The United States on Saturday carried out a military strike on Venezuela and captured President Nicolás Maduro, who was subsequently taken out of the country, according to a statement by US President Donald Trump.
Venezuela’s government said the attacks targeted the capital Caracas as well as the states of Miranda, Aragua, and La Guaira. Residents in Caracas reported hearing at least seven explosions, while low-flying aircraft were heard around 2 am local time.
The strike follows long-standing US allegations that President Maduro has turned Venezuela into a “narco-state” and manipulated electoral processes. Maduro, who assumed power in 2013 following the death of Hugo Chávez, has repeatedly rejected these claims, asserting that Washington’s real objective is to gain control over Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, the largest in the world, according to Reuters.
International reactions pour in
The reported military action has drawn strong reactions from several world leaders, many of whom condemned the attack and expressed concern over rising regional tensions.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez strongly criticised the US action, describing it as a “criminal attack” against Venezuela. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Díaz-Canel said that the region’s so-called “zone of peace” was being “brutally assaulted,” calling the operation an act of state terrorism against not only Venezuela but the wider Latin American region.
He concluded his remarks with the slogan: “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
Iran condemns strike
Iran’s foreign ministry also issued a sharp response to the reported explosions in Caracas. According to AFP, the ministry said it “strongly condemns the American military attack on Venezuela and the flagrant violation of the country’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
Iran’s statement was reportedly released before President Trump confirmed on Truth Social that the United States had conducted a “large-scale strike” on Venezuela.
Colombia calls for peace
Colombian President Gustavo Petro rejected the military action, stating that Colombia opposes any aggression against Venezuela and Latin America.
“The Government of Colombia rejects the aggression against the sovereignty of Venezuela and of Latin America,” Petro wrote on X. He added that peace, respect for international law, and the protection of human life must take precedence over armed confrontation.
