The United States early on Saturday launched a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela, with President Donald Trump announcing that US forces had captured the South American country’s leader, Nicolas Maduro and his wife. “The United States of America has successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the country,“ Trump said in a Truth Social post . Multiple explosions rocked Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, earlier in the day, and columns of black smoke and aircraft could be seen. Responding to the development in a video statement, Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said the country would resist the presence of foreign troops. The strikes come after months of steadily mounting US military and economic pressure on Maduro and his country’s oil-export-dependent economy. Here is how the world is reacting to the development. ‘Violation of territorial integrity’ In a statement, the Iranian foreign ministry condemned the attack on Venezuela. It strongly condemned the “American military attack on Venezuela”, declaring it a “flagrant violation of the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country“. Colombia calls for de-escalation In a post on X, Colombian President Gustavo Petro reaffirmed his country’s “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,” he wrote on the social media platform. Petro said that Colombia had adopted a position “oriented toward the preservation of regional peace” and called for de-escalation. He further called on all parties to refrain from actions that deepen the confrontation and to prioritise 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 organisations,” he added. ‘Criminal attack’ In a sharp condemnation, Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez denounced the “criminal attack by the US on Venezuela”. In a post on X, he called on the international community to react against the US strikes. “Our Zone De Paz (Zone of Peace) is being brutally assaulted,” he wrote, describing the US action as “state terrorism” against not only the Venezuelan people but also “our America”. Spain offers to negotiate The Spanish foreign ministry offered in a statement to negotiate and help find a peaceful solution in Venezuela. It further called for de-escalation, moderation and respect for international law in the South American country. ‘Act of armed aggression’ Russia expressed deep concern over the development and condemned what it described as an “act of armed aggression” against Venezuela committed by the United States, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. “In the current situation, it is important … to prevent further escalation and to focus on finding a way out of the situation through dialogue,” it said. More to follow Header image: Fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of explosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026. — AFP