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.”

The Russian government called for Venezuela to “be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive, let alone military, interference from outside,” and backed other calls for an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council.

European nations call for deescalation, voice concern over nationals in Venezuela

Top European Union diplomat Kaja Kallas said that she had spoken to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the E.U.’s ambassador in Caracas. She said the E.U. is “closely monitoring the situation” and noted that it has “repeatedly stated that Mr. Maduro lacks legitimacy.”  

“Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected,” Kallas wrote. “We call for restraint.  The safety of EU citizens in the country is our top priority.”

European nations including Italy and Belgium said the safety of their citizens was their top priority, and that they were monitoring the situation.

Spain’s Foreign Ministry called in a statement for “de-escalation and moderation, and for action to always be taken in accordance with international law and the principles of the U.N. Charter,” according to Reuters.

The Spanish ministry added an offer to help mediate “to achieve a peaceful and negotiated solution to the current crisis.”