Spain’s leftist government has advocated for “détente” in Venezuela amid the recent U.S. military actions against the country, offering to facilitate a “peaceful solution” following the arrest of socialist leader Nicolas Maduro.
In the early hours of Saturday, U.S. forces conducted airstrikes in Venezuela’s capital, Caracas, and targeted additional locations, resulting in the detention of President Maduro, who has been in power since 2013 after succeeding Hugo Chávez.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez issued a statement expressing Spain’s intentions to mediate the conflict.
A representative from the Socialist Party mentioned that operations at the Spanish embassy and consulate in Caracas continued post-attack.
The Madrid Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that “Spain aims to leverage its goodwill to foster a peaceful, negotiated resolution to the ongoing crisis.”
“All personnel and families affiliated with the Spanish embassy and consulate in Caracas are safe,” the Foreign Ministry confirmed.
Responses to the evident instability of the socialist government in Venezuela have been relatively subdued across Europe.
Kaja Karas, the EU’s chief diplomat, conveyed via X that she had communicated with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the ambassador in Caracas. She noted that the EU is carefully observing the developments in Venezuela and reiterated their stance on Maduro’s lack of legitimacy and support for a peaceful transition of power.
“At all times, the tenets of international law and the UN Charter must be honored. We advocate for restraint. The safety of EU citizens remains our highest priority,” she added.
In the meantime, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stated that the UK was not involved in the military operation against Venezuela and had yet to confer with Trump, thus refraining from further comments until Trump “clarified the situation.”
Brexit leader Nigel Farage reacted, noting that the U.S. actions in Venezuela were unusual and potentially contravened international law. However, he suggested it might prompt China and Russia to reconsider their positions, hoping the Venezuelan populace could start anew without Maduro.
