US President Donald Trump has celebrated the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, describing the operation as 'brilliant' during a telephone interview with the New York Times. Speaking ahead of a press conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump praised the planning and the troops involved but declined to comment on whether he had sought congressional authority for the mission.
Venezuela's defence minister, Vladimir Padrino López, condemned the US attack as a 'deplorable' and 'criminal' regime change operation. In a video statement, he accused US forces of desecrating Venezuelan soil and called on citizens and soldiers to form an 'indestructible wall of resistance'. He added that authorities were still assessing civilian casualties from helicopter attacks in urban areas.
The Venezuelan government confirmed that explosions rocked Caracas and three other states—Miranda, La Guaira and Aragua—in the early hours of Saturday. It accused the US of trying to seize control of the country's oil and mineral resources and urged the international community to denounce what it called a flagrant violation of international law.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro called for an emergency UN Security Council session, while Iran condemned the US attack as a violation of Venezuela's sovereignty. Spain confirmed that an air attack had taken place and that its ambassador in Venezuela was safe. Trump later posted on Truth Social confirming a 'large scale strike' on Venezuela.
