Iran and China denounce US kidnapping of Maduro Submitted by MEE staff on Mon, 01/05/2026 - 13:29 Venezuela allies demand release of president following 'illegal' abduction over the weekend Demonstrations outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, New York, where ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is being held, 4 January 2026 (Kena Betancur/AFP) Off Iran and China are among those who have denounced the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and called for his immediate release. US special forces seized Maduro from the capital, Caracas, early on Saturday, while American fighter jets bombed key military installations and bases across the country. US authorities said the Venezuelan leader will stand trial in the United States over drug trafficking charges, while President Donald Trump stated his country would "run" Venezuela for the foreseeable future. Venezuela's allies have reacted with alarm to the operation. Iran described the kidnapping of Maduro as "illegal" and warned Trump against carrying out further abductions. “In the past decades, interventions were justified under slogans such as democracy and human rights. Today, they openly say the issue is Venezuela’s oil,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Monday, during a weekly press conference. “Claims that another country can run Venezuela are unacceptable to any nation, including the Venezuelan people, and reflect a return to colonial-era thinking.” 'Colonial-era thinking' Another Venezuelan ally, China, demanded that the US release Maduro from its custody, saying the incursion had violated international law. Just hours before his abduction, Maduro hosted a Chinese delegation in the capital Caracas led by China's special representative on Latin American affairs, Qiu Xiaoqi. The US assault has been condemned by most South American countries, including Brazil, Colombia and Chile. Many European countries welcomed Maduro's removal, but some raised questions about the legality of the US operation. US Democratic lawmakers also criticised the attack as "illegal". After the capture of Maduro, Trump promised that American companies would be able to tap more of Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, t elling reporters: “We’re going to be taking out a tremendous amount of wealth out of the ground.” In 2023, during a speech at the North Carolina Republican Convention, Trump had made similar comments. “We would have gotten all that oil. It would have been right next door,” he said. 'Locked and loaded': Trump threatens Iran over protester deaths Read More » With 303 billion barrels worth of crude oil, accounting for 17 percent of global reserves, Venezuela has the largest known reserves in the world, according to the US Energy Information Administration . The country has more crude than Saudi Arabia , Iran, Iraq , and more than three times the reserves of the United States. Iran has viewed Maduro's capture with concern, in part due to threats made by Trump against the country's leaders. On Sunday, Trump said Iran would be hit “very hard” if more protesters are killed during ongoing anti-government demonstrations. "We are watching the situation very closely, and if they start killing people like they have done in the past, I think they are going to get a very strong hit from the United States," he told reporters on board Air Force One. Diplomacy News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0