Following the US military capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores on January 3, Argentine ambassador Francisco Tropepi voiced support at a UN Security Council emergency session. He urged the release of detained Argentine gendarme Nahuel Gallo, while Brazil, Mexico, and others condemned the action as a sovereignty breach, sparking protests in Argentina and market movements.
In the wake of the US operation in Caracas on January 3—which resulted in the capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores, as detailed in prior coverage—UN Secretary-General António Guterres convened an emergency Security Council session, expressing 'great alarm' and warning of a 'dangerous precedent.'
Argentine ambassador Francisco Tropepi aligned Buenos Aires with Washington, praising the 'decision and determination' of President Donald Trump in removing the 'dictator.' Tropepi called on Venezuela's 'transition authorities' to immediately free gendarme Nahuel Gallo, held for over a year, and reiterated Argentina's criticisms under President Javier Milei of Maduro's human rights abuses.
Regional responses diverged sharply. Brazil labeled it a 'grave affront to sovereignty' amid 61 global conflicts, eroding multilateralism. Mexico reaffirmed Latin America as a 'zone of peace,' justifying force only in self-defense. Chile and Colombia also rejected the intervention as illegal.
In Argentina, protests erupted in Buenos Aires near the US Embassy, with groups like ATE, the Left Front, and CTAs burning American flags and chanting 'Out with the United States from Latin America.' Leaders such as Hugo Godoy demanded Maduro's release and upheld regional sovereignty.
Economically, Venezuelan oil firm Pebesa bonds surged 30% (from $18 to $30), aiding expropriated companies, though global oil prices held steady given Venezuela's 500,000 barrels/day output. Analyst Nicolás Borra noted speculative rises in commodities like gold, with limited local market impact. Prosecutor Carlos Stornelli requested Maduro's extradition to Argentina on 2024 human rights complaints.
Analyst Gustavo Damián González faulted the UN and OAS for inefficacy, signaling a 'new geopolitical order' with US influence dividing Latin America.
