Overview
- Posting on X on January 4, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner said the U.S. action crossed a line and labeled the detention of Nicolás Maduro and his wife a literal kidnapping.
- She argued the raid violated the U.N. Charter and international law, noted reports of multiple deaths, and warned it has created high instability in Venezuela.
- Kirchner claimed the stated aims of restoring democracy or combating narcotrafficking are a pretext, alleging the real goal of 'Operation Resolución Absoluta' is access to Venezuela’s vast conventional oil reserves.
- Invoking the Monroe Doctrine and Big Stick history, she said the move revives discredited interventionism and sets a precedent that could enable future violations of sovereignty and resource grabs by stronger states.
- Coverage reports Maduro remains in U.S. custody in New York on narcotrafficking charges, and Argentina’s government countered Kirchner’s critique by denouncing Maduro’s record and defending the outcome of the operation.