Spain will not recognize "an intervention that violates international law"

Barcelona / MadridThe Spanish government offered this morning to mediate between the United States and Venezuela, awaiting news of the outcome of the US attack, which resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife. This afternoon, after seeing how Donald Trump asserted his government's right to oversee the transition in Venezuela from now on.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has clarified his neutral stance to guarantee that "Spain will not recognize an intervention that violates international law and pushes the region towards a horizon of uncertainty and belligerence." "We ask all actors to think about the civilian population, respect the UN Charter, and work towards a just and negotiated transition," Sánchez added in a message to X. From the outset, the Spanish Foreign Ministry has called for a "de-escalation," a "moderation." Sánchez reiterated that they have never recognized the results of the 2014 Venezuelan elections and that Spain has always welcomed people who have had to leave the country for political reasons.

Foreign Ministry sources have added that the Minister, José Manuel Albares, is in contact with his European and Latin American counterparts and has also spoken with Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González. ERC, BNG, Bildu, Podemos, Compromís, and Sumar have already requested the Minister's appearance before Congress to explain Spain's position on an operation they have all condemned. In fact, Sumar, the junior partner in the Spanish government, described the attack as an "act of imperialist piracy." Alberto Núñez Feijóo, of the PP, was slow to react, and when he did, it was to align himself with the Venezuelan opposition; he demanded that the next step in Venezuela be a "democratic transition under the leadership of the elected president, Edmundo González, and María Corina Machado," the recent Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

The president of the Madrid region, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, was more explicit than Feijóo in defending the US operation, emphasizing that the fall of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro "is one of the most important news stories of recent times." The far right has taken a similar stance: Vox has demanded the Chavista regime surrender immediately and thanked Donald Trump for the intervention, which it said allows "the world to be a little freer" from today onward. Abascal also took the opportunity to criticize the Moncloa Palace (the Spanish Prime Minister's residence) and the Spanish left, labeling them a "Sanchista mafia and corrupt left" for their ties to the Venezuelan government. Aliança Catalana also celebrated Maduro's arrest.

The left condemns the attack

"The main danger to the whole world is Trump and his followers," said ERC spokesperson in Madrid, Gabriel Rufián, who denounced the "lies" of those who defend the operation. Rufián stated that "bombing another country is not war but aggression, and arresting the president of that country is not an arrest but a kidnapping." The president of Esquerra, Oriol Junqueras, later echoed this sentiment.

The most forceful condemnations of Trump have come from representatives of Podemos, precisely the party with the strongest historical ties to the Venezuelan regime. The leader of the party, Ione Belarra, has called for Spain to sever diplomatic relations with the United States and withdraw from NATO, and has labeled the Sánchez administration's stance a "disgrace." The CUP also condemned the attack, as did the two main national unions, CCOO and UGT. For its part, Junts expressed "concern" about Trump's "flagrant violation of international law."

Waiting for the 7,800 Catalans

The Catalan government has also guaranteed that it is following the crisis "minute by minute" in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has noted that there are approximately 7,800 Catalans living in Spain. The Catalan government's Delegation to the Andean States, based in Colombia, has contacted the Catalan Center in Caracas. "We support the mediation offered by the Spanish government and believe that the EU can play a significant role in finding a solution," the Catalan government stated in a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.