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Macron withdraws support for U.S. capture of Maduro
French President Emmanuel Macron clarified his stance Monday on the U.S. military operation that seized Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, stating France "neither supports nor approves" the approach used backpedaling from an initial response that drew fire for seeming too aligned with President Donald Trump.
The walk-back came two days after Macron posted on social media that "the Venezuelan people are now rid of Nicolás Maduro's dictatorship and can only rejoice," a line that clashed sharply with condemnation from his own foreign minister. At a cabinet meeting Monday, government spokeswoman Maud Bregeon quoted Macron: "We defend international law and peoples' freedom. The method employed is neither supported nor approved."
Macron's Saturday reaction sparked backlash across France's political spectrum. Former Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin slammed it as "blind, ignorant of reality, and irresponsible," accusing Macron of "submission and vassalage" to Washington. Left-wing leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon said Macron "shames us" and "abandons international law."
Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot had issued a more cautious statement hours before Macron's post, warning the U.S. raid "violates the non-use of force principle underpinning international law" and that "no lasting political solution can be imposed from outside." The rift between the two stood out as unusual for France's executive.
U.S. forces captured Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in a predawn January 3 raid codenamed "Absolute Resolution," transferring them to a naval ship before flying to New York to face narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges. Vice President Delcy Rodriguez took over as interim president, backed by the Venezuelan military.
Trump said the U.S. would "run the country until we can make a safe, proper, and sensible transition," while highlighting plans to deploy American oil firms to rebuild Venezuela's infrastructure. Macron insisted any handover focus on opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, widely seen as the legitimate winner of Venezuela's disputed 2024 presidential election.
