Far-right leaders including Argentina’s Javier Milei have celebrated the United States military operation in Venezuela, with Milei posting “Liberty advances! Long live Liberty!” in the early hours after the Saturday strikes. The enthusiastic support from conservative South American leaders contrasts sharply with widespread international condemnation of the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
Milei’s celebration reflects his close alignment with President Trump and represents a significant ideological divide within South America. His position, along with support from Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, highlights how responses to the operation have split along political lines both within Latin America and globally.
The captured Venezuelan president and his wife Cilia Flores are being transported to New York to face drug trafficking charges, according to US Attorney General Pam Bondi. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed the charges relate to narcotics operations, while President Trump stated the couple is aboard a ship bound for the United States for prosecution.
Most international leaders, including those from major powers and international organizations, have condemned the operation as a violation of sovereignty and international law. UN Secretary General António Guterres warned of dangerous precedents, while China, Russia, France, Spain, and Brazil criticized the action as undermining established legal norms.
The divided global response reflects deeper political fractures, with progressive leaders warning that such interventions create a world governed by violence rather than multilateral cooperation. Colombia has mobilized its armed forces due to concerns about refugee flows, and security analysts question whether the operation will achieve democratic transformation or simply perpetuate instability in Venezuela.
