U.S. military raid on Venezuela shocks the international community.

U.S. forces raided Caracas on Saturday and arrested Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, after which Venezuela’s National Guard deployed outside Fort Tiuna, the country’s largest military base. (AFP)

The Trump administration dispatched troops to launch surprise raids on Caracas and other Venezuelan cities, detaining President Maduro and his wife and removing them from the country to face U.S. charges. This bold move by the United States has shocked the international community, prompting widespread expressions of concern. Russia condemned the U.S. action as unjustified and strongly urged the release of the Maduros. The European Union called for restraint from all sides to de-escalate tensions and support a peaceful transition of power in Venezuela.

U.S. Raid on Venezuela Stuns World; Russia Urges Trump to Release Maduros

The Putin government, a close ally of Maduro’s regime, swiftly and strongly condemned what it described as an “armed aggression” against Venezuela following the U.S. military’s early-morning raid on Caracas on Saturday, January 3.

In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the U.S. justification for its military operation as baseless and urged American leaders to “release the legitimately elected president of another country and his wife.”

Hours after the attack, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media claiming that the Maduros had been detained and removed from Venezuela.

Russia announced its support for the Venezuelan government and Latin American leaders’ calls for an immediate United Nations Security Council meeting to address the incident.

Following a phone call with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, EU High Representative Kallas posted on social media: “The EU has repeatedly stated that the Maduro regime lacks legitimacy and supports a peaceful transition of power.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen added that the EU stands with the Venezuelan people and supports a peaceful and democratic transition, emphasizing that any solution must respect international law and the UN Charter.

Farrage: If U.S. Action Gives China and Russia Pause, That’s a Good Thing

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a statement clarifying that the UK was not involved in the U.S. military operation and said he would speak with Trump to understand the situation.

Starmer emphasized: “I have always believed that we must all abide by international law.”

Trump’s right-wing ally, Nigel Farage, leader of Britain’s Reform Party, said the U.S. action was irregular and violated international law, “but if it makes China and Russia think twice, that might be a good thing.”

A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that China “strongly condemns the U.S. for brazenly using force against a sovereign state” and “firmly opposes this hegemonic act that seriously violates international law.”

Latin American Neighbors Sharply Divided in Response

Reactions from Venezuela’s Latin American neighbors to the U.S. raid were mixed but mostly critical.

Following the U.S. assault, personnel stationed at Fort Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military base, began evacuating en masse. (AFP)

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who maintains close ties with the Maduro government, posted online that, based on the principles of the UN Charter, he opposed any unilateral military action that could escalate tensions or endanger civilians. He also called for an immediate UN Security Council meeting.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned the U.S. in a social media post, stating that the raid on Venezuela and arrest of Maduro “crossed an unacceptable line… Openly violating international law by attacking another country is the first step toward global chaos and instability.”

Chilean President Gabriel Boric, along with the foreign ministries of Mexico and Uruguay, also denounced the U.S.’s unilateral military action.

However, Argentine President Javier Milei, an ally of Trump, celebrated the move on social media: “Freedom is advancing—long live freedom!”

Milei also shared a video from a recent summit in which he labeled Maduro a threat to the South American region and expressed support for Trump’s pressure campaign against him.

Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa posted: “The time has come for all drug kingpins and criminals—their networks across South America will finally fall.”

He also addressed Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, last year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, and the Venezuelan people, saying: “The moment to reclaim your country has arrived. Ecuador stands with you.”