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Global outcry over US abduction of Venezuelan president
Iran FM raps US move as ‘clear instance of state terrorism’ Calls mount for immediate release of Madur
Venezuela's president was in a New York jail on Sunday after the shock US snatch-and-grab raid on Saturday to remove him from power.
Maduro and his wife are facing drug-trafficking and weapons charges in the US.
Handcuffed and in sandals, Maduro was escorted by federal agents through a Manhattan US Drug Enforcement Administration facility, a video posted by the White House on social media showed.
"Good night, Happy New Year," the 63-year-old leader was heard saying in English.
The US move to kidnap Maduro came amid six months of escalating tensions between Washington and the South American country following the US military buildup near Venezuela on the pretext of cracking down on drug cartels.
Anti-US protests
Major cities across the world have been the scene of protests against the US kidnapping of the Venezuelan president.
Protesters took to the streets in Argentina, Chile, India, Pakistan, the UK, Spain, Italy and many US cities to denounce Washington’s move and demand the release of Maduro.
Many countries also called the US strike a violation of international law and called for immediate release of the Venezuelan president.
"China calls on the US to ensure the personal safety of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, release them at once, stop toppling the government of Venezuela," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement, calling the strike a "clear violation of international law."
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim urged the release of Venezuelan president and his wife “without any undue delay.”
“I have followed developments in Venezuela with grave concern. The leader of Venezuela and his wife were seized in a United States military operation of unusual scope and nature,” Anwar said on US social media company X.
He stressed that such actions “constitute a clear violation of international law and amount to an unlawful use of force against a sovereign state.”
North Korea also censured the US move as a "serious encroachment of sovereignty," state media said.
Pyongyang's Foreign Ministry "strongly denounces the US hegemony-seeking act committed in Venezuela," said a ministry spokesperson in a statement carried by the official KCNA.
"The incident is another example that clearly confirms once again the rogue and brutal nature of the US," they added.
Singapore is "gravely concerned by the US intervention" in Venezuela, the country's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
France, Spain, Brazil, Iran, Russia and the European Commission were also among those who said US President Donald Trump had broken international rules.
There were also calls for the UN security council to urgently convene to discuss the matter.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in a phone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil Pinto described the move as a “clear instance of state terrorism” and a blatant violation of the Venezuelan people’s sovereignty.
The former denounced the abduction of Venezuela’s legitimate president and his spouse in the strongest terms, saying the action constituted an open assault on Venezuela’s national will.
He reaffirmed Iran’s support for the Venezuelan people and their elected government.
‘Dangerous precedent’
The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, said the action by the US sets a “dangerous precedent,” a spokesperson said.
“The secretary general continues to emphasize the importance of full respect – by all – of international law, including the UN charter. He’s deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected,” UN spokesperson Stephan Dujarric said.
Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, said that the US actions “crossed an unacceptable line”, comparing them to “the darkest moments of [US] interference in Latin America and the Caribbean” – an apparent reference to the dozens of US military interventions in the region over the past two centuries.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot posted on social media, “The military operation that led to the capture of Nicolas Maduro violates the principle of not resorting to force that underpins international law. France reiterates that no lasting political solution can be imposed from the outside and that only sovereign people themselves can decide their future.”
Spain’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez said, “Spain did not recognize the Maduro regime. But neither will it recognize an intervention that violates international law and pushes the region toward a horizon of uncertainty and belligerence.”
Miguel Díaz-Canel, the Cuban president, described the attacks as “state terrorism against the Venezuelan people.”