World reactions to the US strikes on Venezuela

Reports of U.S. attacks on Venezuela in recent hours have sparked various reactions from major international leaders.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro was one of the first leaders to speak out. “They are currently bombing Caracas. Alert the whole world, they have attacked Venezuela. They are bombing with missiles. The OAS and the U.N. must meet immediately,” he wrote on his X account at 2:00 a.m.

Petro then issued a longer statement underscoring the Colombian government’s rejection of any unilateral military action that puts the civilian population at risk, as well as his country’s “unrestricted commitment” to the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, in particular respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, the prohibition of the use or threat of force, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes.

Petro has called for the preservation of regional peace and has made an urgent plea for de-escalation, “urging all parties involved to refrain from actions that deepen the confrontation and to prioritize dialogue and diplomatic channels.”

“The Republic of Colombia reiterates its conviction that peace, respect for international law and the protection of life and human dignity must prevail over any form of armed confrontation,” he concluded.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his “deep alarm” on Saturday over the recent “escalation of tension in Venezuela,” which culminated early this morning with military action by the United States in the country and which, he warned, could “constitute a dangerous precedent” for the region.

From Argentina, President Javier Milei celebrated the U.S. attack and the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro with a message on X: “Freedom advances. Long live freedom, damn it!” The message includes a link to the Infobae news outlet announcing the capture of the Chavista leader.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel urgently called for international action against the U.S. “criminal attack” on Venezuela. “Our zone of peace is being brutally assaulted. State terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America. Homeland or Death! We will prevail!” he posted on his social media account.

Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa expressed delight after learning of Maduro’s capture. “The time comes for all narco-Chavista criminals. Their structure will finally collapse across the continent,” said the president, endorsing the U.S. accusations that Maduro is a drug lord on the continent.

In Spain, the government has confirmed an airstrike on Caracas and assured that all personnel at the Spanish Embassy in the Venezuelan capital are safe, after Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares spoke with the Spanish ambassador to the country. Sources within the Spanish government have also stated that they are gathering all the information regarding the explosions.

The Russian Embassy in Venezuela has reported that its premises were not affected by the attacks and stated that it is maintaining contact with Venezuelan authorities, marking Moscow’s first official response. “The neighborhood where the embassy is located and the surrounding areas were not attacked,” Ambassador Sergey Melik-Bagdasarov told Russian news agencies. Melik-Bagdasarov added that embassy staff are continuing their work.

Two U.S. senators have also condemned Washington’s attacks and urged the international community to react. Meanwhile, the independent news outlet Insider reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone to the Kremlin to address the events in a series of closed-door meetings, EFE reports.

Prior to these attacks, Russia denounced the presence and military actions of the United States in the Caribbean as a threat to regional peace and stability, stressing that such operations violate Venezuela’s sovereignty and international law.

Iran, an ally of Venezuela, has also condemned the U.S. attack on Caracas as a “flagrant violation of that country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The Iranian Foreign Ministry said the strikes were “an ‘act of aggression’ that must be explicitly condemned immediately by the United Nations and all governments concerned with the rule of law, international peace, and security.”

Italy has offered its citizens in Venezuela its diplomatic network for emergencies and has advised them to stay home and exercise caution. “I am following the situation with our diplomatic mission in Caracas, paying particular attention to the Italian community. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is being kept constantly informed. The Ministry’s Crisis Unit is operational,” Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani wrote on social media. The Italian ambassador to Venezuela, Giovanni Umberto De Vito, has urged caution among citizens in the Caribbean country, where approximately 160,000 people with Italian nationality reside, most of them with dual nationality due to Italian ancestry.

China, a strategic ally of Venezuela, has so far refrained from making political assessments or assessing the internal situation in Venezuela following the alleged capture of Maduro.

In a warning issued on Saturday night—six hours after the military attacks began—by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Chinese Embassy in Caracas, Beijing limited itself to recommending that its citizens avoid traveling to Venezuela “in the near future” due to “the significant increase in security risks,” and urging those already there to exercise extreme caution, avoid unnecessary travel, and stay away from dangerous areas.

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