Global reaction to U.S. strikes on Venezuela includes condemnation, concern for foreign nationals

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

January 3, 2026 / 6:51 AM EST


International leaders reacted swiftly on Saturday morning as President Trump confirmed U.S. military strikes in Venezuela and announced the capture of the country's leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife. Many U.S. adversaries, including some of Venezuela's nearest neighbors, condemned the strikes, while other governments around the world called for deescalation and voiced concern for their citizens in the Latin American nation.

Latin American reaction

Colombia, which shares a border with Venezuela, called for urgent deescalation. It said it had "implemented steps to protect the civilian population, preserve stability on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, and promptly address any potential humanitarian or migration needs." Cuban president Miguel Diaz-Canel called the operation a "criminal US attack." He said the country denounced the attack and called for an "URGENT reaction from the international community."

Iran and Russia condemn U.S. action in Venezuela

Iran also condemned the attack, calling it a "flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity" of Venezuela, the AFP news agency reported. Mr. Trump recently responded to reports that at least eight people have been killed amid nearly a week of escalating protests in Iran by warning the Middle Eastern country that the U.S. was "locked and loaded and ready to go."

Russia's foreign ministry accused the U.S. of "an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This is deeply concerning and condemnable" in a statement, according to the Reuters news agency. "The pretexts used to justify such actions are unfounded. Ideological animosity has prevailed over business pragmatism and the willingness to build relationships based on trust and predictability," the statement said. "In the current situation, it is important, first and foremost, to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a way out of the situation through dialogue."

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-strikes-venezeula-trump-maduro-international-reaction/

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Tell me, what's to stop TSF from going into Canada and Greenland,

and kidnapping THEIR leaders?

Folks, this isn't Israel/Mossad kidnapping Adolf Eichman in Argentina and putting him on trial.

[paleotn]

5. Greenland's leaders are in Copenhagen.

Try that. Go ahead, Donnie. I double dog dare you. He did this in Venezuela because they're small, weak and brown. A Caracas snatch and grab operation wasn't difficult militarily. Canada and Denmark are not weak. That's a whole different ballgame.

The US get sanctioned economically for this. I doubt the international community will just let this slide.

[in2herbs]

6. Was Maduro kidnapped to create a vacuum to prevent a request to the ICC? nt

[paleotn]

7. Maybe. Who knows at this point.

But it will come clearer this coming week. Notice they did this on a Friday night / Saturday morning. New meaning to the Friday news dump.

[Hugin]

10. I'm already doing all my meager resources allow...

Sitting here shaking my head waiting for this to turn into shit as it inevitably will.

You’re completely correct. The action was timed for the Trumpists to fill the airwaves with lies for a few hours while the rational get their pants on. It’s certainly a pattern of theirs.

Yeah, we’re going to see early next week the real meat.

[EX500rider]

8. More likely to install the actual winner of the last Venz election..Mara Corina Machado, who won by 70%

https://www.cartercenter.org/stories/center-finds-democracy-thwarted-in-venezuela/

[Gaytano70]

11. Who, btw, lapped at the *rump bung when she "won" the Nobel this year.

*rump is just trying to reward one of his sycophants!

[EX500rider]

17. Not surprising she would hope for help from the US and suck up to Trumpy

https://www.cartercenter.org/stories/center-finds-democracy-thwarted-in-venezuela/

[Rebl2]

18. Yep

[Bengus81]

2. EPSTEIN FILES EPSTEIN FILES EPSTEIN FILES EPSTEIN FILES EPSTEIN FILES

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

3. Kick

[Igel]

4. Russia says ...

Ideological animosity has prevailed over business pragmatism and the willingness to build relationships based on trust and predictability,

[EX500rider]

9. "Global reaction"? Cuba, Russia & Iran? lol

[muriel_volestrangler]

12. You could try reading the article

There is, if you've forgotten, a limit on the number of paragraphs that can be quoted from a copyright source.

Though I noticed you missed out Colombia, which is also in the OP excerpt (an important reaction, since they're next door to Venezuela, and Trump has similarly been threatening their president, and killing Colombians in boats).

All in all, LOLing over a situation that has seen over 100 people killed by the USA before today seems childish.

