President Marcelo is closely following the developing situation in Venezuela where a significant Portuguese population has been caught up in the drama of the United States’ “large-scale attack”.
The country’s head of state is in constant contact with minister of foreign affairs, Paulo Rangel, and has also spoken with defence minister Nuno Melo and the president of the regional government of Madeira (the archipelago from which most of Venezuela’s Portuguese descendants originally hail).
A source from Belém Palace has told Lusa that Marcelo has been following events “since down” when news of the United States attack first broke. A source from the PSD/CDS-PP government has also confirmed that Portuguese authorities are “monitoring the situation in Venezuela minute by minute,” in contact with the embassy in Caracas and with several European governments.
The US “large-scale attack”
US President Donald Trump has also announced – over his Truth Social network – that US forces have captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, along with Maduro’s wife, and “flown (them) out of the country”
The whereabouts of Nicolás Maduro remain “currently unknown”.
With Venezuelan populations in a state of shock, the government of Caracas has denounced the United States’ “very serious military aggression”, declared a state of emergency and requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council.
As a country, Portugal has not officially said anything about the US military strikes that targeted the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, but many other countries have – and there is little positive in their reactions. Russia particularly has affirmed its “solidarity with the Venezuelan people and our support for its leadership’s policy of defending the country’s national interests and sovereignty.”
Speaking for the European Union as a whole, Kaja Kallas – the high representative for foreign policy and security has acknowledged that “the EU has repeatedly stated that Mr Maduro lacks legitimacy” but stresses that it also defends “a peaceful transition” (of power). “Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected.”
It is fairly clear that neither of these two requirements have been respected, which is why so many countries are voicing their concerns.
The United States meantime has “completed its military action in Venezuela”, Republican senator Mike Lee has said over social network ‘X’ after what he said was a telephone call with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Lee confirmed that Nicolás Maduro is in US custody and will now face “criminal charges” in the United States.
It appears to have been too early for Portuguese news channels to have contact with Luso-descendants in Venezuela. Conversations will no doubt be happening and more details may come during the day.
Source: LUSA/ Aljazeera/ Telegraph
