outright, while Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said the operation crossed “an unacceptable line” and threatened to revive a history of foreign interference in the region.
European leaders also weighed in. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government would “shed no tears” over the end of Maduro’s rule. “The UK has long supported a transition of power in Venezuela,” Starmer said. “We regarded Maduro as an illegitimate president, and we shed no tears about the end of his regime.”
French President Emmanuel Macron accused Maduro of seizing power and trampling fundamental freedoms, while Canada’s Foreign Minister Anita Ananda reiterated Ottawa’s refusal to recognise the legitimacy of the Maduro government.
“We have refused to recognise any legitimacy of the Maduro regime and opposed its repression of the Venezuelan people, including the persecution of dissenters and particularly political leaders opposed to the regime,” Ananda said.
The crisis follows years of political deadlock and economic collapse in Venezuela. In July 2024, Maduro appeared to suffer a landslide defeat in a presidential election amid widespread anger over his increasingly authoritarian rule. Detailed voting data released by the opposition and verified by independent experts showed opposition candidate Edmundo González had won decisively.
The United States, under former president Joe Biden, recognised González as the legitimate victor. Maduro, however, clung to power, launching a sweeping crackdown on political opponents, civil society activists and independent media.
Just last month, prominent opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her “tireless work … to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy”, a move that further spotlighted international support for political change in Venezuela.
Whether the dramatic US intervention accelerates that transition or plunges the country into deeper instability remains uncertain. For Australia, the episode has prompted a delicate balancing act: expressing long-standing concern over human rights and democratic legitimacy in Venezuela, while stopping short of endorsing a military action that critics say undermines the very international law Canberra seeks to uphold.
