President Donald Trump ordered a large-scale military strike in Venezuela early Saturday that resulted in the capture and removal of socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.
According to the administration, elite U.S. forces executed a nighttime raid in Caracas, seizing Maduro and flying him out of the country to face criminal charges.
The Venezuelan government labeled the actions a “grave military aggression” and sought an emergency UN Security Council meeting.
In the immediate aftermath, a familiar chorus of anti-American regimes and leftist governments rushed to his defense—proving once again that tyrants instinctively protect their own.
Cuba, a communist police state propped up by Venezuelan oil for years, predictably howled about “imperial aggression.” Havana’s ruling elite knows that Maduro’s fall threatens its own survival, given how deeply Cuban intelligence embedded itself inside Venezuela’s security apparatus.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez wrote on X:
“Cuba denounces and urgently demands a response from the international community against the criminal U.S. attack on Venezuela. Our Zone of Peace is being brutally assaulted. State terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America.
Homeland or Death — We Shall Overcome!”
#Cuba denuncia y demanda URGENTE reacción de la comunidad internacional contra criminal ataque de E.U a #Venezuela. Nuestra #ZonaDePaz está siendo brutalmente asaltada. Terrorismo de Estado contra el bravo pueblo venezolano y contra Nuestra América.
Patria o Muerte ¡Venceremos!
— Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez (@DiazCanelB) January 3, 2026
During Saturday’s press conference, President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio fired a warning shot over the political future of Cuba.
Trump explained:
Cuba is an interesting case. Cuba is, you know, not doing very well right now. That system has not been a very good one for Cuba.
The people there have suffered for many, many years. And I think Cuba is going to be something we’ll end up talking about because Cuba is a failing nation right now, very badly failing nation.
And we want to help the people. It’s very similar in the sense that we want to help the people in Cuba, but we want to also help the people that were forced out of Cuba and living in this country.
He then asked Marco Rubio to weigh in:
Suffice to say, you know, Cuba is a disaster. It’s run by incompetent, senile men, and in some cases, not senile, but incompetent nonetheless. It has no economy. It’s in total collapse.
And by the way, you know, they were, you know, all the guards that helped protect Maduro, this is well known, their whole spy agency, all that were full of Cubans.
I mean, it’s amazing. This poor island took over Venezuela in some cases. One of the biggest problems that Venezuelans have is they have to declare independence from Cuba.
They tried to basically colonize it from a security standpoint. So, yeah, look, if I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned, at least a little bit.
Colombia similarly condemns the strikes while navigating its own armed conflicts, with ongoing violations against civilians.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on X:
“The Government of the Republic of Colombia observes with deep concern the reports of explosions and unusual aerial activity recorded in recent hours in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, as well as the consequent escalation of tension in the region.
Colombia reaffirms its unrestricted commitment to the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, in particular the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States, the prohibition of the use or threat of use of force, and the peaceful settlement of international disputes. In this regard, the Colombian Government rejects any unilateral military action that could aggravate the situation or put the civilian population at risk.
The country adopts a position oriented toward the preservation of regional peace, and makes an urgent call for de-escalation, exhorting all involved parties to refrain from actions that deepen the confrontation and to prioritize dialogue and diplomatic channels.
As a preventive measure, the National Government has arranged measures to protect the civilian population, preserve stability on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, and promptly address any eventual humanitarian or migratory needs, in coordination with local authorities and competent organizations.
Colombia’s Foreign Ministry must maintain open diplomatic channels with the involved governments and will promote, in the relevant multilateral and regional spaces, initiatives aimed at the objective verification of the facts, and the preservation of peace and regional security.
The Republic of Colombia reiterates its conviction that peace, respect for international law, and the protection of life and human dignity must prevail over any form of armed confrontation.
May Bolívar protect the Venezuelan people and the Latin American people.”
El Gobierno de la República de Colombia observa con profunda preocupación los reportes sobre explosiones y actividad aérea inusual registrados en las últimas horas en la República Bolivariana de Venezuela, así como la consecuente escalada de tensión en la región.
Colombia…
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) January 3, 2026
Earlier, President Trump on Saturday doubled down on past threats to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, saying that he should “watch his ass” after Trump ordered strikes inside Venezuela and captured President Nicolas Maduro, signaling possible actions against Colombia next.
Iran, the world’s leading state sponsor of terror, accused Washington of violating “international law.” This from a regime that arms Hezbollah, props up dictators, and openly chants “Death to America” while crushing its own citizens.
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Venezuela wrote on X:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran, in condemning the United States’ aggression against Venezuela, stated in a communiqué that the U.S. military attack constitutes a flagrant violation of the fundamental principles of the United Nations Charter and the basic norms of international law, particularly paragraph 4 of Article 2 of the Charter, which prohibits the use of force, and represents an “act of aggression” that must be immediately condemned by the UN and by all States concerned with sovereignty, peace, and international security.
