Updated January 4, 2026 at 4:15 AM CST
The impact of the Trump administration's stunning airstrikes and "capture" of Nicolás Maduro are already being felt well beyond Venezuela's borders — the most significant U.S. intervention in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama.
Regional reaction: Mostly criticism, limited support
President Gustavo Petro in neighboring Colombia, announced that security forces were deployed along the border to prepare for a possible refugee influx. Colombia hosts the largest Venezuelan diaspora.
Petro confirmed multiple strikes in Caracas, including a military airbase, other installations, and the legislative building. He condemned the attack as an aggression against Venezuela and Latin America, urging de-escalation.
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Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned the U.S. attack on neighboring Venezuela and the seizure of Maduro, saying the strikes "crossed an unacceptable line" and set a "dangerous precedent."
Lula said the action evoked "the worst moments of interference" in Latin America and threatened the region's status as a zone of peace. Despite his past alliance with Maduro's predecessor Hugo Chávez, relations have cooled since Brazil refused to recognize Maduro's disputed 2024 election victory, widely dismissed as fraudulent.
Other regional powers, including Chile and Mexico, echoed strong condemnation. Mexico called the strikes a violation of the U.N. Charter and urged an immediate halt to acts of aggression. In a Fox News interview on Saturday, President Trump said Mexico was run by drug cartels and he said quote "something is gonna have to be done with Mexico."
Cuba and Nicaragua — two of Venezuela's closest allies — are closely monitoring the crisis. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel labeled the U.S. action "state terrorism" and called for urgent international intervention.
Cuba, facing its most severe economic crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union, relies heavily on Venezuelan oil. Any disruption could worsen an already dire situation, and the government in Havana – which has been in power since 1959 - has been watching the unfolding situation closely.
But a number of staunch Trump allies in Latin America backed the U.S. operation in Venezuela. Argentina's President Javier Milei hailed Maduro's capture as a victory for freedom, El Salvador's Nayib Bukele signaled support via social media, and Ecuador's Daniel Noboa called it a blow to Venezuela's "narco-Chavista" structures.
What's next: the global stage
Close allies China and Russia have also reacted. Russia condemned the strikes, reaffirming solidarity with the Venezuelan people. In a statement, Russia's Foreign Ministry called the Trump administration's pretext for attacking Venezuela unfounded and said if the reports of Maduro's capture were true, the U.S. action marked an "unacceptable assault" on Venezuela's sovereignty.
Despite such expressions of support, Moscow has stopped short of challenging the U.S. more forcefully amid a months-long pressure campaign by the Trump administration against the Venezuelan leadership.
China said it strongly opposed the U.S. action condemning the move as a violation of international law. In a statement, the foreign ministry said Beijing was "deeply shocked" by what it called Washington's "blatant use of force" against a sovereign state, arguing it infringed Venezuela's sovereignty and threatened peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean.
European leaders responded cautiously to the U.S. operation in Venezuela. French President Emmanuel Macron said any transition must be "peaceful, democratic and respectful of the will of the Venezuelan people." In a separate post, he said he had spoken with opposition leader María Corina Machado and that she could count on France's support for a peaceful, democratic transition.
U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer declined to say whether the strikes breached international law, telling the BBC he was awaiting the facts and describing himself as a "lifelong advocate of international law." He said Britain was not involved or consulted and hoped opposition figure Edmundo González could guide a transition.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said the legality of the operation was "complex," stressing that international law must apply and warning that political instability in Venezuela must be avoided.
The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the E.U. supports "a peaceful and democratic transition" in Venezuela. But she stopped short of criticizing the U.S. attack.
"We stand by the Venezuelan people and support a peaceful and democratic transition," she said, adding that any solution must respect international law and the U.N. Charter.
The U.N. Security Council is set to meet Monday at the request of Colombia, with backing from Russia and China.
In a statement U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres said he was "deeply alarmed" by the overnight developments, expressing concern "that international law hasn't been respected."
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