[EX500rider]

13. Oppressive dictator who ruins his country's economy goes down no tears from me.

Nor for his oppressive security forces who kept him in power.

https://www.cartercenter.org/stories/center-finds-democracy-thwarted-in-venezuela/

[EX500rider]

14. I did read what Colombia said:

Colombia, which shares a border with Venezuela, called for urgent deescalation. It said it had "implemented steps to protect the civilian population, preserve stability on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, and promptly address any potential humanitarian or migration needs."

Not quite the same as "condemnation" IMO

[muriel_volestrangler]

15. But your kneejerk reaction was to ignore Colombia

and just laugh.

[EX500rider]

22. Didn't see any objections from Colombia, just legitimate concerns.

Secretly I would guess they are pleased and hope the almost 3 million Venz. refugees in Colombia can go home sooner then later.

[muriel_volestrangler]

24. Colombia calls for emergency UN, OAS meetings after US air strikes in Venezuela

Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro called for emergency meets of the United Nations (UN) and the Organization of American States (OAS) after the United States apparently carried out air strikes in Venezuela.

In a series of posts on social media platform X, Petro said “they have attacked Venezuela.”

“The Government of Colombia rejects any unilateral military action that could worsen the situation” in Venezuela ‘or put the civilian population at risk,’ the president added.

Colombia reaffirms its unconditional commitment to the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, particularly the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, the prohibition of the use or force or the threat of the use of force, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes.

Petro said that his country would “adopt a position aimed at preserving regional peace and makes and urgent call for de-escalation, urging all involved parties to abstain from actions that deepen confrontation, and to prioritize dialogue and diplomatic channels.”

https://colombiareports.com/colombia-calls-for-emergency-un-oas-meetings-after-air-strikes-in-venezuela/

Dunno, would you be happy if a psychopath in charge of the world's largest military had just ignored international law, killed over a hundred people in the vicinity of your country, and kidnapped a head of state (days after warning your own president to "watch his ass", on whom the psychopath had already put sanctions)? And the psychopath had announced his intention to run the neighbouring country he'd bombed? I guess that would depend on how much you trust and admire the psychopath, wouldn't it?

[ananda]

20. I want to know what Putin thinks of this, particularly.

It's his oil, right?

They've been messing with his tankers for the last
few weeks, also.

[Samael13]

16. First off i dont want to hear russia say a damn word

I am not a fan of Maduro I think he deserves whatever bad happens to him. But I can't get behind the US going back to creating chaos in south america. Besides that of Trump gets away with this it sets a new precedent for him to use.

[SouthBayDem]

19. From the UK:

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to be drawn on whether or not US President Donald Trump's military action against Venezuela may have broken international law.

In an interview with the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, the prime minister did not condemn the US strikes.

He said he was waiting to establish all the facts but would not "shy away from this", adding he was a "lifelong advocate of international law".

Sir Keir earlier said the UK had not been involved in Saturday's large-scale strikes on Venezuela and he had not spoken to Trump about the operation that resulted in the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

Full story: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy4qgvwxp08o

[Mosby]

21. Wahington Post editorial

Justice in Venezuela

Millions of people around the world, most of all in Venezuela, are celebrating the downfall of the dictator Nicolás Maduro. President Donald Trump’s decision to capture him on Saturday is one of the boldest moves a president has made in years, and the operation was an unquestionable tactical success. The next step is ensuring that this triumph sets Venezuela up for stability rather than chaos.

Details are still emerging, but what happened in Caracas was a clear reminder that America’s military and intelligence capabilities are second to none. Airstrikes on several locations in Venezuela preceded the capture of Maduro and his wife by members of the U.S. Army’s elite Delta Force. The couple has been extradited to the U.S., where they will face narcoterrorism, weapons and drug charges in Manhattan. Miraculously, there were no American deaths, although some U.S. service members were injured and one helicopter was damaged.

This is a major victory for American interests. Just hours before, supportive Chinese officials held a chummy meeting with Maduro, who had also been propped up by Russia, Cuba and Iran. No doubt millions of Venezuelans will remember who backed their oppressor and who effected his removal. The end of Maduro will be a failure if it doesn’t also corrode the influence of American adversaries in this hemisphere.

https://wapo.st/3NbW4xj

[Bayard]

23. Russia is going to lecture us about territorial integrity?"

It is to laugh.

I want to hear what European nations have to say about whackazoid trump.