The United States’ military aggression against a sovereign State member of the United Nations constitutes a flagrant violation of regional and international peace and security, the consequences of which affect the entire international system and increasingly endanger the integrity of the order based on the UN Charter.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, recalling Venezuela’s inherent right to defend its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and right to self-determination, underscored the legal and ethical responsibility of all States and international organizations, particularly the UN and its Security Council, to immediately halt the United States’ illegal aggression against Venezuela, and emphasizes the need to adopt the necessary measures to hold accountable the perpetrators and executors of the crimes committed during this military aggression.”
El Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores de #Iran, al condenar la agresión de Estados Unidos contra Venezuela, declaró en un comunicado que el ataque militar estadounidense constituye una violación flagrante de los principios fundamentales de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas y de las… pic.twitter.com/Aj0FGKh924
— Embajada de la R. I. de Irán en Venezuela (@Eiranencaracas) January 3, 2026
Russia rushed to denounce the strike, accusing the United States of destabilizing the region.
The hypocrisy was striking: a regime that launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine now presumes to lecture Washington on international stability.
The Moscow Times reported:
Russia’s Foreign Ministry on Saturday called for the release of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife from U.S. custody after President Donald Trump announced that they were captured during military strikes on the capital city of Caracas.
“We firmly call on the U.S. leadership to reconsider this position and release the lawfully elected president of a sovereign country and his wife,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement, stressing the need to resolve the dramatic confrontation through diplomacy.
In a separate message, the ministry said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov spoke by phone to Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez Gomez, during which he expressed his “solidarity with the Venezuelan people in the face of armed aggression.”
Anonymous sources told Reuters that Gomez was currently located in Moscow. Russian authorities dismissed that report as “fake.”
“Russia will continue to support the course pursued by its Bolivarian leadership to defend the country’s national interests and sovereignty,” the Foreign Ministry said. It urged restraint and warned against further escalation.
China also condemned the U.S. operation, with its Foreign Ministry accusing Washington of violating international law and undermining regional stability.
Hindustan Times reported:
“China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the United States’ brazen use of force against a sovereign state and its actions directed at its president,” the ministry said, according to South China Morning Post.
“Such hegemonic behavior by the US is a grave violation of international law, an infringement upon the sovereignty of Venezuela, and a threat to the peace and security of the Latin American and Caribbean region.”
Mexico joined broader Latin American countries in expressing concern and condemning recent unilateral U.S. military actions in Venezuela, ignoring its own growing refugee flows and domestic security crises.
Claudia Sheinbaum said in a statement:
“The Government of Mexico strongly condemns and rejects the military actions carried out unilaterally in recent hours by armed forces of the United States of America against targets in the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in clear violation of Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations (UN).
Based on its foreign policy principles and its pacifist vocation, Mexico makes an urgent call to respect international law, as well as the principles and purposes of the UN Charter, and to cease any act of aggression against the Venezuelan government and people.
Latin America and the Caribbean is a zone of peace, built on the basis of mutual respect, the peaceful settlement of disputes and the prohibition of the use and threat of force, so any military action seriously jeopardizes regional stability.
Mexico emphatically reiterates that dialogue and negotiation are the only legitimate and effective ways to resolve existing differences, and therefore reaffirms its willingness to support any effort to facilitate dialogue, mediation or accompaniment that contributes to preserving regional peace and avoiding confrontation.
It also urges the United Nations to act immediately to help de-escalate tensions, facilitate dialogue and create conditions that allow for a peaceful, sustainable solution in accordance with international law.”
El Artículo 2, párrafo 4 de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas dice textualmente:
“Los Miembros de la Organización, en sus relaciones internacionales, se abstendrán de recurrir a la amenaza o al uso de la fuerza contra la integridad territorial o la independencia política de…
— Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo (@Claudiashein) January 3, 2026
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva joined the chorus, condemning the U.S. operation as crossing “an unacceptable line” and warning it sets a “dangerous precedent” for the international community.
Lula wrote on X:
“The bombings on Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president cross an unacceptable line. These acts represent a most serious affront to Venezuela’s sovereignty and yet another extremely dangerous precedent for the entire international community.
Attacking countries, in flagrant violation of international law, is the first step toward a world of violence, chaos, and instability, where the law of the strongest prevails over multilateralism.
The condemnation of the use of force is consistent with the position that Brazil has always adopted in recent situations in other countries and regions.
The action recalls the worst moments of interference in the politics of Latin America and the Caribbean and threatens the preservation of the region as a zone of peace.
The international community, through the United Nations, needs to respond vigorously to this episode. Brazil condemns these actions and remains available to promote the path of dialogue and cooperation.”
Os bombardeios em território venezuelano e a captura do seu presidente ultrapassam uma linha inaceitável. Esses atos representam uma afronta gravíssima à soberania da Venezuela e mais um precedente extremamente perigoso para toda a comunidade internacional.
Atacar países, em…
— Lula (@LulaOficial) January 3, 2026
The same governments condemning the U.S. today either enabled Maduro, financed him, or benefited from his criminal networks. Their outrage is not principled — it is panicked.
The post Axis of Tyrants Melts Down: Cuba, Iran, Russia, China, Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia Rush to Defend Maduro After U.S. Strike in Venezuela appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.