About 1,000 people protested outside the US embassy in Madrid to denounce what they called “imperialist aggression” after US special forces detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro is being held in a New York jail awaiting drug-trafficking and weapons charges, while President Trump has said the US would “run” Venezuela temporarily and seek to exploit its oil reserves. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned the operation as a violation of international law and called for a just, dialogued transition. Several hundred people staged similar demonstrations outside the US consulate in Amsterdam.
Madrid Protesters Condemn 'Imperialist Aggression' After US Forces Detain Venezuela's Maduro
A protester holds a slogan reading 'Down with US imperialist aggression against Venezuela, Trump is a war criminal' (Thomas COEX)(Thomas COEX/AFP/AFP)
About 1,000 people gathered outside the United States embassy in Madrid on Sunday to denounce what they called “imperialist aggression” after US special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a military operation. Demonstrators held a variety of banners and placards, including one depicting US President Donald Trump swallowing a tin of oil painted in the colours of the Venezuelan flag.
Other signs read “Trump aggressor” and “No to imperialist aggression against Venezuela.” Several protesters waved flags from the far-left Podemos party and Spain’s communist groups, while others displayed Venezuelan national colours.
Maduro Detained And International Response
Following his dramatic capture, Maduro is being held in a New York jail awaiting a court appearance on charges that include drug trafficking and weapons offences. President Trump has said the United States will “run” Venezuela for a transitional period and seek to tap its oil resources.
Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez—whose government provided refuge to Venezuela’s 2024 opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia—condemned the operation as “an intervention which violates international law” and warned it could threaten regional stability. Sánchez urged a transitional process that would be “just and with dialogue.” The Venezuelan opposition maintains that González Urrutia defeated Maduro in the 2024 election.
Protests Spread To Amsterdam
Several hundred people also demonstrated outside the US consulate in Amsterdam, holding placards with slogans such as “Yankee go home,” “Stop killing for oil,” and “Stop Trump’s Fossil Army,” local reporters said. The demonstrations reflect wider international concern over the operation and its possible consequences for regional stability.
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