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As world leaders divided themselves into 2 wide camps, either opposing oregon supporting the U.S. attacks connected Caracas and its seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the authorities played a cautious line.
U.S. strikes Venezuela: Follow LIVE updates connected January 4, 2026
In its statement issued connected Sunday (January 4, 2026), calling the evolving concern successful the South American state a substance of “deep concern”, the Ministry of External Affairs did not notation to the United States oregon to the U.S. forces attacking the Venezuelan superior and taking Mr. Maduro captive, nor did it notation to UN principles.
Russia, China, Brazil, South Africa, and others successful the Global southbound condemned the U.S. enactment arsenic a usurpation of planetary law. On the different hand, the U.S.’s main allies successful Europe, including Germany and France, supported the move, calling for a peaceful modulation to a caller “legitimate” leadership. Both China and Russia person besides demanded that the U.S. merchandise Mr. Maduro and, on with Colombia, person requested a gathering of the United Nations Security Council connected Monday (January 5, 2026).
Expressing solidarity
In comparison, India’s connection lone called upon “all concerned” to resoluteness issues done dialogue, on with expressing solidarity with the Venezuelan people.
The government’s effect was besides successful opposition to India’s effect to a akin cognition successful 1989, erstwhile U.S. forces took Panamanian President Manuel Noriega captive and tried him successful U.S. courts. In a code successful Parliament, past Foreign Minister I.K. Gujral had “deplored” the U.S. actions, invoking the U.N. charter and the rule of non-intervention.
Diplomatic experts said the Modi’s government’s effect to the contiguous concern was successful enactment with caller Indian positions connected Russia’s penetration of Ukraine, U.S. and Israeli strikes connected Iran, and Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, wherever the authorities has decried the aggressions without naming the aggressors.
Juggling commercialized interests
“In situations wherever our statements don’t marque capable of a difference, the government’s calculation would beryllium to debar precise beardown protests. In addition, we are astatine a important constituent successful commercialized woody negotiations with the U.S., and request to tread cautiously,” pointed retired Deepak Bhojwani, who has served arsenic India’s Ambassador to 7 South American countries including Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia and Cuba. He referred to the U.S. actions arsenic a “fait accompli” to the world.
Another erstwhile Ambassador said that the MEA connection was not arsenic beardown arsenic had been expected, particularly connected the wide usurpation of planetary instrumentality by the U.S., but added that this reflected India’s considerably little stakes successful Venezuela. In 2018, U.S. sanctions pressured India to halt lipid commercialized with Venezuela, past 1 of its largest suppliers, and near 2 large Indian projects successful processing oilfields successful San Cristobal and Carabobo.
According to the MEA’s little connected bilateral relations, Mr. Maduro had requested a sojourn to India successful August 2020, presumably an effort to resume the stalled projects. While that sojourn ne'er materialised, Venezuela’s Executive Vice-President and existent Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who had served with Mr. Maduro and erstwhile President Hugo Chavez, has made 3 authoritative visits to India successful the past decade, starring delegations to Delhi successful 2016, 2019, and 2023.
Future of sanctions
The experts said that it was indispensable to hold and spot what concern emerges present wrong Venezuela, fixed that the U.S. has removed Mr. Maduro, but not the military-backed constitution successful the country. Nor has determination been a determination to instal the absorption person and latest Nobel laureate Maria Machado oregon erstwhile diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia, who lives successful exile successful Spain and had been recognised by the U.S. and European countries arsenic the victor of the 2024 elections. It remains to beryllium seen whether the Modi authorities volition present scope retired to immoderate of the leaders, including Ms. Rodriguez, who volition govern the state post-Maduro.
“New Delhi volition ticker cautiously whether the U.S. volition present retreat sanctions connected Venezuela which had forced Indian companies to springiness up profitable contracts there,” Mr. Bhojwani added, referring to India’s determination to extremity imports of discounted crude from Iran and Venezuela, and the caller U.S. unit to halt imports of Russian oil.
The government’s worries would grow, however, if the Trump administration’s unilateral onslaught against Venezuela is simply a precedent for U.S. interventions successful different countries with unfriendly governments successful the region, opening with neighbouring Colombia, that goes to polls successful 2026, Nicaragua, and Cuba, and adjacent Brazil, fixed tense Trump-Lula ties. As seat of the BRICS acme successful 2026, New Delhi volition beryllium nether unit to guarantee a communal position connected these issues, adjacent arsenic it works connected repairing its ain ties with the U.S.
