Cuba on Saturday condemned the "cowardly" use of military aggression by U.S. special forces to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
"This cowardly U.S. aggression constitutes a criminal act and a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations," the government said in a statement posted to its website.
"It represents a dangerous escalation of the sustained campaign of war waged for years by the United States against that sister nation, which intensified beginning in September 2025 with the aggressive naval deployment in the Caribbean Sea, under false pretexts and unfounded accusations lacking any evidence."
Maduro was captured after the U.S. conducted a "large-scale strike" on the country early Saturday morning, President Donald Trump announced.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the indictment of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on terrorism and weapons charges in the Southern District of New York.
Cuba in its statement demanded the "immediate release by U.S. authorities" of Maduro and Flores.
"This is a blatant imperialist and fascist aggression with objectives of domination, aimed at reviving U.S. hegemonic ambitions over Our America, rooted in the Monroe Doctrine, and at achieving unrestricted access to and control over the natural wealth of Venezuela and the region," it said.
"It also seeks to intimidate and subjugate the governments of Latin America and the Caribbean.
"The consequences of this irresponsible act remain to be seen. The Government of the United States, President Donald Trump, and his Secretary of State, together with the aggressive elements hostile to Latin America and the Caribbean that have gained significant political influence in that country, bear absolute responsibility for the deaths, as well as the human and material damage already caused and any that may result from this aggression."
The international community "cannot allow an aggression of this nature and gravity against a U.N. member state to go unpunished, nor permit the military abduction of the legitimate and sitting president of a sovereign country without consequences," it added.
Cuba has for years maintained a foothold in Venezuela, embedding intelligence operatives and security personnel as part of its close political and security ties with the Caracas government.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday warned Cuba’s leaders that "I’d be concerned" following the United States’ capture of Maduro.
He accused Cuba of being "run by incompetent, senile men, and in some cases not seen now, but incompetent nonetheless."
He claimed Maduro’s guards and Venezuela’s "whole spy agency" were "full of Cubans," and that "this poor island took over Venezuela."
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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