Global reactions pour in after US strike on Venezuela

The United States launched a major military operation in Venezuela early Saturday, with President Donald Trump claiming President Nicolás Maduro had been captured. The move triggered sharp reactions from Venezuela, Colombia, Russia and the US State Department, raising fears of regional escalation.

Caracas (Venezuela): The United States hit Venezuela with a “large-scale strike” early on Saturday and said President Nicolas Maduro had been captured and flown out of the country after months of stepped-up pressure by Washington — an extraordinary nighttime operation announced by President Donald Trump on social media hours after the attack.

Multiple explosions rang out, and low-flying aircraft swept through Caracas, the capital, as Maduro’s government immediately accused the US of attacking civilian and military installations. The Venezuelan government called it an “imperialist attack” and urged citizens to take to the streets.

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Trump announced the developments on Truth Social shortly after 4:30 am ET and said he would host a news conference at 11 am ET.

Here’s the latest:

Colombia prepares to receive refugees from Venezuela

President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, one of Trump’s fiercest critics, said the Colombian government convened a national security meeting before dawn Saturday and sent security forces to the border in preparation for a potential “massive influx of refugees” from neighbouring Venezuela.

He said he’d also call on the UN Security Council to consider “the aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and of Latin America.”

“Without sovereignty, there is no nation,” Petro wrote on social media.

Russia calls US action an act of armed aggression’

Russia’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called a US “act of armed aggression” against Venezuela in a statement posted on its Telegram channel on Saturday.

“Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive, let alone military, outside intervention,” the statement said.

The ministry called for dialogue to prevent further escalation and said it reaffirmed its “solidarity” with the Venezuelan people and government, adding that Russia supports calls for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

State Department urges Americans in Venezuela to shelter in place

The State Department issued a new travel alert early Saturday, warning Americans in Venezuela to “shelter in place” due to the situation.

“US Embassy Bogota is aware of reports of explosions in and around Caracas, Venezuela,” it said without elaboration.

“The US Embassy in Bogota, Colombia, warns US citizens not to travel to Venezuela. US citizens in Venezuela should shelter in place.” The embassy in Bogota has been shuttered since March 2019 but operates remotely.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio retweeted Trump’s announcement without comment, but his deputy, Christopher Landau, posted Trump’s statement, adding that it marked “a new dawn for Venezuela!” “The tyrant is gone. He will now—finally—face justice for his crimes,” Landau said.