ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Sunday expressed concern over the evolving situation in Venezuela, urging all parties to exercise restraint, pursue de-escalation, and adherence to the principles of the UN Charter and international law to resolve all outstanding issues.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said Pakistan attaches great importance to the well-being of the Venezuelan people and is closely monitoring developments.
“Pakistan attaches great importance to the well-being of the people of Venezuela and views with concern the evolving situation in Venezuela,” the spokesperson of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Pakistan stressed adherence to the principles of the UN Charter and international law to resolve outstanding issues.
“We urge the need for restraint and de-escalation to end the crisis, and underscore the necessity for adherence to the principles of the UN Charter as well as international law to resolve all outstanding issues,” the spokesperson said.
“We are closely monitoring the developments and remain engaged in ensuring the safety and security of members of the Pakistani community in Venezuela,” the spokesperson added.
🔊PR No.0️⃣7️⃣/2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣6️⃣
Situation in Venezuela https://t.co/uczC5S9QGL
🔗⬇️ pic.twitter.com/RfDBJhiPen— Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Pakistan (@ForeignOfficePk) January 4, 2026
US attacks on Venezuela
The US carried out overnight military strikes in Venezuela on Saturday and captured President Nicolás Maduro in an operation that Washington said was aimed at removing an authoritarian leader accused of narco-terrorism.
US President Donald Trump said on his Truth Social platform that the US had “successfully carried out a large-scale strike against Venezuela” and that Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, had been “captured and flown out of the country”.
Venezuelan Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez accused US forces of firing missiles and rockets at residential areas.
Trump later posted an image showing Maduro handcuffed and blindfolded aboard a US naval vessel in the Caribbean.
The couple was taken to the USS Iwo Jima and then flown to New York, where they were transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi said Maduro and Flores were indicted in the Southern District of New York.
Rodríguez sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president
Venezuela’s Vice-President Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as interim president by the Supreme Court, according to state media.
Rodríguez demanded Maduro’s release, saying he remained Venezuela’s “only president”. At the same time, she said the government was ready “to defend” the country.
Trump said the United States would “run” Venezuela during a transitional period, raising the possibility of US troops on the ground.
He later said governance would involve a “group” effort and that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had been in contact with Rodríguez.
Rodríguez publicly rejected the idea that Venezuela would become “a colony of an empire”.
International reaction
Russia accused the United States of committing “an act of armed aggression”. China said it was “deeply shocked” and demanded the immediate release of Maduro and his wife.
Iran called the strikes a “flagrant violation” of Venezuelan sovereignty.
Several Latin American countries, including Colombia and Brazil, condemned the action. Cuba’s president described it as a “criminal attack”.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, through his spokesman, said he was “deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected”.
