France decries US military action in Venezuela, citing sovereignty and UN Charter

PARIS -- French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Saturday voiced strong opposition to the US military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

In a statement posted on his official X account, Barrot warned that such actions erode the foundations of international law and will have "serious consequences for global security, which will spare no one."

He stressed that "no lasting political solution can be imposed from outside and that sovereign peoples alone decide their own future."

France "reiterates her commitment to the Charter of the United Nations, which must continue to guide the international action of States, always and everywhere," Barrot said.

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States has struck Venezuela and captured its President Nicolas Maduro, who was flown out of the country along with his wife.

Venezuela on Saturday denounced a "military aggression" by the United States, after large explosions were heard and aircraft were seen over the capital Caracas earlier in the day.