BEIJING, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. strikes on Venezuela and its capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on Saturday have drawn worldwide condemnation and concern.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has struck Venezuela and captured Maduro, who was flown out of the country along with his wife.

Shortly after the strike started, the Venezuelan government denounced the "military aggression" by the United States, adding that the strike targeted civilian and military sites in at least four states of the country.

Following Trump's announcement, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said on state TV that the government does not know the whereabouts of Maduro and his wife, adding, "We demand proof of life."

She said that officials, servicemen and civilians were killed in the U.S. strikes throughout the country.

The Permanent Mission of Venezuela to the United Nations on Saturday sent a letter to Abukar Dahir Osman, president of the Security Council for January and permanent representative of Somalia to the United Nations, condemning the U.S. "brutal, unjustified and unilateral" armed attacks against the South American nation.

The permanent mission also put forward four demands, including holding an urgent meeting of the Security Council to discuss the U.S. aggression, strongly condemning the armed aggression of the United States against the Venezuelan people and government, demanding that the U.S. military immediately stop armed attacks against Venezuela, and taking necessary measures to hold the U.S. government accountable for its crime of aggression.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was deeply alarmed by the U.S. military actions, his spokesperson said in a statement.

"The Secretary-General continues to emphasize the importance of full respect -- by all -- of international law, including the UN Charter. He's deeply concerned that the rules of international law have not been respected," said the statement issued by spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

China is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the United States' blatant use of force against a sovereign state and action against its president, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Saturday.

Such hegemonic acts of the United States seriously violate international law and Venezuela's sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region, the spokesperson said, adding that China firmly opposes it.

"We call on the U.S. to abide by international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, and stop violating other countries' sovereignty and security," said the spokesperson.

This photo taken on Nov. 11, 2025 shows the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow, Russia. (Xinhua/Hao Jianwei)

The Russian Foreign Ministry called for immediate clarification of the situation around Maduro and his wife after the U.S. aggression against Venezuela.

Russia is "extremely alarmed" by reports of Maduro and his wife's forcible removal from Venezuela during the U.S. action, the ministry said in a statement.

"We call for immediate clarification of this situation. Such actions, if they actually occurred, constitute an unacceptable infringement on the sovereignty of an independent state, respect for which is a key principle of international law," the ministry added.

The ministry also said that the United States committed "an act of armed aggression" against Venezuela, which causes deep concern and condemnation.

It said the pretexts cited to justify the actions were untenable, adding that ideologized hostility had prevailed over practical pragmatism and a willingness to build relations based on trust and predictability.

The ministry noted that Latin America must remain a zone of peace, and Venezuela must be guaranteed the right to determine its own destiny without any destructive and military interference from outside.

Condemning the U.S. strikes on Venezuela and its kidnapping of Maduro, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said that such actions blatantly violated international law, and gravely infringed upon the sovereignty of Venezuela, leading to power politics rather than multilateralism and resulting in violence, chaos and turmoil.

He urged the international community to react in a strong manner through the United Nations.

South Africa urged a UN Security Council session following the U.S. military actions, which South Africa deemed as a manifest violation of the Charter of the United Nations, which mandates that all member states refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state.

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas on Saturday said on social media that the EU is closely monitoring the situation in Venezuela.

"Under all circumstances, the principles of international law and the UN Charter must be respected," she said.

On Saturday, the German government's crisis team convened to discuss the situation in Venezuela.

The foreign office said in a statement that they are monitoring the situation in Venezuela very closely and following the latest reports with the greatest concern.

Portugal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Portugal calls for a reduction of tensions, respect for international law and the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the promotion of public security and calm.

A government source also told Lusa News Agency on Saturday that Portugal is monitoring the situation in Venezuela. The source described the matter as a "very serious military aggression."