International backlash erupts over US airstrikes and reported capture of Venezuela's Maduro

Cuba and Iran led fierce global condemnation of US airstrikes on Venezuela and the claimed capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, while Colombia urged de-escalation and Spain offered mediation.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel denounced the operation on social media as a criminal attack and state terrorism, warning it threatens peace across Latin America and rallying with revolutionary defiance.

Iran's foreign ministry strongly condemned the strikes as a blatant violation of Venezuelan sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro voiced deep concern over explosions and unusual aerial activity in the neighboring country, highlighting rising regional tensions.

He reaffirmed commitment to UN principles of sovereignty, opposed unilateral actions risking civilian harm, and called urgently for restraint, dialogue, and diplomacy to preserve peace.

Spain called on all parties to show restraint and expressed readiness to mediate for a peaceful resolution through negotiations.

Russia decried the strikes as unjustified armed aggression, driven by ideological hostility that overrides pragmatic considerations.

The swift reactions underscore growing international alarm at the dramatic escalation in US-Venezuela relations.