NY Mayor Zohran Mamdani rips Trump over Venezuela attack

New York: NewYork Mayor Zohran Mamdani has condemned the unprecedented US military action against Venezuela and the capture of its President Nicolas Maduro, calling the unilateral strike on a sovereign nation an “act of war”. Mamdani said he conveyed his opposition to the action in a direct conversation with President Donald Trump, criticising Washington’s intervention in the Latin American country.

"Unilaterally attacking a sovereign nation is an act of war and a violation of federal and international law," the Indian-origin Mayor said in a social media post.

Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured during a large-scale US strike on the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, on Saturday. According to US President Donald Trump, the two will face criminal charges in New York, and he announced that Maduro has been removed from power and the US will temporarily run the country.

Mamdani further responded, saying, "This blatant pursuit of regime change doesn’t just affect those abroad, it directly impacts New Yorkers, including tens of thousands of Venezuelans who call this city home. My focus is their safety and the safety of every New Yorker, and my administration will continue to monitor the situation and issue relevant guidance". Governor Kathy Hochul also said she was briefed on the matter, calling out Trump for a "flagrant abuse of power by acting without congressional approval." She continued, “New York is home to a vibrant Venezuelan community, and I stand with families here and abroad in their hopes for a better, more stable future,” her statement.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who lives in Brooklyn, New York, also weighed in on the matter. In a statement, he said, “Let me be clear: Nicolás Maduro is an illegitimate dictator. But launching military action without congressional authorization and without a credible plan for what comes next is reckless. The administration has assured me three separate times that it was not pursuing regime change or taking military action in Venezuela. Clearly, they are not being straight with Americans,” on Saturday.