Opponents of ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro demonstrate in Doral, Florida, on Jan. 4, 2026. Venezuela’s deposed president Nicolas Maduro is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in New York at noon on Jan. 5, to be formally notified about the charges against him, the court said. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were seized by US forces during a pre-dawn raid on Jan. 3 in Caracas and brought to New York to face charges of narcoterrorism tied to alleged trafficking of tons of cocaine into the United States. | GIORGIO VIERA / AFP via Getty Images
As the United Nations Security Council prepares to meet Monday for an emergency session to discuss the United States’ strike on Venezuela that led to the capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro, world leaders are sharply divided over the legality and consequences of the operation and President Donald Trump’s confirmation of U.S. oversight of Venezuela pending a future transition.
Responses from global leaders are pouring in.
The following pages highlight seven of those responses that reflect the divide.
