Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has added her voice to growing Latin American condemnation of the United States military operation in Venezuela, joining Brazil’s Lula, Colombia’s Petro, and Chile’s Boric in denouncing the Saturday strikes. The capture of President Nicolás Maduro has created a clear ideological divide across South America’s political landscape.
Sheinbaum’s criticism reflects concerns among progressive Latin American governments that the operation violates fundamental principles of sovereignty and international law. These leaders have warned that such interventions undermine multilateral cooperation and create precedents that could destabilize the entire region, referencing the long history of American military involvement in Latin America.
The Trump administration has defended the operation by focusing on drug trafficking charges that await Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in New York. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed criminal proceedings, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated charges would relate to narcotics operations. President Trump stated the couple is aboard a ship being transported to the United States for prosecution.
The international response has been characterized by widespread criticism, with UN Secretary General António Guterres warning of dangerous precedents and major powers including China and Russia condemning the use of force. European leaders have called for respect of international legal norms, even as some governments acknowledged never recognizing Maduro’s regime as legitimate.
The divided regional response highlights deep political fractures in South America, with right-wing governments like Argentina offering support or remaining silent while leftist administrations condemned the intervention. Colombia has mobilized its armed forces in anticipation of potential refugee flows across its border, and security analysts question whether external military force can successfully transform Venezuela’s political system or will simply create additional chaos and instability.