US Strikes Venezuela Highlights: Operation Absolute Resolve not an invasion, says Marco Rubio

Several Indian-American lawmakers sharply criticised President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy US forces to Venezuela and capture President Nicolas Maduro, calling it unconstitutional and an abuse of presidential power. Lawmakers including Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Pramila Jayapal, Ami Bera and Shri Thanedar said the action lacked congressional authorisation and risked drawing the US into another open-ended conflict. While acknowledging Maduro as an illegitimate leader, they warned the move undermines the Constitution, erodes the rule of law, weakens US credibility and diverts attention from domestic priorities, urging Congress to reassert its authority.

Venezuela’s Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino said on Sunday that a significant number of members of former President Nicolas Maduro’s security detail were killed during the US raid that resulted in his capture a day earlier. While he did not specify casualty figures, Padrino voiced support for Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim president and said the armed forces have been deployed nationwide to safeguard the country’s sovereignty.

Global markets could react positively to the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, with investors anticipating a long-term boost in oil supply, an analyst in Frankfurt said. ING chief economist Carsten Brzeski noted that markets tend to price in expectations, including the prospect of rising Venezuelan oil production over coming months and years.

While the move adds fresh geopolitical risk that could initially trigger safe-haven demand, it may ultimately support risk assets if Venezuela’s vast oil reserves are unlocked. President Donald Trump said US oil companies are ready to invest heavily to revive production, potentially easing energy prices and supporting global growth.

Left-wing protesters gathered outside the US embassy in Madrid on Sunday to denounce American military action in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro. Demonstrators accused Washington of violating international law after President Donald Trump said the US would place Venezuela under American control following the operation.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Madrid would not recognise any US intervention that breaches international norms. The protest took place amid heightened tensions over Venezuela’s future. Spain hosts the largest Venezuelan migrant community outside Latin America and the US, including prominent opposition figures such as Edmundo Gonzalez and Leopoldo Lopez.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected claims that the U.S. operation in Venezuela was an invasion, saying it was a limited law enforcement action that did not require congressional approval. He said FBI agents arrested President Nicolas Maduro on Venezuelan soil, with the military only targeting threats to ensure their safe entry and exit.

Rubio defended the lack of prior congressional notification, citing operational secrecy and urgency. He said the US is enforcing a quarantine on sanctioned Venezuelan oil shipments, using naval leverage to seize tankers until governance changes are made in the country’s oil sector.

The US said its temporary restrictions on Caribbean airspace would expire at midnight ET on Saturday, allowing airlines to resume flights as schedules are updated, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

The curbs were imposed after the US military operation in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolas Maduro, which led to hundreds of flight cancellations. United, Delta and American Airlines said they were preparing to restore most Caribbean services by Sunday, adding extra flights, seats and larger aircraft to accommodate stranded passengers.

However, analysts warned it could take several days for operations to fully normalise.

Left parties protested at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Sunday against US aggression, and in solidarity with the people of Venezuela. Polit Bureau member BV Raghavulu was also present.

Georgia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is monitoring the situation in Venezuela closely. "We are closely following developments in Venezuela with the hope that future processes will unfold in line with the best interests of the Venezuelan people," the ministry said.

It noted that Venezuela’s earlier recognition of Georgia’s occupied regions, Abkhazia and the so-called South Ossetia, as independent states constituted a serious breach of international law. Tbilisi added it hopes the latest developments will result in a reversal of this “unlawful decision,” in keeping with Georgia’s national interests and established international legal principles.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim criticised the U.S. strikes on Venezuela, voicing alarm at their implications. "I have followed developments in Venezuela with grave concern".

He said the detention of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife during a large-scale US military operation amounted to a breach of international law and an unlawful use of force, urging their immediate release.

Anwar warned that externally driven removal of an elected leader creates a dangerous precedent, undermines global norms, and risks worsening Venezuela’s economic and social crisis. "Malaysia regards respect for international law and sovereignty as paramount to peaceful relations between states".

North Korea has strongly condemned the US strikes on Venezuela, calling them "the most serious violation of sovereignty," according to the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sunday.

Describing the action as further proof of Washington’s "rogue and brutal nature," KCNA quoted a spokesperson from North Korea’s Foreign Ministry as saying the incident once again underscored the United States’ aggressive conduct.

The Venezuelan anti-aircraft unit at La Carlota air base was among key sites struck in pre-dawn attacks on Saturday, January 3, when the United States carried out an operation to capture President Nicolás Maduro. The operation also hit the Fuerte Tiuna, La Guaira port, and Higuerote airport east of the capital, knocking out electricity in parts of Caracas.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Ukraine has consistently defended the right of nations to live freely, without dictatorship, oppression or human rights violations. Referring to Nicolás Maduro, Sybiha said the Maduro regime had violated these principles “in every respect,” adding that Ukraine supports further developments in line with international law, with priority given to democracy, human rights and the interests of the Venezuelan people.

Eyewitness video released on Sunday showed damage to an airport in the Venezuelan city of Higuerote after the United States launched a shock strike on Venezuela. Debris was visible on the ground, along with burnt-out machinery and a damaged aircraft and building. Higuerote lies about 85 km (52 miles) east of Caracas and was among several sites targeted as part of the operation.

Following US airstrikes on Venezuela and the dramatic capture of President Nicolas Maduro, President Donald Trump announced that the United States would temporarily “run” the country and warned that other “troubling neighbours” could face a similar fate.

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