US allies, foes alarmed by toppling of Maduro

ISTANBUL

The U.S. military operation that led to the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Saturday sparked international alarm, with allies and foes of Washington and Caracas expressing disquiet.

Türkiye said it was “closely following the recent developments in Venezuela.”

“Türkiye attaches importance to the stability of Venezuela and to the peace and wellbeing of the people of Venezuela,” the Foreign Ministry said in a written statement.

“We call on all parties to exercise restraint in order to prevent the current situation from leading to adverse consequences for regional and international security,” it added.

Ankara said it was ready to provide “any constructive contribution towards resolving the crisis in Venezuela within the framework of international law.”

China made calls yesterday for Maduro to be "immediately released" after saying it "strongly condemns" the U.S. operation in Venezuela.

China's Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that the U.S. is in "clear violation of international law, basic norms in international relations, and the purposes and principles of the U.N. Charter."

Russia demanded the U.S. leadership "reconsider its position and release the legally elected president of the sovereign country and his wife."

Colombian President Gustavo Petro, whose country neighbors Venezuela, called the U.S. action an "assault on the sovereignty" of Latin America which would lead to a humanitarian crisis.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the intervention "violates international law and pushes the region toward a horizon of uncertainty and militarism," while French President Emmanuel Macron called for 2004 presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia to lead a political transition.

The EU more generally expressed concern at the developments and urged respect for international law, even as it noted that Maduro "lacks legitimacy."

In a rare expression of support for the U.S. operation by a major European country, far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, a Trump ally, argued the U.S. military action in Venezuela was "legitimate" and "defensive."