World leaders expressed shock and deep concern on Sunday following reports of a late-night U.S. military operation in Venezuela that President Donald Trump said resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Governments across Latin America, Europe and beyond called for restraint and respect for international law, warning that the dramatic escalation could destabilize an already fragile region.
The early-morning strikes targeted military and political sites in Caracas, according to regional officials and media reports, with residents reporting explosions and heavy security movements overnight. The White House has not released detailed operational information, but Trump said the mission was part of a long-running effort to dismantle what his administration describes as a narco-state run by Maduro and his allies.
Latin American leaders were among the first to react. Colombian President Gustavo Petro, a prominent critic of Trump, said on X that Venezuela was “being bombed” and urged the United Nations to convene urgently. Colombia’s government later released an official statement expressing “deep concern” and calling for immediate de-escalation, while announcing that it was reinforcing security along its border with Venezuela to prevent spillover violence or refugee flows.
Chile’s President Gabriel Boric, who has condemned Maduro’s human rights record but broken with hardline approaches, stressed the need for diplomacy. “The Venezuelan crisis should resolve itself through dialogue and support for multilateralism, not through violence or foreign interference,” Boric wrote on X. Mexico took an even firmer stance, saying it “condemns and energetically rejects” the strikes and called for a return to diplomacy and peaceful negotiation.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who has frequently clashed with Trump, warned of the broader implications. “The strikes on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line,” Lula wrote on X. “These acts represent a grave affront to Venezuelan sovereignty and an extremely dangerous precedent for the international community.”
Not all reactions in the region were critical. Argentina’s libertarian President Javier Milei, one of Trump’s closest allies in Latin America, struck a defiant tone, repeating his signature slogan — “Viva la libertad, carajo” — without directly addressing the legality or consequences of the operation.
The overnight raid marks the most significant escalation yet in Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Venezuela, aimed at undermining or toppling Maduro’s government. Since returning to office, Trump has reimposed and expanded sanctions, tightened a de facto blockade of Venezuelan oil exports, and authorized aggressive maritime operations in the Caribbean. The administration says dozens of vessels have been struck or seized on allegations they were linked to drug trafficking, actions that independent monitors say have killed more than 100 people.
U.S. officials have repeatedly accused Maduro of leading the so-called Cartel de los Soles, an alleged network of senior Venezuelan officials involved in drug trafficking. Maduro has consistently denied the accusations, calling them fabrications designed to justify foreign intervention. Still, the Trump administration has steadily hardened its approach, with senior officials framing regime change as the ultimate objective.
Washington does not recognize Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president, citing the disputed 2024 election that the opposition says was stolen from its candidate, Edmundo González. That position has been used by U.S. officials to argue that Maduro lacks sovereign legitimacy, though critics say it does not provide legal cover for unilateral military action.
Outside the hemisphere, reactions were more cautious but still critical. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc considers Maduro an “illegitimate leader” but urged restraint and respect for international law. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez echoed that sentiment, calling for de-escalation and adherence to international norms.
The muted tone from many U.S. allies reflects unease with the unilateral nature of Washington’s Venezuela policy. According to officials familiar with the matter, some allies had already limited intelligence sharing with the United States after earlier U.S. strikes on suspected drug trafficking vessels, citing concerns over civilian casualties and legal justification.
The Trump administration defended the operation by pointing to criminal charges. Attorney General Pam Bondi said on X that Maduro and Flores would face charges in the Southern District of New York, alleging they directed narcotics trafficking operations that targeted the United States. American officials argue the operation was necessary to protect U.S. security and disrupt transnational crime.
Those arguments have done little to quiet critics at home and abroad. Analysts note that Venezuela plays a relatively limited role in global drug trafficking compared with other routes, and human rights groups have warned that maritime strikes and economic pressure have disproportionately harmed civilians, exacerbating shortages of fuel, food and medicine.
As expected, U.S. adversaries responded sharply. Cuba, a longtime ally of Caracas and frequent target of U.S. criticism, condemned the operation in the strongest terms. President Miguel Díaz-Canel called it a “criminal attack” on Venezuelan sovereignty.
Russia’s foreign ministry accused Washington of committing an “act of armed aggression,” dismissing U.S. justifications as “untenable.” Kirill Dmitriev, a top aide to President Vladimir Putin, wrote on X that the episode revealed “double standards in real time.”
Moscow’s relationship with Caracas has increasingly complicated U.S. efforts to isolate Venezuela. Russian officials recently urged Washington to halt its pursuit of a Venezuelan oil tanker in the Caribbean, a standoff that underscored the risk of confrontation between major powers.
Caribbean nations closest to Venezuela moved quickly to distance themselves from the operation. Trinidad and Tobago, located just miles from the Venezuelan coast and host to U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last year, said it was not involved and maintained “peaceful relations” with Venezuela.
The events in Caracas have also raised concerns that Venezuela may not be the last target of Trump’s muscular foreign policy. Earlier this week, Trump warned on Truth Social that the United States was “locked and loaded” in response to Iran’s crackdown on protests, suggesting Washington could intervene if repression escalates.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei responded defiantly on Sunday, accusing unnamed enemies of trying to impose their will through “false claims.” “We won’t give in to them,” he wrote on X. “With reliance on God and confidence in the people’s support, we’ll bring the enemy to its knees.”
As details of the Venezuela operation continue to emerge, diplomats and analysts warn that the fallout could be far-reaching. Beyond the immediate legal and humanitarian questions, the episode risks reshaping norms around sovereignty and intervention at a time of heightened global tension. Whether the capture of Maduro, if confirmed, advances stability or triggers wider confrontation remains an open and deeply contentious question.
