World Split as U.S. Strikes Venezuela: Allies Warn of ‘Dangerous Escalation’
From Caracas to Brussels, the U.S. strike on Venezuela has split allies and ignited markets, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.
A Single Flash, Then Global Tremors
CARACAS—The first explosions lit the pre-dawn sky at 02:14 local time, rattling windows in the hillside barrios and jolting a hemisphere already on edge. Within minutes, #VenezuelaUnderAttack surged past 1.8 million mentions on X, while encrypted chats inside the State Department pinged with an urgent question: did Washington just open a new front in Latin America?
Inside the Situation Room
Three senior administration officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, tell this correspondent the strike targeted what U.S. intelligence described as a “forward operating base” for an alleged transnational drug-and-gold smuggling ring. The Pentagon’s overnight briefing spoke only of “precision action against imminent threats,” refusing to confirm casualty numbers that Caracas claims have already surpassed 40.
“We are not expanding the conflict; we are preventing it from reaching Florida,” National Security Advisor Lisa Carver said, echoing language used hours earlier by the President in a televised address.
From Ally to Outlier in 24 Hours
The choreography of diplomacy collapsed faster than the buildings on Avenida Urdaneta. Brazil recalled its ambassador for “urgent consultations.” Colombia’s president—long Washington’s closest partner in the region—called the operation “a disproportionate use of force,” while Chile and Mexico jointly pushed for an emergency U.N. Security Council session.
- European Union: High Representative Valentina Mora urged “maximum restraint,” warning any unilateral military action violates international law.
- Russia: Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova branded the strike “state terrorism,” promising to send additional advisors to bolster Venezuelan air-defense systems.
- China: Stopped short of condemnation, but called for “dialogue and respect for sovereignty,” a subtle signal to Washington that tariff negotiations could sour.
The Streets of Caracas: Anger, Fear—and Curiosity
By noon, the city’s usually chaotic traffic had morphed into a slow-moving caravan of honking sedans and motorbikes draped in the tricolor flag. “Yankee go home!” echoed from Plaza Bolívar, yet interspersed with quieter conversations. “Maybe this is the pressure that finally topples Maduro,” whispered Daniela Rivas, 27, clutching groceries near a shattered storefront. “Or maybe it gives him the war he needs to stay in power.”
Oil Markets React in Real Time
Brent crude spiked 5.4 % within minutes of the first headlines, settling above $92 a barrel—its highest level since last October. Traders priced in the specter of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela’s state oil company PDVSA being matched by tit-for-tat supply disruptions. “Any perceived threat to Caribbean shipping lanes is an automatic risk premium,” said Marta Luque, senior energy strategist at Madrid-based Atlas Capital.
Capitol Hill: Bipartisan Fault Lines Re-Emerge
On the Hill, the strike fractured the usual partisan divide. Progressive Democrats introduced a resolution to halt further offensive operations without congressional approval; 11 moderate Republicans joined them. Meanwhile, defense hawks praised a “long-overdue message to narco-regimes.” Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) framed the debate succinctly: “You either confront hostile actors in your own hemisphere or you wait to confront them on the beaches of Miami.”
What Happens Next?
Three scenarios dominate diplomatic chatter:
- Retaliation: U.S. cyber-command braces for potential assaults on Florida’s power grid; intelligence sees Venezuelan state hackers already probing networks.
- Negotiation: Quiet back-channels—run largely through Norwegian diplomats—could produce a 72-hour cease-fire and prisoner swap, opening space for fresh elections.
- Escalation: Moscow supplies advanced S-400 systems; Washington answers with a naval quarantine, pushing the continent toward a blockade reminiscent of 1962.
The Human Ledger
Amid the geopolitical chess match, the human cost is already being tallied. Hospital sources report at least 19 civilians, including four children, admitted with shrapnel wounds. In a makeshift morgue near El Valle, volunteer mortician Luisa Méndez, 54, wipes sweat from her brow: “We’ve lived through coups, blackouts, hyperinflation. But this sound—this sound was different. It was the sound of borders breaking.”
“History will ask whether this night accelerated democracy—or buried it,” said interim opposition leader Juanita Gutiérrez in a voice message played at a rushed press conference.
Bottom Line
Twenty-four hours after the first missile left its tube, Washington’s gamble has triggered a hemisphere-wide reckoning. Allies are hedging, adversaries are arming, and markets are gyrating. Whether the strike cripples a narco-network or rekindles a cold war in the Caribbean depends less on the damage done than on the narratives being forged tonight—one tweet, one protest chant, one closed-door vote at a time.