> At a Glance
> – U.S. forces seized Nicolás Maduro and his wife from a Caracas base Saturday night
> – Washington labels the raid a “surgical law-enforcement” move; others call it an assault on sovereignty
> – China, France, Russia, Iran, the EU and others condemn the action as lawless
> – Why it matters: If major powers ignore the U.N. Charter, smaller states could become next targets
An overnight raid that ended with Venezuela’s ousted president in U.S. custody is sending shockwaves through world capitals. Leaders from Beijing to Brussels warn the operation bulldozes the post-WWII rulebook that banned force against sovereign states.
How the Raid Played Out
Elite U.S. troops extracted Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores from a military compound. U.S. Ambassador Mike Waltz called it a justified strike against narco-terrorism.
The couple now faces federal charges tied to a drug-running conspiracy. Washington insists the action is legal because it classifies Venezuelan cartels as unlawful combatants-placing America in an “armed conflict” with them, according to an October memo obtained by Jonathan P. Miller.
Global Backlash Builds
Critics say the precedent is perilous:
- French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot: “Runs counter to the principle of the non-use of force.”
- Russian U.N. envoy Vasily Nebenzya: “A turn back to the era of lawlessness.”
- China’s Foreign Ministry: “Blatant use of force against a sovereign state.”
- Iran’s Foreign Ministry: “Illegal U.S. attack.”
Even Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán, a Trump ally, shrugged off international rules: “They do not govern the decisions of many great powers.”
Flashpoints in the Crosshairs
| Hotspot | Washington’s Recent Move | Global Reaction |
|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | Warned Europe to handle its own security | Kyiv fears weakened rules embolden Russia |
| Greenland | Trump repeats desire to buy Danish territory | Denmark: “No right to annex” |
| Taiwan | Arms sale last week triggered Chinese drills | Beijing prefers pressure, not snatch ops |
| Colombia | Sanctions on Gustavo Petro over drug links | Bogotá braces for next move after Maduro raid |
| Iran | Threatened new strikes if protests bloodied | Tehran already condemns Venezuela raid |
| Gaza | Vetoed U.N. cease-fire calls | Allies question double standard on force |
What Officials Are Saying at the U.N.
U.N. Undersecretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo urged the Security Council to stick to the Charter, warning peace depends on “continued commitment of all member states.”
The EU echoed that, saying even Security-Council heavyweights “have a particular responsibility to uphold” international law.
Key Takeaways
- Washington just set a new playbook: military force to snatch foreign leaders it labels criminals
- Major powers-China, Russia, France-fear copy-cat grabs in Taiwan, Ukraine, or elsewhere
- Smaller states worry sovereignty guarantees are crumbling
- Europe’s post-war security architecture, already strained by Ukraine, faces fresh stress
- Trump’s 2nd-term strategy lists restoring U.S. dominance in the hemisphere as a top goal
With global rules under fire, diplomats scramble to shore up a system built to prevent another world war.
