Asunción, Agencia IP.- President Santiago Peña stated that the «fall (of Nicolás Maduro) can only be good news» and called for prioritizing democratic processes and the well-being of Venezuelans, following Maduro’s arrest during a US military incursion in Caracas.
Peña noted that the Paraguayan government has repeatedly warned about “the unsustainable situation of the illegitimate, rapacious, and dictatorial regime of Nicolás Maduro.”
Regarding the expected transition in Venezuela, the president «offers the international community its cooperation and experience for regime change,» citing Paraguay’s «successful transition» after the fall of the Alfredo Stroessner dictatorship (1954-1989).
With this statement, Peña joins the international chorus of reactions following the ground military incursion and airstrike on military targets carried out by the United States government in the early hours of Saturday, January 3.
The United States formally accused Nicolás Maduro of leading the Cartel of the Suns, and he will face charges of international drug trafficking, international arms trafficking, and terrorism, according to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Regarding the legitimacy of a third six-year presidential term for Nicolás Maduro following the July 2024 elections, Paraguay, along with much of the international community, does not recognize the results due to the lack of review of the electoral records and the opposition’s allegations of fraud.
In an interview with CNN a year ago, Peña stated that what is happening in Venezuela is a humanitarian catastrophe and called for continued external pressure against the regime through economic sanctions.
Reactions in the region
The attack on military posts and the arrest of Maduro were first celebrated by Javier Milei, president of Argentina, who posted on his X account, «Freedom advances. Long live freedom!»
For his part, the president of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, stated that the bombings in Venezuelan territory and the capture of its president «have crossed an unacceptable line» and set a precedent «where the law of the strongest prevails over multilateralism.»
Other condemnations of the US military intervention and calls for a peaceful resolution came from the presidents of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, and Chile, Gabriel Boric.
Meanwhile, the Bolivian Foreign Ministry expressed its «firm support for the Venezuelan people on the path they have begun to recover democracy, constitutional order, and human rights.»