Reactions in Chile to the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro remain divided, with President Gabriel Boric condemning the intervention as a dangerous precedent, the opposition calling for support, and the left showing internal splits. Experts caution that the Venezuelan regime persists amid uncertainty.
President Gabriel Boric condemned the U.S.-led operation, warning 'today it's Venezuela. Tomorrow it could be any other' and that it sets an 'extremely dangerous precedent for regional and global stability.' Chile's right-wing criticized this as a double standard. Senator Iván Moreira (UDI), head of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, demanded 'a clear, firm, unambiguous stance against the dictatorship led by Maduro.' The committee plans to summon Chancellor Alberto Van Klaveren on January 13 to discuss Chile's position and a potential humanitarian corridor.
Opposition figures like Deputy Diego Schalper (RN) invoked the Palermo Convention for humanitarian intervention amid violations; Senators Rojo Edwards and Felipe Kast (Evópoli) accused Boric of inconsistency and defended the action against a dictator violating international law.
Government allies mostly backed Boric: Deputy Coca Ñanco (Frente Amplio) and Senator Juan Ignacio Latorre upheld non-intervention; PC President Lautaro Carmona praised it, though Deputy Nathalie Castillo called for Maduro's release. Deputy Raúl Soto (PPD) urged more empathy for Venezuelans.
Senator José Miguel Insulza (PS) highlighted confusion, noting Venezuelans celebrating repatriation but the regime enduring under interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, who demands Maduro's return. With Trump eyeing Venezuelan oil and sidelining opposition like María Corina Machado and Edmundo González, Insulza praised Boric's prudence amid hasty conclusions.
