Many world leaders whined Saturday over the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, claiming the clandestine US mission was an unnecessary use of force — despite a legal precedent for it.
Allies Russia, Iran, China and Columbia were among the nations lining up Saturday to demand the Trump administration release Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores, who were headed to New York City to face federal charges of narcoterrorism.
“In view of the confirmed reports about Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his spouse being in the United States, we strongly urge the US leadership to reconsider their position and release the legitimately elected president of a sovereign country and his spouse,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“We highlight the need to create conditions for resolving any existing issues between the United States and Venezuela through dialogue.”
The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said through a spokesperson that it was “deeply alarmed” by the use of US military force. The operation sets a “dangerous precedent” and may have violated international law, the UN warned.
The US military unleashed a stunning show of force early Saturday morning to apprehend Maduro, deploying more than 150 aircrafts, elite ground troops and overwhelming airpower, part of a massive operation that began in August.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called Maduro an illegitimate president — he was indicted by the US in 2020 — and a “fugitive of American justice” before his arrest.
Maduro was provided “multiple, very, very, very generous offers” to avoid his high-profile arrest but instead chose to “act like a wild man” and “play games,” said Rubio.
Maduro’s arrest is bolstered by legal precedent dating back to 1989, when the first Bush administration invaded Panama to capture dictator Manuel Noriega.
The US courts, at the time, ruled the military can physically remove someone from another country and bring them to a courtroom stateside to answer criminal charges.
Maduro’s capture was celebrated by leaders of some nations, including Argentinian President Javier Milei, who posted on social media in Spanish the caption “La Libertad Avanza,” or “Freedom advances.”
Kaja Kallas, a European Union diplomat, said Saturday she had spoken with Rubio and the EU’s ambassador in Caracas and that the EU was “closely monitoring the situation.”
She also noted the EU has “repeatedly stated that Mr. Maduro lacks legitimacy” but added, “we call for restraint. The safety of EU citizens in the country is our top priority.”
The Russian Foreign Ministry also fired off an earlier statement demanding a full meeting of the UN Security Council over Maduro’s capture, claiming the US “committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela.”
“Latin America must remain a zone of peace, as it declared itself to be in 2014. And Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive, let alone military, interference from outside,” the ministry added.
The China Foreign Ministry chimed in with a statement condemning the use of force by the US against a sovereign nation and its president, adding that it was “deeply shocked.”
Both Russia and China, in particular, consider oil-rich Venezuela key allies in South America.
On Friday, Maduro met with a special envoy for Chinese President Xi Jinping at the presidential palace in Caracas to reaffirm ties with China amid the escalating tensions with the US.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel claimed the arrests were a “criminal US attack, and Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva also called it a “serious affront” to Venezuela’s sovereignty, the AFP reported.
With Post wires.
