Australia, New Zealand Back International Law After US Seizes Venezuela’s Maduro

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Australia and New Zealand said on Sunday they support international law and a peaceful, democratic future in Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro by US forces, as global reactions to the unprecedented operation revealed deep international divisions.

In separate statements, Canberra and Wellington—both members of the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing alliance alongside the United States, Britain, and Canada—said they were closely monitoring developments in Venezuela while urging restraint.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called on all parties to prioritize diplomacy to avoid wider instability.

“We urge all parties to support dialogue and diplomacy to secure regional stability and prevent escalation,” Albanese said, adding that Australia continues to back “international law and a peaceful, democratic transition in Venezuela that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people.”

Albanese stated that Australia has long expressed concerns about Venezuela’s adherence to democratic principles, human rights, and fundamental freedoms.

New Zealand also expressed concern over the unfolding situation. Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Wellington expects all parties to act in line with international law.

“New Zealand stands with the Venezuelan people in their pursuit of a fair, democratic, and prosperous future,” he said.

Italy’s far-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a close ally of President Donald Trump, defended the US military operation, arguing that Washington’s “defensive intervention” in response to what she described as hybrid attacks was justified and legitimate.

In sharp contrast, Mexico’s left-wing government strongly condemned the US military operation, describing it as a unilateral action that risks destabilizing the region.

In a statement on Saturday, Mexico’s foreign ministry said it “strongly condemns and rejects the military actions carried out unilaterally in recent hours by the armed forces of the United States of America against targets on the territory of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.”

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum denounced what she described as an “intervention,” while emphasizing that her government maintains “a very good relationship” with Washington.

Sheinbaum, who has sought to balance ties with US President Donald Trump amid tensions over trade and tariffs, had previously offered to mediate a peaceful resolution to the US-Venezuela standoff.

Her predecessor, former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, also condemned the operation, calling it an “overbearing assault on the sovereignty of the people of Venezuela and the kidnapping of its president.”

Several hundred demonstrators rallied outside the United States embassy in Rome on Saturday despite heavy rain, waving Venezuelan flags and condemning what they described as international crimes committed by President Donald Trump.

One protester, Federico Manetti of the “Cambiamo Rotta” youth Communist movement, accused Washington of staging what he termed a coup, characterizing the US actions as “terrorist” in nature.

Manetti said the United States had been targeting Venezuela for months in an effort to regain control over the country’s natural resources, particularly oil, and to weaken a population he said has resisted US influence for decades.

Protesters also displayed placards calling for the release of President Nicolas Maduro.

US President Donald Trump defended the operation, saying Washington acted over alleged drug trafficking concerns. In remarks earlier on Saturday, Trump warned Mexico to intensify its crackdown on drug cartels, citing narcotics flows as justification for US actions against Venezuela.

Public reactions were polarized. In Mexico City, around 100 protesters gathered outside the US embassy to denounce the strikes, with some painting anti-US graffiti on the outer walls and others throwing rocks at the compound.

Elsewhere, including in the US state of Florida, Venezuelan migrants were seen celebrating Maduro’s capture.

The fallout extended across the region. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Cuba—one of Maduro’s closest allies—that it should be concerned following the operation.

“If I lived in Havana and I was in the government, I’d be concerned at least a little bit,” Rubio said at a joint news conference with Trump.

Trump also issued a blunt warning to Colombian President Gustavo Petro, with whom he has clashed in recent months. Petro criticized the US action as an “assault on the sovereignty” of Latin America and warned it could trigger a humanitarian crisis.

The diplomatic escalation is set to reach the United Nations on Monday, when the Security Council convenes an emergency meeting to discuss the US operation in Caracas.

The meeting, scheduled for 10:00 am (1500 GMT), was requested by Venezuela and relayed by Colombia, according to diplomatic sources, as international scrutiny over the legality and consequences of the operation intensifies.