By Martin Banks

MEPs appear split on the reported overthrow of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro by US Special Forces..

Maduro is expected to appear in a court in New York on drugs and weapons charges.

President Trump ordered the strikes against the country saying Maduro and his wife had been captured from a “fortress like” house.

Venezuela has denounced what it calls “extremely serious military aggression.”

On Saturday, MEPs were quick to respond to the capture of Maduro.

The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group said that the former regime had no democratic legitimacy.”

But the European Greens voiced “deep concern” at the dramatic events in South America.

The ECR Group said that the 2024 election, in which Edmundo González Urrutia was elected president, was “stolen by Maduro’s narco-communist regime.”

A statement said, “Despite this manipulation, the vote clearly revealed the Venezuelan people’s will for democratic change, political freedom and constitutional government.

“Against this background, the capture of Maduro can open a decisive window for a orderly democratic transition, allowing Venezuelans themselves to determine their political future through democratic means and to restore constitutional order in the country,” it said.

ECR Co-Chairman Nicola Procaccini commented, “Maduro‘s regime systematically dismantled democracy, crushed political opposition and deprived millions of Venezuelans of freedom and dignity. This moment must lead to an orderly democratic transition, restoring constitutional order and respect for the clear will of the Venezuelan people.”

ECR Co-Chairman Patryk Jaki said: “The capture of Maduro marks a turning point after years of dictatorship, repression and electoral fraud. I fully support President Trump’s decisive action, which creates a real opportunity for Venezuela to finally return to democracy and constitutional order.”

ECR MEP and Vice-Chair of the Euro-Latin Parliamentary Assembly Carlo Fidanza added, “It is striking to hear calls for international law from the red-green left, alongside Russia, Iran and Cuba, after years of silence on a criminal system that tortured opponents, rigged elections and starved its own people.”

González Urrutia was nominated by the ECR Group and awarded the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament, in “recognition of his courage and commitment to democracy alongside the Venezuelan democratic opposition. “

The ECR Group said this recognition “underlined the legitimacy of the democratic forces and the Venezuelan people’s clear aspiration for freedom and democracy.”

The ECR Group said it “reiterates its firm support for Venezuela’s democratic opposition and for a peaceful transition driven by the Venezuelan people themselves. It calls on all remaining elements of the former regime to lay down their arms and allow a democratic process so that Venezuela can finally reclaim freedom, democracy and national sovereignty.”

However, the European Greens took a very different view on Saturday saying it was “deeply oncerned” by the reports emerging from Venezuela.

The European Green Party co-chairs Vula Tsetsi and Ciarán Cuffe stated that the US military intervention in Venezuela “violates International Law.”

A joint statement added,“Any detention of political actors, use of force, or restriction of fundamental freedoms must always fully respect international law, human rights, and the authority of the United Nations.”

“The Venezuelan people have suffered immensely from authoritarian practices, political repression, and the erosion of democratic institutions. At the same time, we strongly condemn external military intervention or coercive actions, including those by the United States, that further destabilise the country and the region without a UN mandate and against the international law.”

“The only sustainable way forward is a peaceful, democratic transition, based on free and fair elections, respect for human rights, and inclusive dialogue led by Venezuelans themselves, and with the support of the international community. The European Union must remain consistent and principled: defending democracy, human rights, and international law, without double standards, and ensuring that all actions respect the authority of the United Nations”, concluded Ciarán Cuffe and Vula Tsetsi.

Further reaction came from Renew Europe, another mainstream political group in the EU parliament. A statement from the group said, “Nicolás Maduro is a ruthless, illegitimate dictator, who remained in power to persecute Venezuelans despite losing the July 2024 presidential elections – which both the UN Panel of Experts and the Carter Center confirmed were won by Edmundo González Urrutia. The European Parliament recognised him as President. Mr Maduro must face now justice for his crimes.” The statement, issued late on Saturday, added, “At the same time, Renew Europe expresses concern over the United States’ military incursion into Venezuela, which undermines international law.”

Renew Europe leader Valérie Hayer continued, “Venezuela deserves a democratic future that dictator Nicolas Maduro denied them. However, the military intervention of the Trump administration in Venezuela contravenes the foundations of international law. Europe is watching closely and with resolve: such an incursion must never become a blueprint. Sustainable peace, democratic legitimacy, and justice cannot be secured by military force.”

“Sustainable peace, democratic legitimacy, and justice cannot be secured at gunpoint.”

MEP Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez (PNV, Spain), Renew Europe spokesperson for Venezuela, emphasised: “The last Venezuelan presidential elections of July 28, 2024, which allowed Nicolás Maduro to remain in power, were rigged. Edmundo González Urrutia obtained more support. However, the incursion into Venezuela and the capture of Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, in the absence of independent and transparent confirmation of the facts, is very worrying.”

“It is necessary to return the voice of Venezuelans as soon as possible, with the necessary democratic guarantees,” Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez concluded. “A return to the multilateral world order is the most effective way to protect world peace and human rights.”

MEP Hilde Vautmans (Open VLD, Belgium), Renew Europe AFET Coordinator, said : “No one, least of all the oppressed Venezuelan people, will mourn Nicolás Maduro’s departure. But Maduro’s forced removal from Venezuela raises serious questions under international law. Change in Venezuela must come from within, and Europe must defend the rule of law without double standards. In a new world where the strong act decisively regardless of international law, Europe must finally do what is necessary to become a real global power.”

Renew Europe says it “has full confidence in European institutions and Member States to jointly ensure the security of European citizens located in Venezuela.”