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MANILA, Philippines — Some Philippine lawmakers and groups have condemned the attack by the United States on Venezuela for the arrest of its president, Nicolas Maduro.
In separate statements on Sunday, January 5, Rep. Leila de Lima (Mamamayang Liberal Partylist) and Akbayan Partylist slammed the move of the US, saying that it was a violation of Venezuela’s sovereignty.
For De Lima, who was a former justice secretary, the move of the US “throws the global order back to a barbaric ‘might makes right’ regime,” discarding “all the progress achieved by the United Nations eighty years after the end of World War 2.”
“The attack on Venezuela and abduction of President Maduro undermines the rules-based international order, thus setting a terrible precedent of heightened aggression by superpowers,” De Lima said.
She also said that due to the Philippines’ alliance with the United States, the country faces a weakened moral position when it comes to challenging Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea.
De Lima argued that the recent move by the US engages in a similar aggressive behavior against a smaller neighboring nation—paralleling the power dynamic between China and the Philippines.
“This reflects poorly on us as well, regardless of our own faithful adherence to international law, simply because the US is our ally,” she said.
She also urged Congress to initiate “high-level consultations” with the country's national defense, intelligence, security and foreign affairs sectors to address how superpower aggression affects the Philippines' fragile position in the West Philippine Sea.
Meanwhile, the Akbayan Partylist also criticized the action, saying it is a direct attack on Venezuela’s “sovereignty and on the people’s right to self-determination.”
“This violation is further compounded by Donald Trump’s declaration that his regime will now ‘run’ Venezuela and seize control of its oil reserves. Such pronouncements amount to nothing less than a total invasion of a sovereign nation-state and the plunder of its resources,” the group’s statement read.
While the group acknowledges allegations of corruption, authoritarianism and human rights violations under the Maduro administration, Akbayan emphasized that the responsibility for enacting change rests solely with the sovereign citizens of Venezuela.
On January 3 (US time) or January 4 (Manila time), US President Donald Trump announced that American forces had apprehended Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during an overnight mission.
Following their capture, Maduro was moved to the US. to undergo criminal proceedings. The president subsequently indicated that Washington would oversee Venezuela's administration temporarily throughout a transitional phase.
He was arrested on charges of narco-terrorism and the importation of drugs and weapons in the United States, according to US Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
Reaction of other nations
The attack on Venezuela gained mixed reactions from different countries.
The Department of Foreign Affairs urged both the US and Venezuela to “resolve disputes through peaceful means, and to exercise restraint to prevent escalation of conflict.”
For the United Kingdom (U.K.), Prime Minister Kier Starmer said that the UK “shed no tears” at the end of Maduro’s regime.
“I reiterated my support for international law this morning. The UK government will discuss the evolving situation with US counterparts in the days ahead as we seek a safe and peaceful transition to a legitimate government that reflects the will of the Venezuelan people,” Starmer’s statement read.
On the contrary, China's foreign ministry said that the United States should immediately release Venezuelan leader Maduro and his wife and resolve the situation in Venezuela through dialogue and negotiation.
Maduro, who has been Venezuela’s president since 2013, has committed alleged atrocities during his tenure as president, according to a report by the United Nations.
An instance of atrocities was committed by Venezuela's Bolivarian National Guard, which the UN fact-finding mission in December 2025 said had committed serious human rights violations and crimes against humanity over more than a decade in targeting political opponents.
