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LAST UPDATE | 3 Jan
GLOBAL REACTION TO the US operation in Venezuela has been focused on the ramifications for international law.
In a statement the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it is “monitoring the consular situation, in coordination with EU partners on the ground”.
Helen McEntee, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Defence, has called for respect of international law principles.
“In response to the rapidly evolving situation in Venezuela, I have been in contact this morning with EU High Representative for Foreign Policy, Kaja Kallas. I will remain in close contact with EU colleagues as the situation evolves.
“Ireland, together with our EU partners, underlines the absolute necessity of full respect for international law and the principles of the UN Charter. While we have been clear that President Maduro does not have any democratic legitimacy, we have consistently called for a peaceful and negotiated transition in Venezuela, and have supported all international efforts to that end,” she said.
EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy representative Kaja Kallas said she has spoken to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the union’s Ambassador in Caracas.
“The EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela. The EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy and has defended a peaceful transition. Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected. We call for restraint.
“The safety of EU citizens in the country is our top priority,” she said.
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the EU Commission also echoed the concerns for international law in a tweet and called for a peaceful transition of power.
“Following very closely the situation in Venezuela. We stand by the people of Venezuela and support a peaceful and democratic transition. Any solution must respect international law and the UN Charter.
“With HRVP @kajakallas and in coordination with EU Member States, we are making sure that EU citizens in the country can count on our full support,” she said.
— Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) January 3, 2026
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday all countries should “uphold international law”.
“I want to establish the facts first, I want to speak to President Trump, I want to speak to allies,” the UK leader said in brief comments aired on British television hours after the US attack.
“I can be absolutely clear that we were not involved in that. And as you know, I always say and believe we should all uphold international law,” he added.
French President Emmanuel Macron has said that the opposition now must be able to assume power in Venezuela.
“The Venezuelan people are today rid of Nicolás Maduro’s dictatorship and can only rejoice. By seizing power and trampling on fundamental freedoms, Nicolás Maduro gravely undermined the dignity of his own people.
“The upcoming transition must be peaceful, democratic, and respectful of the will of the Venezuelan people. We wish that President Edmundo González Urrutia, elected in 2024, can swiftly ensure this transition.
“I am currently exchanging with our partners in the region. France is fully mobilized and vigilant, including to ensure the safety of its nationals during these uncertain times,” he said.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Nicolas Maduro had “led his country to ruin” after the United States snatched the Venezuelan leader out of the country during a raid on Caracas.
Merz noted Germany had not recognised the last Venezuelan election as it was “rigged” and that Maduro had “played a problematic role in the region”, including by “entangling Venezuela in the drug trade”.
But he also said that the legal aspects of the US actions were “complex”, and in general “the principles of international law must apply in relations between states”.
“Political instability must not be allowed to arise in Venezuela now,” Merz added.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he ordered the deployment of military forces to the Venezuelan border following the strikes.
Petro described Washington’s actions as an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America and said they would result in a humanitarian crisis
While proposing that the situation could be resolved through “dialogue,” the president said on X that he had also ordered the “deployment of the security forces” to the Venezuelan border.
Petro made no mention of Maduro’s capture, despite the Venezuelan leader being one of his government’s closest allies in the region.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is “deeply alarmed” after Washington’s strikes on Venezuela, his spokesman said Saturday, saying it could “constitute a dangerous precedent.”
The UN chief Antonio Guterres said he is “deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected”.
A statement added that Guterres “calls on all actors in Venezuela to engage in inclusive dialogue, in full respect of human rights and the rule of law.”
Russia – another Venezuelan ally – also condemned the military action, saying there was no tenable justification for the attack and that “ideological hostility” had prevailed over diplomacy.
Venezuela is Russia’s most important ally in South America, though the Kremlin has stopped short of offering assistance to Caracas in the event of a conflict with the US.
“This morning, the United States committed an act of armed aggression against Venezuela. This is deeply concerning and condemnable,” the Russian foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The pretexts used to justify such actions are untenable. Ideological hostility has triumphed over businesslike pragmatism,” it added.
Spain – a US ally – offered to mediate in the crisis between the two states.
“Spain calls for de-escalation and restraint,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Spain had not recognised the results of the 28 July, 2024 elections, officially won by Maduro but contested by the opposition, whose candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia fled Venezuela for Madrid after the vote.
Spain “has welcomed, and will continue to welcome, tens of thousands of Venezuelans forced to leave their country for political reasons, and… stands ready to help in the search for a democratic, negotiated, and peaceful solution for the country,” the ministry added.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Saturday slammed the US attacks on Venezuela as a “serious affront” to the country’s sovereignty, echoing criticism made by fellow regional heavyweight, Mexico.
“The bombings in Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line” the left-wing Lula wrote on X, saying they threaten “the preservation of the region as a zone of peace.”
He urged the international community, through the United Nations, to “respond vigorously” to the attacks.
Sinn Féin’ s National Chairman Declan Kearney has called for the Irish Government to react against the US intervention.
“International law must be defended and enforced. There is no legitimate or legal alternative to respect for national sovereignty, the use of diplomacy and peaceful coexistence.
“The Irish government and global democracy must condemn these aggressive actions, and act to support an urgent deescalation of political tensions in Venezuela, and the establishment of regional political stability and security,” he said.
Labour’s foreign affairs Spokesperson Duncan Smith TD condemned the United States’ attacks on Venezuela.
He described the incident as “a kidnapping” of Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores as a major international crisis, calling for immediate action in New York and Dublin to halt the violence, uphold international law and secure their safe return.
“The attack on Venezuela by the United States and the kidnapping of President Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores represents a flagrant breach of international law and an escalation that increases instability across the world. What we are witnessing in Caracas is a situation that demands urgent global action.
“We are seeing actions by one of the world’s most powerful states that beggar belief. The flagrancy with which the United States has acted in Venezuela has shocked the world and undermines the very foundations of international cooperation and respect for sovereign nations,” he said.
People Before Profit also condemned the attack and called for the Irish Government to condemn the US and demand the release of President Maduro.
Social Democrats foreign affairs spokeswoman Patricia Stephenson has said the Irish government must unequivocally condemn the US military actions in Venezuela, which clearly undermine international law and will further heighten global tensions.
With reporting from AFP and Press Association.
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