The Chinese Foreign Ministry has called for the immediate release of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.
According to the ministry spokesman, Beijing is seriously concerned about the US capture of Maduro and his wife, the US actions are “a clear violation of international law, basic norms of international relations, as well as the purposes and principles of the UN Charter”.
China urges the US to solve the problems through dialogue and negotiations, the Foreign Ministry added.
Earlier, the Chinese Foreign Ministry condemned the “blatant use of force by the US against a sovereign state and actions against its president,” noting that such “hegemonic actions by the US” seriously violate international law and Venezuela’s sovereignty, and threaten peace and security in Latin America and the Caribbean region.
On the night of 3 January, US forces struck military installations in Venezuela’s capital Caracas and captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores. US authorities do not consider Maduro to be the legitimate president of Venezuela and accuse him and Flores of conspiring to engage in “narco-terrorism,” importing cocaine, and storing weapons and explosive devices for use against the US.
On the evening of January 3, they were taken to a detention centre in Brooklyn.
Maduro and his wife are due to make their first appearance in federal court in New York today, 5 January, where they will be formally informed of the charges.
US President Donald Trump told reporters on 4 January that he may order another strike if Venezuela does not cooperate with the United States.
In an interview with The Atlantic, the American president also threatened Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, saying that “if she doesn’t do the right thing, she will have to pay a very high price, probably higher than Maduro.”