CARACAS, Venezuela (January 3, 2026) — The Venezuelan government and several international allies have officially labeled the early morning U.S. military operation a "criminal terrorist act" and a violation of the United Nations Charter.
The "Terrorist State" Allegation
In a fiery address from an undisclosed location in Caracas, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez accused the United States of functioning as a "terrorist state," alleging that the operation was designed to spread panic among civilians and dismantle the sovereign leadership of the nation.
“This was not a judicial action; it was a state-sponsored kidnapping carried out under the cover of darkness,” Rodríguez stated. “They have bombed residential areas near Fort Tiuna and targeted our national communications, an act of pure terrorism against the Venezuelan people.”
Arguments for the "Terrorist Act" Classification
Legal representatives for the Maduro administration and human rights observers have highlighted several points to support the "terrorist" designation:
Violation of Sovereignty: Critics point to Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity of any state.
4 Venezuela’s envoy to the UN has called for an emergency session to hold Washington accountable for the "crime of aggression."Civilian Impact: Reports from Caracas hospitals indicate a surge in casualties following the 2:00 a.m. strikes. The use of explosive ordnance in densely populated areas like El Valle (near Fort Tiuna) has been described by the government as a deliberate attempt to terrorize the population.
Targeting Infrastructure: The strike on a major communications tower and the blackouts that followed are being cited as tactics intended to paralyze the civilian population and prevent the flow of information.
6 State Terrorism Label: Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the raid on social media, describing it as "state terrorism against the brave Venezuelan people and against Our America."
The U.S. Position: "Law Enforcement and National Security"
The Trump administration has flatly rejected the "terrorist" label. In a morning interview with Fox News, President Trump framed the operation as a long-overdue law enforcement action.
The "Narco-State" Argument: U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi emphasized that Maduro was a "wanted fugitive" under a 2020 indictment for narco-terrorism and cocaine importation.
"Surgical Strikes": U.S. military officials claimed the strikes were "surgical" and aimed specifically at military assets to prevent a counter-attack, though they acknowledged that Maduro was seized from a "guarded fortress" within Fort Tiuna.
Global Fallout and Legal Precedent
International law experts are drawing comparisons to the 1989 U.S. invasion of Panama to capture Manuel Noriega. While the U.S. invokes the "Ker-Frisbie doctrine"—which suggests that how a suspect is brought before a court does not affect the legality of the trial—critics argue this sets a dangerous precedent for "global kidnapping."
Russia’s Foreign Ministry echoed the sentiment of many non-aligned nations, calling the strike "condemnable aggression" where "ideological hostility has triumphed over international law."
