The leaders of South American countries demonstrated this Saturday, the 3rd, a strong political division by reacting in very different ways to the attack launched by the United States against Venezuela, in which President Nicolás Maduro was captured. However, most countries expressed concern about a new American intervention in the region and called for dialogue.
Colombia, Brazil and Uruguay condemned the attack – although with different tones – and asked the UN to act and seek a peaceful solution, mainly because no one knows what the next steps will be for Donald Trump, who took the opportunity to send messages to other countries, such as Colombia, Cuba and Mexico. “We have to do something,” he said.
While Brazil and Colombia, mainly, demonstrated a certain isolation in the region, governments allied with the Trump administration, such as those in Argentina, Paraguay and Ecuador, celebrated the departure of what they consider a criminal and were confident that the victory that the opposition obtained in the 2024 presidential elections would eventually prevail.
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Condemnations and calls for UN action
Brazil: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who although on the left had adopted a more critical tone towards Maduro since the last presidential elections in Venezuela, considered that the United States’ actions “exceed an unacceptable limit” and set “an extremely dangerous precedent”. “Attacking countries in flagrant violation of international law is the first step towards a world of violence, chaos and instability, in which the law of the strongest prevails over multilateralism,” he stated. “This action reminds us of the worst moments of political interference (…) and threatens the preservation of the region as a place of peace.”
Colombia: President Gustavo Petro harshly criticized the attack on his ally, ordered the deployment of security forces to the border and announced “all available assistance in the event of a massive entry of refugees”. “Internal conflicts between peoples are resolved by the peoples themselves in peace,” said Colombia’s first left-wing president.
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Uruguay: Unlike Brazil and Colombia, Uruguay, despite criticism, adopted a more moderate tone. “The ends do not justify the means,” said left-wing president Yamandú Orsi in his profile on X.
Celebrations and requests for recognition of the opposition victory
Argentina: President Javier Milei released his popular “Viva la libertad, carajo” (Long live freedom, damn it) shortly after the attack was reported. Later, on a local television station, he assured that Argentina will give “full support to the United States’ motion.” His government considered the attack “a decisive advance against narco-terrorism affecting the region”, which will allow “full recovery of democracy” and recognize the victory of the opponent Edmundo González Urrutia in 2024.
Ecuador: Conservative Daniel Noboa stated on his profile on X that “the time of all narcochavista criminals is coming”. “Its structure will eventually collapse across the entire continent.” Furthermore, he sent a message to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, González and the Venezuelan people: “It’s time to recover your country. You have an ally in Ecuador.”
Paraguay: Conservative Santiago Peña classified the fall of Maduro, who led an “illegitimate and dictatorial regime”, as “good news”. He offered his collaboration and experience “to change the regime to one with full freedom and rights”.
Bolivia: The center-right Bolivian government said it supported “the Venezuelan people in the process of recovering democracy” and considered that the current crisis “is a consequence of the collapse of the rule of law, as well as the consolidation of criminal structures that have captured the state apparatus”.
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Peru: Interim President José Jerí wished for the rapid recovery of internal order in Venezuela – he considered Maduro illegitimate – and announced that he will support more than a million Venezuelans living in his country for an “immediate return, regardless of their migratory status”. “Many families will be able to reunite.”
A country in transition, with opposing leaders
Chile: The South American country was the clearest example of the continental divisions that the region is experiencing. At the end of his term, left-wing president Gabriel Boric, very critical of Maduro, condemned the attack and foreign interference and called for a “peaceful exit”, reaffirming his support for international law. However, ultra-rightist José Antonio Kast, who will assume the presidency in March, said that Maduro’s arrest “is great news for the region” and urged Latin American leaders to collaborate for the return of Venezuelans to their country. “His stay in power, supported by an illegitimate drug regime, expelled more than 8 million Venezuelans and destabilized Latin America through drug trafficking and organized crime,” he stated in his account on X.
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