In a sharp diplomatic rebuke that highlights a widening rift between Western allies, the French Foreign Ministry has issued a blistering condemnation of the United States’ military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Paris described the removal of the Venezuelan leader as a “serious act of aggression” against the dignity of the Venezuelan people and a flagrant violation of national sovereignty.
The statement, released on Saturday following President Trump’s confirmation of the raid, leans heavily on international legal statutes. “Maduro’s arrest violates the principle of non-use of force under international law,” the Ministry declared, challenging the US justification of the operation as a necessary law enforcement action against narco-terrorism. By framing the intervention as an illegal breach of sovereignty, France is signaling its refusal to recognize any transitional authority installed directly by Washington.
The Quai d’Orsay emphasized that the future of the South American nation cannot be dictated by foreign powers. “No lasting political solution can be imposed on Venezuela from abroad; only the Venezuelan people can decide their future,” the statement read. This position directly contradicts President Trump’s assertion on Fox News earlier today that the US would be “deciding who takes charge” and would be “heavily involved” in the country’s oil sector.
France’s stance is likely to rally other European nations and members of the Global South who fear the precedent set by the extraterritorial extraction of a sitting head of state. While Paris has previously been critical of Maduro’s authoritarian rule, this statement draws a hard line against military interventionism, setting the stage for a tense diplomatic confrontation at the UN Security Council in the coming days.
Footage Charlie Kirk has been shot
Charlie Kirk has been shot
