PIP rejects military intervention in Venezuela, while governor praises it

Juan Dalmau Ramírez, former gubernatorial candidate for the Puerto Rican Independence Party

By THE STAR STAFF

The former gubernatorial candidate for the Puerto Rican Independence Party (PIP), Juan Dalmau Ramírez, strongly condemned the U.S. intervention in Venezuela and capture of President Nicolás Maduro in what he described as a “unilateral military aggression” by the United States government.

Dalmau, whose party has had close ties with the Maduro government, was the only island political official who objected to the U.S. military operation in Venezuela, describing the action as a “flagrant violation of international law and a move made behind the back of the United Nations.”

Dalmau emphasized in a statement Sunday that “the right to peace, self-determination, and the dignity of peoples are irreplaceable pillars of the global order.”

“It is urgent to restore peace and international order through diplomatic dialogue,” he said. “As Pope Leo XIV has expressed regarding the conflict between the U.S. and Venezuela, dialogue must be pursued in a fair manner.”

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres also expressed “deep alarm over the escalation in Venezuela, which culminated today in a U.S. military action.” He added, “I am concerned that international law has not been respected. I call on all actors in Venezuela to engage in inclusive dialogue, with respect for human rights and the rule of law.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday said that the Trump administration is “running” “the direction” of Venezuela until leadership could be transitioned.

“What we are running is the direction that this is going to move moving forward,” Rubio said on ABC’s “Meet The Press.“ “And that is we have leverage.”

The intervention, in the works since late summer, followed months of threats and dozens of boat strikes on suspected “narco-terrorists.” American personnel transported Maduro and his wife to New York to face drug trafficking, terrorism and firearms charges. He is in custody at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn.

The Venezuelan government issued an official response over the weekend following an airstrike against Caracas and the states of Miranda, Aragua and La Guaira, labeling it a “grave military aggression.”

In a statement, Caracas asserted that the attack constitutes a blatant violation of the United Nations Charter, particularly the principles safeguarding sovereignty, equality among states, and the prohibition of the use of force.

“The attack threatens peace and international stability, especially in Latin America and the Caribbean, and places millions of lives at serious risk,” the statement warned.

Residents of Caracas reported hearing loud explosions in several parts of the city during the early hours, along with helicopter overflights, according to testimonies shared on social media. The Venezuelan government rejected the United States intentions to seize the country’s strategic resources, particularly oil and minerals, in an attempt to forcibly undermine its political independence.

“They will not succeed,” the statement declared, stressing that after more than two centuries of independence, the Venezuelan people and their government remain steadfast in defending national sovereignty.

The administration further denounced what it described as an attempt to impose a “colonial war” to force regime change, asserting that such efforts will fail as previous ones have. Maduro had ordered the implementation of a state of external commotion across the national territory to “protect citizens’ rights, ensure the full functioning of republican institutions, and immediately move to armed resistance.”

“The entire country must mobilize to defeat this imperialist aggression,” the statement urged.

Venezuela announced plans to bring the matter before the United Nations Security Council, the secretary-general, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to demand international condemnation and accountability for the U.S. government. Caracas also warned that it reserves the right to exercise legitimate defense to protect its population, territory, and independence, while calling for global solidarity against what it termed foreign aggression.

Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González Colón reaffirmed support for the U.S. action on Sunday, calling it “a new day for Venezuela.”

“The decisive action by the United States, led by President Trump, reaffirms the commitment to end narcoterrorism in our hemisphere and to defend the rule of law, democracy, and human rights,” she said in a written statement.

“For years I have denounced the socialism that has kept Venezuela in chains,” the governor added. “I reiterate my solidarity with this brave people and my hope that this process opens the door to an orderly, peaceful, and democratic transition that allows Venezuela to regain the freedom and prosperity it longs for. As Governor of Puerto Rico and a U.S. citizen, I am happy because Venezuela will have peace without Nicolás Maduro’s narco-dictatorship and his gang.”