Latin American Leaders React to Maduro’s Arrest

On Saturday morning, leaders from Latin America who support the White House’s pro-freedom position celebrated the capture and extradition of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. They also offered their backing to Edmundo González, the exiled victor of Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election.

In contrast, left-leaning leaders in the region expressed concern and condemned the U.S. military’s airstrikes aimed at ensuring the safety of personnel involved in the operation to apprehend President Maduro and his spouse, Syria Flores. As of now, Venezuelan authorities claim they are unaware of Maduro’s or Flores’s location, leaving the status of the country’s leadership in question.

Argentine President Javier Milei was quick to respond, sharing a recent speech about Venezuela’s socialist regime. He used his typical slogans, “Freedom Forward,” which is his party’s name, and “Long Live Freedom, Damn!”—his official campaign rallying cry.

During his speech, President Milei characterized Maduro’s regime as “brutal and inhumane,” calling for its dissolution while commending former President Donald Trump for his actions against Maduro’s drug operations.

“The brutal and inhuman dictatorship of the narco-terrorist Nicolás Maduro casts a dark shadow over our region,” Milei stated. “This danger cannot persist on our continent unless we all wish to be dragged down with it. Argentina applauds the U.S. and Donald Trump for their support in freeing the Venezuelan people. The time for cowardice is over.”

On Argentine network La Nación, Milei outlined numerous reasons his government deems Maduro a significant threat to international security.

“He is a narco-terrorist tied to the Spanish Socialist Party and Podemos, having interfered in elections in Argentina, Colombia, Mexico, and Bolivia. He also benefits from drug trafficking through the Cartel of the Sun,” Milei explained. “Additionally, he employs an infiltration strategy tied to mass immigration and collaborates with NGOs to bolster radical left ideologies globally. His connections extend to Iran and Hezbollah, and he even provides logistical backing to Hamas.”

Ecuador’s President Daniel Noboa also weighed in on Maduro’s deportation, offering support to former diplomat Edmundo González, recognized as the legitimate winner of the 2024 presidential election. During a contested election, Maduro eliminated other opposition candidates, including the well-known former politician María Colina Machado, claiming victory without disclosing vote totals. Machado and González utilized a local team to verify González’s win, a tally that Maduro’s government never disputed, although it forced González into exile in Spain while Machado fled to Norway after winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

“It’s time for all narco-chavista criminals,” Noboa stated. “Their structures will fall across the continent. [Machado], [González], and the Venezuelan people: now is the moment to reclaim our homeland. Ecuador stands with you.”

Paraguay’s conservative President Santiago Peña also released a statement through the Foreign Affairs Ministry, labeling Maduro as the head of the drug trafficking organization known as the Sunshine Cartel.

“Our nation has consistently warned of the significant issues in Venezuela under Maduro’s rule,” the statement read. “His continued presence in power is a threat to the region, as this criminal organization has been officially recognized as a terrorist entity. The ousting of Maduro should pave the way for restoring the rule of law in Venezuela.”

The comments from these South American leaders align with earlier statements from other officials in the region.

In a noteworthy remark, Chile’s conservative President José Antonio Kast expressed support for U.S. efforts to remove Maduro, a sentiment echoed by other South American leaders.

“They are fully aware that what is happening in Venezuela is unacceptable,” Kast noted regarding his fellow presidents.

Meanwhile, leftist leaders who have historically supported Venezuela’s socialist regime were less enthusiastic. The Cuban government, identified as a state sponsor of terrorism, accused the U.S. of “terrorism against the brave people of Venezuela.” Cuba’s “president” Miguel Díaz-Canel criticized the United States without directly mentioning Maduro or defending him, concluding his address with a slogan linked to Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution: “Homeland or death.”

Mexico’s left-wing President Claudia Sheinbaum condemned Maduro’s arrest, though she didn’t name him directly. Her government called out the unilateral military actions taken by the U.S., claiming they violated the United Nations Charter.

In Brazil, Socialist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, one of the few elected officials who actively defends Maduro, labeled the “bombing” of Venezuela as “unacceptable.” He explained, “These actions seriously insult Venezuela’s sovereignty and set a perilous precedent for the global community.” He also called for unspecified actions from the United Nations, while notably not conveying any personal concerns regarding Maduro.

On Saturday morning, former President Trump announced the U.S. had executed a “major strike” in Venezuela aimed at removing Maduro, coinciding with the anniversary of the airstrike that killed Iranian terrorist leader Qassem Soleimani. Initial reports suggested Maduro, along with his wife, was captured and faces drug trafficking charges linked to the Sun Cartel, which he purportedly leads.

Trump is expected to address the public from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida at 11 a.m. local time.