Politics News
US strikes Venezuela and seizes Maduro: how the world split over the operation
US President Donald Trump said American forces carried out a large-scale strike on Venezuela early on Saturday, January 3, and captured President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. NPR, in a report carried by OPB, said explosions began around 2 a.m. local time in Caracas and that the Venezuelan government listed strikes in the nearby states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the couple had been indicted in New York on drug, arms and conspiracy charges.
“They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts.” — Pam Bondi, via NPR
NPR reported that Trump said no Americans were killed, while Vice President Delcy Rodríguez said Venezuelan government and military officials died. Lawmakers said the White House briefed them only after the operation. Euronews showed smoke rising at La Carlota airport after low-flying aircraft were heard over the capital.
Spectrum News gathered the reactions. Brazil's Lula said the action crossed “an unacceptable line”, and Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, Uruguay and Spain said it conflicted with “fundamental principles of international law”. Argentina's Javier Milei celebrated, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu congratulated Trump, and France's Emmanuel Macron said Venezuelans were rid of “Maduro's dictatorship”. The EU's Kaja Kallas called for “calm and restraint”, while the UK's Keir Starmer called Maduro an “illegitimate President” but stressed support for international law. China condemned the strikes.
How each outlet framed it
- NPR — the operation and its legal basis: the indictment, the casualties, and Congress learning of it afterwards.
- Euronews — the scene in Caracas: smoke over La Carlota airport in the early hours.
- Spectrum News — a country-by-country map of reactions, from Latin American condemnation to praise in Buenos Aires and Jerusalem.
What we don't know yet: Who will run Venezuela. NPR noted that the US had already struck at least 35 boats in the Caribbean and Pacific since late August, killing at least 115 people, but none of the reports set out a plan for the transition.