US attacks on Venezuela are causing alarm throughout Latin America and beyond

The impact of the Trump administration’s stunning airstrikes and “capture” of Nicolás Maduro are already being felt far beyond Venezuela’s borders – the most significant US intervention in the region since the 1989 invasion of Panama.

President Gustavo Petro in neighboring Colombia announced that security forces had been deployed along the border to prepare for a possible influx of refugees. Colombia is home to the largest Venezuelan diaspora.

Petro confirmed multiple attacks in Caracas, including a military air base, other installations and the legislative building. He condemned the attack as an aggression against Venezuela and Latin America and urged de-escalation.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva condemned the US attack on neighboring Venezuela and the seizure of Maduro, saying the attacks “crossed an unacceptable line” and set a “dangerous precedent.”

Lula said the move triggered “the worst moments of interference” in Latin America and threatened the region’s status as a peace zone. Despite his previous alliance with Maduro’s predecessor Hugo Chávez, relations have cooled since Brazil refused to recognize Maduro’s disputed 2024 election victory, which was widely dismissed as fraudulent.

Other regional powers, including Chile and Mexico, issued strong condemnations. Mexico called the strikes a violation of the UN Charter and urged an immediate end to the aggression. In a Fox News interview on Saturday, President Trump said Mexico is controlled by drug cartels and said, “Something has to be done with Mexico.”

Cuba and Nicaragua – two of Venezuela’s closest allies – are keeping a close eye on the crisis. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel labeled the US action as ‘state terrorism’ and called for urgent international intervention.

Cuba, facing its worst economic crisis since the fall of the Soviet Union, is heavily dependent 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 closely monitoring the unfolding situation.

What’s next: the world stage

Close allies China and Russia have also responded. Russia condemned the strikes and reaffirmed solidarity with the Venezuelan people. In a statementThe Russian Foreign Ministry called the Trump administration’s pretext to attack Venezuela baseless, saying that if reports of Maduro’s capture were true, the US action represented an “unacceptable attack” on Venezuela’s sovereignty.

Despite such expressions of support, Moscow has failed to more forcefully challenge the US amid a months-long pressure campaign by the Trump administration against the Venezuelan leadership.

China said it strongly opposed the US action and condemned it as a violation of international law. In a statementThe State Department said Beijing was “deeply shocked” by what it called Washington’s “blatant use of force” against a sovereign state, arguing it violated Venezuela’s sovereignty and threatened peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the EU supports this “a peaceful and democratic transition” in Venezuela. But she stopped short of criticizing the US attack.

“We stand with the Venezuelan people and support a peaceful and democratic transition,” she said, adding that any solution must respect international law and the UN Charter.

Venezuela has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, raising questions about the legality of the US operation.

In one statement UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he was “deeply alarmed” by the overnight developments, expressing concern that “international law is not being respected”.