UN, world leaders dismayed by US Venezuela op. and capture of Maduro, label it 'dangerous precedent

Emphasizing the importance of “full respect – by all – of international law,” the secretary-general called for “all actors in Venezuela to engage in inclusive dialogue.”

Additionally, South Africa called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to address the “manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations,” according to a statement released by the South African Department of International Relations.

Beijing decried the US actions as “hegemonic behavior” that “seriously violates international law, Venezuelan sovereignty, and threatens peace and security in Latin America.” The statement urged the US to “stop violating the sovereignty and security of other countries.”

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters that he wished to speak to US President Donald Trump in the aftermath of the strikes to “establish the facts” of the “fast-moving” situation.

Starmer clarified that the United Kingdom was not involved in the operation and assured that the British embassy in Venezuela is “working to ensure all British nationals in Venezuela are supported.”

Spanish President Pedro Sanchez announced that his country will not recognize the removal of Maduro, claiming that the US's intervention "violates international law" and may "push the region toward a horizon of uncertainty and belligerence."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot similarly stated that the operation “violates the principle of non-resort to force that underpins international law,” asserting that “no lasting political solution can be imposed from the outside.”

Barrot also acknowledged that prior to his capture, Maduro deprived the Venezuelan people of their fundamental freedoms and “gravely undermined their dignity and their right to self-determination.”

While many countries were quick to condemn the operation, a few world leaders welcomed it.

“What we have to understand is that it’s the collapse of the regime of a dictator that was rigging elections,” Milei said. “In the last election [Maduro] was badly defeated and, despite that, he clinged on to power.”

On social media, Milei wrote, "FREEDOM MOVES FORWARD. LONG LIVE FREEDOM DAMMIT," paired with a video of himself speaking at a summit, describing Maduro as a threat to the region and backing the pressure Trump was putting on Caracas.

Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi expressed that his thoughts were with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was forced into hiding by Maduro's regime before fleeing the South American country.

"My thoughts are with my friend María Corina Machado... and the brave people of Venezuela who, like my own countrymen, have persevered through great hardship," Pahlavi said in a statement released on X/Twitter. "May Venezuelans’ sacrifices soon be rewarded with the freedom and prosperity for which they have fought so valiantly."

Drawing a parallel between the ongoing anti-regime protests in his native Iran, Pahlavi shared his hope that "together, a free Iran and a free Venezuela will bring peace and stability to our two people and the world."

“Israel commends the United States’ operation, led by President Trump, which acted as the leader of the free world,” Sa’ar wrote in a post on X/Twitter. “At this historic moment, Israel stands alongside the freedom-loving Venezuelan people, who have suffered under Maduro’s illegal tyranny.”